Allegrini, `Giovanni Allegrini` Recioto Classico

Allegrini, `Giovanni Allegrini` Recioto Classico

Vintage: 2019

VintageProduct CodeFormatClosureAvailability
2019AL206F196 x 50Natural CorkAvailable
Producer

The Allegrini family estate comprises 120 hectares of vineyard in the heart of Valpolicella Classico. Although the family has grown grapes here for several centuries, Giovanni Allegrini was the first to start bottling wines from the family’s vineyards. When he died in 1983, he passed his passion and commitment to quality winemaking onto his three children, Walter, Marilisa and Franco. Together, they worked to build on Giovanni’s quality ethos until Walter’s death in 2003. Franco looked after the vineyards and winemaking, while Marilisa continued to manage sales and marketing. From the 2007 vintage, Franco sacrificed the Valpolicella Classico classification by bottling the Allegrini wines under Stelvin to eliminate cork taint and reduce oxidation problems. Franco sadly passed away in 2022. He was an inspiring figure who led the way in Valpolicella’s quest for quality, forging a path many others have followed. In 2023, Franco’s sons Francesco, Giovanni and Matteo, alongside their cousin Silvia Allegrini (Walter’s daughter), became custodians of their family’s historic estate.

Allegrini’s Valpolicella has a lovely intensity of red cherry fruit, lifted perfumes and a ripe yet zesty character on the palate. ‘La Grola’, sleek and beguiling, sets the standard by which all other wines from Valpolicella are judged. The ‘Palazzo della Torre’, a ‘baby Amarone’ produced by Allegrini’s modern approach to the ripasso method, is plush and rounded. Their Amarone is outstanding, offering an expression that is intense yet balanced. The ‘Giovanni Allegrini’ Recioto Classico, named after the winery's famous founder, is bursting with fruit and notes of cherry intertwined with pepper and thyme.

In 2018, Allegrini purchased 40 hectares of land in the municipality of Pozzolengo after years of scouting the Lugana area around Lake Garda. They created a Lugana defined by lively acidity, which balances the natural richness of the Turbiana grape. The resulting wine is stylish and elegant, defined by classic floral aromas and hints of almonds.

Vineyards

The southeast facing vineyards are located the Valpolicella Classico region between 180- 280 meters above sea level. The vines are planted on mostly clay and chalk soils and are trained in a mix of pergola Trentina for the older vines and Guyot for the youngers ones. The average age of the vines is 36 years.

Vintage

The vintage began with a mild winter. Temperatures fell below freezing on just a few nights in January. Between the end of March and the beginning of April, temperatures settled above 10°C and the vegetative cycle began. Lack of heavy rain around ths time meant that there was little disease pressure. However, temperatures dropped in May and cooler weather was accompanied by rain. These relatively low temperatures continued through the summer and have led to wines with exceptional finesse and elegance.

Vinification

Selected bunches were hand harvested and sorted before going through the appassimento process where they lost 45-50% of their original weight. They were then destemmed and gently pressed before being transferred to stainless steel tanks for fermentation. The fermentation took place at temperatures between 8-22°C and lasted for 25 days with daily pump overs. The wine was then aged in oak barrels for 14 months. The wine spent another year in bottle before release.

Tasting Notes & Technical Details

On the nose, this wine is bursting with fruit, the notes of cherry are intertwined with pepper and thyme. The vibrant fruit notes give way to a teeming sweetness which is perfectly balanced with finesse in the smooth tannin-rich texture. The wine is named after the founder, Giovanni Allegrini.

Alcohol (ABV)

14%

Acidity

5.8 g/l

Residual Sugar

97 g/l

pH

3.5