Allegrini La Poja, IGT 2018 - 75cl
La Poja changed how the world sees Corvina. Back in the 1980s Giovanni Allegrini did something radical in Valpolicella: he took a single hillside vineyard, La Poja, at the top of the family's Fieramonte estate, and bottled Corvina entirely on its own, from fresh grapes rather than dried. No Valpolicella blend, no appassimento, just one grape and one great site. It remains one of Italy's most singular reds.
The 2018 is a beauty. Decanter gave it 98 points, and it is easy to see why. This is Corvina showing what it can do when it is taken seriously: fresh, pure and astonishingly perfumed. Crushed rose petals and pink peppercorn lift from the glass, followed by wild strawberry, black cherry and a streak of blood orange that gives the whole thing energy.
On the palate it is bright and precise, the cherry fruit threaded with savoury herbs and a faint bitter-almond note that is pure Corvina. Fine tannins coat the mouth and carry a long, structured finish. There is real length and detail here, the sort of wine that unfolds slowly over an evening. Still youthful, it will drink well for a decade or more. Open it for a dinner that matters, when you want to show someone that northern Italy makes serious, ageworthy reds far beyond Amarone.
How to Serve
Serve at 16-18°C in a large Burgundy-style glass to catch the perfume. Decant for an hour if drinking now; this has the structure to age gracefully into the late 2020s and beyond.
Where to Drink It
The River Cafe, where a great single-vineyard Italian red belongs. Noble Rot for its appetite for characterful, terroir-driven bottles. Scott's in Mayfair for a more formal occasion worthy of the wine.
Food Pairings
Pair with duck ragu over fresh pappardelle, the wine's acidity cutting the richness while the cherry fruit sings alongside it. Roast guinea fowl with herbs would be another elegant match.
