There is a very small number of producers in Valpolicella that I would buy from every year regardless of the vintage conditions; Speri stands firmly among them. The house style is savory and intense, with lower-than-typical sugar and alcohol as well as the structure that allows for decades of aging. Even in the warmest vintages, the Sant’Urbano—from a site at higher elevations (250-380 meters), ventilating winds and volcanic soils—is beautifully pure and refined. Speri relies on a modified pergola training system, which likely contributes to the vines’ ability to deliver balanced fruit in hot seasons. This estate is not only about Amarone; Speri’s Valpolicella Superiore and Ripasso rank among the top wines in their category year after year. Speri’s approach prioritizes purity, relying on vineyard work rather than stylizing in the winery. As for the wines, the 2020 Amarone is drop-dead gorgeous and perhaps even a little more accessible than usual. The 2022 Ripasso is an impressive offering for such a challenging year, as is the Valpolicella Classico Superiore Sant’Urbano. I recommend opening these wines a day ahead of time or the morning before enjoying them. Speri is top-notch across the board.
This wine is produced using the RIPASSO technique, which is intentionally more restrictively applied in relation to the standard production method. The wine is obtained by going over again, once only, the premium Valpolicella Classico over the same quantity of Amarone marc. As a result, an authentic local wine is produced which elegantly exhibits a delightfully complex fruity aroma and spicy tones complemented with a good acidity and just the right alcohol content.
VINEYARDS
Vineyards owned by the Speri family in Valpolicella Classica area, lying at between 120 and 350 m./a.s.l. in the municipalities of San Pietro in Cariano, Fumane and Negrar.
GRAPE VARIETIES
Corvina Veronese 70%,
Rondinella 20%,
Molinara and other indigenous varieties 10%.
VINIFICATION
The grapes are picked by hand and then immediately destemmed and crushed, prior to maceration at controlled temperatures and undergoing complete alcoholic and malolactic fermentation. In beginning of March the Valpolicella Classico wine is pumped over the pomace from the Amarone and consequently referments.
AGEING
12 months in 20 hl. Slavonian oak barrels. Maturation in bottle for 6 months.
