Our vineyards of white grapes, located in the hilly area of Illasi, have a history of almost 70 years. They are the first vineyards of the Sabaini family, planted by our great-grandfather, in the village of Illasi, in the province of Verona, at an altitude of about 175 meters, facing north-east and south.
These lands are just a few meters away, on the right bank of the river Progno d’Illasi. Commonly known as the Progno, it rises between the rocky walls of the Carega Group and crosses no fewer than seven municipalities along its 35 km-long course. The climate of this valley is temperate, and in the past, it was mostly characterized by drought and low rainfall, which is why it was called Valsecca Precipitation tends to be concentrated in the autumn and spring, when the river Progno rises, causing considerable devastation. Our Collina d’Illasi vineyards are the highest in the Soave DOC area, at 175 meters above sea level, and border the last Soave zone with the Valpolicella zone.
LAND/CLIMATE
The Collina d’Illasi vineyards are located in the village of Illasi. They are 175 meters above sea level and face north-east. The limestone, gravelly soil is characterized by its proximity to the Progno d ‘Illasi stream. The vines are grown following the traditional Veronese pergola system. The varieties grown in this area are Garganega and Chardonnay.
WHITE GRAPE VARIETIES OF THE ILLASI HILL
The wines from these areas are characterized by floral, fruity, and mineral notes.
Notes from this particular gravelly limestone terroir.
The wines we make from these grapes are:
- Soave DOC: fruity, elegant, and intense in taste, obtained from Garganega grapes that give it a pale straw-yellow color. The manual harvest takes place during October when optimum ripeness is reached. After crushing and destemming, the must is fermented in stainless steel vats at a controlled temperature of 16-18 C to preserve its freshness and intense flavor. It is an excellent wine for aperitifs and fresh first courses.
Find out more about this excellent wine in the dedicated interview: link
- Chardonnay Veronese: fragrant, elegant, and fresh, made with Chardonnay grapes that give it a wonderful straw yellow color. Manual harvesting occurs in September when the fruit has reached optimum ripeness. After crushing and destemming, the must is fermented in stainless steel vats at a controlled temperature of 16-18 C to preserve its freshness and intense flavor. It is an excellent wine for aperitifs and fresh first courses.
- Garganega Veronese: fresh, young, and fruity, obtained from Garganega grapes that give it a straw-yellow color with greenish reflections. Manual harvesting occurs in September when the fruit has reached optimum ripeness. After crushing and destemming, the must is fermented in stainless steel vats at a controlled temperature of 16-18 C to preserve its freshness and intense flavor. It is an excellent wine for aperitifs and fresh first courses.
- Garganega Spumante Brut: fruity, dry, firm obtained with Garganega grapes that give it a unique greenish yellow. The grapes are harvested by hand in September. After crushing and destemming, the grapes are fermented at a controlled temperature of 16-18 C for about 3 months in stainless steel tanks in contact with the lees and yeasts. It is then sparkling in an autoclave for about 60 days. It is an excellent wine for aperitifs and fresh first courses.
- Passito Garganega Veneto: golden yellow wine with fruity notes, obtained from the Garganega grape, which gives it a bright golden yellow color. This wine is produced only in the best years. The grapes are harvested by hand, selecting the best bunches in October when they have reached perfect phenolic ripeness. The grapes are placed in plateaus and left to dry out to promote the concentration of sugars, aromas, extracts, and glycerine. The drying of the grapes lasts for 5 months, followed by fermentation on the skins with a maceration period of 3 to 4 weeks, and the process is completed with aging in stainless steel tanks until bottling. An elegant, balanced, and persistent wine with a surprising fullness of taste, perfect at the end of a meal and excellent paired with aged and fermented cheeses.
