Antolini Valpolicella Ripasso, 2018

Morello Cherry, Vanilla, Clove

Ripasso literally means re-passed or passed again and this wine is the bridge between the young Valpolicella and the adult Amarone and Recioto. It's made with the year's wine which is fermented a second time with the marcs (leftover skins etc) of the dried Amarone and Recioto grapes, for 5/7 days. Smooth and velvety yet surpisingly soft.

Notes on the producer

Pier Paolo Antolini and his brother Stefano took over their family vineyard in the early 90s on the hills Marano, San Pietro in Cariano and Negrar in Valpolicella.

The 'Marogne', terraced vineyards cover some 7 hectares and are interspersed with olive and cherry trees. You find these scents immediately in the wines when you uncork a bottle! Their wines are in some ways modern being very bright and full of delicious fruity corvina aromas. However, natural farming and wild yeasts give these wines a genuine sense of identity. Although they aim for body and fullness of flavour. The brothers use very little new oak and the wines are very fresh.