Speri is a family estate in the hills above Verona, and this is the entry point to everything they do. Valpolicella Classico comes from the original zone, the western part of the appellation, where the vineyards climb the ridges between the Adige river and the Lessini mountains. The 2021 vintage was a warm, even year in Veneto, and the wine has the freshness that Classico is supposed to have.
- Corvina, Rondinella and Molinara, the classic Valpolicella blend.
- Valpolicella Classico, Veneto, northern Italy.
- 2021, a warm and generous vintage in the region.
- 12.5% alcohol, dry, medium body, high acidity.
How it is made
Valpolicella Classico is the base wine of the appellation, made without the appassimento method that gives Amarone and Ripasso their weight. The grapes are pressed fresh after harvest and fermented dry, which keeps the wine light on its feet and high in acid. Corvina brings the sour cherry and the bitterness; Rondinella adds colour and a herbal edge; Molinara, planted less and less, fills out the middle.
How it tastes
Bright red cherry and sour cherry lead, with dried herbs and a damp-earth note underneath. Tannins are soft and fine, the acidity is high and keeps the fruit lifted, and the finish carries that faint bitter almond that Corvina is known for. It is a red that drinks cool and light rather than heavy.
Good to know
The Valpolicella Classico zone is smaller and older than the wider Valpolicella DOC, and it sits on the same hills that produce Amarone. The same grapes go into both wines; the difference is what happens after picking. Classico is the fresh, unforced version, and the bitter almond note on the finish is the grape telling you where it is from.
Contains alcohol.
