Unveiling the rich flavors of Soave, Valpolicella Superiore, Ripasso, and Amarone!
I was given the opportunity to taste and review the portfolio of Brigaldara, a renowned winery based in Italy that produces a wide variety of high-quality wines. The winery has been in operation for over a century, and has a long-standing reputation for excellence in the industry. As I began to sample the different wines, I was struck by the diversity of flavors and aromas on offer. From crisp, refreshing whites to full-bodied, robust reds, there was something to suit every palate. The attention to detail and quality that goes into each bottle is evident in every sip. Overall, I found the experience to be both enjoyable and educational, and I would highly recommend Brigaldara to anyone looking to explore the world of fine wine.
My history with wines of Brigaldara
I have been fortunate enough to have had a few experiences with Brigaldara wines, and each one has been a delight. From the first sip, I was struck by the depth and complexity of the flavors, which are a testament to the winemaker’s expertise and dedication to quality. You can really feel the passion to make traditional wine in a modern style.
One of my favorite memories involving Brigaldara wines was serving a bottle of their Amarone at home. We all savored the rich, fruity notes and smooth finish, making it the perfect complement to the meal. Overall, my history with Brigaldara wines has been truly enjoyable, which is why I looked forward to continuing the tasting of their entire portfolio.
First impresions of this portfolio
Brigaldara sent me a great variety of their wines, including Soave, Valpolicella Superiore Case Vecie, Valpolicella Superiore Ripasso, Amarone della Valpolicella Cavolo, Amarone della Valpolicella Case Vecie, and Amarone della Valpolicella Classico. All the bottles have the same signature label, and you really feels like you are looking at a family.
Tasting the different wines of Brigaldara
I started the tasting with the 2022 Soave white wine. Then, I progressed from the lighter red wines to the more powerful Amarones. It was a great experience, as I had the opportunity to taste the wines several times over the course of a few days. This allowed me to experience the wine’s development and truly enjoy it.
Soave 2022
Brigaldara Soave 2022 is a light yellow, straw-colored wine with 13% alcohol. On the nose medium(-) intensity aroma is peachy, with hints of lime and lemon zest. On the palate, you’ll taste notes of light apple and peach, with a slight nuttiness. The wine has medium intensity and a salty, mineral, and slightly bitter taste. It is dry, with medium acidity and a short finish. Overall, it is a very enjoyable, fruit-driven Soave.
Valpolicella Superiore Case Vecie 2021
Brigaldara Valpolicella Superiore Case Vecie has a light color with a pale ruby hue and nearly transparent edges. The nose is initially closed with notes of raspberries, cherries, a hint of leather, tobacco, and cigar box, along with a slight hint of menthol. However, the wine requires some time to fully open up. A nice big glass helps with this. On the palate, the wine offers medium (+) tannins and acidity, along with light cherry flavor. It also features notes of ripe red fruit, eucalyptus, rosemary, and a subtle hint of chocolate. The tannins are quite firm, which is noticeable in the wine’s short finish. Although well-made, this wine is not particularly exceptional.
Valpolicella Superiore Ripasso 2020
Brigaldara Valpolicella Superiore Ripasso is a ruby red wine with light edges and almost translucent. The color reminds me of raspberries. It’s a year older than the previous wine, so it’s a bit more mature. The nose of this wine is fuller than that of the standard Valpolicella. It has a lot of ripe raspberries, blackberries, and leather, with a nice touch of tobacco. It’s rounder on the nose and requires less air, but when you give it air, it opens up very nicely.
The medium tannins are elegant and round. On the palate, it has a slightly chocolatey, mouth-filling taste with notes of strawberry, cherry, and ripe cherries, but not overly dried. It’s not very spicy, with medium acidity and a medium finish. This wine paired very well with a cheese platter.
Amarone della Valpolicella Cavolo 2018
Brigaldara Amarone della Valpolicella Cavolo has a beautiful light red raspberry color with soft edges. It has a full nose, exuding ripe red fruit, dried herbs, cherries, leather, tobacco hints, chocolate caramel, and deep cocoa aromas with a hint of roses.
On the palate, the wine is very complex with ripe red fruit and strict but round roughness. It has medium(++) tannins and medium(+) acidity, and it requires a lot of air. This wine needs time to breathe. I tried it in a Zieher Intense glass, and the tannins were even grippier. The wine makes your mouth dry, and it feels rough on your tongue. After some breathing, the wine really opens up and becomes more elegant and enjoyable.
In conclusion, it has a very long finish and is a beautiful, elegant wine, not fruit-driven, but especially spicy and complex. Sage, rosemary, and a little thyme come through. The cedar wood structure is really beautiful. The wine has a high alcohol percentage of 16%. After some air, you get more fruit and complexity. It is a wine that needs to breathe, so definitely decant for more air. Truffle aromas and flavors then also come up.
Amarone della Valpolicella Case Vecie 2017
Brigaldara Amarone della Valpolicella Case Vecie has a light brown, raspberry red color with beautiful intensity. The aroma is elegant and intense, with notes of dried cherries and strawberries. On the palate, it is very refined and aromatic, with medium(++) tannins and medium (+) acidity. It has notes of cocoa, chocolate, and ripe red fruit, with a touch of dried green herbs, sage, anise, and eucalyptus. This wine is very pleasant, drinkable, and enjoyable. Give it some air or decant it for even more pleasure and balance.
Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 2018
Brigaldara Amarone della Valpolicella Classico has a beautiful light brown color with raspberry hues, and is transparent and pure in structure. The wine swirls nicely in the glass. On the nose, earthy tones are present along with more subtle scents. The aroma is very aromatic, complex, and restrained, with beautiful notes of chocolate, cocoa, and ripe breadfruit. This wine could be the mother of all Brigaldara amarones.
The medium(++) tannins are nicely round with a slight sharpness on the tongue, featuring notes of eucalyptus, rosemary, chocolate, vanilla, coconut, and ripe fruit with medium (+) acidity. The retro-nasal aromas are present with beautiful freshness and an elegant structure. The wine has a fine elegant structure and a long finish, and is excellently made.
What are the differences in Brigadara’s red wines?
I conducted an overall tasting of all the red wines to discern the differences between them.
Let’s begin with wine 1, the Valpolicella Superiore. It has a beautiful light raspberry color and a pleasant aroma of red fruit. The tannins are soft and round, making it a delicious and drinkable wine.
Moving on to the second wine, Valpolicella Superiore Ripasso, the color is very similar but ten shades darker. The aroma is slightly more jammy and leans more towards soups. Wood and leather tones come to the foreground, and the tannins and acids are more prominent. It is a slightly more complex wine than the first.
The third wine, Amarone della Valpolicella Cavolo, immediately smells more complex. It has a beautiful raspberry red color towards brick and ripening cherries. This is a robust wine with more complexity and depth than the previous ones.
Next, we have Amarone della Valpolicella Case Vecie. This wine has a brick-brown color with raspberry influences. It has a lot of wood tones, coconut, and chocolate, with a pleasant aroma and beautiful complexity. The tannins are more present, making it a very complex wine that needs to be enjoyed slowly with a hearty meal.
Finally, we have Amarone della Valpolicella Classico. This wine has a lot of elegance to it, with round wood tones, ripe red fruit, vanilla, coconut, and sage. It has a lot of spiciness and liveliness, and it’s a classic way of making wine.
Overall, the Amarones are high in alcohol content, which gives them a lot of power. For a light red wine to pair with a small bite, choose the Valpolicella Superiore. For a deeper flavor to pair with grilled fish, choose the Valpolicella Superiore Ripasso. For hearty, large meats and stews, choose an Amarone. For a classic Amarone taste, go for the Classico. For accessibility, choose Cavallo. And for more complexity, choose Case Vecie.
Conclusion
This review explores the portfolio of Brigaldara, an Italian winery that produces a wide variety of high-quality wines. I really enjoyed the diversity of flavors and aromas on offer, from crisp, refreshing whites to full-bodied, robust reds, and includes tasting notes for each wine sampled.
Thank you, Brigaldara, for sending me with these great wines for tasting and review.
