Zenato Ripassa Valpolicella Ripasso Superiore DOC

Description

Zenato Ripassa Valpolicella Ripasso Superiore DOC is a close cousin to the most famous wine of Veneto, Amarone. It is a fabulously rich and complex wine that takes its name from the Ripasso vinification technique, which literally means “repassed”. This involves re-passing the wine over the used grape skins of the previous year’s Amarone and a double fermentation.

Zenato Ripassa Vinification

• After the Zenato Amarone (made from dried grapes harvested the previous year) has been produced and lightly pressed, the Valpolicella wine is passed over the remaining Amarone marc (skins).
• The wine remains in contact with the Amarone skins and lees for 7 to 8 days at a temperature of 25 to 28°C.
• This process initiates a slight refermentation, subsequently increasing the alcohol, body, colour and bouquet of the wine.
• The finished Zenato Ripassa is aged for 18 months in 500-litre oak barrels.

Zenato Ripassa Blend

• Zenato Ripassa Valpolicella Ripasso Superiore DOC is a blend of:
  • 85% Corvina Veronese
  • 10% Rondinella
  • 5% Oseleta

What is Ripasso Wine?

As mentioned above, the ripasso method involves fermenting the wine for a second time with the grape skins used to produce Amarone wine. This technique greatly enhances the wine’s all-round complexity (flavour, body, etc.), extracting additional aromas, flavours and tannins from the grape skins. The combination of the new wine’s fruit with the Amarone skins produces a unique wine style that is very rarely found outside of the Veneto region.

About Zenato Wines

Cantine Zenato was established in 1960 by Sergio Zenato and his wife, Carla. The Zenato wine cellars are located at San Benedetto di Lugana, in the heart of the Lugana region, on Lake Garda. The Zenato winery now consists of 95 hectares in total, 40 hectares in San Benedetto and 35 hectares in the Valpolicella Classico region at Sant’Ambrogio.

Today, the winery is in the capable hands of Sergio’s children, Alberto and Nadia, who have clearly inherited their father’s talents and wine-making passion. They make many of the famous wines of the Veneto region, including the white wine Lugana and red wines, including Bardolino and many different types of Amarone. Zenato has a 3.8-hectare estate in Bolgheri DOC in Tuscany, and they also produce Balsamic Vinegar, Olive Oil and Grappa.

Zenato also produce a Riserva Amarone named after the founder Sergio Zenato.