Monte Santoccio Valpolicella Classico Superiore Ripasso 2022

This Ripasso comes from the hills of Fumane, in the historic zone of Valpolicella Classica, north of Verona. The Monte Santoccio estate farms four hectares of small high-altitude plots there, at around 300 metres, exposed to the winds and trained on pergola trentina. The free-draining limestone soils alternate with alluvial areas, a terroir that gives healthy, balanced grapes, well suited to Valpolicella wines that combine concentration and freshness.

The sunny 2022 vintage produced ripe, expressive grapes. After a fifteen-day skin maceration, the wine undergoes a second fermentation, the ripasso, after twenty days of maceration on the pomace of the estate's Amarone, which gives it depth, texture and complexity. It is then aged for twenty-four months in 500-litre oak barrels, a discreet ageing that respects the purity of the fruit.

This wine reveals notes of liquorice, amarena cherry, green peppercorn, tobacco leaf, small red berries, plum, cocoa and sweet spices. The garnet-red colour heralds a generous wine. On the palate, the tannins glide over a velvety texture; the wine is ample, with a glycerol richness, while keeping dazzling freshness. The long, savoury finish marks a Ripasso with an easy-drinking, expansive style.

Ah, Italy, what a beautiful, hedonistic country, the land of la dolce vita, but how difficult it is to understand its wine industry! The key to understanding the appellation system in Italy is to think of it as several small countries rather than a single homogeneous nation, as each region has its own appellation system. Italy can offer wine lovers a multitude of wines with varied and unique flavors and styles, bottles brimming with surprise and creativity. Unfortunately, it also produces a large quantity of soulless, characterless wines sold under their most commercially useful and prestigious name: Pinot Grigio, Chianti, Valpolicella, Lambrusco, Prosecco, and many others... But let's talk a little history. Viticulture in Italy dates back to antiquity and originated in Greece. The Etruscans are said to have introduced the vine, and Greek immigrants improved and modified the grape varieties, subsequently calling the country "Oenotria": the land of wine. At the height of the Roman Empire, wine held an important place in daily life, and certain regions already distinguished themselves by the excellence of their product. The Romans also established numerous vineyards in Europe, leaving an indelible mark of their conquest. Today, Italy is the world's largest wine producer, ahead of France. Italy is divided into three climatic zones. The northern mountains have a rather harsh mountain climate. The plains of the "central boot" are characterized by a continental climate with cold winters and hot, stormy summers. In the southern part of the Italian boot, the Mediterranean climate prevails, with very hot and dry summers, not forgetting the islands of Sicily and Sardinia. In short, Italy produces a wide variety of wines thanks to its 200 different grape varieties, many of which originated in its own lands. It is a country as complex as its wines, which deserve to be explored!