Country: Italy  Region: Veneto  Vintage: 2015 Category: Red Wine  Color:  Red Producer: Allegrini "The Allegrini family estate covers 100 hectares of vineyard in the heart of Valpolicella Classico. Though they have been growing grapes here for several centuries, Giovanni Allegrini was the first to start bottling wines from the family's vineyards. When he died in 1983, he passed on to his three children - Walter, Marilisa and Franco - a passion for and a commitment to quality wine. They worked together to build on Giovanni's quality ethos until Walter's death in July 2003. Franco now looks after the vineyards and the winemaking, while Marilisa takes charge of sales and marketing. From the 2007 vintage, Franco sacrificed the Classico status of the Valpolicella and bottled the wine under Stelvin to eliminate as much as possible the problems of cork taint and random oxidation.The 2015 Valpolicella is one of the best in years. It has a lovely intensity of red cherry fruit, lifted perfumes and a ripe yet zesty character on the palate. The 2012 'La Grola', sleek and beguiling, sets the standard by which all other wines from Valpolicella are judged, while the 2013 Palazzo, a 'baby Amarone' produced by Allegrini's unique approach to Ripasso, is plush and rounded. Their Amarone is outstanding, intense yet balanced, while their flagship wine 'La Poja', made solely from Corvina, is the original - and still the finest - 'super Veronese'. Winemaker: Franco Allegrini Vineyards: Palazzo della Torre covers 26 hectares of east-facing vineyard planted between 1962 and 2013, situated 240 metres above sea level. Allegrini purchased this vineyard in 1978. Soils are cretaceous and calcareous, with Pergola trentina trained vines planted at 3,000 vines per hectare. Vinification: Franco Allegrini used the modern version of the traditional 'ripasso' technique for Palazzo della Torre, drying a proportion of the grapes in the 'Terre di Fumane' drying centre, to intensify the character of this vineyard. The grapes to be dried were hand picked at the beginning of September, whereas those to be vinified immediately were picked at the end of the month. 70% of the grapes picked were vinified immediately and 30% were left to dry until the second half of December when they were vinified and then refermented with the wine from the fresh grapes. The wine spent 15 months in second-use barriques, was blended together for two months, then aged for a further seven months in bottle. Tasting Notes: Ruby red in colour, Palazzo della Torre has enticing aromas of cherry with rich dark chocolate notes. Velvety in texture, it is well-balanced and offers ripe, juicy dark fruit, with silky tannins and refreshing acidity. Food Suggestion: Easily pairs with various Italian dishes, above all risottos, especially those flavoured with saffron, porcini mushrooms and pork; classic dishes such as pasta with Amatriciana and Carbonara sauces, baked lasagna, gnocchi with gorgonzola cheese and walnuts; grilled meats and roasts. This wine also excels when matched with Parma ham and fine-cured Zibello pork loin, as well as medium-matured cheeses, especially Parmigiano Reggiano, pecorino and Monte Veronese. Closure: Natural Cork  ABV:13.5%   Acidity [g/l]: 5.5