Valpolicella - Superiore - Valli di Mezzo - Zanoni

Zanoni's Valpolicella Superiore DOC Valli di Mezzo is the everyday wine of a winery that also produces one of the most interesting Amarones in the catalog - the 2016 vintage with Oseleta in the blend and 24 months in French barriques. Seeing Zanoni offer a €14 Valpolicella Superiore with the same artisanal care and respect for the terroir is confirmation of a consistent winemaking vision from entry level to the pinnacle.

"Valli di Mezzo" - the middle valleys, those that open between the hills of Valpolicella - is the name Zanoni chose for this wine of place, a tribute to the Veronese agricultural landscape of vineyards, olive groves, and farmland carefully cultivated across generations. The Superiore is made from 70% Corvina and 30% Rondinella - the classic Valpolicella blend without Corvinone, prioritizing Corvina's freshness and fragrance over Rondinella's lighter tannic structure.

The Superiore designation requires a minimum aging period of 12 months - met here with 6-8 months in used French oak barriques, which gives the wine roundness and softness without imparting new-wood notes, followed by 6 months of bottle aging before release. The choice of used barriques is intelligent and modern - all the structural benefits of wood without the aromatic interference of new oak, which would overwhelm the fruit in a light Valpolicella like this.

On the nose, it is fragrant and inviting: fresh cherry and sour cherry, raspberry, young blackberry, light spices, Veronese aromatic herbs, and a delicate hint of vanilla and leather from aging in used barriques. On the palate, it is soft and well balanced - rounded, already integrated tannins; lively acidity that is the hallmark of quality Corvina; harmonious glyceric sweetness; and a clean, medium-long finish with notes of red fruit and light spices. Serve at 16-17°C. An easy-drinking, satisfying Superiore, perfect for weekday meals when you are not looking for a wine for a special occasion.

At €14, it is one of the best value-for-money wines in the Valpolicella Superiore range in the entire catalog.