Recioto della Valpolicella Classico - Antolini

Antolini's Recioto della Valpolicella Classico DOCG comes from the same winery, the same vineyards, and the same grape varieties as the celebrated Amarone Moròpio - but it tells a different story, one that is older and sweeter. It is the wine that recalls how everything began in Valpolicella Classica: before someone, probably through carelessness or by choice, allowed fermentation to run its full course, transforming the sweetness of Recioto into the dry power of Amarone.

Antolini is one of the historic families of Valpolicella Classica, rooted in Marano di Valpolicella for generations, producing Recioto with the same artisanal care and respect for tradition that distinguish the entire winery range. The Corvina, Corvinone, and Rondinella grapes selected for the Recioto are the ripest and most concentrated from the vineyard, those that, after drying in the traditional fruttaio - for over 90 days on bamboo racks in the winery's ventilated attics - reach an extraordinary concentration of sugars and aromas. Fermentation is stopped with great precision before all the sugars are consumed, preserving a harmonious natural sweetness, and the wine then matures in Slavonian oak casks to develop further complexity.

The Classica version - a designation reserved for wines produced in the original historic area of Valpolicella - guarantees greater territorial authenticity and depth of character than Recioto produced in the extended area. On the nose, it is opulent and seductive: black cherry and sour cherry preserve, blackberry and blueberry, bitter cocoa, sweet tobacco, cloves, dried violet, cinnamon, and a balsamic undertone of resin and mint. On the palate, it is sumptuous - dense and velvety, with deep but never heavy natural sweetness, balanced by the lively acidity typical of Classica Corvina and soft, silky tannins. The finish is extraordinarily long, with notes of dark chocolate, spirit-soaked fruit, and sweet spices that linger and evolve for minutes. Served chilled at 14°C in large glasses, it is perfect for moments that deserve something truly special.