WINE OF THE WEEK - 2017 Tommasi Valpolicella Ripasso

It’s time for another edition of Wine Wednesday, Wineitupanotch style! 

As you might already know, but it always is worth repeating, this is always an exciting day for me, as I look forward to foraging through the shelves of my local liquor store on a hunt to hopefully uncover a new treasure to share with you!  

And the best part? If and when I find something good, it’s a wine that you too can actually purchase because it is readily available at the time of writing this blog post entry!  This is not to be taken lightly! Because all too often, you read a review about a great wine and then can’t actually find it. Not the case here my friends!

If you want to know more about why and how I do this, be sure to read this blog post where I outline my approach to my weekly Wine Wednesday picks.

Now I’d be remiss to not point out that I’m located in Ontario, Canada and I therefore buy my wines for the Wine of the Week feature from the LCBO (Liquor Control Board of Ontario).  However, the wines I pick are generally widely available in most major markets (such is the nature of the stock at the LCBO!) and online too, so if you like what you read, you can find the wine wherever you like to shop. 

For the convenience of readers who are located in Ontario, I always provide the LCBO Product Number, and a direct link to the LCBO website, in my reviews. So go ahead and shop away, fellow Ontario dwellers! :)

And just a quick reminder that I did not get paid to pick, drink or endorse the wine I’ve selected below. So you can safely trust my notes are my own.

And with that, let’s get into this week’s pick!

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2017 TOMMASI VALPOLICELLA RIPASSO

Ah this cold weather in Toronto has me craving richer wines, there is no doubt about it. I seem to gravitate towards richer reds these days. And of course, you know from last week’s post that I’ve got Italy on my mind! So, in a nutshell, this explains why I chose this Valpolicella Ripasso this week! Read on to learn what you’ll need and want to know about this wine.

What does this wine cost?

$21.45. This wine is actually on sale at the LCBO for a limited time at the time that I am writing this blog post. The regular price is $24.

Where does this wine come from?

This wine comes from the north of Italy, namely the Veneto. The Veneto is where Venice is located.

The Veneto produces the highest volume of wine in the North of Italy and is home to some of the great classics of Italian wine. Valpolicella Ripasso is a classic style from this region. The land here is fertile and sun-drenched with some volcanic soil interspersed with gravel, clay and sand.

This wine comes from an estate that is located in the hills outside of the city of Verona, from specific cru vineyards owned by Tommasi Family Estates

Who makes this wine?

This wine is made by the well known producer, Tommasi. Tommasi was founded in 1902 by Giacomo Tommasi who first purchased a small parcel of land in the Valpolicella Classica region. Four generations later, the company is now managed by his 9 great-grandchildren. The Tommasi family now produces wines from approximately 240 hectares found in prestigious locations in the province of Verona. They also own other wineries around Italy. Click here if you are interested in learning more about Tommasi .

What is Valpolicella Ripasso?

Ok, so I can get really technical and nerdy here but I am going to try to refrain from doing so and instead keep things as simple as possible.

Valpolicella is a wine that is made from specific grapes that are indigenous to Italy. There are several style of Valpolicella - five to be precise. In my humble view, some are fantastic and with others, it can be hit or miss.

In the case of Valpolicella Ripasso, this is generally a better quality style of Valpolicella. This wine is made by taking regular Valpolicella wine and letting it hang out for a while with the leftover skins and seeds from Amarone wine. Doing so greatly enriches the complexity and intensifies the flavour of the resulting wine. In fact, Valpolicella Ripasso is often referred to as “baby Amarone” because it is almost as flavourful and definitely less expensive. Valpolicella Ripasso can be an excellent option for elevated “quaffing” and because of its rich and fruity flavour, it is usually a crowd-pleaser!

Interested in more details? Click here to learn more about Valpolicella Ripasso.

My tasting notes:

A light and bright red in the glass, this wine has an exquisite nose (think cherry pie and black pepper!) and a really beautiful, rich and nuanced palate. It is fruity and jammy but not cloying in the least, with fantastic fruit forward notes of dark and ripe cherries, blackberries followed by rich notes of mocha and cloves. This wine has great structure and balance. It is really great with food!

Aging potential:

I would not really age this beyond a year or so, if at all. It’s drinking beautifully right now.

Recommendations to Wineitupanotch:

Enjoy this wine with grilled meat or cured sausage. I enjoyed it with a dish that had a lot of cumin and tangy flavour, and it worked beautifully with this as well.

Wineitupanotch Wine Score: 92 points

What a crowd pleaser! Just really lovely. You’ll have little to no challenge finishing this bottle. It’s an incredible value at less than $22 Canadian.

If you’re located in Ontario, and wish to purchase this wine, you can find it at the LCBO under Product #910430

FINAL VERDICT:

Get this wine, and enjoy it with a nice meal on a cold winter night. You will not be disappointed!

Cheers!

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