While I was in the Veneto recently, I was introduced to the dynamic Noemi Pizzighella of Le Guaite di Noemi winery in Valoplicella.
When Noemi was a baby her parents would give her a few drops of Recioto wine and it would always make her happy. Today, Noemi is the winemaker for her family’s winery.
The Winery
Noemi told me that 20 years ago, her father Stefano bought a small crusher and a few acres of olive groves on the hillside of Mezzane di Sotto. This is a hill which benefits from the microclimate of Lake Garda and the northern Alpine currents which create the thermal shock important for the inimitable character of the grapes.
Production of wine began in 2002 with the purchase of 10 acres of vineyards, including Le Guaite, situated on the highest part of the hill.
Noemi said she began helping her mother and father in the vineyards as well as the cellar when she was 8 years old.
In 2016 after years of daily work in the winery she took over the responsibility of running it, in part to relieve her parents of some of the never-ending work. At the same time the wines were getting excellent reviews and she wanted to open up the international market. She pointed out that her vineyards are situated next to those of the famous Romano Del Forno.
Noemi said she ages her wines longer than most, to give them their distinctive character, powerful structure and impressive elegance.
The Wines
IGT Rosso Veronese “Tono” made from 35% Corvinone, 35% Corvina, 20% Rondinello and 10% Oseleto and the vines are 15/40 years old at 350/400 meters with a 15/20 slope. The soil is white and pink limestone with basalt rock. There are 5,000 vines per hectare and the training system is guyot. The farming method is sustainable agriculture. Fermentation is in stainless steel. Aging takes place in stainless steel for 18/20 months and then in bottle for another 12 months before release. The wine has hints of cherry, plum, and a touch of violets. Noemi said aromas of mint and eucalyptus are characteristic of her wine. $19
Valpolicella Superiore DOC 33% Corvina, 33% Rondinello and 34% Corvinone. Training system is guyot except for one hectare which has 40 year old vines and is pergola pruned. The grapes are dried for 30 to 40 days followed by fermentation in stainless steel. Aging takes place in second passage French oak for 15 months and then for another 6 months in stainless steel. The wine remains in the bottle for 3 years before release. The wine has hints of ripe red and black fruit, black cherry and plum with a touch of spice, a note of vanilla and coffee. Current vintage is 2013. $33
Valpolicella Ripasso DOC made from 35% Corvina, 35% Corvinone, 20% Rondinella and 10% Oseleta. Training system is guyot except for one hectare which is of 40 year old vines which is pergola pruned. The grapes are dried for 30/40 days followed by fermentation in stainless steel on grape skins left from making Amarone. The wine is aged is second passage French oak for 30 months and then 6 months in stainless steel. The wine remains in the bottle for 2 years before release. The wine has hints of red cherry, blueberries, and blackberries with a hint of vanilla and a touch of pepper. $39
Amarone della Valpolicella DOCG made from 35% Corvina, 35% Corvinone, 20% Rondinella and 10% Oseleta. Training system is guyot except for one hectare with 40 year old vines which is pergola pruned. The grapes are dried for 4 months and then fermented in stainless steel during the month of January. The wine is aged in new French oak barriques for 3 years then for 6 months in stainless steel.Then the wine is aged for 4 years in bottle before release. The wine has hints of black plum, blackberries, ripe red cherries, balsamic notes, pepper and a touch of vanilla. The current vintage is 2012. $65
Recioto della Valpolicella DOCG made from 35% Corvina, 35% Rondinella and 30% Corvinone. The grapes are dried for 6 months followed by fermentation in stainless steel. Fermentation is stopped when the wine reaches 13.5% alcohol. Aging is in new French oak barrels for 3 years and then 6 months in stainless steel. The wine is released after being in the bottle for 3 years. This is an intense wine with rich fruit aromas of raisins, black cherry, black plums and blackberries. $73
Tisbe IGT made from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from vineyard at 450/500 meters. The soil is limestone with white calcareous rock, pink ferrous calcareous rock, basaltic rock containing minerals, olivine and pyroxene and volcanic soil. There are 5,000 plants per hectare and the training system is guyot. Harvest is in the beginning of October. The grapes are dried for 3 months and 2 weeks, then the grapes are destemmed, pressed and under go cryomaceration. Fermentation is with cultured yeasts with simultaneous malolactic fermentation. The wine is aged in French oak barriques for about 36 months and another 16 months in bottle before release. The wine has hints of cherry, blackberries, blueberries, black plum and chocolate with a hint of coffee and a touch of tobacco. Alcohol is 17% The current vintage is 2017. $83
Solitario IGT made from 35% Corvina, 20% Rondinella, 35% Corvinone and 10% Oseletta and Corvinone. The wine is aged in new French barriques for about 54 months and in bottle for 30 months before release. The wine has hints of cherry, blackberry, black plum, pepper and a balsamic note. Alcohol 17% % $145
The Olive Oil
In addition to the 10 acres of vineyards they also have 7 acres of olive groves with such old varieties as Grignano, Leccio del Corno and Casaliva which are used to make an excellent olive oil. All of the olives are treated and gathered by hand.
Meeting Noemi and tasting her wines was one of the highlights of my visit to the Veneto.
Charles Scicolone on Wine 