2020 Zenato 'Ripassa' Valpolicella Ripasso Superiore

Aromas of dark cherry, dried plum, sweet spice, and cocoa lead into a full-bodied, velvety palate. Flavors of ripe blackberry, raisin, and dark chocolate mesh with a subtle touch of tobacco leaf. The texture is rich and rounded, supported by smooth, fine-grained tannins and a vibrant core of acidity that keeps the warm fruit balanced on a long, persistent finish.

Farmed using sustainable viticultural methods. Hand-harvested grapes are vinified in autumn into a classic Valpolicella. In late winter, the wine is passed over (ripassato) the warm, unpressed grape skins remaining from the Amarone fermentation. This secondary fermentation lasts 7 to 8 days, adding body, color, and aromatic complexity. The wine then ages for 18 to 24 months in French oak casks followed by 6 months in bottle before release.

Grapes are grown in estate vineyards within the Valpolicella Classica zone in the Veneto region of northeastern Italy. The blend (predominantly Corvina with Rondinella and Oseleta) grows on sunny, hillside slopes of clay and limestone soils, benefiting from gentle breezes off Lake Garda that moderate temperatures and help the grapes ripen evenly.