Photos by Kyra Rauschenbach, with paintings by Leopoldo Gout, Resident Artist at the New York Vintners
The innovative, sophisticated Veneto wine company that raises the bar for Italian wines
The Pasqua family makes Italian wines that rival California ingenuity and French sophistication. Last year, Pasqua Wines won Innovator of the Year by Wine Enthusiast magazine, and next year the family-owned Italian group marks its 100 year anniversary. The Pasqua family continues to blend old-world techniques with new-world creativity to bring true elegance and ultimate drinkability to Italian wines.
Side by side with Bruenllo, Barolo and Bordeaux, Pasqua-style Amarone is now at the table. Pasqua has made Amarone gentle, fruit forward, but elegant. The wine brings the drinker to the same subtle, well balanced complexity as Christian Moueix’s Dominus. Residents Magazine tasted the flagship Famiglia Pasqua Amarone della Valpolicella 2017, 2019, 2018 as well as the select, single vineyard Mai Dire Mai Amarone della Valpolicella 2012, 2015, and 2013.
Rooted in Valpolicella and founded in 1925, the Pasqua family has been a guardian of Veneto’s winemaking heritage. The Pasqua vineyards are in the Valpantena valley area, part of what was originally incorporated into the protected DOC in the 1960s. Pasqua wines are born on prized land from higher hills to the seaside.
Mai Dire Mai: Elegance for the Sophisticated Wine Diner
Pasqua’s Mai Dire Mai is the standard for what the best curated land in Italy can be in expert hands. This line of only 8,000 bottles a year, was launched in 2016. Mai Dire Mai has Amarone and Valpolicella wines that merge traditional techniques with cutting-edge viticulture. Sourced from a single vineyard at 400 meters above sea level in Valpantena, the wine benefits from limestone-rich soils that add a striking minerality and structure to its profile. On top of the sea bed of limestone, there is volcanic, iron rich soils that offer an intense minerality which allows Pasqua to aim for power and structure.
This terroir-driven complexity is accentuated by the blend of traditional Veneto varietals: Corvina, Corvinone, Rondinella, and Oseleta. The unique balance has defied the reputation of Amarone as a hyper-concentrated dessert wine. This is an Amarone one could drink at apero or lunch. The wines are light, delicate and approachable enough to be enjoyed for multiple glasses.
In the glass, Mai Dire Mai immediately impresses with its dense, deep ruby color, indicating its intensity. On the nose, it bursts with dark fruit aromas—black cherries, plums—underscored by layers of dried figs and a touch of balsamic spice. The influence of oak aging (18 months in French oak) introduces subtle notes of tobacco and dark chocolate.
On the palate, the 2013 and 2012 Amarone are full-bodied with a velvety texture. The tannins, though ripe and firm, are incredibly well-integrated, offering both structure and smoothness. The limestone soils contribute to a distinct minerality that balances the wine’s richness, preventing it from feeling too heavy. Bright acidity ensures freshness, countering the dried grape intensity that typically characterizes Amarone. It’s a wine that lingers, with a long, satisfying finish. If you are lucky enough to come across a 2013 Mai Dire Mai, you will find the product of perfect climate conditions and thus the perfect acidity balance.
Mai Dire Mai is crafted for longevity. Given its concentration, this wine will continue to evolve beautifully in the bottle for at least another decade, revealing further nuances of a well balanced tannic wine over time.
Famiglia Pasqua – An Approachable Drinkable Amarone
In contrast to the powerful, serious, sophisticated Mai Dire Mai, the Famiglia Pasqua Amarone is vibrant and accessible. This Amarone, offers a juicier, fruit-forward expression of the style, making it an excellent introduction to Amarone for those new to the wine. The fresh fruit and well integrated tannins and alcohol are reminiscent of Oregon or Washington State Pinot Noir.
The Famiglia Pasqua Amarone features a brighter cherry and raspberry profile, with additional layers of dried fruits like fig. The Famiglia Pasqua includes the rare Negrara grape, adding a unique floral note and contributing to a well rounded spice box. The 2019 has a juicy, velvety finish – there is texture, but it is soft. There is a high quantity and quality of tannin. In contrast, the tannins for the 2018, a goldilocks vintage, take more of a back seat to the fresh vegetal, fruit forward flavors.
The Familglia Pasqua Amarone can be enjoyed right away. It’s approachable in its youth, with a soft, velvety mouthfeel and a harmonious integration of tannins and acidity. That said, these wines will mature beautifully. Considering the ideal climate conditions in 2021 – this vintage for Famiglia Pasqua is sure to be legendary.
The House of the Unconventional
Pasqua is a vineyard of “firsts” done right. Beyond innovating Amarone into a sophisticated, drinkable delight, Pasqua has also redefined Italian whites and rose. ‘Hey French’ is Italy’s first multi-vintage white and ‘11 Minutes’ is Italy’s first rosé to undergo skin maceration.
‘Hey French’, short for ‘Hey French You Could Have Made This But You Didn’t’, turns heads with both its name and execution. ‘Hey French’ is an artful, unique multi-vintage blend of Garganega, Pinot Bianco and Sauvignon Blanc. The blend takes the best four vintages of the past decade: 2013, 2015, 2016 and 2017. A truly revolutionary Italian white, the smoky minerality and vibrant acidity is carried through roasted stone fruits, citrus, hazelnut and chamomile. Floral notes balanced with a profound expression of volcanic soil give structure and freshness.
‘11 Minutes’ is what Pasqua innovation can do to Rosé. 11 minutes is the precise duration of the skin contact, gentle pressing of the grapes. These optimized, 11 minutes extract the most noble qualities of the grapes and bring the delicious rosy hue that rosé drinkers hold dear. These crucial 11 minutes are followed by 11 hours in a steel tank, where the wine takes time to decant before fermentation begins. The carefully crafted process brings fresh, well balanced minerality to this rosé.
The Pasqua family has elevated the art of Amarone production to an elegance and drinkability that pushes the boundaries of what Italian wine can be. Balancing the best of the tradition, heritage and rules of the Veneto Appellation, Pasqua is a master innovator. As Pasqua elevates Veneto wines, the family remains committed to blending innovation with the deep-rooted traditions of Veneto, thus crafting wines that honor the past while thrilling contemporary palates. Their journey exemplifies how a winery can evolve without losing its soul, continuing to shape the future of Italian wine.
