ABV: 16%
Bottle Size: 75cl
Region/Country: Valpolicella Classico, Veneto, Italy
Grape: Zinfandel 97% , Carignan 3%
Features: Vegetarian, Vegan
Closure: Natural Cork
Winemaker: Paolo Mascanzoni and Lorenzo Fortini
Allergen info: Contains Sulphites

Producer

The Allegrini family estate covers 120 hectares of vineyard in the heart of Valpolicella Classico. Although they have been growing grapes here for centuries, Giovanni Allegrini was the first to bottle the wines. After his death in 1983, Giovanni’s passion for and commitment to quality wine was passed onto his children – Walter, Marilisa, and Franco. They worked together to build on his legacy until Walter’s death in 2003. Franco looked after the vineyards and the winemaking, while Marilisa has always overseen sales and marketing. Franco sadly passed away in 2022 but was a pioneer in Valpolicella’s quest for quality. From the 2007 vintage, he sacrificed the Classico status of the Valpolicella and bottled the wine under Stelvin to eliminate cork taint and random oxidation problems as much as possible, forging a path that many others have followed since.

Vineyards

The Allegrini family’s south-east facing vineyards are located in the Valpolicella Classico hills at 450-520 metres above sea level. The varied soils are mostly chalk and clay of volcanic origin, which are well-draining. The vines are Guyot-trained and 37 years old on average, planted with about 5,000 vines per hectare.

Vintage

2020 was a challenging year, with the pandemic and adverse weather conditions in the region. Fortunately the Allegrini vineyards were spared from the violent weather that hit areas near to them in the province of Verona. There was some rain in summer that slowed the ripening process, however good weather in September favoured maturation. The harvest was extended, which made it possible to choose the best time to pick in every single plot, for every single variety. The 2020 fruit was of excellent quality.

Vinification

The grapes were hand harvested, and dried over three to four months using the traditional Appassimento process, during which they lost 40-45% of their original weight. The dried grapes were destemmed, crushed and fermented in stainless-steel tanks. Maceration lasted around 25 days, with daily pumping over. The wine was racked into new oak 225 litre barriques and then aged further in bottle.

Tasting notes

A classic expression of the appellation, with intense aromas of ripe, dark fruit and spice. The wine shows powerful structure and depth, superb balance with refined tannins and a long finish.