Corte Giara Ripasso Valpolicella Superiore
Corte Giara Ripasso Valpolicella Superiore
Vintage: 2005
Region: Verona, Italy
Varietal: 60% Corvina Veronese / 35% Rondinella / 5% Molinara
Alcohol: 13.5%
Price: $13.95
Since I recently wrote about Making Sense of Italian Wine, I thought it would be relevant to review an Italian wine this week. This example from Corte Giara is a Valpolicella Superiore Ripasso, and is the last of three or so cases that I procured in late 2008. What makes this wine special? It is a Ripasso (sometimes noted as Ripassa) meaning that it was double fermented on the skins and lees of Recioto della Valpolicella. This secondary fermentation gives the wine a darker, richer flavor profile as compared to normal Valpolicella wines. It is also the reason that Ripasso wines are often referred to as ‘Baby Amarone’ since that secondary fermentation takes place on the same lees used to make Amarone. I also would be remiss not to mention the price I paid, which at under $15.00 per bottle was a deal. This is further evidenced by my purchase of 36 bottles.
On to the wine, out of the bottle it is clean and is brick like in color trailing to orange hues on its edges. On the nose, there is a touch of game, with blackberries and notes of fortified oak. At the temperature tested of 19 degrees Celsius, there were also some hints vegetation which adds some unique character. In the mouth, this wine is fresh with tart cherries up front with great balance and acidity. It has smooth tannins and a long finish to round out the experience. It isn’t overly complicated but that isn’t what this wine is about. It is an excellent foil for food yet is approachable on its own. I have enjoyed this wine with several different foods and found it to a great pair with tomato based sauces on pasta or pizza.
The 2005 Corte Giara Ripasso Valpolicella Superiore is a wine that I was glad to stock up on when I encountered it. I love it for its price, simplicity and its drinkability. It was shared with friends / family as gifts and enjoyed it at gatherings. I’m sad that I have depleted my supply but this means that I need to find a new house red wine. Let the hunt begin!
86 Points
- Corte Giara Ripasso Valpolicella Superiore
- by Adrian Bryksa
- Published on May 20th, 2009
- Photos:
- Verona, Italy
- Rating:
- 86 Points
More from Adrian Bryksa:
-
Travaglini Gattinara Riserva
Typically, this is a 90 + point rated wine from Wine Spectator. It is an excellent example of an outstanding medium bodied Nebbiolo from Northern Piedmont in Italy, delivering a slightly hard candy, floral bouquet with a orangish hue.
-
Château Latour – Martillac
If you cellar wine, one of the great pleasures is to pluck out a wine that you have been holding and enjoy it – preferably with friends.
-
Concert: Against Me!
Hailing from Gainesville, Florida they incorporate alt-country, folk and punk sensibilities into their approach. Forget a thoughtful address of the crowd, the only noise from the group was the familiar drum march intro and twangy Rickenbacker charge of the song ‘Pints of Guinness Make You Strong’.
-
Summer Party Naval Styles at Seven RestoLounge
Oysters, like wine are affected by terroir and these Miyagi’s flavor profiles ranged with one showing a cleaner, almost tropical profile and the other being more salty, marine driven. As I was devouring the seemingly endless plates put in front of us, I sipped on a glass of fine sauvignon blanc.
-
Kendall-Jackson Jackson Estates Grown Cabernet Sauvignon
Holidays can bring a time of depression, especially when faced with the ugly truth that work is awaiting along with any salivating creditors to which ones holiday good times were funded.
-
2007 Calgary Tattoo and Arts Festival
They can tell the world that you are an outlaw, or let people know that you were young and dumb once and have some souvenirs to show for it. These days, they can be a lifestyle indicator or be can added as a one of a kind piece of art.
Other recent features:
-
Sónar 2010 – Barcelona, Spain
The festival attracts a lot of outsiders, but the Mediterranean, Spanish and more specifically Catalan nature of the people makes the festival what it is. Catalan people are passionate and this passion is infectious. The atmosphere is electric in Barcelona as a city and heightened by music and intoxicants at Sónar.
-
Summer Party Naval Styles at Seven RestoLounge
Oysters, like wine are affected by terroir and these Miyagi’s flavor profiles ranged with one showing a cleaner, almost tropical profile and the other being more salty, marine driven. As I was devouring the seemingly endless plates put in front of us, I sipped on a glass of fine sauvignon blanc.
-
R4NT Radio March 2010
R4NT Radio March 2010 um wow it’s been far too long since the last edition edition, featuring: Hector Hernandez, The Infesticons, Blockhead, Gramatik, Emika, Thunderheist, Parov Stelar, Eddy Meets Yannah, Anti-Pop Consortium, The Slew, Lighterthief, Andreya Triana, Parasyte Woman, Mathon, Venetian Snares, and Funki Porcini.
-
O Restaurant & Lounge revisited
Calgary has a diverse set of urban communities, most of which have the ubiquitous strip mall watering hole. In the South West community of Marda Loop, a reinvention of this paradigm has been established.
-
Predictions 2010.. and beyond!
So 2010 eh? Almost but not quite (no year zero they say) another decade? It seems like just yesterday that the world was waiting for Y2K. R4NT started publishing in March 2001, so we’re not quite 10 years old yet, but in internet years we are already a senior citizen.
-
Invictus
No matter what, the reality of Nelson Mandela is something that deserves screen time. Should this film even remotely intrigue the masses to take interest in this figure, the world would likely benefit greatly from it.
