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PREMIUM

Valpolicella Ripasso and Ripasso-style reds: Panel tasting results

Ripasso wines have rapidly taken market share in the Veneto region. Our panel put 93 to the test and discovered that consumer appeal doesn't always translate to personality or balance...

Aldo Fiordelli, Andrew Jefford and Michael Garner tasted 93 wines with 14 highly recommended.

Entry criteria: Producers and UK agents were invited to submit wines from the 2014, 2015, 2016 or 2017 vintages, priced from £12 up, to include wines from Valpolicella Ripasso DOC (including  Classico, Valpantena and Superiore versions), and wines from the Rosso Veronese and Rosso del Veneto categories made with at least a proportion of semi-dried grapes, and which are based on the classic Valpolicella varieties.

The verdict

There were some wines in this line-up of 93 that earned high individual scores from our judges, suggesting that there is plenty of potential for Veneto’s ripasso and ripasso-style red wines.


Valpolicella Ripasso and Ripasso-style reds: Top scorers


See all wines from the panel tasting here


The judges

Aldo Fiordelli

A certified sommelier since 2003, Fiordelli is a widely published Italian journalist, wine writer and  author, and a DWWA judge. On the editorial board of L’Espresso restaurant and wine guide, he also writes for Civiltà del Bere, Italy’s oldest Italian wine magazine. He bacame a Chevalier de l’Ordre des Coteaux de Champagne in 2017.

Andrew Jefford

Jefford has been writing about wine since the 1980s, authoring numerous books and winning many awards. He is a contributing editor to Decanter magazine, and is one of three Co-Chairs overseeing judging at the Decanter World Wine Awards. He lives with his family near Montpellier in France.

Michael Garner

Garner has worked in the wine business for 40 years, mostly specialising in the wines of Italy. He is co-owner of Italian wine specialist Tria Wines, and is a DWWA Regional Chair for northern Italy. Garner is author of Amarone and the Fine Wines of Verona, and co-author of Barolo: Tar and Roses.

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