…’Ripasso’ Superiore

The Cecilia Beretta estate and range of wines was started in the 1980’s. Named after Cecilia Beretta who was the eldest daughter of the 17th century agronomist and poet Count Giuseppe Beretta. Who built the beautiful Villa in Mizzole in the heart of the estate, now surrounded by vineyards - just to the east of the village of Valpolicella. The Pasqua family have owned the vineyards since the 1940’s, but with a demand for quality and a concentration on modern oenological technologies in the 1980’s and with competition from ‘New World’ wine markets. Traditional winemaking countries like Italy were forced to up their game, thus the quality-focused Cecilia Beretta range was born.
Today it is family member Cecilia Pasqua (appropriately named) who is the business development manager and global ambassador for the Cecilia Beretta Estate. Recently the Pasqua family decided to give new momentum to the production of Cecilia Beretta fine wines. So the winery team was joined by the extraordinary knowledgeable Graziana Grassini, a Tuscan oenologist with 30+ years of experience and one of the first women to undertake this profession in Italy.
When the time was right across the four different grape varietals, the best bunches were selected and harvested. After destemming and gentle crushing, maceration followed on skins for around 2 weeks, with regular pumping over of the juice and fermentation at 24°- 25°C. After resting in stainless steel tanks until February, the wine was then placed onto the pressed, dried grapes skins *(hence the meaning of to re-pass - ‘ripasso’) that were used for an Amarone wine. This form of second fermentation enhances the structure and aroma of the wine. After racking, the wine was transferred to oak barriques of various sizes for around 12 months. It was then tasted, blended and then aged in the bottle for another 6 months before labelling and release.

★ In the glass you are greeted by a deep garnet colour. On the nose you are hypnotised by confident aromas of ripe dark cherries, blueberries and currants, along with a hint of mocha coffee and vanilla spice. The medium palate is inviting and moreishly appealing, with those ripe berry fruits imparted with a cacao nuance, all nicely supported by infused tannins and deft vanilla oak resulting in a fine rustic texture. Currently at the height of it charismatic powers, its fruit forward nature is in perfect balance, ready for any occasion, and a smooth off-dry finish.

This 2020 Cecilia Beretta Valpolicella ‘Ripasso’ Superiore DOC has 13.5% Alc./vol. An off-dry style with 9g/L residual sugar. No decanting required and serve in a medium generous wine glass at 16°- 18°C. *NZ$36.99

CELLARING POTENTIAL: *(Article Posted 5/4/23)
Drinking perfectly well this season; plus will age nicely for another 2 - 3 years.

FOOD PAIRING SUGGESTIONS:
Perfect wine pairing with pork or lamb kebabs, varied thin-based salami pizza, mushroom & truffle pasta, radicchio risotto, along with an earthy vegetarian ragu and aged, hard cheeses - enjoy.