Vintage: 2020

VintageProduct CodeFormatClosureAvailability
2020AZ117B206 x 75Natural CorkContact Us
Vegetarian
Vegan
Producer

Alpha Zeta was conceived in 1999 when Liberty Wines set out to produce a range of modern, fruit-driven wines from the hills outside Verona. Working with leading New Zealand winemaker Matt Thomson of Blank Canvas, Alpha Zeta works directly with growers rather than buying bulk wine, the standard for most wines from Verona at this price. In doing so, ripe grapes are obtained by reducing yields and picking later, utilising Matt’s expertise to preserve these flavours in the finished wines. As a result, Alpha Zeta continues to offer great value, quality, balance and typicity.

The unoaked Soave is dry, scented and delicious, while the Chardonnay is melony and impressive, offering outstanding value. The Pinot Grigio, made solely from grapes grown on hillside vineyards in the Alpone Valley, is balanced and quaffable with a lovely pear and bread crust character on the nose and palate. The ‘Terrapieno’ Pinot Grigio is a testament to the close collaboration between Matt and his grower. Having discovered the quality of the fruit from this vineyard, Matt decided to bottle it separately, creating a wine with great intensity and a silky texture. The reds are equally impressive. The Valpolicella has bright, black cherry fruit and velvety tannins, while the Ripasso is silky and scented. The Amarone is one of the best-value Amarones on the market.

Vineyards

The vineyards are situated at 100-400 metres above sea level in the hills outside Verona in the Valpantena Valley and are south/south-east facing. Cool breezes blow down the valley from the foothills of the Dolomites, which moderate the climate, enabling the grapes to ripen slowly and helping them to retain their aromatic compounds and acidity. The soil is poor and chalky so the vines are put under stress and produce superior quality fruit. The vines are 20-30 years old on average and trained using both the traditional Pergola Veronese and Guyot systems.

Vintage

Vintage 2020 started with a cool and wet spring, which allowed a good flowering. Summer was not too warm. There were two cases of hail at the beginning of harvest but luckily, most of the vines were unaffected. At harvest grapes were at a perfect level of ripening, with a great colour. The production was on average in terms of quantity.

Vinification

This wine was made using a modern variation of the traditional Veronese practice known as "ripasso". Traditionally, the young wine was re-fermented on the skins of the Amarone grapes once they had finished fermenting in March. The modern approach is to ferment the young wine together with dried grapes in the January following the vintage, giving the wine more body and depth. Following fermentation, this Ripasso was aged for 12 months in oak prior to bottling. This blend of modern and traditional winemaking produces a wine with a combination of freshness, structure and depth that is rare among Ripasso wines.

Tasting Notes & Technical Details

Ruby red in colour, this Ripasso opens with a concentrated nose full of aromas of red fruits and dried cherries. Full-bodied on the palate, it shows lovely balance between an opulent cherry-pie character and supple structure. The finish is long with a mouthwatering bitter-cherry twist.

Alcohol (ABV)

13.5%

Acidity

5.65 g/l

Residual Sugar

7 g/l

pH

3.5

Other wines from this producer

Producer
Wine
Product Code
Features
Style
Alpha Zeta`V` ValpolicellaAZ102
Vegetarian
Vegan
R
Red
Factsheet
`C` ChardonnayAZ103
Vegetarian
Vegan
W
White
Factsheet
`C` CorvinaAZ105
R
Red
`G` GarganegaAZ106
Vegetarian
Vegan
W
White
`P` Pinot GrigioAZ107
W
White
`R` RosatoAZ108
Ro
Rosé
`A` Amarone della ValpolicellaAZ110
Vegetarian
Vegan
R
Red
Factsheet
`S` SoaveAZ111
W
White
`Terrapieno` Pinot GrigioAZ142
W
White