If I told you I could get you a wine with lots of Amarone character for less than $20, you'd think I was nuts, right? The 2022 Corte Majoli Valpolicella Ripasso is just that wine!
This ripe and rich red is showing especially well this vintage, with full-bodied notes of dark cherry, spiced plum, pink peppercorn, vanilla, cloves, and tobacco. While it may lack the massive extraction of an Amarone, it's certainly not light, and the flavors are remarkably similar, and the price is way lower.
If you're not familiar with Ripasso, let me explain. The producers of Valpolicella came up with this technique, and it's pretty ingenious. They take a basic Valpolicella and ferment it a second time with the skins left over from Amarone production. That second fermentation adds body, texture, richness, and flavor to the wine. The result is sometimes called “Baby Amarone,” and in this case, I think that description is pretty darn accurate.
Best of all, this comes from a third-generation, certified organic estate run by cousins Flavio, Vanio, and Federico Tezza. All of the grapes come from their own vineyards, the vineyard work is done by hand, and the wine is made at their facility in Verona. That kind of control from vineyard to bottle is a big part of why this wine is so consistently good.
If you love rich, deeply flavored, soulful reds, make this part of your next wine haul. At less than $20, there isn't a better value in this category.
Josh Spurling
Owner, Operator, Wine Monger
Table Wine Asheville
