Speri Valpolicella Ripasso Classico Superiore DOC 2022 (750ml)

 

Rated 93 Points by James Suckling

 

An outstanding producer of the region, managing to interplay a subtle generosity demanded of Ripasso with the sour, pithy crispness demanded by the drinker.  Or at least those of us who actually want to drink the wine rather than mull over half a glass of motor oil.  Red fruit, crushed musk, lilacs, kumquats and the vaguest hint of dried grapes, showing generosity over cloying sweetness.  Brisk, refined and long.  From organically grown grapes.  Sustainable.  Drink or hold.  Ned Goodwin James Suckling, March 2025

 

Rated 93 Points by Vinous

 

The 2022 Valpolicella Ripasso Classico Superiore mixes crushed blackberries with cloves, shavings of pine and stone dust to create its alluring bouquet.  This wine is pure elegance, round and supple, with waves of ripe wild berry fruits and a twang of citrus, all supported by fresh acidity.  Gently tannic and incredibly long, it leaves nuances of plum and licorice while maintaining excellent freshness and finishing classically dry.  Eric Guido Vinous, September 2025

 

Speri Valpolicella Classico Superiore Ripasso 2022

 

This wine is produced using the Ripasso technique, which is intentionally more restrictively applied in relation to the standard production method.  The wine is obtained by going over again, once only, the premium Valpolicella Classico over the same quantity of Amarone marc.  As a result, an authentic local wine is produced which elegantly exhibits a delightfully complex fruity aroma and spicy tones complemented with a good acidity and just the right alcohol content.

 

Vineyards

 

Vineyards owned by the Speri family in Valpolicella Classica area, lying at between 120 and 350 m./a.s.l. in the municipalities of San Pietro in Cariano, Fumane and Negrar.

 

Grape Varieties

 

70% Corvina Veronese, 20% Rondinella, 10% Molinara

 

Vinification

 

The grapes are picked by hand and then immediately destemmed and crushed, prior to maceration at controlled temperatures and undergoing complete alcoholic and malolactic fermentation.  In the beginning of March the Valpolicella Classico wine is pumped over the pomace from the Amarone and consequently referments.

 

Ageing

 

12 Months in 20 hl. Slavonian oak barrels.  Maturation in bottle for 6 months.

 

Alcohol Content:  13.5%

 

Tasting Note

 

A deep intense ruby red color, with hints of red fruit, spices and cocoa on the nose.  Warming and smooth on the palate, nicely balanced by rounded tannins.

 

Serving Suggestions

 

Ideal with meat and cheese.

 

Veneto, Italy Wine Region

 

Veneto is an important wine region in the northeastern corner of Italy.  In terms of geography, culture, and wine styles, it represents a transition between the alpine, Germano-Slavic end of Italy and the warmer, drier, more Roman lands to the south.

 

Winemaking & Aging

 

Varietal Composition:  70% Corvina Veronese, 20% Rondinella, 10% Molinara

 

Fermentation Container:  Stainless steel tanks

 

Maceration Technique:  Delestage twice a day

 

Type of aging container:  Slavonian oak barrels

 

Length of aging:  12 Months

 

Length of bottle aging:  6-9 Months

 

Vineyard & Production Information

 

Vineyard Location:  San Pietro in Cariano, Fumane, Negrar

 

Vineyard Size:  60 Ha

 

Green Status:  Organic

 

Soil Composition:  Alluvial Soil

 

Training Method:  Inclined open pergola system.

 

Elevation:  120– 350 asl

 

Vines/hectare:  4000 vines per Ha

 

Exposure:  South

 

Vine Age:  28 Years

 

Harvest Time:  September 21st to October 5th

 

First Vintage:  2005

 

Production:  100,000 bottles

 

 

The Speri Winery

   

Producer Profile

 

Estate owned by:  Speri Family

 

Winemaker:  Alberto Speri & Giuseppe Speri

 

Total acreage of wine:  60 Ha

 

Winery Production:  500,000 Bottles

 

Region:  Veneto

 

The Speri Winery, one of the historical families of Valpolicella, is an authoritative and faithful interpreter of Valpolicella Classica wines that has become, due to its uninterrupted traditions and strong territorial roots, a landmark in Italian winemaking.

 

The Speri Winery, with a story that begins in the first half of the 1800s, has now entered its seventh generation making wine from about 60 hectares of vineyards in the most select Valpolicella Classica areas.

The Winery strength has always been, and still is, a matter of teamwork, today engaging three generations – Carlo, Alberto, Giampaolo, Giampietro, Laura, Chiara, Luca and Giuseppe – that manage all stages of production activities, from the vineyard to the bottle.

 

In 2015, after practicing years of sustainable farming, the Winery achieved organic certification for all of the production.

 

The Speri family, respecting its territorial heritage, has always cultivated exclusively the native grape varieties of the Valpolicella zone (Corvina, Corvinone, Rondinella, Molinara and other indigenous varieties), making wine only from grapes coming from its own vineyards and itself overseeing the entire production process.