Prosecco
We started the night with a glass of Prosecco from Tentua Santomé. This particular bottling is made with grapes sourced from DOC Treviso, in Veneto, Italy. The wine offers aromas of honeysuckle and pear. The flavor is vibrant on the palate, rounded with additional flavors of braeburn apples and honeydew. Finishes distinctive with equal parts of tanginess and residual sugar.
Ripasso
The origins of Ripasso date back to 1964 thanks to Masi Agricola, a mid-size and yet influential Veneto producer. Masi developed a technique by which Valpolicella wine was refermented on the Amarone pomace, or the pressed skins left over from Amarone production. The resulting wine was given additional complexity and elegance, effectively making it a ‘baby Amarone’. And just to be precise, the Valpolicella AVA require the use of least 85% of corvina, corvinone and rondinella and up to 15% of molinara, rossinognola, negrata, trentina, sangiovese, merlot, cabernet sauvignon and cabernet franc may be included. Of course, this initial Ripasso technique is analogous to re-using ground espresso coffee beans for re brewing a batch of drip coffee. These days however, making Ripasso does not involve refermenting Valpolicella wine with skins left overs. A more modern technique has been adopted by which the wine is refermented using grapes especially semi-dried for this specific purpose. The results of this new approach are the same, imparting complex aromas and flavors and creating a more elegant wine. The aromas of this Cesari Ripasso are filled with cherry and leather. The flavors echo the aromas, finishing with firm tannins and a touch of wood from twelve months aging in slovenian oak. Quite good.
Mara – Valpolicella Superiore Ripasso
Bosan Amarone Della Valpolicella
Amarone, of acclaimed famed worldwide, is also from Il Veneto and it is one of my favorite wines. Amarone wine is made using the quintessential Appassimento process, or raisining of the grapes. Appassimento, literally means in Italian “raisining“, which is a process of semi-drying grapes. This process is very likely an ancient Roman technique. Originally, grapes were dried to concentrate flavors and elevate sugar level to make sweet wine. In fact, in Il Veneto this sweet wine is called Recioto. At some point it was discovered that occasionally the wild yeast would ferment all sugars into alcohol, creating the predecessor of Amarone. Contrary to popular belief, Amarone wine is actually an invention of the 20th century.
This particular rendition of Amarone consists of 80% Corvina and 20% Rondinella. The wine is concentrated, full-bodied with a lovely mixture of dried fruits, nuts and spice upfront aromas. The flavors are congruent with the aromas, delivering a medium to full-body mouthfeel. It finishes long and focused on the dried fruits and spice, a testament of its three years in French and Slavonian barrel–not to be confused with Slovenian Oak though.
Bosan Single Vineyard Amarone
Il Bosco Amarone Della Valpolicella
This version of Amarone is almost identical to that of its cousin Bosan Amarone. Same grape composition, 80% Corvina and 20%. But Il Bosco spent only two years in barrel. One could argue that this is a baby Bosan.
Obviously, being a younger wine than its predecessor, Il Bosco is a bit more rustic. Intense aromas of currants and herbs. On the palate, the wine is also intensely flavorful, loaded with notes of blackberry and raisins on a tight and yet elegant tone. Finishes with well integrated tannins. Perfect for Risotto Al Funghi. Cheers!
Another single vineyard amarone
Jema Corvina
My favorite wine of the night. Made of 100% Corvina. This is a wonderful wine that offers a complex array of aromas and flavors. It opens up with aromas of dried cherries and cedary oak. On the palate, the wine offers notes of prune, cherries and minerals. Full-body and fully flavorful. Finishes long, balanced and oaky undertones. The oak notes come from aging in French oak for 18 months. A truly fantastic wine! Think of meats, charcuterie and aged cheeses.
Saluti per cento anni!
What a beautiful Wine!
Vinopath 