So, a Valpolicella Ripasso is when you make a wine with mostly fresh, undried grapes, but also add some leftover appassimento must from Recioto or Amarone. Classico Superiore denotes that the grapes were grown in the original Valpolicella growing region, and was barrel aged for at least one year.
Smells of plum, cherry, and red meat. The taste is dry with an underlying acidity and flavors of seared steak, plum, cherry, and watermelon on a medium body. The finish is long and moderately tart, featuring notes of raspberry, beef au jus, grape leaves, and subtle forest floor. Overall, this is a remarkably different wine, in the sense that it is drier and more acidic than any of the other variants I’ve had, which plays down the fruity/jammy notes and shows off the tannins a little bit more, while the oak adds a subtle smoothness and complexity underneath.
