2024 Zyme - Valpolicella Classico Reverie (750ml)

Zýmē was founded by Celestino Gaspari, who grew up working his family's vineyards in the Val d'Illasi and later trained alongside Giuseppe Quintarelli, one of Valpolicella's most influential winemakers, eventually becoming his son-in-law. In 1999, Gaspari transformed a fifteenth-century sandstone quarry in San Pietro in Cariano into the winery's home, taking the name Zýmē, Greek for yeast, to reflect his philosophy of natural fermentation and continual change. The estate is built around principles of sustainability and transparency, blending respect for Valpolicella's historic winemaking traditions with a willingness to experiment.

Rêverie is conceived as a lighter, more playful expression of Valpolicella, aimed especially at younger drinkers discovering the category, and its whimsical label of smiling faces sketched into a wine glass reflects that spirit. The wine is a blend of Corvina, Corvinone, Rondinella, and Oseleta grown in the Valpolicella Classica zone at the foot of the Lessini mountains, where marl and limestone soils lend the wines mineral freshness. Unlike Zýmē's more structured bottlings, Rêverie is vinified and aged entirely in steel, with no oak influence, to preserve its bright, immediate character.

The wine shows a light ruby color with violet highlights and an aromatic nose of wild rose, cherry, and morello cherry, with a subtle peppery edge. On the palate it is fresh, easy-drinking, and food-friendly, with good acidity and moderate body. It works well as an aperitivo or alongside cured meats, soft cheeses, and white meats.