Allegrini ‘La Grola’ is a full-bodied, elegantly intense red wine with a dark ruby hue and complex aromas of wild berries, juniper, tobacco, and coffee. Balanced flavours of blackcurrant, black pepper, and tobacco make it the perfect pairing for red meat dishes, mushrooms, and aged cheeses. Enjoy its unique intensity and superb aromatic persistence.

Critic Review

Decanter Magazine:89Pts
Drinking Window:2023-2027

“A blend of 90% Corvina Veronese and 10% Oseleta fermented in stainless steel then matured in French oak barrels for 16 months and then in large Slavonian oak barrels for two months. Its earthy black fruit aromas display violet overtones, while the sweet, ripe fruit is sticky and textured, with a defined blackcurranty finish.”
James Button

About the Producer

The Allegrini family estate covers 120 hectares of vineyard in the heart of Valpolicella Classico. Although they have been growing grapes here for centuries, Giovanni Allegrini was the first to bottle the wines. After his death in 1983, Giovannis passion for and commitment to quality wine was passed onto his children Walter, Marilisa, and Franco. They worked together to build on his legacy until Walters death in 2003. Franco looked after the vineyards and the winemaking, while Marilisa has always overseen sales and marketing. Franco sadly passed away in 2022 but was a pioneer in Valpolicellas quest for quality. From the 2007 vintage, he sacrificed the Classico status of the Valpolicella and bottled the wine under Stelvin to eliminate cork taint and random oxidation problems as much as possible, forging a path that many others have followed since.

Vineyard and Winery

La Grola was bought by Allegrini in 1979. It is situated at 310 metres above sea level. The 30-hectare vineyard has a south-easterly aspect, well-drained calcareous and clay soils, and vines were planted between 1979 and 1998. The vines are double Guyot trained at a density ranging from 4,240 to 6,500 vines per hectare. The high plant density and resulting low yields give this wine its unique concentration.

The hand-harvested grapes were destemmed and gently crushed before fermentation in stainless-steel tanks. Maceration lasted for 15 days at temperatures between 20-28C during which pumping over took place daily. Malolactic fermentation took place naturally in barriques. The wine was aged for 16 months in oak before being blended and spent a further two months in tank before bottling, with an additional 10 months in bottle before release.