Masi Campofiorin Rosso del Veronese

In the glass

Aroma: cherry, dried plum, vanilla, cedar, tobacco, light chocolate

Palate: dark cherry, dried herbs, light cedar, spice, vanilla

Campofiorin pioneered the ripasso technique in 1964, passing fresh Valpolicella wine over dried Amarone grape skins to extract colour, richness and complexity. A seminal wine that created an entire style category.

What it pairs with

• Pizza with salami and mozzarella
  Medium tannins and dried-herb notes complement cured meats and molten cheese beautifully.
• Lasagne al ragu
  The wine's medium body and cherry-tobacco notes pair seamlessly with meat lasagne.
• Grilled sausages with polenta
  A classic Venetian combination; the wine's approachable tannins work with fatty pork sausage.

History

Campofiorin is arguably the wine that invented the ripasso technique as a commercial category. In 1964, Masi's Sandro Boscaini experimented with passing the new vintage's Valpolicella wine over the still-warm skins from the Amarone fermentation, extracting additional colour, sugar and complexity. The technique became the foundation of the modern Valpolicella Ripasso DOC designation.

1. 1964 — First Campofiorin vintage establishes the ripasso technique
2. 1980 — Campofiorin becomes Masi's most exported wine internationally
3. 2010 — Valpolicella Ripasso DOC appellation formally created, largely due to Campofiorin's commercial success

Facts

Producer

Masi Agricola

Grapes

Corvina (70%), Rondinella (15%), Molinara (15%)

Classification

Rosso del Veronese IGT

Oak

Aged 12-18 months in large Slavonian oak; ripasso over dried Amarone grape skins

ABV

13.0%

Price

€15-22 at retail

Drinking window

3-10 from vintage

First vintage

1964

Tags