Fall 2022 Offer #3: Le Battistelle Soave

Le Battistelle - 2021 “Montesei” Soave Classico

Bottom Line - Le Battistelle’s Montesei is a classically styled Soave Classico at a very attractive price. While this white pairs well with a wide variety of dishes, it’s also great to sip on as you prepare dinner, or wait for takeout to arrive. From the winemaker: “The fruity, elegant nuances are stylishly intertwined with a lively minerality. Full of energy and flavor, offset by a refreshing acidity to give a balanced finish.” My notes: “Fresh cut flowers; hints of volcanic ash; vibrant and bright; just enough grip. Buy bottles to take home!”

Le Battistelle - 2021 “Roccolo del Durlo” Soave Classico

Bottom Line - Roccolo de Durlo is a more serious, old-vine, single-vineyard white from Le Battistelle. It’s full-bodied and fruit-driven, with plenty of structure and muscle. But it doesn’t come across as heavy. The ripe fruit and acidic backbone deliver freshness and persistence on the palate. My notes: “Intense peachy nose; mediterranean herbs and honey; grows in the mouth; concentrated, complex and layered; lean mineral spine. Chardonnay-like body, with big, opulent fruit.”

To order, just click the one of the links above and follow the prompts. Keep reading for more in-depth information on Le Battistelle.

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Wine friends,

During the last few decades of the 20th century, the Soave region earned a reputation for making forgettable mass-produced white wines. That’s no longer the case. These days, there are many producers who focus on quality over quantity. Even some of Soave’s larger producers offer high-quality single-vineyard wines.

But there’s still a lot of lifeless Soave on the market. It’s a very big growing area, and too many producers are still living off the name recognition of the Soave brand. 

Pinot Grigio and Prosecco have a similar problem. In the long run, it’s not a good idea to have a wine brand that’s known for mediocre quality. 

All of the boring Soave depresses the price of the good Soave, which leaves us with a big silver lining. The Soave region is now one of the best value opportunities in Italian wine. You just have to know where to find the good ones. (This is also true of Pinot Grigio and, to a lesser degree, Prosecco). 

That’s where Open Tuesday and Le Battistelle come in! 

So, how did I come across the value sweet spot winery Le Battistelle? 

I’d love to say I hit the road and tasted at hundreds of Soave wineries before reaching my conclusion on the clear winner. In reality, I just asked a bunch of wine geek producers from other regions which Soave wines they like to drink. The name Le Battistellle came up multiple times. So I visited. I was convinced as soon as I tasted the first Soave – this Montesei. The Roccolo del Durlo was just icing on the cake.

Le Battistelle started bottling their own wine in 2004. Today, they produce only about 40 thousand bottles of wine per year. While the wines are still somewhat under the radar, winemaker Gloria dal Bosco’s star is clearly on the rise.

Le Battistelle’s Soave wines are made with 100 percent Garganega, a native white grape that is widely planted in north-central Italy. 

Today, Gloria and her brother Andrea manage Le Battistelle with the help of their mother Maria Cristina, and father Gelmino. The name “Le Battistelle” is a tribute to their distant relatives, the “Battistella” sisters who worked the same land centuries ago.

Here’s Le Battistelle on the map of northern Italy: Azienda Agricola Le Battistelle

Food pairing: Le Battistelle website reveals that, “Our Montesei is perfect as an aperitif or paired with fish dishes, white meat and mild cheese.” With the Roccolo del Durlo, a heartier dish should make for a better match. Why not try to make spaghetti alla carbonara? This video from our friends at Rimessa Roscioli provides plenty of motivation. Don’t forget to use guanciale if you can find it!

Le Battistelle - 2021 “Montesei” Soave Classico

12.5% ABV

Le Battistelle - 2021 “Roccolo del Durlo” Soave Classico

13% ABV

To order, just click the links above and follow the prompts.

Happy Tuesday,

Chris

If you have any questions or feedback, please email us: [email protected].  

How it works: 

After clicking one of the links above, you’ll be able to request 1-12 bottles. Actually, that’s all you have to do!

About a week later, when we close the offer, you’ll get an email confirming how many bottles we allocated to your account. We will charge you when the wines are allocated.

We’ll do our best to allocate all the bottles you request. But when there are more requests than bottles available, we’ll allocate one bottle to all requesting members before allocating a second bottle to anyone. We want as many members as possible to try these wines.

This is the third of 18 offers during the fall season. We are sending offers on Tuesday and Saturday through the first week of November.

We ship in increments of 12. With 18 offers this season, there should be plenty of chances to get to 12, 24, or 36. If you don’t have an increment of 12 at the end of the fall season offers, we can hold your wines until the next offer season – spring 2023.

Wines offered in the fall will ship in late November-early December for $5 per bottle (if you have an increment of 12.) This is about the same as the price to ship coast-to-coast within the U.S. – but our wines come directly from Italy.

Once your payment method is on file, you can make future requests with just a few clicks from the offer email. If you don’t have a card on file, you can add one during your first order. Your personal financial information is protected by Stripe.

Chris MacLean

Rob Genova

Open Tuesday Wines S.r.l.s.

Via Augusto Anfossi 19, 20135 Milano - Italy