• About Caspernick
  • Star Ratings
  • The Master tasting list

Caspernick's Blog

~ My personal wine tasting notes

Caspernick's Blog

Tag Archives: ripasso

B Cellars Sangiovese 2018, Napa Valley, California

26 Tuesday Jan 2021

Posted by caspernick in Wine

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

$74, 4 stars, 92 points, california, napa valley, ripasso, sangiovese


Super purple and totally opaque- not what I was expecting from this varietal.  The nose is very rich with cherry extract, toasty oak and strawberry jam.  It’s very concentrated.  The palate is packed with red fruit preserves, cherries jubilee and a hint of tobacco.  There’s a nice acidic tone from the get-go alongside medium level tannins.  I’m enjoying the whole package- the mouthfeel is very lively, balanced and complex.  The finish is medium in length, pseudo dry and quite juicy.  I’m really liking this atypical wine that gets 92 points from me. At $74 it’s worthy of 4 stars. Drink till 2027 and pair it with Lamb Chops, Venison Tenderloins or even Eggplant Parm. So delicious I may want to try it again! (Ps. I just read the winery notes- they use the Ripasso method to really extrude as much color, tannins and essence from the grapes which makes sense why it is so dense, full bodied and delicious). Salut….

Share this:

  • Email
  • Twitter
  • Reddit
  • Facebook
  • Pinterest

Like this:

Like Loading...

Zenato Ripassa Valpolicella Ripasso Superiore 2016, Veneto, Italy

09 Monday Nov 2020

Posted by caspernick in Wine

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

$25, 3 stars, 89 points, Italy, ripasso, valpolicella, veneto, VWTC


This wine was the third offering at the 11th Virtual Wine Tasting. I have drunk an absolute ton of this wine from earlier vintages and was really looking forward to introducing the Ripasso style of winemaking to my friends. Unfortunately, this wine has been a letdown of late. See my previous posts on the Zenato Ripasso.

Our tasters said the following: Semi opaque, dark purple.  On the nose- Blackberry jam, rich nose, floral, black licorice, peppery, leather, lilac.  On the palate, berry.  Sweeter that expected.  Sharp finish.  Spicy, green pepper, berry.  Velvety but slightly bitter on the back end.  Iodine and leather for the finish.

I was underwhelmed and am giving this wine 89 points yet again. For $25 it’s a solid 3 pointer but there are far better wines to spend that kind of loot on. Drink till 2025. Salut….

Share this:

  • Email
  • Twitter
  • Reddit
  • Facebook
  • Pinterest

Like this:

Like Loading...

Tinazzi Ca’ de’ Rocchi ‘Montere’ Valpolicella Classico Superiore Ripasso 2013, Veneto, Italy

02 Monday Mar 2020

Posted by caspernick in Wine

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

$20, 5 stars, 92 points, Italy, ripasso


It’s black in the glass and totally opaque.  The nose has hints of raisin, black cherry reduction, hoisin.  The palate is thick, a touch acidic and bursting with fig, plums, black cherries again as well as fruitcake.  The midpalate introduces some very fine grained tannins alongside the fruit medley.  There’s a nuttiness that hits towards the back end alongside blackberry jam.  This wine is very appealing. Rich and balanced.  The finish is long with that dark fruit core continuing for over 30 seconds.  I love Ripasso’s and am excited by this one.  92 points. For $20 this is a 5 star wine folks! Salut….

Share this:

  • Email
  • Twitter
  • Reddit
  • Facebook
  • Pinterest

Like this:

Like Loading...

Allegrini Villa Cavarena Valpolicella Ripasso 2016, Veneto, Italy

02 Tuesday Apr 2019

Posted by caspernick in Wine

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

$20, 3 stars, 89 points, corvina, Italy, ripasso, rondinella, veneto


Very purple/black in the glass.  Brush, black cherry, blackberries and tar on the nose.  On the palate it is round, soft and full of fruit.  Black fruits galore, cedar shake, olives and that creosote all hit me across the front.  The midpalate offers more blackberries and gentle, yet fine grained tannins.  The black cherry reappears on the finale with a touch of dryness on the gums that adds to the mouthfeel.  89 points for this $20 Corvina/Rondinella blend and 3 stars.  Pair with Pasta, Veal and grilled Tuna from now till 2023.  Salut….

Share this:

  • Email
  • Twitter
  • Reddit
  • Facebook
  • Pinterest

Like this:

Like Loading...

Campagnola ‘Giuseppe Campagnola’ Valpolicella Classico Ripasso 2016, Veneto, Italy

08 Friday Mar 2019

Posted by caspernick in Wine

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

$15, 3 stars, 89 points, corvina, Italy, ripasso, rondinella, valpolicella


Medium opacity purple, with a nice sheen in the glass.  The nose offers up bacon, plum paste, raisins and ……  On the palate I get nice round blackberry cobbler notes, bright acidity and very fine grained tannins.  If you know how Ripasso is made you would expect a bit more weight, extra flavor and a heavier mouthfeel.  This wine is a touch more refined, somewhat lighter and a bit fresher.  The mid palate has a nice cherry meets plum characteristic that feeds into the decent length finish.  The tannins taper off leaving a somewhat astringent mouthfeel right at the end.  It’s certainly interesting.  89 points and 3 stars for this $15 blend of Corvina, Corvinone and Rondinella.  Drink till 2026.  Salut….

Share this:

  • Email
  • Twitter
  • Reddit
  • Facebook
  • Pinterest

Like this:

Like Loading...

Allegrini Palazzo della Torre Veronese IGT 2014, Veneto, Italy

30 Wednesday May 2018

Posted by caspernick in Wine

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

$17, 4 stars, 90 points, corvina, Italy, ripasso, rondinella


Dark purple in the glass, opaque AF.  The nose is unique…. pomegranate meets cherry reduction and almonds.  On the palate I’m confronted with wood bark, black fruits, more nuttiness and a dense stack of tannins.  Brooding, rich and foreboding- it is a heavy duty wine with decent balance and good grip. The dryness of the tannins kick in on the finish in a big way.  This wine could use a trip through the aerator.  I like it as is with some grilled lamb or possibly with pasta after aerating.  If you read the label closely you will see that it is made in the Ripasso style, being a blend of Corvina and Rondinella.  90 points and 4 stars for this very reasonable $17 wine.  Salut….

Share this:

  • Email
  • Twitter
  • Reddit
  • Facebook
  • Pinterest

Like this:

Like Loading...

Monte Zovo Valpolicella Ripasso 2009

12 Thursday Dec 2013

Posted by caspernick in Wine

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

$22, 3 stars, 88 points, Italy, ripasso, valpolicella


Whenever I see a Ripasso in a restaurant, I buy it. I love the elegance of Valpolicella and the brute force that comes when they ‘pass it through’ the Amarone lees and make a Ripasso. Dried cherry and licorice come to mind with some really tasty tannins. The acidic component is slightly off but the fruit over-compensates. This particular bottle was not as aromatic and extracted as I like but it went superbly with our Osso Bucco dinner. 88 points and 3 stars for this $22 effort. Salut….
IMG_0539

Share this:

  • Email
  • Twitter
  • Reddit
  • Facebook
  • Pinterest

Like this:

Like Loading...

RSS Me!

RSS Feed

Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 288 other subscribers
Follow Caspernick's Blog on WordPress.com

Archives

Blogs I Follow

  • Finger Lakes Connected
  • the drunken cyclist
  • The Bubbly Professor
  • grapefriend
  • Drink What YOU Like

Blog at WordPress.com.

Finger Lakes Connected

the drunken cyclist

I have three passions: wine, cycling, travel, family, and math.

The Bubbly Professor

Excellent Adventures in Wine and Spirits Education

grapefriend

grapefriend. wine. fun.

Drink What YOU Like

  • Follow Following
    • Caspernick's Blog
    • Join 177 other followers
    • Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
    • Caspernick's Blog
    • Customize
    • Follow Following
    • Sign up
    • Log in
    • Report this content
    • View site in Reader
    • Manage subscriptions
    • Collapse this bar
 

Loading Comments...
 

    %d bloggers like this: