Allegrini Estates, a large wine producer by almost any standard (1 million cases per year), is a family-owned winery with a long history. The estate was founded in 1858, though family winemaking dates back 500 years. Production has been handed down through the generations since. The estate is located in the village of Fumane within Valpolicella Classico, near the city of Verona in northeastern Italy (find Venice and go due west to find Valpolicella).
Allegrini concentrates on the local varieties of Corvina Veronese, Rondinella and Molinara but have some Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah as well planted over 250 acres. They have developed vineyards in the cru style, so you will see vineyard names on their wines (Valpolicella, Plazzo della Torre, La Grola, La Poja, Villa Giona, Amarone, Recioto Giovanni Allegrini).
Allegrini is well-known for its Amarone, that concentrated red wine made in the appassimento method. Current family winemaker Franco Allegrini has been responsible for modernizing the drying process whereby handpicked grapes are dried for three to four months prior to crushing and fermentation utilizing a recently designed drying structure, called Terre di Fumane. The new structure promotes drying of the grapes and minimizes mold damage.
The climate in Valpolicella is continental, that is cool with significant rainfall. Soil types are variable in this hilly region, and include gravel, calcareous loam, alluvial and volcanic. Allegrini vineyards are largely southern, eastern and southeastern exposures.
In addition to the production in Valpolicella, Allegrini Estates has purchased two estates in Tuscany, Poggio al Tesoro in Bolgheri and San Polo in Montalcino. This dynamic family is always changing and moving forward.
We received three Allegrini Estates wines as media samples and decided to plan an Italian dinner around the wines and invited a few friends. It’s always fun to try new recipes and to share good wine with friends. And the wines we enjoy most go well with food.
We began the evening simply with prosciutto-wrapped melon, a country mix of olives and bread sticks. We choose two white wines from the region, a Soave and a Pinot Grigio, to start.
Our meal continued with a chopped salad that included red leaf lettuce, kidney beans, celery, basil, bocconcini and heirloom tomatoes lightly dressed with olive oil and red wine vinegar.
Next followed Risi e Bisi, Italian rice and peas. This dish which is similar to risotto, is rich and creamy thanks to the addition of pancetta (which I substituted for prosciutto) and parmesan cheese. While the dish was filling, it wasn’t too heavy for a summer evening.
With multiple wineglasses for each guest, we were able to taste all three wines as we enjoyed our meal, moving back and forth among the wines.
The 2011 Allegrini Valpolicella Classico DOC is the lightest-bodied of the three wines, but by no means a lightweight. It has ripe berry scents and a hint of smoke on the nose. Dark fruit flavors of plums and berries combine with smooth, well-integrated tannins and good acidity to produce a flavorful wine with a clean finish. It is comprised of 65% Corvina Veronese, 30% Rondinella and 5% Molinara.
This red wine would pair well with most pasta dishes, roasted chicken or pork. Creamy dishes as well would pair nicely. Priced at about $15, and with ABV of 13.3% it is a great everyday wine and perfect for the summer.
2009 Allegrini Palazzo della Torre Veronese IGT is medium dark ruby in the glass. Concentrated dark fruit and plum flavors, with black pepper and juicy acidity combine with significant tannins to provide a mouthful of flavor and texture. This wine has a bit more weight in the mouth and has a lingering finish.
The blend of this wine is 70% Corvina Veronese, 25% Rondinella and 5% Sangiovese from the Plazzo dell Torre vineyard. It is vinified using an “innovative ripasso” style. 70% of the grapes are vinified immediately and 30% are dried in the appassimento method used to make Amarone. This wine is affectionately referred to as a “baby Amarone”. It was aged in French oak barriques for one year.
This wine paired nicely with the spicy pancetta and creamy parmesan flavors in the rice dish. It would be a great partner for grilled sausage or steak or flavorful tomato and meat pasta dishes. Once again, a modest ABV of 13.8% makes this flavorful wine a great food companion. At about $15.99 per bottle, it is an excellent every day wine.
2009 Allegrini La Grola Veronese IGT. This wine is inky dark ruby in the glass. Scents and flavors of dried plums, blackberries and tobacco are followed by grippy tannins and a moderately long finish. This wine has plenty of acid and a moderate weight in the mouth. Fruit flavors are the ripest in this wine.
The La Grola vineyard is prized for its high elevation and chalky clay soils. The wine, which is a blend of 80% Corvina Veronese and 20% Syrah, is aged for 16 months in French oak Tonneaux (500L) and one year in the bottle before release. The ABV is 14.95%. This wine can stand up to stronger flavors like barbecued ribs, roasted beef or lamb. The price is $27.99.
Our meal concluded with Venetian Apple Cake and Gelato di creme. We lingered a bit over dessert, discussing the wines. These three Allegrini wines provide a range of styles and prices. The lightest, but by no means least flavorful, is the Valpolicella. Next the Plazzo della Torre offers more complexity and ripeness. The La Grola is the ripest and heaviest bodied of the group.
In anticipation of tasting the wines again the next day, we inserted a Wine Shield into each bottle that evening. When we did re-taste the wines the next day, they all tasted essentially the same. This is an important practical consideration for us when evaluating wine, because we don’t always finish a wine the same day we open it and it is always good to know how a wine will hold-up overnight. Each wine retained its original character. We did a fun little “blind tasting” as we re-tasted through the wines and we were able to correctly identify each wine.
Our thanks to Allegrini and Teuwen Communications for the opportunity to sample these wines. They provided the wine, we provided our own evaluation.
Cheers!
