# Villa Annaberta Valpolicella Ripasso Superiore (2018)

- **Producer:** Villa Annaberta
- **Colour:** red
- **Type:** still
- **Grapes:** Corvina, Corvinone, Rondinella
- **Region:** Veneto, Italy
- **Style:** Classic
- **Alcohol:** 14.0%
- **Average price:** €13
- **Contains sulphites:** Yes
- **When to drink:** Now or Later
- **Serving temperature:** 16–18 °C
- **Aromas & flavours:** blackberry, cherry, plum, vanilla, smoke, cedar, dried fig, prune, tobacco

## About this wine

Villa Annaberta was founded by winemaker Diego Cottini, who named the estate after his wife, Annaberta, to honor the profound influence of family on his life and craft. The Cottini family has overseen grape-growing in the Veneto region for four generations, blending regional heritage with modern practices. This wine serves as an elegant bridge between fresh, vibrant Valpolicella and the decadent, highly structured Amarone, offering a rich profile without the heavy alcohol footprint of full Appassimento wines.

## Interesting facts

- Named after the founder's wife, Annaberta, celebrating the family's four-generation winemaking legacy in Veneto.
- The Ripasso method referments Valpolicella wine on warm Amarone skins, boosting body, complexity, and dried-fruit notes.
- The 2018 vintage won a Gold Medal at the Sélections Mondiales des Vins Canada and scored 90 points from critics.

## Food pairing

The wine's medium-plus body, bright acidity, and velvety tannins make it an exceptional match for rich, savory dishes. The acidity cuts through the fat of roasted meats and heavy pasta sauces, while the subtle residual sugar and dried-fruit notes complement the savory depth of aged cheeses and game.

## Wine making process

Crafted using the traditional Ripasso method. Hand-picked Corvina, Corvinone, and Rondinella grapes undergo an initial 15-day fermentation in stainless steel. In October, the young Valpolicella wine is poured onto the warm, unpressed grape skins (marc) of newly fermented Amarone for a second 15-day fermentation. This extracts color, body, and complexity. The wine is then aged for 24 months in a combination of oak tonneaux and wooden cylindroconical vats, followed by bottle refinement.