Zenato Ripassa Valpolicella Superiore
Wine Description
This wine is a blend of 80% Corvina, 10% Rondinella, and 10% Sangiovese. As soon as the dried grapes for the Amarone are fermented, selected batches of Valpolicella wine are “re-passed” over the Amarone’s lees, thus starting a second fermentation that slightly increases the alcohol content and gives the wine deeper color, increased extract, and more complex aromas. Ripassa is refined in tank for six months and then aged in French allier tonneaux for eighteen months. The wine spends an additional six months in bottle before it is released.
Acclaim
Vineyard & Production Info
Production area/appellation:
Valpolicella DOC
Vineyard name
Various
Vineyard size
17 acres
Soil composition
Chalk and morainic (glacial) deposits
Training method
Rows and Guyot
Elevation:
825-990 feet
Vines/acre:
2000
Yield/acre:
4 tons
Exposure:
Southeastern
Year vineyard planted:
1984
Harvest time:
October
First vintage of this wine:
1967
Bottles produced of this wine:
200,000
Winemaking & Aging
Maceration length:
7 days first, 7-8 days second
Varietal composition:
80% Corvina, 10% Sangiovese and 10% Rondinella
Fermentation container:
Stainless steel tanks
Fermentation temperature:
72 °F
Type of aging container:
Tonneaux
Size of aging container:
300-500 L
Type of oak:
French oak: Allier
Length of aging before bottling:
18 months
Age of Aging Container:
2-3 years old
Length of bottle aging:
6 months
Analytical Data
pH level:
3.7
Acidity:
5.7 g/L
Alcohol:
13.8 %
Residual sugar:
6.5 g/L