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 takes it 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.

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. The 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. They also produce Balsamic Vinegar, Olive Oil and Grappa. They also have a 3.8-hectare estate in Bolgheri DOC in Tuscany.

Zenato Ripassa Valpolicella Ripasso Superiore DOC is a blend of 85% Corvina Veronese, 10% Rondinella and 5% Oseleta. In this case after the Zenato Amarone, harvested the previous year, has been made (from dried grapes) and the grapes have been lightly pressed, the Valpolicella wine for the Zenato Ripassa is passed over the marc (the remaining Amarone skins) for a period of 7 to 8 days at a temperature of 25 to 28C. The wine soaked skins and lees from the Amarone initiate a slight refermentation, subsequently increasing both the alcohol, body, colour and bouquet of the wine. Zenato Ripassa is aged for 18 months in 500 litre oak barrels.

What is Ripasso Wine?

As mentioned above, the ripasso method involves fermenting the wine for a second time with the grape skins from 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 wines fruit with the Amarone skins produces a unique wine style that is very rarely found outside of the Veneto region.