Bertani is a name often associated with Valpolicella and its most renowned wine, Amarone. A winery with a deep heritage, respect for the terroir of its estates and dedication to its tradition and wine-making craft – Bertani wines are definitely one you’d want to look out for.

One of Italy's Greats - The Valpolicella Region

The Valpolicella area in Verona is probably the most renowned wine region in Italy, with a wine making heritage that can be traced back to the time of the Ancient Greeks. Valpolicella is home to one of Italy’s most sought-after DOCG wines – the Amarone della Valpolicella. What makes Amarone a unique wine is its production process, known as Appassimento. Under the appassimento method, grapes are dried for months until they become raisins, which are then used to produce the wine. Using raisins to make wine results in a wine with deeper and more robust flavours, with a higher alcohol content.

The Essence of Valpolicella in Bertani

The history of Bertani starts from the 1850s with Gaetano Bertani, who travelled to Burgundy to learn winemaking from his friend, the legendary winemaker Jules Guyot. Equipped with then-modern viticulture and viniculture techniques, the first winery was established in Valpantena in 1857. At the turn of the late 19^th century in 1880, Bertani began exporting its wines globally. There’s no doubt that Bertani takes pride in its deep history and heritage in producing wines fit for a king. The producer was awarded the Royal Warrant by the Kingdom of Italy in 1923, a mark of recognition to producers that regularly supply goods to the Royal Household. Bertani’s wine – the Soave Bertani – was even served during the coronation of King George VI in 1937.

Located in the Verona Province of the Venetian region, Bertani’s territory spans across various regions in Italy from Valpolicella Classico, Valpolicella Valpantena, Soave and Luguna. To date, Bertani offers four styles of wine – its iconic Amarone della Valpolicella Classico, its traditional Secco Bertani, its white wine style Soave Bertani, and its single vineyard wines I Cru di Bertani. 

Bertani’s classic Amarones and Ripassos are produced from the Valpolicella Classica region at the Tenuta Novare Estate. The expansive Tenuta Novare estate extends over 200 hectares, and its heterogeneous quality exposes the grape vines to various types of soils, ranging from chalky-limestone soils, clays from the valley floor to basalts rich in iron that come from volcanic origins. This gives the estate a great deal of range of expressions. 

Don't Forget the Ripasso!

While its hallmark Amarone often gets its fair share of the limelight, it would be a shame to forget ignore its other Ripasso style – a fantastic gateway into the world of Amarone.

Ripasso della Valpolicella is a red wine produced through putting a Valpolicella Classico wine through a second fermentation, with the addition of remaining Amarone Classico skins. The more affordable and wallet-friendly Valpolicella cousin of Amarone, Ripasso is often considered a “baby Amarone”, produced from the same corvina veronese and rondinella grape varietals from the Valpolicella region. If you’re looking for a high-quality introduction to the iconic style of Amarone della Valpolicella without breaking the bank, a good Ripasso della Valpolicella is a great place to start.

With that said, let’s get into it!

Wine Review: Bertani Catullo 2018, Valpolicella Ripasso Classico Superiore

Today we’re having ago at Bertani’s baby Amarone – the Bertani Catullo Valpolicella Ripasso Classico Superiore of the 2018 vintage.

With an alcohol content of around 13.6%, the Catullo is made from 70% corvina veronese, 20% corvinone and 10% rondinella grapes and aged in French oak barrels for 12 months, before an additional year of aging in concrete vats. The grapes used in the production of this wine come from vines that are double guyot trained with an average age of 20 years, on soil rich in marl-limestone with clay deposits. Just as its name suggests, this wine is made from the Ripasso method, having undergone a second fermentation with Valpolicella Classico wine refermented on residual Amarone Classico skins.

Tasting Notes

Colour: Garnet

Aroma: Deep earthiness, it’s thicker and denser on the nose, giving raisins, chocolate, mocha, soil, tobacco leaves. With time it opens up to more on licorice and mulberry leaves. It’s got good depth to it too, and there’s even some spiciness of cloves.

Taste: It’s got moderate richness and fullness, more on raisins, cassis, there’s a heaviness here, with this raisin quality of dried fruits and some rancio mustiness. It’s still somewhat fresh, with time it gets plusher with more blackberry jams. It’s got firm tannins that tighten more into the finish.

Finish: More spiciness of cloves, earthiness too of tobacco leaves, soil, browned leaves, backed by some cassis jam. There’s lingering spice and blackcurrants.

My Thoughts

This hugely benefitted from about an hour of air time in the bottle after being uncorked. What started out rather light really opened up nicely to a much richer aroma with forward notes of raisins, mocha and liquorice, as well as a much richer and fuller bodied palate that was delivering plush waves of raisins backed up by blackberry jams.

This had a moderate amount of intensity and richness, without being overly raisinated or domineering with the rancio. It was pretty well balanced, whilst still showcasing some of those classic Ripasso qualities, with a good earthiness and spiciness that makes it feel more exciting and vibrant.

Till next time, happy sipping!

@ChopstickPride