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Winemaker: Massimo Pra
From its perch at the top of the world, Dama del Rovere sets itself apart from the Soave masses with its strict yields, vineyards at dizzying altitudes and tangy, nervous white wines that defy appellation standards.
The Pra family owns and works in one of the highest cellars in the entire Veneto, some 1,500 feet above sea level. At this altitude it's both easy to see how heads-and-tails this family is above the wider sea of mediocre Soave in the Veneto. Winemaker Massimo Pra with both conviction and passion has raised the standards of Soave to levels never before seen, with strict green harvests in the fields and an artisan touch in the cellar, crafting Garganega and Durello wines of great concentration and character.
The difference that Dama del Rovere brings to Soave is palatable. The family's vineyards are some of the best exposed in the area; blown fresh and clean by mountain breezes, fruit is both healthy and ripens slowly. A special pruning method employed by Massimo Pra ensures that the family's yields fall below the “official” numbers often by a factor of four—levels most other regional winemakers would consider suicide. The area's basalt rock is both rich in minerals and tough, so grapes have to work hard for nutrients, pushing even more character into every berry and preserving good minerality as well.
The family's Durello Brut wines are special. An ancient grape native to the Veneto, Durello is cultivated by less than half a dozen winemaking families today. Every vintage we visit with the Pra family to select from their cellars the finest wines for our own bottlings.