2020 Le Ragose Valpolicella Classico Superiore Le Sassine, Veneto – buy online

WHO?

In 1969, Arnaldo Galli, an oenologist, and his wife Marta began exploring and experimenting with new techniques for grape growing and winemaking. Today, their sons Paolo and Marco run the family vineyard and continue to explore and experiment to always produce top-quality wines. The family’s commitment is focused on quality rather than quantity, with the utmost respect for tradition but always keeping an eye on modern technologies, both in vineyard cultivation and in the cellar. Marta, Paolo’s daughter, is the third generation of the winery.

WHERE?

Located north of Verona, in the town of Negrar, at the highest point of the Valpolicella zone (350 m – 1,148 feet), the Le Ragose estate overlooks gentle, lush green hills. In 1969, oenologists Arnaldo Galli and his wife Marta purchased the 70-hectare Le Ragose estate, which was abandoned. Recognizing that many excellent vineyard sites had been abandoned in favor of more easily cultivated sites on the plains, they replanted the Le Ragose vineyards and began producing Amarone and Valpolicella in the most natural way possible.

WHY?

The climate, soil, exposure, grape varieties, history, traditions, and the Le Ragose family perfectly represent the French concept of “terroir,” which more than anything else represents quality production. As confirmation that Le Ragose was a particularly suitable place, documents were found in subsequent years proving the presence of vineyards at that location 400 years earlier. Sustainability is the cornerstone for grape cultivation and the most important requirement for respecting and protecting the ecosystem. To protect the environment, Le Ragose employs several practices, such as weed elimination and waste recovery to produce compost that can later be used as fertilizer. Additionally, to combat the main parasite of grapevines, “Tignoletta,” they use the “mating disruption” method in the vineyard.