2021 Zenato Ripassa Valpolicella Superiore Veneto

Zenato Ripassa is where Valpolicella crosses over into Amarone territory — but without the three-digit price tag. The word *ripassa* means "re-passed," and that's the trick: after the primary fermentation, selected batches of Valpolicella are passed over the warm, freshly pressed lees of Amarone — the skins, seeds, and stems of those rare dried grapes. A second fermentation kicks off, pulling deeper color, more complex aromatics, and an extra degree of alcohol into the wine. It's Amarone's little brother with 80% of the depth and a third of the cost.

This 2021 is a blend of 85% Corvina, 10% Rondinella, and 5% Oseleta — classic Veneto structure with that late addition of Oseleta lending grip and spine. The wine spends seven to eight days on those spent Amarone skins, then six months in tank before eighteen months in French allier tonneaux and a final six months in bottle before release. That's two full years of aging before it ever sees a shelf — the kind of production timeline that explains the wine's weight and integration.

In the glass, you get inky ruby-red fruit — blackberry, black currant, boysenberry — laced with violet, vanilla, spice, and a hint of leather.

The palate is smooth, viscous, almost chewy, with the acidity and tannin to keep everything in line. It's heavily extracted but not heavy-handed — a soft, supple example of a style that can sometimes run into syrup.