2015 Roccolo Grassi Amarone della Valpolicella

Vinous 96 – “The 2015 Amarone della Valpolicella is dark, rich and deeply alluring but with an energy that keeps you coming back to the glass. The bouquet draws you in with a mix of cherry and plum sauce, notes of sage, tobacco and hints of woodsmoke. It’s velvety-smooth, energized by vibrant acids with sweet red fruits and spices, yet it never crosses the line of becoming cloying or tiring. The balance here is remarkable, as the 2015 comes across as delicious and spry in spite of its girth and intensity. There’s a subtle coating of fine tannin and hints of bitter chocolate that linger throughout the finale, promising many years of development. The term that comes to mind is “Rock Star Wine.”

Brother-and-sister team Marco and Francesca Sartori are the second generation to run the Roccolo Grassi winery, located outside of the Classico zone in Mezzane di Sotto. They tend to a total of 15 hectares according to organic practices, yet they are not certified by choice. Two hectares are dedicated to the production of Soave in the Broia vineyard (which was not tasted for this report), and the remainder are in the higher-elevation Roccolo Grassi vineyard. It’s here that the family sources the fruit for their Amarone and Valpolicella, planted in volcanic and basalt soils, a stony mix of red and black clay. This location is known for its cooler mesoclimate, the result of cooling air currents coming down from the Lessini Mountains, but also for a lower amount of precipitation, which is balanced by the vineyard’s water-retaining soils. The Amarone hails from 45-year-old pergola-trained vines, while the younger vines, from 15 to 25 years old, go into the Valpolicella. The Sartori family works to maintain a progressive and more savory style, yet still showcasing the richness obtained through appassimento. Both reds undergo maturation in a combination of barriques, some new, and 25-hectoliter barrels. While the Amarone only sees a total of 26 months (low on average for the region but a good example of how they maintain such a fresh style), the Valpolicella benefits from a total of 24 months in wood, and it emerges as one of the top wines in its category. What’s even more interesting is that the family sees their Valpolicella as the wine that best represents them. Also of interest is a new Valpolicella in the works, sourced from fruit planted in limestone-rich soils at even higher elevations, around 300 meters. Marco and Francesca Sartori continue to be at the top of their game and, somehow, still under the radar.”