Home > Producer Profiles > Italian Profiles > Allegrini

Allegrini

Allegrini is based in Fumane di Valpolicella, and the Allegrini family started here in the 16th Century, if not before. One of the earliest family members to make wine here was Allegrino Allegrini, who in 1557 was using local springs to irrigate his vines. The Allegrini family acquired much land at this time, and a census from the 17th Century shows the family was a major landowner with considerable local influence as a result.

Move forward to the 20th Century and the most influential Allegrini of modern times was Giovanni Allegrini. Giovanni questioned and modernised vineyard and winery practices, and laid the foundation stones for the strong business that the family control today. One of his most significant acts was to acquire, shortly before his premature death in 1983, a vineyard on the La Grola hill for the purpose of making quality cru wines under the Valpolicella DOC. With his demise, however, his three children, Walter, Franco and Marilisa, have continued his work, very much in a modernist style.

All of Allegrini's wines are produced from estate-grown fruit; there is no négociant aspect to this family business. They tend over 70 ha of vineyard, in the communes of Sant' Ambrogio and Fumane. To this day the La Grola vineyard remains the source of Allegrini's greatest wines. It is of mixed terroir, with volcanic soils at the foot of the vineyard, extending up the slope. This is the source of La Grola, principally a blend of Corvina and Rondinella, subsequently aged in French oak; this is an excellent yet affordable example of what can be done with these grapes. At the top of La Grola the soil is calcareous; here Corvina is cultivated without Rondinella, and is the source of La Poja; this is one of Valpoicella's most profound wines produced without drying the grapes first as is the practice with Amarone and Recioto.

Allegrini's other famous vineyard is Palazzo della Torre, a clay site which is the source of the excellent Amarone Palazzo della Torre. The family own an impressive array of other sites, but it is these first two that are of most interest. The many other sites do give rise to some excellent wines, however, which cannot go unmentioned. Most notable is Allegrini's Amarone, frequently one of the top wines of the vintage. Allegrini also produce a fine Recioto Giovanni Allegrini, named after the current generation's father, as well as very good Valpolicella Classico. (3/11/04)

Contact details:
Address: Via Giare 9/11, 37022 Fumane
Telephone: +39 045 683 2011
Fax: +39 045 770 1774
Internet: www.allegrini.it

Allegrini - Tasting Notes

The following wines were tasted in October 2004. Click to locate stockists.

Allegrini Valpolicella Classico 2002: A dark hue fading to a pink, youthful rim. A lovely, herby, sweet cherry, plummy, dusty fruit nose. A very juicy, bone dry palate with typically firm, food-beating acidity. Plenty of flavour too; cherries and plums. Some nice extract present as well, and a balanced backbone of integrated tannins which coat the mouth after a while. Great, fresh, juicy, flavoursome barbecue wine. 15.5/20

Allegrini La Grola IGT 1999: A vibrant red-purple hue. Good sweet, smoky and peppery cherry fruit on the nose, with notes of charred herbs. Medium bodied palate, quite lithe and balanced. Plenty of peppery fruit like the nose. Spicy tannins show nicely in the finish. A savoury, mouthfilling blend of deliciously dark fruits with fresh acidity. Very modern style though. 16.5/20

Allegrini La Poja 1993: A lovely garnet red of moderate intensity, which although fading a little at the rim does not show any real signs of age. The nose is delightful although a little confusing, as it throws up some dark, dense, almost claretty fruit with a little smoke. Meaty, slightly metallic background notes. There is a full, slightly creamy texture, much more so than I recall from my last tasting. Smoky cherry fruit on the palate. Less acidity than one might imagine. Some ripe, succulent tannins through the midpalate which serve to give only pleasure, and some nice extract too. Clean, balanced finish - some elegance in fact. Completely ready now, but may yet improve. In fact I'm quite taken aback by how little this has advanced over the past few years. 18/20

The following wines were tasted in February and May 2003.

Allegrini Amarone della Valpolicella 1995: This is an impressively coloured wine. A deep blood red-black hue supporting a very fine sediment. On the nose there is a melding of fine, dark summer berry fruits with nuances of chocolate and vanilla, andmore prominent aromas of tar, undergrowth and pickling spice complexity. On the palate this wine just exudes class. It is structured and elegant, with power and grip but not the obvious sweet and round texture of some other examples of this DOC. It's amazing that this wine has, like many of its ilk, 15% alcohol, as this doesn't show on the palate at all. Clean, ripe berry fruit, and wonderful balance. The tannins show on the finish, and undoubtedly this wine requires more time in the cellar, say three to five years. Excellent, with potential for improvement. Label

Allegrini La Grola IGT 1998: A youthful red-purple wine, with a great density of colour. An abundance of rich, dark, spice and chocolate-tinged summer fruits on the nose, with some oak as well. Rounded, medium bodied, packed with dry, jammy fruit. Fresh acidity and some drying tannins on the finish lend a sense of balance. An obvious yet enjoyable style. Good. Label

The following wine was tasted in August 2002.

Allegrini La Grola IGT 1998: A youthful, red-purple hue. Plenty of dark fruit on the nose, together with a tarry, dark chocolate edge. Wonderful palate! Plentiful fruit, quite an elegant texture, and good acidity. There are some ripe tannins which provide structure, and everything seems well balanced. A delicious wine. Excellent on a 'value-for-money' basis. Tasted at Heathcotes. Good.

The following wine was tasted in February and June 2000.

Allegrini La Poja 1993: It has an intense colour in the glass, with no clues as to the age of the wine. The nose is a complex medley of bacon, coffee and red fruits, developing herbaceous and peppery notes with time. It has a medium bodied palate, with some drying tannins and nicely balanced acidity. Quite rich fruits on the palate - cherries and plums - but also a clean, slightly austere mineral note. Elegant, rather than opulent. A smooth finish, with those tannins showing up again. An excellent food wine - went well with some rare fillet steak. Excellent.

Allegrini

Allegrini - Tasting Notes

Veneto