November Wine Club III

The Allegrini family has been making wine in the Veneto since the 16th century. It rather understates things to say that the Allegrinis know what they’re about, but they do, and today the family produces almost one million bottles of tip-top quality vino a year.

And although the Allegrinis now make wine in Tuscany and Montalcino as well, it is in Valpolicella that they made their name and where their hearts beat strongest. Their wines are truly fine – the equivalent of top cru classé claret – and are beloved by critics as diverse as Robert Parker, Jancis Robinson and the Wine Gang. If your only exposure to the wines of Valpolicella hitherto is the standard fare in your local trat, then, my goodness, you’ve a treat in store!

The Wine Company are offering us five of the Allegrini range here at remarkably generous, one-off, once-they’re-gone-they’re-gone prices. These might still seem alarmingly steep, but I assure you that the equivalent wines in Bordeaux, Burgundy or Bolgheri would be twice the price, if not more. These are grown-up wines for laying down and for investing in as well as for enjoying now with first-rate grub. They’re not for necking back with the spag bol. On the 12-bottle taster case, for example, there’s a saving of almost eighty quid on the Wine Co’s RRPs, which are already among the keenest in the market. These are exceptional, sought-after wines at – for them – extremely keen prices.

The 2011 Palazzo della Torre (1), made from air-dried Corvina, Rondinella and Sangiovese grapes, is simply packed with concentrated, rich, ripe, smooth, spicy dark cherry flavours. A great introduction to fine Valpol.

The 2011 La Grola (2) has a touch of Syrah added to the Corvina, giving Newgate-Knocker-black fruit and spice to the concentrated dried figs, currants, leather and tobacco.