Zenato Lugana

Zenato San Benedetto Lugana 2021

Price: $19.95
Channel: LCBO Vintages Essentials

Producer: Zenato
Country: Italy
Region: Lombardy and Veneto
Appellation: Lugana DOC

Grapes: Verdicchio
Alcohol by Volume: 13%
Sugar Content: 6 grams per litre

Zenato is a producer best known for making Amarone from the red grapes grown on the hills of Valpolicella. Looking to the west from those hills is the blue shard of Lake Garda which juts northwards into Trentino and the Dolomite Alps. On its southern shore, stradling the provinces of Veneto and Lombardy are the sandy soil Lugana DOC vineyards planted with Trebbiano di Lugana for making refreshing white wines.

Zenato’s 2022 San Benedetto Lugana is, as the appellation requires, made with 100% Trebbiano di Lugana. We know from DNA testing that the grape is not related to Trebbiano Toscana (i.e. just plain Terbbiano), and is known as Trebbiano di Soave futher east in Veneto, and Verdicchio in The Marche. Handled well, like the San Benedetto, Verdicchio makes fruit forward wines in balance with crisp acidity.

The 2022 Zenato San Benedetto is a not a complicated wine, it’s direct with a pure hit of peach, and a little bit of tangerine. It’s a straight forward summer supper and moreish. It’s for socializing, or maybe a companion to refresh the chefs on while they make dinner. At just under $20, it’s great value and the sort of wine that’s handy to keep a bottle of in the fridge just in case. It’s also a Vintages Essential, so in theory should be relatively easy to find.

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