Villalta - Valpolicella Ripasso Superiore 2021
Casa Girelli is a historic Italian company founded by a family from Verona in the late 1800s. From one generation to the next, the business of vintners and winemakers took the family to Trento, where they established their existing company in 1966. Casa Girelli has a number of wine brands, with the Villalta wines representing their origins.
The history of wine in Veneto begins long before the time of the Greeks, who are recognized for having introduced viticulture to Italy. The autochthonous peoples in the area already used grapes as food. During the Middle Age wine production in the region flourished thanks to the commercial power of the Republic of Venice, which allowed the export of Venetian wines to other countries. Serious wine production in the Veneto region started at the end of the nineteenth century, thanks to the founding of two institutes: the School of Enology in Conegliano and the Experimental Station of Viticulture and Enology.
The Valpolicella area in the province of Verona is known for its Amarone, produced through the process known as Appassimento: the bunches are placed on the traditional arele (drying racks), where they are dried for a few months in the well-ventilated fruttai” (grape drying rooms) under controlled humidity conditions, until they loose at least 30% of their original weight. This completely natural process takes place during the Winter since the low temperature is essential to increase the concentration of sugar, tannin and aromas, but also to maintain the original, aromatic qualities of the indigenous grape varieties used. Then dried, condensed grapes are softly pressed and cold macerated. The wines made through this process are rich, intense, brooding, high in alcohol content, but also incredible complex and nuanced.
A related wine is the entry-level Valpolicella Ripasso: Grapes are destemmed, then fermentation takes place at 26-28 °C–the contact with the skins lasts 8 to 10 days–and is followed by racking and by malolactic fermentation. The wine is then kept in stainless-steel tanks for a few months, and then placed for 5 to 7 days in contact with the pomace from grapes that have been used for making Amarone for another round of fermentation. The wine is racked, softly pressed and one part of the wine is aged in barriques for a few months before bottling. Many producers add recently vinified Amarone to the wine (up to 15% is allowed by regulation), resulting in a intense wine that punches above its weight.
Villalta‘s wines have received ratings of 90+ points both by the Wine Spectator, Wine Enthusiast, and James Suckling.
Original: $18.36
-65%$18.36
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Description
Casa Girelli is a historic Italian company founded by a family from Verona in the late 1800s. From one generation to the next, the business of vintners and winemakers took the family to Trento, where they established their existing company in 1966. Casa Girelli has a number of wine brands, with the Villalta wines representing their origins.
The history of wine in Veneto begins long before the time of the Greeks, who are recognized for having introduced viticulture to Italy. The autochthonous peoples in the area already used grapes as food. During the Middle Age wine production in the region flourished thanks to the commercial power of the Republic of Venice, which allowed the export of Venetian wines to other countries. Serious wine production in the Veneto region started at the end of the nineteenth century, thanks to the founding of two institutes: the School of Enology in Conegliano and the Experimental Station of Viticulture and Enology.
The Valpolicella area in the province of Verona is known for its Amarone, produced through the process known as Appassimento: the bunches are placed on the traditional arele (drying racks), where they are dried for a few months in the well-ventilated fruttai” (grape drying rooms) under controlled humidity conditions, until they loose at least 30% of their original weight. This completely natural process takes place during the Winter since the low temperature is essential to increase the concentration of sugar, tannin and aromas, but also to maintain the original, aromatic qualities of the indigenous grape varieties used. Then dried, condensed grapes are softly pressed and cold macerated. The wines made through this process are rich, intense, brooding, high in alcohol content, but also incredible complex and nuanced.
A related wine is the entry-level Valpolicella Ripasso: Grapes are destemmed, then fermentation takes place at 26-28 °C–the contact with the skins lasts 8 to 10 days–and is followed by racking and by malolactic fermentation. The wine is then kept in stainless-steel tanks for a few months, and then placed for 5 to 7 days in contact with the pomace from grapes that have been used for making Amarone for another round of fermentation. The wine is racked, softly pressed and one part of the wine is aged in barriques for a few months before bottling. Many producers add recently vinified Amarone to the wine (up to 15% is allowed by regulation), resulting in a intense wine that punches above its weight.
Villalta‘s wines have received ratings of 90+ points both by the Wine Spectator, Wine Enthusiast, and James Suckling.
