Zeni Recioto della Valpolicella 2021

Cellar for up to 20 years. Serve lightly chilled.

The Zeni family have been making traditional Valpolicella wines here on the shores of Lake Garda since the 1870s and are well-known for their exceptional value for money and attentive winemaking. Today the estate is run by siblings Fausto, Elena and Federica who take care of the winery’s 25 hectares of vines as well as sourcing some fruit from trusted local growers.

One of Valpolicella’s most famous wines is the lusciously sweet Recioto dessert wine which is made from grapes that have been left to dry out and become raisins over the winter. The Zeni family make theirs from hilly vineyards in the Valpolicella Classica region which are planted on limestone marl soils. The fruit is carefully selected and harvested by hand in the autumn and then left in a well-aired place to dry out for 3 months. The grapes are then slowly fermented and macerated on the skins, followed by a period of ageing in 50 hectolitre oak casks.

This complex winemaking process produces a very concentrated and intense sweet wine that’s bursting with notes of dried figs, honey, raisins, ripe plums and dark chocolate. The high residual sugar means it's ideal to serve as an alternative to dessert or alongside rich dishes like wild berry cheesecakes and chocolate-based desserts.