Wine Description

This wine is a blend of 80% Corvina, 10% Rondinella, and 10% Sangiovese. As soon as the dried grapes for the Amarone are fermented, selected batches of Valpolicella wine are “re-passed” over the Amarone’s lees, thus starting a second fermentation that slightly increases the alcohol content and gives the wine deeper color, increased extract, and more complex aromas. Ripassa is refined in tank for six months and then aged in French allier tonneaux for eighteen months. The wine spends an additional six months in bottle before it is released.

Tasting Notes

The deep ruby red color of the Ripassa, and the intense yet fine aromas come from the mixture of grapes. It is full bodied, harmonic, and velvety on the palate. Recommended with grilled meat dishes, Ripassa is excellent with rabbit casserole. This blockbuster wine is one of Winebow’s all-time favorites.

Vineyard Characteristics

Production area/name of vineyard:	various
Size of vineyard (acres):	17
Soil composition:	chalk and morainic (glacial)
Training method:	rows and guyot
Elevation (feet):	825-990
Vines/acre:	2,000
Yield/acre (tons):	4
Exposure:	southeastern
Year vineyard planted:	1984
Agronomist/Vineyard manager:	Silvano Tempesta

Winemaking & Aging

Varietal composition:	80% Corvina, 10% Sangiovese and 10% Rondinella
Harvest time:	October
Winemaking consultant:	Silvano Tempesta
First vintage of this wine:	1967
Number bottles produced of this wine:	200,000
Fermentation
Fermentation container:	stainless steel tanks
Fermentation temperature (°F):	72
Length of maceration (days):	7 days 1st, 7-8 days second
Aging
Aging container:	tonneaux
Size of aging container:	300-500 L
Age of aging container:	2-3 years old
Cooperage:	Allier
Length of aging before bottling:	18 months
Length of bottle aging:	6 months
Analytical Data
Alcohol:	13.8%
pH level:	3.7
Residual sugar (grams/liter):	6.5
Acidity (grams/liter):	5.7

Reviews

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