Rubinelli Vajol Valpolicella Ripasso 2020
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Ripasso is one of those brilliant traditional techniques that sounds complicated but makes total sense once you get it. After the Amarone grapes finish fermenting, the warm, spent skins still have flavor and sugar to give. So the Vajol family takes their base Valpolicella and passes it over those Amarone skins for a second fermentation—hence "ripasso," meaning "repassed." What you get is a wine with more depth and richness than straight Valpolicella but without the intensity and price tag of Amarone.
The Vajol family has been making wine in Valpolicella since the 1800s, farming traditionally in the hills above Verona where Corvina, Rondinella, and Molinara thrive on volcanic soils. Their Ripasso shows dark cherry, dried herbs, and this wonderful baking spice character from the Amarone influence, with silky tannins and just enough structure to pair beautifully with richer foods.
Open it with braised meats, aged cheeses, or hearty pasta dishes. This is what Sunday dinner in Verona tastes like.
Region: Valpolicella DOC, Veneto
Varieties: Corvina, Rondinella, Molinara
Winemaking: Ripasso method with Amarone skins
ABV: 14%
Explicitly Delicious.
