Recioto della Valpolicella Classico DOCG 2015 dolce · in OWC

Az. Agr. Zýmē di Celestino Gaspari | Veneto
Az. Agr. Zýmē di Celestino Gaspari s.a.s. | Via Cà del Pipa, 1 | IT 37029 S. Pietro in Cariano

03372715 · 0,5 l · 218,00 €/l · Price (DE) incl. VAT, excl. Shipping< 24 units available
Limitation of 2 articles per customer

Before there was Amarone, there was Recioto. For centuries, it was the great wine of Valpolicella – from the fourth century AD, when Cassiodoro, minister to the Goth king Theodoric, wrote to the landowners of the region requesting a very specific appassimento product: "Mostico invernale, freddo sangue delle uve" – winter must, cold blood of the grapes. At some point in the middle of the 20th century, the fermentation was allowed to run longer, the residual sugar dwindled, and the Recioto became – almost by mistake – the dry Amarone. Since then, the two have lived side by side. The Recioto has not lost ground – it has only become rarer.

Celestino Gaspari only makes it in special years. The basis is his best terroir: Corvina, Corvinone, Rondinella, Molinara and Croatina from the oldest vineyards in the Classico zone. Only the "Recie" are harvested – the auricles of the grapevine, the side berries that hang highest, see the most sun and accumulate the most sugar. Hand-picked, placed in crates, three months of natural appassimento in the sandstone grotto of Mattonara – without a dehumidifier, using only the air that passes through the old tunnel. Pressing in January, fermentation in cement vats with indigenous yeasts, deliberate cessation of fermentation as soon as the balance between alcohol and residual sugar is reached. Then six years of rest in Slavonian oak barrels.

2015 was a great year in Valpolicella: hot and clean, with a concentration in the grapes that only intensified the long appassimento. Dark red ruby colour, almost impenetrable. Marasca under spirit, figs, dates, cocoa, violets, a hint of coffee bean and cinnamon on the nose – complex and multi-layered, as deep as a well. Powerful on the palate, yet never heavy: the sweetness carries, the acidity balances, the tannins frame. A final of extraordinary length, quiet and consistent. Not a wine to start the evening with – one for the end. SUPERIORE.DE

"Elegant, dark ruby colour with hints of violet. Fresh black bread on the nose, then pickled cherries, plums, floral notes of roses and lilacs, with blackberry syrup on the finish. On the palate with a slightly noticeable use of wood and a delicately bitter undertone, spicy, dense without being ponderous, lingers for a long time." Falstaff

"The Recioto della Valpolicella Classico 2015 is intense and savoury rather than sweet, with a blend of crushed ash stone and grilled herbs giving way to dried black cherries. Its silky texture coats the palate with a depth of ripe red and black fruits complemented by dark chocolate and inner rose notes. A bitter, balsamic aftertaste leaves the lips puckering and the mouth wanting more. Despite its power, the 2015 seems remarkably balanced and enjoyable today, but it also has a great future ahead of it." Vinous

"A slightly heady nose of sweet, dried black fruits that continues on the palate. Full-bodied with well-integrated tannins that drive the fruit forward. Well structured and everything in order." James Suckling