Bartolomeo Lorenzi Valpolicella Ripasso 2021

Northern Italy's village of Valpolicella is famed for its iconic, opulent Amarone—the country's richest, most opulent (and pricey) red. The region’s ripasso wine is a sumptuous alternative that’s a bit easier on the wallet, and local maestro Daniele Accordini makes some of the finest we’ve tasted.

Bartolomeo Lorenzi Valpolicella Ripasso hails from Daniele and Cantina Valpolicella Negrar, the very first winery to bottle and label a wine under the Amarone name, back in 1933. (The fateful discovery happened after the Cantina’s then-president tasted a recioto wine that had accidentally been left to ferment for too long. The rest is delicious history…)

Ripasso derives its hedonistic character from a second—now quite on purpose!—fermentation, where basic Valpolicella is “re-passed” over grape skins used to make Amarone. Daniele aged his ripasso for a luxurious 18 months in fine oak barrels and, inspired by a bit of history, named his wine range after iconic local poet Bartolomeo Lorenzi, whose 18th-century verses praised the wines of the region.

This "baby Amarone" is made from classic Amarone grape varieties: Corvina, Corvinone and Rondinella. The wine offers aromas of ripe plum and cherry, with notes of cinnamon and licorice. Flavors of bramble fruit, baking spice and dark chocolate are lifted by the silky mouthfeel and a long, chocolatey finish. This is the kind of red that will really shine when paired with full-flavored, creamy cheeses (notoriously difficult to match with red wines). Locally, Taleggio would be served, but Brie will also be delicious. If it’s dinnertime, try dishes starring veal, like osso buco.