“Capitel Fontana” Recioto della Valpolicella Classico DOC 2021 dolce

Tedeschi | Veneto
Agricola F.lli Tedeschi s.r.l. | Via G. Verdi | IT 4/A | IT 37029 Pedemonte

03182421 · 0,375 l · 98,67 €/l · Price (DE) incl. VAT, excl. Shippingavailable immediately

In the 6th century AD, Cassiodorus, minister to the Ostrogoth king Theodoric, wrote to the treasurer of Veneto requesting supplies of a special wine for the royal table: Acinaticum. He described it as "of such a royal colour that one could believe that the purple itself had its origin in it" – a wine "so dense that it would rather be eaten than drunk". This ancestor of today's Recioto was already the result of the Appassimento technique that still characterises Valpolicella today. The Tedeschi family, rooted in Valpolicella since 1630, preserves this heritage in the Fontana chapter.

The name refers to the Monte Fontana vineyard above Pedemonte, whose label shows an ancient fountain arch – a silent reference to the place from which the ancestors once gathered their best grapes. The east-facing vineyard, which covers just one hectare, lies on red clay and limestone of morainic origin. Here, 25-year-old vines are planted in traditional pergola training: 30% each of Corvina, Corvinone and Rondinella, supplemented by 10% autochthonous rarities such as Rossignola, Oseleta, Negrara and Dindarella. The grapes are harvested by hand at the end of September or beginning of October and dried for four months in the Fruttaio under controlled humidity. The gently pressed grapes ferment for 30 days at a cool 15°C until fermentation comes to a natural halt – not interrupted, but exhausted by the concentration of sugar. Two years in Slavonian oak complete the maturation process.

Intense ruby red with garnet reflections in the glass. The nose reveals a sumptuous bouquet of sweet fruit: raspberry, wild blackberry, blueberry, interwoven with the spicy, woody nuances of oak maturation. With 134 g/l residual sugar, the palate reveals a sweetness that never becomes heavy – the 5.2 g/l acidity keeps everything in elegant balance. The finish is long and confirming: an echo of the fruit that lingers. Perfect with dry cakes such as Sbrisolona or Cantucci, chocolate desserts, wild berries or a creamy Gorgonzola dolce. SUPERIORE.DE

"Noble ruby red colour. Cold butter, precious wood, rich cherries and incense on the nose. Powerful use of wood on the palate, the fruit remains in the background, full-bodied, also rich in tannins, should definitely age a little longer." Falstaff