Wines from Veneto

This immensely popular and elegant classic Amarone from Zenato hails from Sant'Ambrogio, the heart of the Valpolicella Classico region, where the family has been based since 1960. Corvina makes up eighty per cent of the blend, complemented by Rondinella, Oseleta and Croatina – all grown on the slopes of the Costalunga vineyard. Following the hand-harvest in October, the appassimento process begins: the grapes rest in shallow crates for four months, losing water whilst concentrating their sugar and aromas. Pressing does not take place until January, followed by slow fermentation in contact with the skins. The wine then matures for thirty-six months in large Slavonian oak barrels before being released following further bottle ageing.

In a winery that is world-famous for its monumental Amarone and Recioto, a dry white wine seems like a quiet provocation. But Giuseppe Quintarelli would not be Quintarelli if this Bianco Secco was not vinified with the same uncompromising dedication. The exceptional blend combines 70 per cent of the indigenous Garganega with Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Trebbiano and the rare Saorin – a white grape variety that only survives in a few vineyards in Valpolicella. The vines, which are at least thirty years old, are rooted in the characteristic limestone and basalt soils of Negrar, which give the wine that volcanic smokiness that distinguishes it from other Venetian white wines. After the harvest, a twelve-hour cold maceration takes place, followed by temperature-controlled fermentation. Ageing takes place in stainless steel on the fine lees, with regular bâtonnage for added texture and complexity.

The world-famous Valpolicella Superiore from Zenato, produced using the Ripasso method, is a rich wine with the best value. It is peppery, with earthy tones and gravel giving way to black cherries and savoury herbs. It reveals deep, silky textures balanced by vibrant acids, while ripe red and black fruits resonate under a hint of lavender. Zenato's Ripassa is concentrated and intense, but at the same time conveys elegance and leaves a fresh note of violet candy on the palate that lingers for a long time. SUPERIORE.DE

On the Colli Berici near Lonigo, where the clay-limestone soils give the international grape varieties a Venetian home, the harvest always starts last. At the end of September, beginning of October – when most other vineyards have long since harvested. For Celestino Gaspari, this is no coincidence: "Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc need their time on these soils. Merlot even more so – although it leaves the vineyard at the same time, it then spends 20 to 30 days in shallow crates in the Fruttaio. Appassimento for a Bordeaux blend: a decidedly Venetian decision. After a cool, unsettled spring, 2021 brought a summer of distinct elegance in the Veneto – moderate warmth, good temperature fluctuations, healthy grapes. The manual harvest yielded aromatically clear, structured fruit. 40 days of fermentation in cement with indigenous yeasts, at least 24 months in new French barriques, one year in the bottle.

Giovanni Allegrini had a way of assessing the skills of Oenologist: he had them make Recioto. No other wine from Valpolicella demands so much patience, sensitivity and intuition – and no other reveals so relentlessly whether someone truly understands what this landscape is capable of. Since 1990, his children have dedicated this very wine to their father, the man who shaped Valpolicella like no other. Recioto is one of the oldest wines in the world, known since Roman times. It shares the appassimento technique with Amarone – but differs in one crucial decision: fermentation is naturally halted before all the sugar has been converted into alcohol. Sweetness remains. What was stopped too late in Recioto became Amarone – bitter, dry, great. Recioto is the father. The best grapes from the highest slopes, hand-harvested, then dried for five months on wooden racks in the Fruttaio. After gentle pressing, fermentation in steel, then 14 months’ ageing in new barriques, a further two months in large casks, and approximately two years’ bottle ageing.

Masari's flagship presents itself in a deep, dense garnet red colour. Ripe blackberry and cassis on the nose, underpinned by bitter cocoa and ripe cherries, light leather spice and liquorice. Full and balanced on the palate, slowly but complexly spreads over the tongue, then convinces with beautiful and lasting pressure, long, salty and simply wonderful. SUPERIORE.DE

1997 saw the birth of Bradisismo, named after the geological event that led to the formation of the Colli Berici. It is a successful symbiosis of the intense, concentrated flavour of ripe Cabernet cherries and the lively, spicy notes of Carménère. With its bouquet of small dark berries, spices, pepper and chocolate, it is a wonderfully inexpensive alternative to the great Bordeaux blends or Supertuscans. On the palate, it has a velvety texture, with a mix of dark fruits, cherries, floral notes and fine tannins that glide seamlessly over the palate. Deep, long finish and very good ageing potential. SUPERIORE.DE

1997 saw the birth of Bradisismo, named after the geological event that led to the formation of the Colli Berici. It is a successful symbiosis of the intense, concentrated flavour of ripe Cabernet cherries and the lively, spicy notes of Carménère. With its bouquet of small dark berries, spices, pepper and chocolate, it is a wonderfully inexpensive alternative to the great Bordeaux blends or Supertuscans. On the palate, it has a velvety texture, with a mix of dark fruits, cherries, floral notes and fine tannins that glide seamlessly over the palate. Deep, long finish and very good ageing potential. SUPERIORE.DE

Vulcaia Fumé is an exceptionally dense and aromatic wine that demonstrates its sense of balance in a unique way. Deep, sparkling golden yellow in colour. Impressive richness and opulence of flavours of passion fruit and other exotic fruits, then blood orange, elderflower, a hint of iodised salt, flint and a noble spiciness on the finish. Expands colossally on the palate, with a beautiful melt and excellently integrated wood. The finish reveals smoky notes with some sweet vanilla and caramel cream. A Sauvignon Bianco unlike any other in Italy. SUPERIORE.DE

This artisanal grappa is produced by slow bain-marie distillation using the discontinuous method from selected Glera marcs from the estate's own Prosecco Superiore DOCG production. The pressed marcs are immediately taken to the distillery, where they arrive fragrant and fresh. After maturing in steel tanks, the grappa rests for at least 24 months in barriques made of first-class French oak and acacia wood, where it acquires its beautiful amber hue and great finesse and softness. Fine fragrance of apricots, vanilla and honey, of medium strength on the palate, very soft and full, with remarkable length. SUPERIORE.DE

Amarone Case Vecie takes its name from the vineyard of the same name in the municipality of Grezzana in Valpantena. An exceptional plot of land where the grapes ripen slowly and consistently even in the most difficult years thanks to the altitude and exposure. The late harvest makes it possible to store the grapes in a cooler season and to carry out a slow and long drying process that develops the characteristic flavours. A wine that emphasises the natural characteristics of the high mountain climate: a true Amarone "delle vigne alte".

Sansonina (Lugana and Merlot) is a strictly limited and very ambitious project by the Zenato family, in which only the best grapes from their own vineyards are used. Only a small number of these are sold in numbered bottles each year.

Manfro's bouquet combines dark ripe fruits, sweet spices, some mocha with spicy herbs and violet flowers. Silky, full-bodied and energetic on the palate with cooling acidity and minerals that play superbly around the ripe black cherries. Finishes on an elegant bitter note, fresh with violet flowers and wild berries. SUPERIORE.DE

The three Tedeschi siblings Antonietta, Sabrina and Riccardo, who also select the three barrels from which the blend is made each year, give their name to the "Ansari", which is only available in small quantities. Rich bouquet of dried fruit, sultanas, rum pot and chocolate. Firm on the palate with an excellent structure, the opulent fruit centre is joined by balsamic, herbal notes and a piquant bitter note on the long finish. The perfect addition to the famous family winery's top-class Amarone range since the 2016 debut vintage. SUPERIORE.DE

"Rich, brooding and convincing: Colle Sant'Antonio is a small selection of Garganega that I carefully choose in the vineyard and patiently wait for in the cellar." Graziano Prà

Acininobili Bianco Passito is a stunning interpretation of the indigenous Vespaiola grape, offering impressive depth, complexity and personality. It is a superb dessert wine made from grapes that were air-dried for up to 120 days after harvest and developed Botrytis cinerea during the careful appassimento process. Basically, the same Vespaiola grapes are used here that are used for Torcolato. At the end of the drying process, the grapes that have developed noble rot are hand-selected and passed into this precious wine. If the noble rot does not appear, this wine is not made.

In the annals of northern Italian wine history, I Palchi marks a turning point – the moment when Stefano Inama realised that he had created a white monument that could compete with the world's great Burgundies. Born from the visionary search for "maximum purity", as Alessio Inama puts it, this Soave Classico not only represents the white flagship of the house, but also a new dimension of what the old Garganega vine is capable of achieving on volcanic soil. The name I Palchi – the terraces – is more than just a geographical designation. It refers to the broad, terraced slopes of Monte Foscarino, which have been characterised by the traditional Veronese Garganega pergolas for over half a century. It was here, on this extinct volcano that has watched over the Po Valley for 30 million years, that Giuseppe Inama began his quiet crusade in the 1960s. While other producers focused on quantity in the plain, he recognised the extraordinary potential of these ancient terraced vineyards – an intuition that today has left his grandchildren a legacy of priceless value.

When Celestino Gaspari talks about Oseleta, it sounds like a love conversation with a difficult person. The grape variety does not reveal itself – it needs to be persuaded, understood and respected. In a small year, it responds with elegance. In a great year, it responds with power. 2016 was a great year. The summer in the Veneto was warm and dry, the nights cooled down and the harvestremained low. Oseleta ripened in the October window that Gaspari favours: slowly, evenly, completely. What followed was the same vinification as always – but in a year that allowed the grape variety to realise its full potential.

In 1886, Carlo Campagnola founded his winery in the Marano Valley, in the heart of Valpolicella Classico. In 1907, he won the first gold medal for the best Recioto at the Verona Wine Fair – since then, the family, now in its fifth generation, has continued what began as a small farm. The vineyards for this Amarone are located on calcareous slopes between 200 and 350 metres above sea level, where Corvina, Corvinone and Rondinella are harvested by hand at the end of September. The traditional appassimento drying process takes around 100 days until the grapes have lost 35–40% of their weight. Gentle pressing in December, 30 days of maceration, then ageing: 60% matures for 24 months in large Slavonian oak barrels, 40% for 18 months in new Allier oak barriques.