La Giaretta, Recioto Classico, 2021 - 50cl
La Giaretta, Recioto Classico, 2021 - 50cl
- 50cl
- 14.5%
- Dessert
- Corvina, Corvinone, Rondinella
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Optimal drinking window: 2026 - 2036
Recioto is a luscious sweet wine made from the same grapes as Amarone della Valpolicella—Corvina, Corvinone, and Rondinella—but with a twist. The grapes are left to dry on wooden racks until March, allowing for an extra level of concentration in the must. After two years of ageing in small French oak barrels, followed by further refinement in bottle, the result is a rich, full-bodied wine with a deep ruby hue and intense aromas of cherry compote.
It’s a perfect match for traditional Venetian treats like almond biscuits or buttery shortcrust pastries—and it pairs beautifully with dark chocolate too. Best enjoyed at 18°C.
The 2021 is already drinking with real pleasure — the oak is well-integrated and the dried fruit character is vivid and expressive. Over the next three to four years, expect the wine to knit together further, with the cherry and fig notes gradually giving way to more savoury, leathery complexity. By 2030 or so it should be at its most complete, the sweetness framed by a more developed structure. Hold much beyond 2036 and you risk the primary fruit fading without enough secondary complexity to replace it — so don't leave it too long in the cellar.
Tasting Notes
AppearanceDeep, opaque ruby with a garnet rim that hints at the concentration within.
NoseCherry compote and dried fig come first, then a layer of dark chocolate and a whisper of vanilla from the French oak. The drying process gives the fruit a preserved, almost jammy depth that feels earned rather than overworked.
PalateFull-bodied and richly sweet, but with enough acidity to keep things honest — this doesn't cloy. The fruit is concentrated and plummy, with dried cherry skins, bitter chocolate, and a gentle spice from the oak rounding things out.
FinishLong and warming, with dark fruit and chocolate lingering well past the last sip.
Overall impressionA serious, generously made Recioto that earns its sweetness and rewards the right occasion.
Food Pairings
In Verona and the surrounding Valpolicella hills, Recioto has always been the wine of celebration and ceremony — poured alongside the almond-based biscuits called mandorlato or the crumbly, buttery pastries known as fregolotta. The Venetians have a long tradition of pairing it with pandoro at Christmas, or serving it with a wedge of aged Monte Veronese cheese, whose slight bitterness plays beautifully against the wine's sweetness. Dark chocolate in almost any form is the other obvious local partner — bitter enough to create a conversation with the fruit rather than simply agreeing with it.
We think this wine would go well with
Serve at around 18°C — too cold and the richness will feel muted, too warm and the sweetness becomes cloying. Decanting isn't strictly necessary, but 20 to 30 minutes in a wide-bowled glass will allow the aromas to open up. A large Burgundy-style glass works well, giving the wine room to breathe without losing the concentrated fruit.
La Giaretta's vineyards sit in the Fumane valley, one of the most prized sub-valleys of Valpolicella Classico, where the soils are a mix of limestone, clay, and chalky alluvial deposits over a rocky subsoil. The altitude — typically between 150 and 350 metres — brings cooler nights that help the grapes retain acidity even as the drying process concentrates their sugars. The valley's natural amphitheatre shape and good air circulation are also essential for the appassimento, reducing the risk of unwanted mould during the months the grapes spend on the racks.
Recioto della Valpolicella DOCG is one of Italy's oldest sweet wine traditions, predating Amarone — which was essentially a happy accident when a batch of Recioto fermented dry. The DOCG requires a minimum residual sugar of 50 g/l and mandates the use of Corvina and Corvinone as the primary varieties, with Rondinella and a handful of others permitted in support. The key distinction from Amarone is that fermentation is stopped before all the sugar converts, preserving the wine's sweetness. Production volumes are tiny, which is part of why this style remains something of a well-kept secret outside the Veneto.
The 2021 growing season in Veneto delivered exactly what nervous growers needed after a string of challenging years: textbook conditions that let the vines do their thing without drama. Spring arrived gently, summer stayed warm but not punishing, and crucially, September held dry and sunny through harvest. We find ourselves talking about a vintage where nature simply behaved, allowing winemakers to focus on craft rather than crisis management.
What emerged from those orderly conditions are wines with a lovely sense of balance—Amarone and Valpolicella showing both power and freshness, while Soave displays that mineral backbone we crave without the sometimes aggressive acidity of trickier years. The reds carry good concentration without feeling heavy, and there's an approachability to them that makes this vintage particularly rewarding. Most 2021 Veneto wines are drinking beautifully now, though the finest Amarones will reward patience until 2030 and beyond.
FAQs
What does this wine taste like?
Rich, concentrated, and sweet without being heavy. Think cherry compote, dried fig, dark chocolate, and a gentle spice from French oak, all held together by enough natural acidity to keep the wine lively.
How is Recioto different from Amarone?
Both are made from the same dried grapes, but Recioto's fermentation is stopped before all the sugar converts, leaving the wine sweet rather than dry. Amarone was actually an accident — a batch of Recioto that fermented all the way through. Recioto is the older, quieter tradition.
When should I drink this?
It's drinking well right now and will continue to do so until around 2036. The sweet, concentrated fruit is already expressive, but a few more years in the bottle will add further complexity. Don't sit on it too long after that.
What food should I pair it with?
The classic Venetian pairings are almond biscuits, buttery shortcrust pastries, and dark chocolate. Aged hard cheese — something with a little bitterness, like Monte Veronese — works wonderfully too. It also makes a fine wine on its own at the end of a meal.
How should I serve it?
Around 18°C is ideal. Give it 20 to 30 minutes in a wide, Burgundy-style glass to let the aromas open. No need for a long decant, but a little air makes a real difference.
Is this worth buying as a gift?
Very much so. It comes in a 50cl bottle, which is the traditional format for a wine this rich and is perfectly sized for two people to share with dessert. It's also a style that many wine lovers haven't tried — which makes it rather more interesting than another bottle of Sauternes.
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