2020 Zyme - Valpolicella Classico Superiore Ripasso (750ml)

Zýmē was founded in 1999 by Celestino Gaspari, who converted a fifteenth-century sandstone quarry in San Pietro in Cariano into the winery's home. Gaspari grew up working his family's vineyards nearby, later refined his craft studying agronomy, and spent formative years working alongside the legendary Giuseppe Quintarelli, eventually becoming his son-in-law. The winery's name, drawn from the Greek word for yeast, reflects Gaspari's philosophy of winemaking as an ongoing natural process, and today the estate farms thirty hectares sustainably, producing around 150,000 bottles a year.

This wine blends 40% Corvina, 30% Corvinone, 25% Rondinella, and 5% Oseleta from old estate vines. Fresh grapes ferment at natural temperatures in September and October, then undergo a second fermentation on Amarone skins the following January for about fifteen days, the classic ripasso technique. The wine then ages a minimum of two years in large Slavonian oak ovals before resting six additional months in bottle.

The result is a medium ruby red wine trending toward garnet with age, offering aromas of ripe cherry, morello cherry, and semi-dried plum layered with spice. The palate is smooth and seductive, showing appealing sapidity and ripe fruit. It pairs beautifully with white meats, semi-aged cheeses, soups, and cold cuts.