Venezia Superiore

More than the name of an event, a true manifesto of intentions for the Consorzio Tutela Vini Valpolicella.

Consortium and producers are not only investing in Valpolicella Doc Superiore as a type of wine, they are also bringing it to the cities and audiences that most appreciate and know it. Venice, unique and a city of beauty par excellence, represents the second largest Italian market for the wines of the Veronese denomination. Accomplicated by the many tourists who populate it all year round, the red wines of Valpolicella are actually highly appreciated even by the Venetians themselves, who do not hesitate to drink them and offer them with seafood dishes. 

As always, let us take a step back and understand, beyond the magical scenery of Venice and Valpolicella, what makes Superiore in name and in fact this wine. 

Superiore turns out to be an additional specification to Valpolicella Doc wine, be it Classico, Valpantena or without geographical mention. This specification refers to both chemical and physical parameters of the wine itself. To be Superiore, minimum dry extract (18->20 g/l) and minimum alcohol content (11.00 -> 12.00%vol.) must be higher than those of a Valpolicella Doc. In addition, Superiore, rests in the cellar for at least one year with effect from January 1 of the year following the harvest. To all intents and purposes, therefore, a different wine.

The style 

To speak of style for Valpolicella Superiore is a bit of a gamble. More appropriate would be to speak in the plural of styles. In fact, four macro categories have been identified. These exist partly because this wine is still being defined; and partly because, in reality, the scenarios of Valpolicella are so vast and the variables so many that forcing these wines into a single trend could prove reductive if not unsuitable for some producers. 

In fact, what makes Valpolicella great and makes it a wine-producing area with a vocation are: the conformation of the territory, made up of 11 valleys; the numerous exposures possible thanks to the valleys themselves; the thermal flywheel guaranteed by Lake Garda and the presence of the Adige River; the variety of different soils; the altitudes and the grape varieties. 

Separate chapter concerns technique, as we know that some producers choose to allocate specific vineyards to the production of this wine, others opt for blends; sometimes the grapes are fresh, other times they are dried for more or less days.

The withering

Can/will we really talk about appassimento when we talk about Valpolicella superiore? In my opinion, modest opinion be clear, the answer is no. We should rather find another name for it. This is because the (sometimes expected) brief resting of the grapes before being crushed is conceptually different from appassimento as a production technique for Amarone and Recioto. Recently nominated as a Unesco heritage site, this process is characterized by long times and slow rhythms and is suited to the production of wines that are the children of cold. Irreversible and sometimes magical technique (but relax, it's just chemistry...) conceptually it differs from the more elusive 10 or 30 days of resting grapes for Superiore. 

These are my observations, I reiterate, but I hope they can also give pause for thought on the importance of protecting the success of appassimento for Amarone and Recioto. Just as it used to take place in the past, that is, slowly with (and thanks to) the cold, also thanks to the study and use of cutting-edge technologies and technical environments in the name of sustainability.

Valpolicella Superiore: under the spotlight 

The numbers of the area speak for themselves. On average, Valpolicella exports more than 70%. Currently Superiore accounts for 7% of total production, hovering around 4.5 million bottles per year, slightly more. For the record, the whole appellation produces 70 million bottles divided, unequally, among 5 references. For Superior growth potential is there. But before pushing on the accelerator, it is also important to ask globally where and how it fits in and what style range it fits into. 

So here the Consortium embarked on a path in this direction by organizing strictly blind comparative tastings for producers with wines from around the world comparable in style, price and positioning. The result was that Valpolicella Superiore yes has competitors in the world but at the same time it has its own voice. As it goes on to delineate itself more in terms of style over time (with a trend toward an increasingly balanced and less concentrated taste, reserving this characteristic for Ripasso and Amarone) it can only increasingly establish its name in the world. 

These are the wines that convinced me most during the tasting. Click on the name to read the organoleptic sheet and score.

• Bertani, Valpolicella Classico Superiore Ognisanti di Novare 2021
• Rubinelli Vajol, Valpolicella Classico Superiore 2019
• Tenuta Villa Bellini, Valpolicella Classico Superiore Tirele 2021

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