Many wine lovers know Valpolicella as the Italian wine region where wines like Amarone and Ripasso are produced. However, few people know that Valpolicella is not just "one" wine region but actually "13" different valleys. These valleys are distinct in terms of soils, expositions, and microclimates, which contribute to the unique characteristics of the wines produced in each area. While the grape varieties cultivated may be the same in some cases, the wines are not equal, although they share the same Denomination of Origin.
Unfortunately, the usual storytelling of this area has always been too simple and simplistic, causing most Amarone and Ripasso lovers to miss out on the beauty of the different nuances that each valley can offer to its wines. For example, wines from Marano valley are unlike those from Negrar valley or Fumane valley, although all of them are part of the historic "Classic Valpolicella." Without understanding the differences among the valleys, it can be difficult to distinguish the various wines of Valpolicella DOC.
If you want to deepen your knowledge of this region and its wines and enjoying more its wines, an excellent place to start would be the Marano valley. It is the most minor valley in the Classic Valpolicella and is known for its unique imprint on the grapes that grow there. The valley is also relaxing and charming, with its green landscape dotted with blooming cherry trees in springtime. When you taste wines from this valley, you can feel its flavors and recreate its landscape in your mind.
It's like a voice that you can recognize everywhere once you have heard it.
It’s what I experienced recently in a wine tasting hosted by Terre di Leone* at Hotel Due Torri in downtown Verona.
I have known this winery since the beginning. I have seen the owners, Federico Pellizzari and his wife Chiara Turati, grow up and become “adults” as wine producers. Despite the initial difficulties (their professional background was not in viticulture), they have never missed their primary goal of accomplishing the legacy of Leone, Federico’s grandfather: letting the Marano valley speak through their wines. This is an ambitious, challenging, and demanding goal because, more often than not, Nature does not comply with your desires. Marano’s voice is not easy to hear, as it is more subtle and delicate than the voices of other Valpolicella valleys.
That means the wines from here cannot be too alcoholic, potent, structured, or bomb fruity. The precious hills, winds, and altitude make them more elegant, thin, spicy, sometimes floral, and always balsamic. And so are the following ones:
Valpolicella Superiore DOC 2017: Five years of aging in the bottle give this wine a nice complexity. On the nose, slightly ripe red and violet fruit flavors are nuanced with fresh menthol notes. The sip is silky, long, clean, and well-balanced in the mouth.
Valpolicella Ripasso 2018. Surprising notes of cinchona, resin, and scents reminiscent of a pine forest emerge from the glass. In the mouth, a dark California plum with some chalky hints gives this wine an extra flick. Very drinkable.
Dedicatum Rosso Veronese IGT 2018. This wine is like a souvenir of Valpolicella because, apart from the usual blend of grapes (Corvina, Corvinone, Rondinella, Oseleta), this wine has 14 other native red grapes of the area. The nose is rich and complex, with dark flowers and menthol nuance scents. Despite its almost 16° ABV, this wine is pretty slim, not heavy and fat, well-balanced, fresh, with flavors of dark ripe cherry and under-alcohol plum, elegant, and persistent. Due to its complex winemaking process, it is produced only in the best vintages.
Amarone della Valpolicella DOCG 2012 and 2013: Two vintages compared. At the nose, they seem pretty similar, a bit dusty and closed, but it’s just a matter of minutes, and from 2012 emerge black fruits in alcohol, dark violets, and resinous notes. The 2013 has a sweeter nose of cherries in brandy, sweet spices, and china. As the latter is not for sale yet, I recommend contacting the winery and booking some bottles. If you prefer elegance and personality over power and triviality, this wine is for you.
*Terre di Leone was established in 1996. Its vineyards stretch on the Marano hills for 7 hectares. The soil is mainly volcanic, and the altitude can reach 430 m above sea level. First harvest for Amarone: 2005; first bottle of Amarone for sale: 2009. The annual production is 50,000 bottles, split into 2 lines: Classic Valpolicella wines, and “Re Pazzo” line, younger, fresher wines suitable for a younger consumer audience.