Vintage: 2018

VintageProduct CodeFormatClosureAvailability
2018AL206F186 x 50Natural CorkAvailable
Vegetarian
Vegan
Producer

The Allegrini family estate comprises 120 hectares of vineyard in the heart of Valpolicella Classico. Although the family has grown grapes here for several centuries, Giovanni Allegrini was the first to start bottling wines from the family’s vineyards. When he died in 1983, he passed his passion and commitment to quality winemaking onto his three children, Walter, Marilisa and Franco. Together, they worked to build on Giovanni’s quality ethos until Walter’s death in 2003. Franco looked after the vineyards and winemaking, while Marilisa continued to manage sales and marketing. From the 2007 vintage, Franco sacrificed the Valpolicella Classico classification by bottling the Allegrini wines under Stelvin to eliminate cork taint and reduce oxidation problems. Franco sadly passed away in 2022. He was an inspiring figure who led the way in Valpolicella’s quest for quality, forging a path many others have followed. In 2023, Franco’s sons Francesco, Giovanni and Matteo, alongside their cousin Silvia Allegrini (Walter’s daughter), became custodians of their family’s historic estate.

Allegrini’s Valpolicella has a lovely intensity of red cherry fruit, lifted perfumes and a ripe yet zesty character on the palate. ‘La Grola’, sleek and beguiling, sets the standard by which all other wines from Valpolicella are judged. The ‘Palazzo della Torre’, a ‘baby Amarone’ produced by Allegrini’s modern approach to the ripasso method, is plush and rounded. Their Amarone is outstanding, offering an expression that is intense yet balanced. The ‘Giovanni Allegrini’ Recioto Classico, named after the winery's famous founder, is bursting with fruit and notes of cherry intertwined with pepper and thyme.

In 2018, Allegrini purchased 40 hectares of land in the municipality of Pozzolengo after years of scouting the Lugana area around Lake Garda. They created a Lugana defined by lively acidity, which balances the natural richness of the Turbiana grape. The resulting wine is stylish and elegant, defined by classic floral aromas and hints of almonds.

Vineyards

The southeast facing vineyards are located the Valpolicella Classico region between 180- 280 meters above sea level. The vines are planted on mostly clay and chalk soils and are trained in a mix of pergola Trentina for the older vines and Guyot for the youngers ones. The average age of the vines is 36 years.

Vintage

The 2018 vintage was characterised by a slow ripening and abundant high-quality grapes. Spring was notably wet which saw many bunches produced. Thinning then took place in July to restore balance in the vines. High temperatures continued through the summer months, and the diurnal range in September (up to differences of 15°C between day and night) ensured the grapes achieved the ideal balance. Harvest took place at the end of September with the grapes in perfect health and high in both quality and quantity.

Vinification

Selected bunches were hand harvested before going through the appassimento process where they lost 45-50% of their original weight. They were then destemmed and gently pressed before being transferred to stainless steel tanks for fermentation. The fermentation took place at temperatures between 8-22°C and lasted for 25 days with daily pump overs.

Tasting Notes & Technical Details

On the nose, this wine is bursting with fruit, the notes of cherry are intertwined with pepper and thyme. The vibrant fruit notes give way to a teeming sweetness which is perfectly balanced with finesse in the smooth tannin-rich texture. The wine is named after the founder, Giovanni Allegrini.

Alcohol (ABV)

14%

Acidity

6.2 g/l

Residual Sugar

106 g/l

pH

3.55

Other wines from this producer

Producer
Wine
Product Code
Features
Style
AllegriniValpolicellaAL201
R
Red
Amarone della Valpolicella ClassicoAL202
Vegetarian
Vegan
R
Red
Factsheet
`Palazzo della Torre`AL203
R
Red
Factsheet
`La Grola`AL204
R
Red
LuganaAL216
Vegetarian
Vegan
W
White
Factsheet