The Vaona Valpolicella Classico Superiore Ripasso Pegrandi is lovely and bright with deep and lasting fruit tones such as dried cherry and plum. Those dark fruit tones are backed by delicate sweetness and soft tannins. The wine is mid-weight in texture but ultimately feels richer and more concentrated thanks to all that sweet fruit layering. Some 35,000 bottles were rolled out. This 14.5% alcohol Ripasso (made with 35% Corvina, 30% Corvinone, 30% Rondinella and 5% Molinara) would be an excellent choice for a risotto dinner. – Monica Larner, Dec 2021
Reviewed by: The Wine Advocate – 90 pts
ORIGIN: Vineyards owned by the Vaona family, located in the hills of the classic Valpolicella area at an altitude of approx. 200-250 meters above sea level.
SOIL: alluvial soil on calcareous basalts, favored by an excellent exposure. Some vineyards are characterized by terraces defined by known dry walls (called “marogne”).
GRAPE VARIETY: Corvina 40%, Corvinone 30%, Rondinella 25%, Molinara 5%, produced from vines with an average age of 25 years.
Harvest: the different grape varieties that are harvested (usually in the second half of October) depending on maturity, are placed in wooden boxes for 40-45 days.
VINIFICATION TECHNIQUE: The grapes are pressed at the end of November. This is followed by a fermentation process of 15-18 days that produces base wine for Ripasso. In March, after winning Amarone Pegrandi, the base wine is left to ferment, partly on its own lightly rinsed products. Thus a wine with a rich body and a strong personality is obtained.
Refining: 12 months in medium barrels (10-15 hl) followed by an additional period of 4 months in bottles.
