So I’ve now had Valpolicella both young and aged, and here I have an “appassimento” Valpolicella where the grapes are careful dried to remove most of the water content before fermentation, concentrating the sugars and flavors of the grapes. A recioto is given a shorter fermentation and bottled with lots of residual sugar. This is also a “Classico” meaning the grapes were grown in the original or “classic” Valpolicella growing region.
Smells absolutely divine, with aromas of cherry, pomegranate, plum, and grape must. The taste is quite sweet with flavors of cherry, plum, strawberry, pomegranate, apple, and fig on a medium body. The finish is long and low in bitterness, featuring notes of cherry, sweetened cranberry juice, and just a touch of must and tannins. Overall, this is a truly impressive wine, managing to be sweet but with just enough restraint to not be cloying, and with just enough tannins to be structured but not bitter, with layers of fruity, juicy complexity throughout.
