Country: Italy  Region: Veneto  Vintage: 2017 Category: Red Wine  Color: Red Producer: Cantina Valpantena "Run by Luca Degani since 1995, the Cantina Valpantena is now one of Italy's best co-operatives, with 700 hectares of vineyard producing excellent quality fruit. Matt Thomson makes some of the Alpha Zeta wines here and has worked closely with them since 1999. Known as the 'valley of god' to the ancient Greeks, the Valpantena is well-known for its high quality red wines, due partly to the limestone soils but also because of the cool breeze that blows down the valley from the foothills of the Dolomites. The Torre del Falasco wines are the standard bearers of this co-operative. Their Valpolicella Valpantena, illustrates why this valley has always been regarded as at least as good as the Classico zone. The Ripasso is a fuller and riper style than Alpha Zeta, as is their Amarone." Product Features: Vegan;Vegetarian Winemaker: Luca Degani Vineyards: The grapes for the Valpolicella Ripasso are grown on the steeply terraced hillside vineyards belonging to the co-operative, where soils are chalky and poor. The wine is a blend of two traditional Valpolicella varieties. Vinification: On arrival at the winery, the grapes were destemmed and crushed then fermented in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks at 22-28°C. Maceration lasted ten days. Once fermentation was complete, a second fermentation took place on the skins of the Amarone Torre del Falasco in the traditional 'ripasso' method. The wine remained in large oak barrels until bottling. Tasting Notes: Aromas of dried cherry and dark plums are followed by hints of mocha and dark chocolate on the nose. A powerful, full-bodied palate opens with a spiced fruit character and supportive tannins. Raisin and candied peel notes come from the 'ripasso' method and are layered with rounded, ripe cherry flavours. The finish is long with added spicy nutmeg notes. Food Suggestion: Richly spiced meaty dishes like moussaka would be a good match for this wine. Closure: Natural Cork  ABV: 14%