Valpolicella Superiore DOC 2015 Heletto, Fattoria Garbole

Heletto is no ordinary Valpolicella superiore.
It's a bottle that was created to exceed expectations and it surpassed those with ease. Prefectly reflecting the aspirations of the winery that wants to make the best wines in each category, this Valpolicella is legendary.

Aged for about 7 yrs with 6 yrs in the barrel and another year in the bottle, it goes so far and beyond a standard Valpolicella that any comparison with that category of bottles is woefully unfair (to all the other bottles in that category).

That it gets rated in high ninetees across critics is almost a given for the amount of craftsmanship that goes into this bottle. 2015s are yet to be rated by the critics but we would expect the bottle to shine as usual. By the time the scores arrived, we would probably be out of stock with this one.

The Heletto Rosso is made from Corvina, Rondinella, and Molinara. After the manual selection, the grapes are placed in small wooden crates of around 4 - 5 Kg each to ensure that the grapes are not already crushed. The crates with the grapes stay in the drying room for a period of approximately 20-30 days. After the grapes have dried, a process called 'appassimento', further maturation takes place in new oak barrels for upto 6 years, followed by a minimum of 1 year rest in the bottle.

The result is a bottle that is more close to an Amarone than a Valpolicella!

(2013 vintage)
"I like the contrast on the nose between ripe brambleberries, bark and vanilla, as well as tea leaves, forest floor and tobacco. Full-bodied, decadent and chewy on the finish with some good form. Drink in 2021." 93/100 James Suckling, Nov 2018