Country: Italy  Region: Veneto  Vintage: 2017 Category: Red Wine  Color: Red Producer: Zenato Zenato is quite simply the best producer in the Veneto, from his whites through to the Amarones. Ripassa wines are produced by re-fermenting Valpolicella on the lees and grape skins from Amarone. As the best example of Valpolicella Ripassa going here can be found sweet cherries, plums, and fresh tangerines. With a fuller body than expected, layers of complex flavours and a smooth finish, this is a real find – simply sumptuous. This will suit a wide variety of food, from pork and veal to hard cheese. This wine is closely connected to the greatest wine of Valpolicella: Amarone. After pressing the dried grapes from which Amarone is made, the Valpolicella wine is passed over the still warm marc of Amarone. A second alcoholic fermentation begins which increases the alcoholic content and the wine becomes richer in colour, bouquet GRAPE VARIETY 85% Corvina, 10% Rondinella, 5% Oseleta. VINIFICATION The grapes are de-stemmed and macerated in stainless steel fermenters for 10-12 days. Once the alcoholic fermentation is completed, the new wine is separated from the skins by light pressing and conserved in large oak casks of 54 and 75 hectolitres until February; this is the period in which the dried grapes are pressed to produce Amarone. At this point, the Valpolicella is passed over the marc of the Amarone for a period of 7-8 days at a temperature of 25-28°C. The wine is aged for 18 months in 500 lt. oak casks and barrels.