This opens with aromas of black plum, baking spice and tobacco. The syrupy palate offers prune extract, vanilla and star anise set against chewy tannins.\n \n Producer Information\n In almost every way, the small, family operated estate of Monte Tondo sets itself apart. Contrasting the large coops which dominate the Soave Classico region, Monte Tondo represents the true artisinal minority: not only are their wines low yield, single estate and picked by hand, but in lieu of grapes grown in the vast alluvial flatlands, Monte Tondo’s whites hail from various crus on the hillside above the town, each complete with its own unique soil profile. These sites in turn allow Gino Magnabosco and his daughter, Marta, to create tiers of Garganega-driven whites with a remarkable array of personalities. Their Soave Classico, for example, comes from vines growing halfway up the slope in a pocket of clay and limestone, lending the wine its bright-eyed structure and telltale minerality. From even higher up the hill, the single cru Slavinus and Casette Foscarin both derive from volcanic soils, possess a big-boned structure usually reserved for oaked whites, and promise to age beautifully for 5-10 years.