Valpolicella Ripasso Classico Superiore 2022 Antolini

The Valpolicella Ripasso Superiore 2022 from Antolini is one of the most engaging and sincere wines from this Veronese family house, a wine that speaks with elegance to the terroir of Valpolicella Classica, the region renowned for its rolling hills between Verona and Lake Garda. This Ripasso is the bridge cuvée par excellence: literally "repassed", it sits between young Valpolicella and mature Amarone. It is an entry point into the world of great Venetian wines, offering generosity, complexity, and a quality-to-price ratio that makes it one of the most convincing references in the appellation.

Terroir, grape varieties, and the Ripasso technique

Domaine Antolini is a family house based in Marano di Valpolicella, in the Classico zone, the historic heart and most respected part of the appellation, with calcareous and clay hills that rise gently between Verona and Lake Garda. This wine is made principally from Corvina, Corvinone, and Rondinella grapes, carefully selected and hand-harvested from the Valpolicella Classica vineyards. This Ripasso is produced from the current vintage, subjected to a second fermentation of five to seven days on the pomace of dried grapes used for Amarone and Recioto production. This operation is the very magic of Ripasso: the pulp of Amarone grapes, dried and still warm, is rich in unfermented sugars and aromatic compounds. This second alcoholic fermentation enriches the wine in alcohol, colour, and tannins, while imparting new aromas and perfumes. The wine then spends approximately 12 months in oak barrels and refines for six months in bottle.

Tasting profile

The colour is a clear, vibrant ruby red. The nose is intense and complex, with red fruits, raspberries, cherries, and morello cherries, evolving towards spicier notes of vanilla and clove. Notes of mocha, sweet spices, cloves, and roasted almonds enrich the bouquet. Spirit-soaked cherry aromas complete this palette with remarkable complexity and appeal. The attack on the palate is fresh and velvety, ripe fruits expressing themselves generously over fine, elegant, and warm tannins, with a long flavour persistence. On the palate, it is sweet yet vibrant, with enveloping tannins and a persistent, harmonious finish. A wine of fine drinkability despite its richness, accessible today and capable of ageing pleasantly over six to eight years.

The domaine

The Antolini family has tended its vineyards in Marano di Valpolicella for several generations, with a steadfast conviction: that Valpolicella Classica, with its calcareous and clay hills, its microclimates tempered by proximity to Lake Garda, and its native grape varieties, Corvina, Corvinone, and Rondinella, is capable of producing some of Italy's greatest red wines. The domaine's range extends from Valpolicella Classico through to Amarone Morópio and Recioto, all made in a spirit of respect for Venetian tradition and faithful expression of Marano's terroir.

Food pairing

This Valpolicella Ripasso Superiore pairs beautifully with fresh pasta in beef or wild boar ragù, ossobuco à la milanaise, roast beef au jus, veal chops with mushrooms and sage, braised meats with herbs, or creamy mushroom polenta. It also harmonises well with aged hard cheeses such as 24-month Parmigiano Reggiano, Grana Padano, or aged Pecorino. Served between 16 and 18°C, with a light decanting of 30 minutes advised, it will reveal the full generosity and aromatic complexity of a great Valpolicella Classica Ripasso.