Tommasi Ripasso Valpolicella 2020

A deep, bright ruby red in color, it is rich and intensely spicy on the nose, with notes of cherry jam, tobacco and black pepper. On the palate it is full-bodied yet elegant, with gentle, silky tannins and a very long finish.

The winemaking process, known as "Ripasso", involves refermenting the juice from Valpolicella on warm Amarone grape skins, resulting in a wine with a rich and distinctive character. The grapes for this Ripasso Valpolicella are carefully sourced from three esteemed Tommasi vineyards: Conca d’Oro, La Groletta, and De Buris.

Wine Spectator: 90
A bright, medium-bodied red, with floral and spice notes accenting macerated cherry and strawberry fruit flavors. Well-meshed, with light, taut tannins and accents of red licorice, smoke and dried herbs lingering on the finish. Corvina, Rondinella and Corvinone. Drink now through 2027.

Vinous: 93
The 2020 Valpolicella Classico Superiore Ripasso opens with a rich blend of autumnal spices and dried black cherries, complemented by a dusting of cocoa. This smooths over the palate with glycerol textures and ultra-ripe wild berry fruits, contrasted by a core of zesty acidity. It tapers off with tremendous length and potency, leaving a staining of primary concentration and a coating of sweet tannins that frame the experience well, without slowing its momentum—a testament to the importance of the Ripasso category.

Vinous: 93

The 2020 Valpolicella Classico Superiore Ripasso opens with a rich blend of autumnal spices and dried black cherries, complemented by a dusting of cocoa. This smooths over the palate with glycerol textures and ultra-ripe wild berry fruits, contrasted by a core of zesty acidity. It tapers off with tremendous length and potency, leaving a staining of primary concentration and a coating of sweet tannins that frame the experience well, without slowing its momentum—a testament to the importance of the Ripasso category.

James Suckling: 92
Licorice root, clove, terracotta, sage, mint and pithy maraschino cherry, with a curb of herbal tannins bracing the long, warming finish. Impressive expansion and length to this highly regional, full-weighted expression. Very good Ripasso. Drink or hold.