2017 Valpolicella Classico Superiore Ripasso

Tommasi winery oversees 242 hectares of vineyards, of which 115 fall within Valpolicella Classica, and yet for all of its size, the level of quality remains remarkably high. What’s more, the winemaking team, led by fourth-generation Giancarlo Tommasi, places the highest level of importance upon terroir, which they do an excellent job of communicating throughout the portfolio. In my opinion, the house Amarone remains a benchmark of traditionally styled wine from the region. However, you can still look to the Ca' Florian Riserva, which spends about a year of its refinement in barriques, if the extra hint of wood spice and tannin is your thing. Staying on the topic of Amarone, tasting the new De Buris Riserva really piqued my interest. Another attempt at a fresher style for the category, this new bottling from Tommasi comes from one of their highest-elevation parcels in the La Groletta vineyard in Sant'Ambrogio, which was planted in the 1970s and, as of 2020, has undergone full conversion to become certified organic. Another credit to the house is the importance they place on the Valpolicella Classico Superiore Rafael, produced from the first vineyard planted by Giacomo Tommasi, the winery’s founder. The Rafael vineyard remains trained with the original Pergola Veronese trellising system, which runs along its stone terraces, and while its soils of limestone and clay don’t yield especially long-lived wines, they do pack a lot of dark, savory character into the house Valpolicella. Also of note is the brand’s continuing interest in the developing Lugana DOC and their 45 hectares there, which, according to CEO and export director Pierangelo Tommasi will soon expand beyond the regular bottling to include a Riserva and a Rosé. With all of this growth and development (let’s not forget that the family also has interests in Montalcino and the Maremma), one might worry that quality and consistency could suffer. However, from what I’ve seen, the future of Tommasi is in very capable hands.