Allegrini
The Allegrini family estate covers 100 hectares of vineyard in the heart of the Valpolicella Classico area...
The family has been growing grapes here for several generations, founded by Giovanni Allegrini. When he died in 1983, it passed to his three children, who ran it together until Walter’s death in July 2003. Franco now looks after the vineyards and is the winemaker and Marilisa is director of marketing. From the 2007 vintage, Franco sacrificed the Classico status of the Valpolicella and bottled the wine under Stelvin to eliminate as much as possible the problems of cork taint and random oxidation.
Vineyards
Palazzo della Torre covers 26 hectares of east-facing vineyard planted between 1962 and 2013, situated 240 metres above sea level. Allegrini purchased this vineyard in 1978. Soils are cretaceous and calcareous, with Pergola trentina trained vines planted at 3,000 vines per hectare.
Vintage information
Heavy rainfall replenished the water reserves and bud-burst follwed in early April. Flowering started in late May and bud-set in the first week of June. July was very humid and hot. Veraison occurred as normal, starting on 20th July, although delays of 10-15 days were recorded depending on the altitude of the vines. The second half of August enjoyed hot, sunny days and cold nights, which ensured the effective ripening of the grapes. September saw alternate days of sunshine and heavy rain. The weather during the harvest had a considerable impact on the grapes, resulting in ripening by virtue of the sunlight rather than by warmth. The wines produced in vintage 2010 will stand out for their finesse and elegance rather than for their power.
Vinification
Franco Allegrini used the modern version of the traditional `ripasso` technique for Palazzo della Torre, drying a proportion of the grapes in the ‘Terre di Fumane’ drying centre, to intensify the character of this vineyard. The grapes to be dried were hand picked at the beginning of September, whereas those to be vinified immediately were picked at the end of the month. 70% of the grapes picked were vinified immediately and 30% were left to dry until the second half of December when they were vinified and then refermented with the wine from the fresh grapes. The wine spent 15 months in second-use barriques, was blended together for 2 months, and then aged for a further 7 months in bottle.
Tasting Notes
Ruby red in colour, this wine has enticing aromas of cherry with dark chocolate notes. In texture, it is velvety, well-balanced and offers ripe, juicy dark fruit, with silky tannins and refreshing acidity. This wine has the potential to age for at least 10 years.
Vintage information
| Vintage | 2010 |
| Grape varieties |
70% Corvina/Corvinone 25% Rondinella 5% Sangiovese |
| Region | Valpolicella Classico, Veneto |
| Winemaker | Franco Allegrini |
| Alcohol (ABV) | 13.8% |
| Acidity | 5.7g/l |
| Residual Sugar | 5.75g/l |
| Wine pH | 3.42 |
Trade customers
Liberty Wines customers can order this wine directly from us.