TEDESCHI | Capitel | San Rocco | Valpolicella Ripasso Superiore | 2018
corvina | corvinone | rondinella | rossignola | oseleta | negrara | dindarella

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Tedeschi have become synonymous with the terroir of Valpolicella as a result of their meticulous labor in the vineyard. Nothing is ever left to chance. The profound attention to the vineyard includes continuous research to uncover a perfect interaction between the characteristics of the soil, micro-climate, sun exposure and selection of the most appropriate varieties for each vineyard, as they firmly believe that a great wine can only emerge from perfect grapes. Tedeschi is famous for their Valpolicella, Amarone, and Recioto blends, which always include a small percentage of lesser-known indigenous grape varieties that are traditionally used in Valpolicella, including Oseleta, Dindarella, Negrara, Rossignola, and Forselina.

Born in the family of dedicated Amarone producers (the family have been making wines in Valpolicella since 1630), Riccardo and Lorenzo Tedeschi know everything about the winemaking of those famous appassimento wines of Verona. Their vision, however, lies in other directions, as they engaged to create a great red wine, capable to compete with top Bordeaux and Super Tuscan wine blends, but a wine which is made from native grape varieties, without using dried grapes. They started by looking for the right fruit supply, experimenting with different grape varieties and studying ways of handling the potentially coarse and bitter tannins of corvina. The aim was to make a wine inspired by the New World, but authentic and genuine, with an expression of the Valpolicella terroir and by using non-traditional and indigenous grape varieties.

Today we are going to review a genuine Valpolicella wine blend from the Veneto region in Northern Italy – Capitel San Rocco Valpolicella Ripasso Superiore 2018 by Tedeschi. This is a classic supervenetian blend of no fewer than 7 grape varieties: 30% corvina, 30% corvinone, 30% rondinella and 10% of other italian indigenous red grape varieties, including rossignola, oseleta, negrara and dindarella. Capitel (a monument dedicated to San Rocco) is an ancient symbol that vintners have taken from popular beliefs and which has become the symbol of all Tedeschi wines. This enchanting Valpolicella Ripasso Superiore wine has been made with the grapes sourced from the Marne Biance vineyard of the Maternigo estate, planted on clay and limestone soil, using the ripasso method (re-fermented on Amarone and Recioto skins) and aged for 6 months in slavonian oak casks in order to preserve the varietal characteristics of the grape varieties and highlight the local terroir notes, followed by another 6 months of ageing in the bottle. That said and without further ado, let’s take a look at the wine tasting results.
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Take a look at the tasting notes below and our detailed assessment of the wine:

//Visual
colour: medium-deep garnet color
clarity: hazy copper shades on the rim

//Olfactory
intensity: rich & savory
fruit profile: red fruits
__red fruits: cranberry | red currant | wolfberry | red plum | pomegranate skin
fruit character: ripe

//Flavor
non fruit: spicy | oaky | savory | earthy | other
__spice: red pepper | cloves | 
__oak: sun-dried oakwood
__savory: leather | iron | veal | capocollo | prosciutto | brown olive
__earthy: clay | loam | limestone
__other: wormwood | pine nuts | eucalyptus | pine tree resin
primary layer: savory

//Palate
sweetness: dry
acidity: high
alcohol: high
tannin: high
__grip: ripe
balance: good
__dominant: acidity
body: supple | medium+ body

//Taste
fruit profile: red fruits
fruit character: ripe
non fruit: savory
finish: medium+
aftertaste: crisp

//Scoring
TEDESCHI | Capitel | San Rocco | Valpolicella Ripasso Superiore | 2018
variety: corvina | corvinone | rondinella | rossignola | oseleta | negrara | dindarella
country: Italy
region: Veneto
rating: 93.7

//Conclusion
maturity: developing | age for 3 or 4 more years
verdict: great | a must try wine

//Prediction
predicted RP rating: 90+

//RP Rating
actual RP rating: 90

//All Ratings
The critics’ rating: 92

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This is definitely a great wine of Italy and, with a total of 93.7 points scored, this wine is right there, among the best wines we’ve rated so far. Check our complete database on the wine rating page, where you can find all the wines that we have tasted and reviewed or go to the about us page and find out more about our exquisite rating system.

Verdict: this is a very fine and delicate wine indeed: crisp, savory and seedy, with a supple but grippy mouthfeel – a wine that is still developing, thus one that requires 3 or 4 more years of bottle ageing. On the palate the wine displays exuberant acidity, ripe and grippy tannins and well integrated alcoholic warmth that is showing through on the mouthfeel. On the nose the wine delivers a nuanced savory accent, mixed with vibrant red fruits in the foreground, supported by a delicate, earthy-herbaceous background and a very subtle, spicy-rustic layer in between the two. All in all, this is a quite ample and voluptuous wine that feels well balanced, complex and structured, with a very nuanced, savory-herbaceous accent and a mesmerizing, terroir-driven, rustic delicacy. This is an enchanting Valpolicella Ripasso Superiore wine that has both, its own distinctive personality and the footprint of the Valpolicella terroir. Judging by the wine’s structure and flavour profile, our recommendation is to pair it with naturally-flavoured meats, like for example Tournedos Rossini or peppercorn-crusted filet mignon with wild mushrooms and cognac cream. Enjoy!

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© The WineStatistics ratings are based solely on our own knowledge of the world of wine and on our personal wine tastes, which may, or may not, differ from yours – the reader. Just remember that there are no absolutes of right and wrong in wine appreciation.