Wine Description

This blend of 70% Corvina Veronese, 25% Rondinella and 5% Sangiovese is a smooth, full-bodied cru made in an innovative ripasso style. After the harvest, the grapes from the Palazzo della Torre vineyard follow two different paths: 70% of the grapes picked are vinified immediately, and the remaining 30% are left to dry until the end of December. The fresh wine made at harvest is blended with the fermenting juice of the dried grapes, initiating a second fermentation, and rendering a more highly concentrated and complex wine. Allegrini affectionately refers to Palazzo della Torre as its "baby Amarone."

Tasting Notes

Deep ruby red in color, this wine is brimming with notes of dark, dried cherries, blackberries and hints of dates and mocha. Pairs well with full-flavored pasta and risotto dishes, roast poultry and chorizo. Also excellent with hard and semi-hard cheeses.

Vineyard Characteristics

Production area/name of vineyard:	The Valpolicella Classico zone/The Palazzo della Torre vineyard
Size of vineyard (acres):	66
Soil composition:	Clay and chalk
Training method:	Pergola Trentina
Elevation (feet):	792
Vines/acre:	1,200
Yield/acre (tons):	2.5
Exposure:	Eastern/southeastern
Year vineyard planted:	1974

Winemaking & Aging

Varietal composition:	70% Corvina Veronese, 25% Rondinella and 5% Sangiovese
Harvest time:	September-October
First vintage of this wine:	1978
Number bottles produced of this wine:	220,000
Fermentation
Fermentation container:	Stainless steel tanks
Length of alcoholic fermentation (days):	First: 10; second: 15
Fermentation temperature (°F):	First: 77-84; second: 46-72
Maceration technique:	Pumpovers
Length of maceration (days):	10
Malolactic fermentation:	Yes
Aging
Aging container:	Barriques
Size of aging container:	225 L
Age of aging container:	1 year
Cooperage:	French oak
Length of aging before bottling:	15 months
Length of bottle aging:	7 months
Analytical Data
Alcohol:	14.0%
pH level:	3.3
Residual sugar (grams/liter):	5.8
Acidity (grams/liter):	5.5
Dry extract (grams/liter):	31.4

Reviews

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