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Tag Archives: valpolicella

Zenato Ripassa Valpolicella Ripasso Superiore 2016, Veneto, Italy

09 Monday Nov 2020

Posted by caspernick in Wine

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$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….

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Zenato Ripassa Valpolicella Ripasso Superiore 2014, Veneto, Italy

31 Sunday Mar 2019

Posted by caspernick in Wine

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$24, 3 stars, 89 points, Italy, valpolicella


I’m excited to try the 2014 version of Zenato’s Ripassa.  I reviewed the 2012 version previously.  In the glass it is as expected- dark, opaque, thick.  On the nose- somewhat fresh, with blackberries, raisins, chocolate ganache and sandalwood.  On the palate it is lush, filled with black fruits, purple licorice and mouth coating tannins.  It does however leave me feeling a little short changed.  I remember this wine as being richer, with mouthfuls of fruit, much more upfront and reduced.  This version seems a little more subdued, more mainstream.  It’s plenty flavorful, with good balance between acidity and tannic structure- don’t get me wrong.  Perhaps they have changed styles into a more refined approach.

The mid palate and finish pretty much carry on from the initial palate and let the tannins crescendo at the end.  There is however a slight astringency that hits me on the back end.  I cannot quite pinpoint it.  Serve with charcuterie or grilled steak from now till 2025.  89 points and 3 stars for this $24 effort.  Salut….

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

08 Friday Mar 2019

Posted by caspernick in Wine

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$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….

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Zenato Ripassa Valpolicella Ripasso Superiore 2012

14 Saturday Jan 2017

Posted by caspernick in Wine

≈ 1 Comment

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$24, 3 stars, 89 points, corvina, Italy, valpolicella


If you have never had a Ripasso wine before you need to hurry along and get one.  It all starts with the Amarone wines, where the grapes are air dried for several months on wire racks and the fruit loses volume and increases its sugars.  Once they press the grapes what is left over are the skins and seeds, minus the juices but still yielding some tannins and flavors that basic Valpolicella lacks.  Once they ferment the Valpolicella wine they then ‘pass’ it over the remaining Amarone grape skins to impart a deeper color, structure, tannins and a depth of flavor.  Some call them the baby Amarones.  I have been a fan of this particular wine for a long time and was super excited to get a bottle the other day.  Priced at $24, it is a good intro to the style.

Dark purple, with a nose of raisins, funk and plums (all good I assure you).  On the palate I am getting rich plums, black cherry and delightful tannins.  The mid palate shows off dried cherry, oak and more tannins which really hit the gums at this point.  The finish tapers off with plum jam and raisins.  The wine is not as ‘thick and unctuous’ as I remembered nor does it present the depth I have had in other vintages but it is still really good and gets 89 points from me.  85% Corvina, 10% Rondinella and 5% Oseleta.  I had an old colleague over for dinner that saw me pair this with Pasta and Meatballs/Mild Italian Sausage.  It was a great match and even made the Caeser Salad and Garlic bread more on pointe.  The whole evening was a good time but this wine had a special place in our visit.  Drink till 2022. 3 stars.  Salut….

zenato ripassa

 

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Monte Zovo Valpolicella Ripasso 2009

12 Thursday Dec 2013

Posted by caspernick in Wine

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$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

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