Ca' Rugate Campo Bastiglia Valpolicella Ripasso Superiore 2022

Once Soave was the main wine Ca' Rugate produced, but in recent decades these may well have been eclipsed by their superb Valpolicellas. Ripasso is a technique specific to the Valpolicella region and it used to concentrate flavour by re-fermenting young wine on the unpressed skins of Amarone. The result here is a fuller wine with smooth and concentrated flavours of ripe cherry, mocha, mint, cloves and vanilla. It has a really elegant, silky texture and a long velvety finish.

Warm, structured and full of flavour, it's good to pair with pasta dishes with meat sauces, roasted red meat or medium aged cheeses.

Ca' Rugate is a family business that has been handed down through generations of the Tessari family since the early 1900s. In their early days grapes were just one among many fruit crops that they grew. And it wasn't until after WWII that Beo Tessari, son of the founder, bought vineyards at Monte Fiorente and built their first winery to concentrate their efforts on wine production. In 1986 the estate was named Ca' Rugate after the volcanic hills where the vineyards are located. Things are now run by Michele Tessari and considerable expansion has taken place with investment in a new technologically advanced cellar. And adding to their existing vineyards in the Soave Classico zone they've expanded into Valpolicella with new vineyards in the hilly zone of the village. Their range now encompasses wines of all these well-known regions. The prestigious Gambero Rosso organisation have rated them highly which is a testament to the quality of their output.