A "Wow" Ripasso from Prà!
While the Veneto region is most famous for the absolute thunder of their Amarone bottlings, it is one of their Ripasso wines that grabs the center stage today. The 2020 Prà "Morandina" Valpolicella Ripasso Superiore is a 93-point stunner that elicited unanimous praise from our tasting team.
"Wow, the sheer drinkability embodied in this vintage of Ripasso Morandina is something to behold."
- Vinous, December 2022
This is one of most versatile, deliciously drinkable big reds we've encountered in quite a while. A brilliant accompaniment to whatever you happen to have in your picnic basket, it will make fast friends with everyone at the table.
At today's blows-away-every-listing price, it is simply an awesome wine. Read on for the full story, and for a beautiful Amarone from Zenato, then click on the Big Green Button to get in on these Northern Italian beauties.
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2020 Prà "Morandina" Valpolicella Ripasso Superiore
Veneto, Italy
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Multi-generational grape grower Graziano Prà and his team organically farm just seven hectares of high-elevation vineyards in Valpolicella. Their Morandina bottling is a big, just-right, "Goldilocks" red blend that has the rare ability to equally please the most-hardened Italian wine lovers and fans of ample, spicy red blends from our own West Coast.
This wine is drinking in an absolutely perfect spot, riding a wave of rich, supple red fruit and presenting nary a hard edge. Strawberry/rhubarb jam, juicy cherries, Chinese spice, peppered salumi, fennel bulb, crushed florals and a whisper of dried fruits lay atop a seriously silky texture.
A combination of 35% Corvina, 35% Corvinone, 23% Rondinella and 7% Oseleta, the grapes for this "Volnay of Valpolicella" were dried for 20 days on mats before crush, then spent 10 days soaking on their own skins before being introduced to the skins of Prà's Amarone, then fermented with native yeasts in stainless steel before being transferred to oak tonneaux barrels from the French forest of Allier.
That's a lot of work for a wine that costs under thirty bucks! Of the 31 Ripasso bottlings reviewed by Vinous from this vintage, only two match this wine, and none surpass it!
“Wildly perfumed in the glass, the 2020 Valpolicella Superiore Ripasso Morandina bursts with a peppery mix of spiced citrus rinds, dried flowers and red currants. This washes across the palate with silky textures offset by a salty core of minerals and tart wild berry fruits. A pretty inner sweetness comes forward through the finale as the 2020 finishes long and lightly structured, leaving a licorice hint to resonate on. Wow, the sheer drinkability embodied in this vintage of Ripasso Morandina is something to behold. Drinking Window: 2023 - 2030.”
- 93 Points, Vinous - Eric Guido (12/2022)
“A solid ripasso with a mix of fresh and dried fruit, from raspberries to dates, as well as some oak spice. Bright, medium-bodied palate with a good backbone of tannin, though not hard. The fruit remains untainted throughout. Drink or hold for a year or two.”
- 92 Points, James Suckling (2/20/2023)
Looking online we found six listings with a median of $43. At 35% less, today's price blows them all away!
Vin Chicago Price: 27.99
95 Points of Textbook Amarone Indulgence from Zenato!
2019 Zenato Amarone della Valpolicella Classico
Veneto, Italy
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Taking Valpolicella to its apogee, Amarone is king of the Veneto. There are few locations on the wine map that make decadent, beyond-big reds with such inherent balance. This bottling from Zenato feels so put together, so complete, and so alive!
"A classic Zenato Amarone is a delight that the world should never lose. These are racy, fruit-forward, complex and heady at times, but always beautifully balanced."
- Vinous, September 2025
The 2019 Zenato is the latest in a string of strong vintages for this wine. With a full-bodied frame and more vivacity and layers than one would even hope for, it beautifully harnesses its 16.5% ABV of power. We love it today and believe it will only improve over the coming five to six years.
On our conservative scale, it is an easy 94 points. James Suckling goes a step further than us, writing this luscious, quite accurate depiction…
“Very complex nose of bay leaves, dried prunes and blackberry jam, enhanced with leather and a bit of restrained chocolate. Velvety tannins flow on the palate, with a full body, zesty and cleansing acidity and a savory finish of toasted black pepper and chocolate.”
- 95 Points, James Suckling (7/2/2024)
When it comes to Amarone, Zenato is the gold standard. Our price on this is practically impossible to beat!
Vin Chicago Price: 53.99
