Speri Valpolicella Ripasso Classico Superiore 2012

  • 91 Robert
    Parker
  • 90 Wine
    Spectator
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Speri Valpolicella Ripasso Classico Superiore 2012 Front Label
Speri Valpolicella Ripasso Classico Superiore 2012 Front Label

Product Details


Varietal

Region

Producer

Vintage
2012

Size
750ML

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Somm Note

Winemaker Notes

Deep ruby in color, the bouquet recalls red fruit, chocolate and spice, confirmed on a silky, well balanced, structured palate characterized by appealing roundness, sweet tannins and unique elegance.

A very versatile wine, it makes a fine match with meat dishes and cheese.

Professional Ratings

  • 91
    The 2012 Valpolicella Classico Superiore Ripasso is one of best Ripasso expressions of the vintage. This is an outstanding effort with a deep and unyielding sense of juiciness and freshness that you don't often see in Ripasso. Plum and fresh prune segue slowly to raisin and dried currant. Spice, leather and tobacco round off the finish. The tannins are also more defined and structured than you usually see in Ripasso.
  • 90
    Elegant, showing dried thyme and earth notes to mulled cherry and mulberry fruit, with smoke and ground anise flavors. Drink now through 2020.

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Speri

Speri

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Speri, Italy
Speri A Closer Look at Speri Winery Video

The grapes not only form the basis for a good wine: they give it its essence, its soul, its personality. They adapt themselves to the rhythms of nature, they make themselves at home in the land in which they grow and allow themselves to be guided by the hands of the vigneron. Cultivating the land is an ancient occupation, tinged with tradition and the aura of times past. The Speris began working as vine growers in Valpolicella seven generations ago. Times change but the old values endure, as does the Speris’ pride in being part of an extraordinary area like the Valpolicella classica zone and the moral duty they feel to express its characteristics in their company’s wines. One of the historical families in Valpolicella, Speri is an important and faithful exponent of the wines of the Valpolicella Classica zone and has also become, thanks to the firm’s consistency and its intimate links with its area of origin, an authoritative point of reference within the Italian wine scene.

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With hundreds of red grape varieties to choose from, winemakers have the freedom to create a virtually endless assortment of blended red wines. In many European regions, strict laws are in place determining the set of varieties that may be used, but in the New World, experimentation is permitted and encouraged resulting in a wide variety of red wine styles. Blending can be utilized to enhance balance or create complexity, lending different layers of flavors and aromas. For example, a red wine blend variety that creates a fruity and full-bodied wine would do well combined with one that is naturally high in acidity and tannins. Sometimes small amounts of a particular variety are added to boost color or aromatics. Blending can take place before or after fermentation, with the latter, more popular option giving more control to the winemaker over the final qualities of the wine.

How to Serve Red Wine

A common piece of advice is to serve red wine at “room temperature,” but this suggestion is imprecise. After all, room temperature in January is likely to be quite different than in August, even considering the possible effect of central heating and air conditioning systems. The proper temperature to aim for is 55° F to 60° F for lighter-bodied reds and 60° F to 65° F for fuller-bodied wines.

How Long Does Red Wine Last?

Once opened and re-corked, a bottle stored in a cool, dark environment (like your fridge) will stay fresh and nicely drinkable for a day or two. There are products available that can extend that period by a couple of days. As for unopened bottles, optimal storage means keeping them on their sides in a moderately humid environment at about 57° F. Red wines stored in this manner will stay good – and possibly improve – for anywhere from one year to multiple decades. Assessing how long to hold on to a bottle is a complicated science. If you are planning long-term storage of your reds, seek the advice of a wine professional.

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Valpolicella Wine

Veneto, Italy

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Among the ranks of Italy’s quintessential red wines, Valpolicella literally translates to the “valley of cellars” and is composed of a series of valleys (named Fumane, Marano and Negrare) that start in the pre-alpine Lissini Mountains and end in the southern plains of the Veneto. Here vineyards adorn the valley hillsides, rising up to just over 1,300 feet.

The classification of its red wines makes this appellation unique. Whereas most Italian regions claim the wines from one or two grapes as superior, or specific vineyards or communes most admirable, Valpolicella ranks the caliber of its red wines based on delimited production methods, and every tier uses the same basic blending grapes.

Corvina holds the most esteem among varieties here and provides the backbone of the best reds of Valpolicella. Also typical in the blends, in lesser quantities, are Rondinella, Molinara, Oseleta, Croatina, Corvinone and a few other minor red varieties.

Valpolicella Classico, the simplest category, is where the region’s top values are found and resembles in style light and fruity Beaujolais. The next tier of reds, called Valpolicella Superiore, represents a darker and more serious and concentrated expression of Valpolicella, capable of pairing with red meat, roast poultry and hard cheeses.

Most prestigious in Valpolicella are the dry red, Amarone della Valpolicella, and its sweet counterpart, Recioto della Valpolicella. Both are created from harvested grapes left to dry for three to five months before going to press, resulting in intensely rich, lush, cerebral and cellar-worthy wines.

Falling in between Valpolicella Superiore and Amarone is a style called Valpolicella Ripasso, which has become immensely popular only since the turn of the century. Ripasso literally means “repassed” and is made by macerating fresh Valpolicella on the pressed grape skins of Amarone. As a result, a Ripasso will have more depth and complexity compared to a regular Superiore but is more approachable than an Amarone.

WWH138147_2012 Item# 145790

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