Recioto della Valpolicella Valpantena, Bertani 2024 50cl
Recioto is Amarone's sweeter, older sibling — the original Valpolicella dessert wine, made by drying the grapes for months before they ever see a press. Bertani's version comes from the Valpantena valley, and it is a proper glass of Veneto history in a half-bottle.
The method is the appassimento: bunches of Corvina and Rondinella are laid out to raisin over winter, concentrating their sugars and flavour. Fermentation is then stopped early, leaving the wine sweet and full rather than fermenting out to dryness as Amarone does. Bertani have been perfecting this in the hills above Verona for generations, and the pedigree shows.
The colour is deep, luminous garnet. The nose is a whole larder — wild berry jam, plum and cherry, with darker notes of cocoa, tobacco and a touch of dried herb. The palate is soft, round and dense, the sweetness carried by enough natural energy that it never cloys, closing on a long, spiced finish. A wine for slowing down.
This is a meditation wine — the sort you pour after dinner when the plates are cleared and there is no hurry. The 50cl format is generous enough to share and sensible for something you sip rather than glug, and at around £30 it is fair value for a genuine DOCG sweet red of this quality.
How to Serve
Serve lightly cool, 14–16°C, in a small glass. No decanting required. Once open it keeps happily in the fridge for a week or more.
Where to Drink It
The River Cafe, where a Valpolicella dessert wine finds its natural home. Noble Rot for a thoughtful after-dinner glass. Bentley's if you fancy it against a cheese board.
Food Pairings
Terrific with dark chocolate or a plum tart. Better still, pour it against a wedge of aged Parmesan or a blue such as Gorgonzola — the salt and the sweetness strike sparks off each other.
