Show me what 'cha got!

Well, show me what you’ve got?

No question has ever been a complete call to arms as this.  No hiding it, whip it out.  Whether you’re at the poker table, the negotiation table or under the table at a Royal Oak nightspot, you’ve been called. And with respect to all of the gents I know who judge each other by who has the bigger, ahem! Amarone, I thought this a perfect time to show them the difference between having it and using it.  So cover your ears darlin’ because as luck (and the inability to organize a wine cellar) would have it, I found a pair o’nicley aged wines from the region that beat all.

You might have heard the term “Ripasso” before or possibly had it slung at you like a 90 mile-an-hour breaking ball in your fave Italian spot or passed by scads of bottles flaunting it on the label at your preferred hooch purveyor.  Well it is now a much more common style that you can pretty much find on most Italian centric wine lists and in most retail shops.  This term is a reference to a process (as is Big Hairy Knuckled Brother, Amarone) in which a majority of the grapes picked (say about 70%-80%), same ones that are used to make Valpolicella, are vinified immediately. The remaining are kept aside and left to dry until the end of December when they are vinified and re-fermented with the wine from the fresh grapes. The result is higher alcohol content, rounder style, lower acidity and more extraction than a typical Valpolicella Classico and much less of a sticker price than its Big Brother, the sight of which can sometimes cause diners to stroke out.  Nothing wrong with being able to grow and show, and coming from the same family as Amarone, my bet is that these wines will not have only aged gracefully but be able to teach us a trick or three. 

Tale o’the Tape

Allegrini “Palazzo Della Torre”, Italy-Veneto, 2000

This is a taught one, melty anise, dried violets, grilled mushrooms, covered in tar and charred black olives with gorgonzola, just filthy.  Figured the color would subside a bit over the past 11 years but wrong on that account.  Smokey & Craig were right, Older the berry; Sweetah the juice! Wait, it’s the darker the berry and well this one’s darker than a sumbish too.  Tasting blueberries baked with brie, portabello on top o’some beef and concentrated sweet plum tannins in the rears. 

And here’s what they said: #65 on Wine Spectator Top 100 Wines of 2004! "Lots of black fruit, violet and mineral character. Full-bodied, with densely packed fruit on a rounded, expansive palate, with well-integrated tannins and a long, fruity, minerally finish. Delicious now, but should open up even more. A great value at this score."
-Wine Spectator 91 points
Still selling online for around $20 and apparently available.

Allegrini “Palazzo Della Torre”, Italy-Veneto, 2001

Well I have known a few sets of Sis…Siblings in my day (Cough, Cough) and let me just say if 2000 is the dirty yet sweet older sis…sibling, then this is the sexy, full bodied one.  The aromas are perfume like with a musky-sweet smell of roses wrapped up with spiced gumdrops and fresh black mission figs.  I say godddamn, viscous and so smoothly integrated.  The fruity floral flavors are doing the Dougie in my boca.  Dried peaches and apricots, wet stones (has anyone ever licked a wet stone, I have, I was in Spain and it was shockingly correct, of course a lot of things seem that way after a gallon of Albarino) vanilla and a crazy floral-anise taste on the back end I cannot describe without being inappropriately graphic.

And here’s what they said: One of Wine Spectator's Top 100 of 2005! "Densely packed on the nose, with currants, flowers, mineral and oak. Medium- to full-bodied, with spicy dried fruit flavors, firm tannins and a long, minerally finish."
- Wine Spectator 90 points

No availability on this vintage but the 2007 is current and has some nice press. 

So a few drinks for thought…the Venetians have been making wines in this style for some time (Back when Morris Day and the Time were topping the charts) but unfortunately,  just like all the other pretty girls at the dance, we just didn’t take the time to notice them.  It wasn’t until the early 21^st century (Since 2009 Ripasso has been recognized with its own DOC designation by the Italian’s) that John & Jane Q. Public (along with all you savvy buyer types) really started to discern among them.  Quite often you’ll hear these wines referred to as “Baby Amarones”.  Now frankly there’s nothing little, cute or cuddly about this here hooch and I don’t think you’ll be disappointed if you put a few of those hard fought sheckles of yours into  a bottle or three.  I am not saying these wines smack Amarone around but damn you can’t sweat the technique, not to mention (but I’m going to anyway) that the best Ripasso’s come from the best Amarone houses (LIGHTBULB!)  If you happen to be in the Great State and looking to sample some of these, might I recommend speaking to your preferred hooch purveyor for some suggestions and/or the well dressed wine ninja at your fave spot to dine?  Take some chances, make some bold decisions, Oh and don’t forget to ask the question.  You just might be impressed, or get lucky.

Please and Thanks:  To all of YOU! The fine folks that have taken the time to check out my wild prose.  You’re all aces in my book and I’ll never forget about that time, with the thing and the guy at the place.  And those that have not, well how in the hell would you know seeing as how you are NOT reading this, I digress.  This is all just a time consuming way for my lawyer to use the insanity plea for whatever ballyhoo and/or tomfoolery I might get into next.  Please drop me a line with anything you like, would like to see kibitzed about or just to criticize. 

 

Keep Hope Alive and make HEY while the sun is shinin’