WTN: You Say Ripasso, I Say Ripassa...

[geo t.]

After an all - too - brief but enjoyable experience with the Ripassos of Masi not long ago, I got to thinking that it might be fun to not only get to know them a little better, but to explore the varieties of the "refermentation" experience. As it turns out, there are several "ripassos" available here in Day-twah, so it was easy enough to gather six of them for sampling. We weren't up for a big blind tasting, or even tasting them all at the same time with eyes wide open, so we opted instead to evaluate (and enjoy) them in a series of casual one - on - one tasteoffs.

Masi claims the name "Ripasso" as its own, having so registered it, and while some producers also use the term on their labels (Tommasi and Castellani), others skirt the issue by changing a single letter (Zenato's Ripassa) or avoiding the matter entirely (Allegrini's Palazzo della Torre ®). All however are made with a variation of the refermentation method, in which the basic wine undergoes a second fermentation on the residual pomace of the dried grapes used to make Amarone, the resulting "Ripasso" gaining increased color, alcohol, complexity, structure and fruit.

The first matchup pitted the 2001 Masi Campofiorin against 2001 Zenato Ripassa. Both provided nice accompaniment to Kim's mushroom and chicken sausage dinner omelet and whole wheat toast drizzled with olive oil. This proved to be as much a matchup of glasses as wines, as we started with Speiglau Chianti glasses, then moved on to Speiglau Bordeaux stems.

2001 Masi Campofiorin Ripasso ® Nectar Rosso del Veronese I.G.T., 70% Corvina, 25% Rondinella, 5% Molinara, $14.99, 13% alc.: This is pretty much as I remember it from a few months ago, showing black cherries, some chocolate and a little earth and tar, though little, if any of the raisiny notes that seemed apparent previously. The nose is pretty, if not that effusive, but this certainly showed better than the Zenato in that regard. It's less concentrated in the mouth, however, with medium intensity, and missing a little something in the mid - palate and on the finish. A second glass showed considerably better in the Bordeaux glass than the Chianti, with the aromatics being particularly more pronounced. All in all, a nice wine of medium intensity, not very complex, but perfectly fine on its own terms.

Imported by Remy Amerique Inc., New York, NY

2001 Zenato Ripassa Valpolicella Superiore D.O.C., $19.99, 13.5% alc.: No specific information is available regarding varietal composition or production technique, other than that it goes through the "refermentation" process, with selected lots of Valpolicella being "re - passed" on the Amarone pomace. Kim nailed this one when she exclaimed, "Boy, is this wine black!" It's an impenetrable purplish inky garnet, and it is very stingy on the nose, showing little in either glass, but like the Campofiorin, it gives more of everything in the Bordeaux glass than the Chianti. And while it's not all that complex, it is more expressive in the flavor department, with big, rich, ripe, almost creamy cherry and black cherry, accented with a little chocolate, tar and just a hint of raisin. A bit of a tannic, acidic bite smoothes out with extended air, and the wine finishes well. Rich and juicy, almost jammy, this is clearly the better tasting of the two for Kim and this taster, even if it does come up short on the nose.

Imported by Winebow, Inc., New York, NY

The second pairing featured the 2000 Castellani Ripasso against the 2000 La Casetta, and we didn't mess around with the Chianti glasses this time. Both wines went well with an "everything in the fridge" dinner omelet and garlic toast.

2000 Michele Castellani Valpolicella Superiore Ripasso San Michele, $21.99, 13% alc.: A deep dark garnet in color, shading to purple at the rim, with a bit o' the barnyard on the nose that blows off to reveal big, grapey black cherry and black raspberry aromas, and equally big flavors that echo loudly. It's not all that complex, but it IS ballsy, and not too tannic, on a medium full - bodied frame. Some hints of underbrush and tobacco come out with air, and if it could finish a little stronger, that's small potatoes in the larger picture.

Imported by Bedford International, Larchmont, NY

2000 La Casetta Valpolicella Superiore Ripasso, $19.99, 13.5% alc.: An almost opaque purple garnet, this is another one with a big grapey personality, showing earth and tar over lots of black cherry and blackberry flavors and aromas on a moderately tannic, medium full - bodied frame. With air, a note of root beer makes itself known, and Kim mentions a little bacon. This one's a little earthier than the Castellani, though a little less full, but otherwise, there's not much to choose between the two; they're both smooth, fun and easy to enjoy.

The penultimate matchup was arguably the best, with the 2000 Tommasi "Ripasso" tasting off against the 2000 Allegrini Palazzo Della Torre ®. These served quite well as burger wines, but then I've had Ridge Monte Bello that did the same.

2000 Tommasi Valpolicella Superiore "Ripasso," 70% Corvina, 20% Rondinella, 10% Molinara, $21.99, 13% alc.: This dark garnet shows big ripe, spicy blackberry, black cherry and black plum flavors and aromas, shaded with notes of leather and root beer - cola; tannins are soft, acids are good without being too racy and it finishes nicely. What's not to like here?! Very nice indeed.

Imported by Rolar Imports. Ltd., Great Neck, NY

2000 Allegrini Palazzo Della Torre ®, Veronese IGT, 70% Corvina Veronese, 25% Rondinella, 5% Sangiovese, $15.99, 13.5% alc.: Very much as we remember it from the previous times we've had it, this breaks with tradition with the inclusion of 5% Sangiovese in place of Molinara, and maybe that's what gives it just a little more of everything than the others here have, a little more leather, a little more root beer - cola and more depth and concentration to the black cherry, blackberry and black currant personality. This one always pleases.

Imported by Winebow, Inc., New York, NY

Just when we thought we had a winner in our most un - scientific of tasteoffs, up jumps Dan McDonald from Viviano Wine Importers in Dearborn, Michigan with a bottle that we had yet to try. We put it up against our favorite, and here's what we came up with.

2001 Tedeschi Capitel San Rocco I.G.T., 25% Corvina 20% Corvione 45% Rondinella 10% Molinara, Rossignola and Sangiovese, $21, 13.5% alc.: A deep, dark garnet, with a slightly dusty quality to it (Kim says it smells like a dusty closet); this shows good flavors and aromas of ripe cherry, black cherry and some earthy notes; as it opens, hints of tobacco, leather and tar make themselves known. Moderate tannins and zippy acidity give this just a bit of a bite, but all in all, it's a solid wine that lacks the depth and intensity of the Palazzo Della Torre, but with some nice complexities to compensate.

Dreyfus, Ashby and Co., New York, NY

Finally, while our methods might be suspect, I doubt that many who have tasted these wines would argue with the fact that all of them are quite enjoyable, with the Masi Campofiorin lagging slightly behind the pack and the other five pretty much on the same level, half a step behind the front runner. (We might have substituted Masi's Brolo de Campofiorin for the less expensive Campofiorin, but a local distributor rep who shall remain nameless failed to deliver on a promised bottle, and besides, this "competition" wasn't exactly held under laboratory conditions, so let there be slack.) While most basic Valpolicella is a little too tame for our tastes, the "refermentation" process beefs it up into something that we can sink our teeth into, something that we can come back to again and again. Maybe our system for picking a favorite out of this bunch leaves something to be desired, but pick a favorite we did, and it's the Palazzo Della Torre.

Anyway, that's our story, and we're stickin' to it.

(Click here for the full Gang of Pour treatment of this commentary.)

Reporting from Day-twah,

geo t.