Valpolicella Ripasso Superiore Cortegiara

Deep ruby red in colour, with the perfumes of dark cherries characteristic of good Valpolicella but given a hint of the richness and slightly raisined notes reminiscent of Amarone. Perfumes of cinnamon and walnuts blend with ripe, slightly bitter cherries and give way to a rich, ripe fruity palate with just enough tannins to support the fruit and a fresh twist of acidity on the finish.

Corte Giara is the negociant label of Allegrini. The wines are made by Allegrini from fruit bought in from outside their own vineyards. They have a similar stamp of quality that sets them aside from most of the Veronese wines produced at this level.

The vineyards are situated in the hilly areas of the Valpolicella DOC, at an altitude of 180-250m above sea level. The vineyards face south east and are based on chalky and clay soils. The vines are trained according to the traditional pergola training system with a density of 3,300 vines per hectare. They are on average 29 years old and are pruned with 14-15 buds per vine. Harvest took place in the first week of October 2007 and resulting yields were approximately 68 hl/ha.

This wine is made using a traditional Veronese practice known as "ripasso". The young wine is re-fermented in the November following the vintage together with grapes that have been dried for two months. This re-fermentation gives the wine more body and depth.

Matured on yeast lees for just over a year in small French oak barrels prior to bottling.

Awards

Ripasso Trophy - International Wine Challenge 2009

Silver Medal - Decanter World Wine Awards 2009