2017 Valpolicella Superiore Ripasso, Viviani, Veneto, Italy, Valpolicella Ripasso DOC

Amarone is considered by many to be the elephant of the Italian wine world, crushing any dish under its power.

Claudio Viviani's approach differs from this image: he seeks nuance, elegance, balance and above all the wine's ability to match and complement a meal. Viviani is a man who likes to drink his own wine at the table and, like every Italian, he likes to eat!

In fact, Viviani's delicate wines show a truer expression of the historical identity of Amarone wines. Initially, Amarone came exclusively from the higher hills, where the cooler temperature (thanks to the altitude) helped to keep the acidity of the grapes. While his Valpolicella peers continued to harvest later each year, Claudio took into account nothing and no one but his grapes themselves when deciding when to harvest. This distinctive and confident methodology, combined with a wonderful terroir, leads to the production of wines that are lively and refreshing on the palate, even though they are highly concentrated.