Guerrieri-Rizzardi - Valpolicella Ripasso Pojega 2022
Price: $24.99
| Producer | Guerrieri-Rizzardi |
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| Country | Italy |
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| Region | Veneto |
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| Varietal | Corvina |
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| Vintage | 2022 |
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| Sku | 18380 |
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| Size | 750ml |
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So what is Ripasso? Well, it starts with Amarone. Valpolicella grapes are harvested and the top fruit is left to partially dry, thus concentrating the sugars and intensity of flavor, while developing Amarone’s unique flavor profile. This gem is made in the "ripasso" style - literally meaning to "re-pass". A portion of the wine is fermented immediately, instead of drying the grapes. Then, in February, after the Amarone is done fermenting and moved to barrels, this juice is re-fermented on the skins and lees from the Amarone - the wine is "re-passed" over the pomace from the Amarone. Hence, Ripasso!
What sets this wine apart is the winery’s addition of 10% Amarone to the wine. Unconventional… cheating? I don’t know and I don’t care! The result is a full-throttled wine, not as sweet and decadent as the Amarone, but with some of the flavor characteristics. Think of it as baby Amarone... or, for me, the best of both worlds!
Food pairing? This gem is begging for rich stews and casseroles or hearty meat or game cuts on the grill. Me? Just last night, I pulled out some beef short ribs I made over the weekend. Served with mashed potatoes and a side of sauteed spinach, it was perfect with… well, I had a bottle of Ripasso! Almost like I knew I had to write this email offer!
“The 2019 Valpolicella Classico Superiore Ripasso Pojega captivates with a heady yet incredibly pretty mix of medicinal cherries, exotic spice, lavender and crushed violets. This is seamlessly smooth and silky while slowly saturating the palate in primary concentration. There’s a herbal streak throughout, adding depth when contrasted against the wine's balanced inner sweetness. This leaves a chalky sweet spice like violet candies upon the palate, while remaining lightly structured and hauntingly long and floral. A heady yet very fine Ripasso.” Vinous on the 91 pt 2019
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