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2021 Bianco di Custoza “Mael”
Corte GardoniFreshly harvested Garganega
The Piccolis
When on the hunt for crisp everyday whites, it is natural to turn to appellations like Chablis, Mâcon, or Sancerre—the tried and true old reliables. But with yields down in Burgundy and prices for good Sancerre slowly creeping up, why not branch out and travel off the beaten path to find real value and experience new flavors?
That road leads right to Corte Gardoni, the Veneto farm run by the Piccoli family just south of Lake Garda. Founded by the late Gianni Piccoli, whose principal tenets included preserving local grape varieties and wine styles and maintaining competitive prices for longtime clients, the farm is now run by his sons, Stefano, Mattia, and Andrea. Needless to say, they have remained faithful to their father’s strong values.
“Mael” is the more refined of Corte Gardoni’s two whites, and the value it provides is stupendous. A masterful blend of Garganega, Trebbiano, Trebbianello, and Riesling, this perfumed charmer punches far above its weight, delivering aromatic complexity in spades, pinpoint precision on the palate, and a stony finish that exudes pure class. The 2021 edition is particularly racy—uncork a bottle instead of one of the usual suspects next time you seek everyday refreshment, and treat yourself to this unexpected Venetian beauty.
—Anthony Lynch
Wine Type: | white |
Vintage: | 2021 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | 40% Garganega, 20% Trebbiano, 20% Trebbianello, 20% Riesling |
Appellation: | Bianco di Custoza |
Country: | Italy |
Region: | Veneto |
Producer: | Corte Gardoni |
Winemaker: | Piccoli Family |
Vineyard: | 7 - 25 years, 25ha total |
Soil: | Moraine |
Aging: | Several months of aging in stainless steel before bottling |
Farming: | Sustainable |
Alcohol: | 12.5% |
More from this Producer or Region
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2021 Colli Trevigiani Verdiso Frizzante “Sui Lieviti Erti”
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About The Producer
Corte Gardoni
Gianni Piccoli grew up surrounded by orchards, but he had wine in his blood so when an estate with extensive vineyards came up for sale in 1971 he jumped at the opportunity. For years the grapes of Corte Gardoni were sold to cooperatives, but Gianni felt that their wines lacked soul. In 1980 he broke those ties and began crafting his own wine, focusing on the character of the grapes and terroir. Gianni passed away in 2020 with nearly fifty vintages under his belt at the helm of Corte Gardoni. In the process, he became a local hero and proud ambassador of Bardolino and its terroir, setting the stage for a new generation to follow in his path creating humble, delicious wines from native grapes that speak to the region and its traditions. Corte Gardoni remains in capable hands today, as Gianni's three sons had already taken over daily operations at the winery several years before his passing. Mattia is in charge of the cellar, Stefano manages the vineyards, and Andrea helps both of his brothers and also handles the commercialization of the wines.
About The Region
Veneto
Italy’s most prolific wine region by volume, the Veneto is the source of some of the country’s most notorious plonk: you’ll find oceans of insipid Pinot Grigo, thin Bardolino, and, of course, the ubiquitous Prosecco. And yet, the Veneto produces the highest proportion of DOC wine of any Italian region: home to prestigious appellations like Valpolicella, Amarone, and Soave, it is capable of excelling in all three colors, with equally great potential in the bubbly and dessert departments.
With almost 200,000 acres planted, the Veneto has a wealth of terroirs split between the Po Valley and the foothills of the Alps. While the rich soils of the flatlands are conducive to mechanization, high yields, and mass production of bulk wine, the areas to the north offer a fresher climate and a diversity of poor soil types, ideal for food-friendly wines that show a sense of place. Whether it’s a charming Prosecco Superiore from the Glera grape, a stony Soave or Gambellara from Garganega, or a Corvina-based red in any style, the Veneto’s indigenous grape varieties show real character when worked via traditional production methods.
Since his first visit in 1979, Kermit has regularly returned to the Veneto to enjoy its richness of fine wines and local cuisine. Our collaboration with Corte Gardoni, our longest-running Italian import, is a testament to this. The proximity of beautiful cities like Verona and Venice, with their deep culinary heritage, certainly doesn’t hurt, either.
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2021 Colli Trevigiani Verdiso Frizzante “Sui Lieviti Erti”
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2022 Corvina Veronese “Becco Rosso”
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2021 Bardolino “Le Fontane”
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2021 Colli Trevigiani Merlot
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2020 Veneto Garganega “Col Moenia”
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2022 Prosecco Treviso Sui Lieviti
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2021 Colli Trevigiani Verdiso Frizzante “Sui Lieviti Erti”
Gregoletto Italy | Veneto
2022 Veneto Frizzante “Primo Incontro”
Davide Vignato Italy | Veneto
2022 Corvina Veronese “Becco Rosso”
Corte Gardoni Italy | Veneto
2022 Colli Trevigiani Verdiso
Gregoletto Italy | Veneto
Prosecco Superiore Brut
Sommariva Italy | Veneto
2021 Bardolino “Le Fontane”
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2017 Amarone della Valpolicella Classico
Giuseppe Quintarelli Italy | Veneto
2020 Veneto Garganega “Sera”
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2021 Colli Trevigiani Merlot
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Where the newsletter started
Where the newsletter started
Every three or four months I would send my clients a cheaply made list of my inventory, but it began to dawn on me that business did not pick up afterwards. It occurred to me that my clientele might not know what Château Grillet is, either. One month in 1974 I had an especially esoteric collection of wines arriving, so I decided to put a short explanation about each wine into my price list, to try and let my clients know what to expect when they uncorked a bottle. The day after I mailed that brochure, people showed up at the shop, and that is how these little propaganda pieces for fine wine were born.—Kermit Lynch