Creari Valpolicella Ripasso Superiore 2023 Review: Amarone Ambitions at a Surprisingly Modest Price
Valpolicella Ripasso has become one of Italy’s most popular compromises between everyday red wine and the formidable richness of Amarone. It promises greater concentration, a softer texture and enough character to accompany a substantial dinner, without demanding the price or patience associated with its more prestigious relative.
Creari Valpolicella Ripasso Superiore 2023 follows that formula with considerable enthusiasm. Made from Corvina, Corvinone and Rondinella, it offers generous fruit, gentle oak spice and a rounded, approachable palate. The wine has enough weight to satisfy drinkers who enjoy full-bodied Italian reds, although its ambitions remain refreshingly modest.
At €14.40, this is an attractive proposition. Creari is not trying to produce a monumental wine or challenge the great names of Valpolicella. Its appeal lies in offering a convincing introduction to the Ripasso style at a price that leaves plenty of money for dinner.
The Basics
- Producer/Brand: Creari
- Wine: Valpolicella Ripasso Superiore
- Vintage: 2023
- Classification: Valpolicella Ripasso DOC Superiore
- Region: Veneto, Italy
- Production area: Valpolicella, province of Verona
- Grapes: Corvina, Corvinone and Rondinella
- Fermentation: Initial fermentation in stainless steel
- Ripasso technique: Refermentation on Amarone grape pomace
- Ageing: Eight months in oak barrels, followed by three months in bottle
- Alcohol: 14% ABV
- Bottle size: 750 ml
- Serving temperature: 16–18°C
- Style: Dry, generous, medium-full-bodied red
Creari: A Contemporary Interpretation of Valpolicella
Creari belongs to the commercially accessible side of Valpolicella, where traditional grape varieties and established winemaking techniques are used to produce reds intended for a broad audience.
Its range includes Amarone della Valpolicella, Valpolicella Ripasso Superiore and Lugana, bringing together two of the most commercially successful wine territories around Verona and Lake Garda.
The label is marketed through Callmewine, which presents Creari among its exclusive winery selections. Unlike historic estates such as Bertani, Masi or Allegrini, Creari does not have a widely documented multigenerational history, celebrated vineyard holdings or an established collection of prestigious crus.
That distinction is worth making. The quality of a wine should not depend on an elaborate family story, particularly when the information available concerns the finished product rather than the people behind it.
What makes Creari interesting is its straightforward interpretation of a familiar category.
Its Ripasso is produced with the traditional local varieties, undergoes the characteristic second fermentation on Amarone pomace and receives a relatively moderate period of oak maturation.
The objective is clearly accessibility. There is enough concentration to distinguish the wine from a basic Valpolicella, but no attempt to compete with the elaborate structure and prolonged ageing associated with expensive Amarone.
It is a sensible position in an increasingly crowded market, particularly when some Ripasso wines have become almost as expensive as entry-level Amarone.
Valpolicella: Three Grapes and a Remarkable Wine Tradition
The vineyards of Valpolicella occupy the hills north of Verona, extending from the historic western valleys towards the eastern part of the denomination.
The landscape is more varied than its relatively compact geography might suggest. Limestone formations, clay-rich soils, different elevations and exposures create growing conditions that can produce markedly different expressions of the same grape varieties.
The most important grape is Corvina, whose relatively thick skins and distinctive fruit character make it particularly suitable for both traditional red-wine production and the drying process used for Amarone.
Corvinone, genetically distinct from Corvina despite its similar name, contributes additional structure and fruit concentration. Its larger berries and loose bunches also make it particularly valuable in wines involving dried grapes.
Rondinella completes the traditional trio. It is a reliable, productive variety with good resistance to challenging vineyard conditions, and it has long played an important role in Valpolicella blends.
Creari uses all three varieties, although the precise percentages of the 2023 assemblage are not specified.
Together, they provide the familiar foundation of a Valpolicella red: fruit, moderate tannins and enough acidity to maintain balance.
The difference between the principal styles comes from vineyard selection, ripeness and winemaking.
A conventional Valpolicella generally emphasises freshness, fragrance and relatively immediate drinking pleasure.
Amarone moves towards a very different expression. Its grapes are dried before fermentation, concentrating sugars and other components and producing a wine with considerable alcohol, body and ageing potential.
Ripasso occupies the middle ground, although describing it simply as a smaller Amarone would be misleading.
It begins as an ordinary Valpolicella wine. Only after its second fermentation does it acquire the additional concentration and structural richness associated with the style.
What Does Ripasso Actually Mean?
The word ripasso refers to the practice of passing Valpolicella wine over the grape skins and other solid material remaining after the production of Amarone or Recioto.
This is more than a decorative cellar technique.
After Amarone has completed its fermentation, the pomace can still contain fermentable compounds, yeasts and substantial amounts of phenolic material. When a younger Valpolicella is brought into contact with these skins, another fermentation takes place.
This process can increase the wine’s alcoholic strength, tannic content, extract and overall concentration.
It also creates a different aromatic and textural profile.
The youthful character of Valpolicella becomes more substantial, acquiring a richer palate and some of the mature fruit qualities associated with Amarone.
There is, however, a considerable difference between individual Ripasso wines.
The quality of the original Valpolicella, the condition of the pomace, the duration of the second fermentation and subsequent maturation all influence the finished product.
A well-managed Ripasso can offer a particularly attractive relationship between concentration and freshness. A less successful example may become heavy, excessively sweet-tasting or dominated by oak.
The essential challenge is preserving the original wine’s vitality while gaining additional structure.
Creari approaches this balance through stainless-steel fermentation, the traditional ripasso process and subsequent oak maturation.
The result is a generous red whose emphasis is on softness and immediate pleasure rather than considerable tannic austerity.
The 2023 Vintage and Winemaking
The 2023 growing season in Veneto presented challenges associated with variable weather, including periods of substantial rainfall and summer heat.
In Valpolicella, the timing of harvest and the condition of the grapes were particularly important, especially for producers working with fruit destined for Amarone.
The Ripasso category introduces an additional consideration because its production depends not only on the quality of the original Valpolicella but also on the material remaining after Amarone fermentation.
Creari’s 2023 begins with alcoholic fermentation in stainless steel, preserving the fruit character of the traditional Veronese varieties.
The wine subsequently undergoes refermentation on Amarone pomace, developing additional body and a more substantial phenolic structure.
After the ripasso process, the wine matures for eight months in oak barrels and another three months in bottle.
This is a relatively restrained ageing programme, appropriate for a wine intended to be approachable while young.
The oak contributes roundness and a modest spicy influence, but there is no extended maturation designed to develop the complex tertiary character of a great cellar-worthy red.
With 14% alcohol, Creari has sufficient weight to justify the Superiore designation while remaining within the familiar range of modern Valpolicella Ripasso.
The 2023 is therefore best understood as a youthful, generous expression of the style, with its most attractive qualities available without prolonged cellaring.
Tasting Notes
Colour: Deep ruby red with lively violet reflections.
Bouquet: Ripe black cherry and blackberry lead the nose, followed by violet and a gentle suggestion of cinnamon. There is a discreet toasted note from the oak, but the aromatic profile remains dominated by fruit. The overall impression is generous and inviting rather than particularly intricate.
Palate: Medium-full, rounded and pleasantly warm, with ripe dark fruit, supple tannins and sufficient acidity to maintain balance. The ripasso process contributes a soft, substantial texture, while the oak introduces a little additional sweetness of impression without making the wine taste sugary. The middle palate is generous, although it lacks the tension and definition of more ambitious examples.
Finish: Moderately persistent, with ripe fruit, gentle spice and a slightly warming conclusion. The tannins remain soft and approachable.
Our Verdict
Creari Valpolicella Ripasso Superiore 2023 is a satisfying, well-proportioned red that delivers precisely what many consumers expect from this increasingly popular category.
Its principal attraction is its generous character. The fruit is expressive, the tannins are manageable and the oak provides a little additional complexity without becoming intrusive.
The wine also has sufficient acidity to prevent its substantial texture from becoming excessively heavy, an important advantage in a style that can occasionally sacrifice freshness in pursuit of richness.
There are limitations, however.
The aromatic range is relatively straightforward, the middle palate lacks exceptional depth and the finish does not possess the length or precision of more ambitious Valpolicella wines.
The alcohol also introduces some warmth, particularly towards the conclusion, although it remains coherent with the wine’s overall style.
Creari is not a particularly distinctive or intellectually demanding red. It follows an established production formula, and much of its appeal comes from the familiar combination of ripe fruit, soft tannins and accessible concentration.
But this is not necessarily a disadvantage.
There is considerable pleasure in a wine that understands its intended audience and makes no attempt to disguise its modest ambitions behind an extravagant price.
A comparison with Adalia Valpolicella Ripasso Superiore Balt 2018 is particularly interesting. Both wines favour an approachable expression of Ripasso, although Adalia places greater emphasis on freshness and a more agile palate.
Creari is rounder and more immediately generous, with a softer character that will appeal to drinkers who enjoy substantial Italian reds without aggressive tannins.
The 2023 is ready to drink. It has enough structure for a few additional years in the cellar, but its primary appeal is youthful fruit and immediate accessibility rather than complex bottle development.
Serve at 16–18°C in a medium-sized red-wine glass. A short period of aeration is sufficient; extended decanting offers little advantage.
Price
€14.40.
Food Pairings
Paella, vitello tonnato, chicken curry, pulled pork, empanadas, hamburgers.
