Recioto della Valpolicella Classico - Antolini

The Recioto della Valpolicella Classico DOCG by Antolini is born from the same winery, the same vineyards and the same grape varieties as the celebrated Amarone Moròpio — but it tells a different story, older and sweeter. It is the wine that recalls how everything began in the Valpolicella Classica: before someone, probably by accident or by choice, let the fermentation run to completion and transformed the sweetness of the Recioto into the dry power of the Amarone.

Antolini is one of the historic families of the Valpolicella Classica, rooted in Marano di Valpolicella for generations, producing the Recioto with the same artisan care and respect for tradition that defines the entire estate range. The Corvina, Corvinone and Rondinella grapes selected for the Recioto are the most ripe and concentrated from the vineyard, those that after appassimento in the traditional fruttaio — over 90 days on bamboo racks in the ventilated attics of the winery — reach an extraordinary concentration of sugars and aromas. Fermentation is arrested with great precision before the complete consumption of the sugars, preserving a harmonious natural sweetness, and the wine then ages in Slavonian oak barrels to develop further complexity.

The Classico designation — reserved for wines produced in the original historic Valpolicella zone — guarantees a territorial authenticity and depth of character superior to Recioto produced in the extended zone. On the nose it is opulent and seductive: black cherry and morello jam, blackberry and blueberry, bitter cacao, sweet tobacco, cloves, dried violet, cinnamon and a balsamic undercurrent of resin and mint. On the palate it is sumptuous — dense and velvety, with a deep natural sweetness that is never heavy, balanced by the fresh acidity typical of Classica Corvina and by soft silky tannins. The finish is exceptionally long, with notes of dark chocolate, preserved fruit and warm spice that linger and evolve for minutes. Served cool at 14°C in large glasses, it is perfect for moments that truly deserve something special.