Bussola Valpolicella Ripasso DOC Classico Superiore Ca’ del Laito 2019, Italy

Self-taught Tommaso Bussola took over his uncle’s Valpolicella estate – with its prized old vineyards in the heart of the Classico zone – in 1985. He experimented relentlessly, and by the late 90’s his style had matured, and his wines had become world-famous for their incredible intensity of fruit. Soils: Toar (basalt) & chalky gravel. Terraced steep hillside vineyards. Fruit Source: 9 hA in Valpolicella Classico. Tommaso specializes in finicky, heirloom varieties. Corvinone, in particular, is difficult to grow, but is largely responsible for the depth of fruit in Bussola’s wines. He calls it the “Super Corvina”, saying that it produces stronger, denser, richer, more perfumed wines. Bussola uses different barrel sizes, woods (oak, cherry, chestnut, acacia) and aging for each wine, and is always experimenting. Valpolicella Ripasso “Ca’ del Laito” is 40% Corvina and Corvinone, 40% Rondinella, 10% Molinara, 10% others, made in a bold, Ripasso style that highlights the quality of Tommaso’s raw materials.