2023 Il Sasso Valpolicella Classico, Veneto, Italy

ABOUT THE WINE

The 2023 is a traditional Valpolicella blend of approximately 45% Corvina, 35% Corvinone, and 20% Rondinella. The fruit comes from Il Sasso’s vineyards in the hills of Negrar, within the historic Valpolicella Classica zone northwest of Verona. The vineyards sit around 300 meters above sea level on old terraces dominated by yellow limestone rich in marine fossils. These rocky soils and varied exposures help preserve acidity while giving the wine its characteristic tension and mineral edge.

The vineyards are certified organic, with biodiversity encouraged through cover crops and wild plants rather than chemical herbicides. Grapes are harvested by hand in small crates and carefully selected. In the cellar, Il Sasso follows a deliberately low-intervention approach: fermentation begins spontaneously from a pied-de-cuve made with the vineyard’s indigenous yeasts, with no sulfur added during fermentation. Approximately 20% whole clusters are used, with the balance destemmed, and fermentation takes place in stainless steel at temperatures below 25°C. The wine is pressed gently after roughly 7–10 days and completes its élevage without oak. It is bottled without fining or filtration.

This restrained vinification is intentional. Rather than adding concentration, sweetness, or oak-derived flavor, Il Sasso seeks to reveal the naturally light, fragrant, high-acid character of Corvina and its companions. The result is a Valpolicella built around drinkability but with enough limestone-derived tension and savory complexity to keep it compelling.

Serve around 54–58°F (12–14°C) with pizza, salumi, prosciutto, light pasta dishes, roast chicken, grilled pork, mushrooms, or fried fish. Its low tannin and vibrant acidity also make it an excellent aperitivo red.

ABOUT THE PRODUCER

Società Agricola Il Sasso is the project of grower and winemaker Stefano Bellamoli, based in the hills of Negrar in the heart of Valpolicella Classica. The estate takes its name from sasso, Italian for “rock,” a reference to the rocky limestone hill on which the vineyards grow. Bellamoli farms approximately 11 hectares, focusing on the traditional Valpolicella varieties Corvina, Corvinone, and Rondinella.

Il Sasso represents a different direction for contemporary Valpolicella. Rather than pursuing the power, extraction, residual sweetness, and extensive oak aging that can characterize some of the region’s wines, Bellamoli emphasizes translucence, natural acidity, moderate alcohol, and vineyard expression. Farming is certified organic, fermentation is spontaneous, and cellar intervention is kept to a minimum. Oak is deliberately avoided in favor of stainless steel, concrete, and ceramic vessels, depending on the wine.

The guiding idea is simple: the wine should be made primarily in the vineyard rather than constructed in the cellar. The 2023 Valpolicella Classico may be the clearest expression of that philosophy—a bright, crunchy, uncomplicated yet distinctive red that reconnects Valpolicella with its historic identity as a fresh, versatile wine for the table.