Valpolicella Classico Ripasso DOC Antolini 2016

The Valpolicella Ripasso from Antolini is organic, almost light in texture, although with the second and third glass, you realise that this wine is still a baby and the potential for dark deep, voluptuous fruit and warmth is there and will be realised in years to come. In youth, the wine is just delightfully fresh and fruity and lovely to drink with almost anything. No new oak covers the purity of the Corvina grapes, no over extraction here, just natural freshness, lovely wine.

Pier Paolo Antolini (call him Pierpy!) and his brother Stefano took over their family vineyard in the early 90s on the hills Marano, San Pietro in Cariano and Negrar in Valpolicella. The 'Marogne', terraced vineyards cover some 7 hectares and are interspersed with olive and cherry trees. You find these scents immediately in the wines when you uncork a bottle! Their wines are in some ways modern being very bright and full of delicious fruity corvina aromas. However, natural farming and wild yeasts give these wines a genuine sense of identity. Although they aim for body and fullness of flavour. The brothers use very little new oak and the wines are very fresh. Both Amarones have stunning concentration and are awe inspiringly good. The Recioto is liquid gold and Antolini's Ripasso wipes the floor with many a more expensive example.