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2023 ll Sasso Valpolicella Classico

2023 ll Sasso Valpolicella Classico

Region: Valpolicella Valley < Veneto < Italy
Grape: Corvina, Corvinone, Rondinella
Vineyard/Cellar Stats: Certified organic farming with biodynamic practices; terraced yellow limestone soils rich with seashell fossils; during fermentation no sulphites are added; the grapes are used to start a pied de cuvee and the natural yeasts in the grapes do the rest. 20% of the grapes ferment whole cluster, the rest is destemmed. Co-fermentation happens in steel tanks under 25°C and proceeds to complete dry in about 7- 10 days and then quickly separation of the must and very soft pressing. Élevage in stainless steel tanks during the winter and then bottled in spring. No filtration and gravity natural decant; unfined/unfiltered with 34ppm SO2; 12% ABV
Winemaker: Stefano Bellamoli
  • Small family-run, certified-organic estate in the Valpolicella Valley
  • She glows a gorgeous translucent ruby color
  • Chillable red!
  • Cherries, plum and baking spice, everything soooo nice


More from Stefano on the making of this wine:
For years, I vinified the [Valpolicella] Classico bottling to better understand the tension obtained by the limestone terraces. No wood, no forced extract, and some use of the whole clusters, which is never seen in Valpolicella. WhatItasted in the tanks confused and scared me asmuchasitexcited me. The Valpolicella wines I had been tasting in the area didn’t have this translucent color, floral aromatics, and high-acid tension. Some old-time cellar masters and agronomists who were helping me said the wines tasted like something made a generation ago. That was strangely encouraging. He further details some of the process for his ‘Classico’: “It’s hand-harvested and collected in small crates to avoid any pre-crushing and fermentation. We pick the younger vineyards and then pick early those vines more exposed to the sun. We do not control the fermentation with sulphites or enhancers. We start with a pied de cuvee and the natural yeasts in our grapes do the rest. This is a coferment of all the varieties, with a little more Rondinella for freshness. This wine is our first fermentation of the year, with grapes that have moderate quantities of sugar, partial destemming and light crushing. Fermentation proceeds to complete dry and then we quickly separate the must. We then proceed to a quick soft pressing part of the freshness you’ll find here. The wine is then fined in steel tanks during the winter and then bottled in spring. No filtration, no blends, no chemicals, only minimum sulphites added.

 

$35.00
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