Highlights: Pasqua Hey French: You Could Have Made This But You Didn’t

This is something a bit different. It’s a non-vintage blend, but it’s high end. And it has an arty label. And it’s really good. I’ve added notes from the latest edition, too.

Pasqua Hey French Terza Edizione NV Veneto, Italy
13.5% alcohol. This is a multivintage blend of five of the best recent vintages: 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016. Grape varieties Garganega, Sauvignon and Pinot Blanc are the grape varieties. It’s so expressive on the nose with pear, green apple, lime and grapefruit. It’s fresh with some cabbage and herb notes, and the older vintages add a bit of bass to the treble of the more recent ones. Very fine and expressive, with so many dimensions, but also a lovely sense of freshness. 93/100

Pasqua Hey French: You Could Have Made This But You Didn’t NV Bianco Veneto IGT, Italy
13.5% alcohol. This is something a bit different. It’s a blend of Garganega with Pinot Blanc and Sauvignon from a 4 hectare vineyard at 600 m on the Veneto side of Mount Calvarina. It’s also a blend of four vintages: 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018 (this is the second edition of this wine: the previous one began with the 2013). The wine label is designed by French self-taught artist CB Hoyo, and it’s quite striking. The wine itself is quite beautiful. It’s complex, rich and fruit-focused with a nice marriage of richness and freshness. There’s some peach, passionfruit and mandarin on the nose, and on the palate these are joined by pith and spice notes. So many layers here, with a crystalline texture and also hints of bread and nuts on the finish. The packaging may be playful, but the wine is serious. 94/100 (UK retail is c. £30 and stockists include Harrods and Jeroboams)

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