L'Arco "Arcum" Rosso Veronese IGT 2022

Combining complex flavors of both dried and fresh fruit, "Arcum" is a declassified “Ripasso Valpolicella Classico Superiore DOC," presenting aromas of wild raspberry, plum, prune and dried apricot. The palate is giving and lush with a fine weight that brings cigar box, black pepper, and cinnamon spice notes. A surprisng amount of depth and structure in a very approachable frame.

Centered around the dried grapes used for making Amarone, this Ripasso style uses fresh juice re-passed over the dried, pressed skins after the Amarone is made. “Arcum” is Latin for “arch” and refers to the symbol of the winery, an ancient Roman arch that can still be seen in the vineyards.

A blend of 60% Corvina and Corvinone, 30% Rondinella and 10% Molinara hand-harvested from old-vines on two estate vineyards located in the coveted Classico zone and trained in the traditional pergola system, the majority of which were planted in the 1960s. Winemaker Luca Fedrigo only replants single vines when they die.

After initially fermented in tank with native yeast, the fresh juice sees a short, secondary fermentation with the dried and pressed Amarone grape skins 3-4 months after harvest, then is aged for two years in large traditional Slavonian oak barrels. Luca continues to make this wine in the traditional Ripasso Superiore style but no longer registers it with the regional classification, because he feels the region is sacrificing quality for quantity in the general category of “Ripasso,” and his wine has become an outlier in the category.

No fining, delicate filtering to remove yeast, vegan. Minimal sulfur is added during fermentation and aging, no additional sulfur is added at bottling. 850 cases produced.