Recioto della Valpolicella Wine, Italy: 10 Best Bottles, Prices (2024)

In the Veneto region of north-eastern Italy, Valpolicella winemakers tried using dried grapes in hopes of improving the body and complexity of their wines. This gave birth to the unique “recioto” method. 

This created a syrupy-sweet Recioto della Valpolicella wine, which is the precursor of today’s hugely popular Amarone della Valpolicella.  Let’s explore the Recioto della Valpolicella wine’s taste, characteristics, and food pairings, the 10 best bottles, and how it’s made.

Recioto Della Valpolicella: Taste, Characteristics, And Food Pairings

“Recioto” generally refers to the Valpolicella sweet red wine produced from the recioto winemaking technique.

Recioto della Valpolicella wines are typically ruby-red with some violet or garnet reflections and have around 13% alcohol content. 

They are raisiny and complex wines with vivid fruity aromas on the nose. Expect sappy plum, ripe cherry, and raspberry notes on the palate with licorice and coconut flavors that develop with age.

Standard Recioto della Valpolicella is a still red wine, but a sparkling version also exists.

Interestingly, “Recioto” sometimes refers to smaller neighboring appellations producing  Garganega-based Recioto sweet white wines, including:

• Soave
• Soave Classico
• Recioto di Gambellara

You can pair red Recioto wines with local dry pastries such as pasta frolla and blue cheeses. This Italian wine also works well with dark chocolate, a cherry-based dessert, panettone, and cookies.

10 Breathtaking Recioto Della Valpolicella Bottles To Buy In 2024

Here are 10 delicious Recioto della Valpolicella wines:

• 1981 Giuseppe Quintarelli Recioto della Valpolicella Classico 
• 1998 Tommaso Bussola TB, Recioto della Valpolicella Classico 
• 1961 Bertani Recioto della Valpolicella Valpantena 
• 1998 Tommaso Bussola Recioto della Valpolicella Classico 
• 2000 Le Salette Pergole Vece, Recioto della Valpolicella Classico
• 2008 Secondo Marco Recioto della Valpolicella Classico 
• 1988 Masi Mezzanella Amandorlato Classico, Recioto della Valpolicella 
• 1988 Allegrini 'Giovanni Allegrini', Recioto della Valpolicella Classico
• 2016 Albino Armani Recioto della Valpolicella
• 2015 Domini Veneti Recioto della Valpolicella Classico

1. 1981 Giuseppe Quintarelli Recioto della Valpolicella Classico DOCG ($1,201)

This Recioto della Valpolicella wine has dried cherry and earth aromas on the nose. The palate is complex with cherry liquor, mushrooms, and chocolate flavour. 

2. 1998 Tommaso Bussola TB, Recioto della Valpolicella Classico DOCG ($270)

Here’s an Italian wine with an intense aroma of ripe fruit on the nose. A rich tannin texture and a cherry tasting note perfectly complement the bright balsamic finish.

3. 1961 Bertani Recioto della Valpolicella Valpantena DOCG ($265)

With vigorous prune and Sherry aromas on the nose, this dessert wine has blackcurrant, cocoa, and leather flavour with bright acidity and plenty of tannins.

4. 1998 Tommaso Bussola Recioto della Valpolicella Classico DOCG($178)

This Recioto della Valpolicella has sweet plum and dark fruit aromas on the nose. It’s a full-bodied Italian wine with molasses, coffee, and fruit flavours.

5. 2000 Le Salette Pergole Vece, Recioto della Valpolicella Classico DOCG, Italy ($119)

Here’s a Recioto wine with cherry liquor, dark chocolate, and blackberry aromas on the nose. Sweet spices, cinnamon, and crushed clove flavor on the palate complement its smooth mouthfeel.

6. 2008 Secondo Marco Recioto della Valpolicella Classico DOCG, Veneto, Italy ($103)

This Recioto della Valpolicella wine has raisins, raspberry, and vanilla aromas on the nose. It has hints of dark chocolate, sweet spices, and raisins on the palate with a rich texture and lasting finish.

7. 1988 Masi Mezzanella Amandorlato Classico, Recioto della Valpolicella DOCG, Italy ($169)

Dried fruit, ripe blackberries, and dark chocolate aromas dominate the nose of this sweet wine. The palate is full-bodied with smooth tannins and black cherry flavor.

8. 1988 Allegrini 'Giovanni Allegrini', Recioto della Valpolicella Classico DOCG, Italy ($150)

Here’s a wine with dried jammy fruits and black cherry aromas. It has hints of oak, sweet spices, and black fruit flavours on the palate with medium acidity.

9. 2016 Albino Armani Recioto della Valpolicella DOCG, Veneto, Italy ($30)

The intense aroma of plum and cherry jam dominates the nose of this Recioto della Valpolicella. It has creamy spice notes, a full-body, and structured acidity.

10. 2015 Domini Veneti Recioto della Valpolicella Classico DOCG, Veneto, Italy ($41)

This sweet red wine has complex aromas of spiced vanilla and oak on the nose. It's a full-bodied wine with a rich tannin texture and hints of preserved cherry on the palate.

Investing In Recioto Della Valpolicella Wine

Recioto della Valpolicella is excellent to drink upon release but also has good aging potential. You can age a bottle of this sweet wine for at least a decade, while some exceptional bottles can mature for 20 years.

These Valpolicella wines also show commendable price appreciations, for example:

• 1993 Giuseppe Quintarelli Recioto della Valpolicella Classico DOCG appreciated 74% between 2020 and 2021 when it rose from $233 to $406.

You’ll also spot these wines performing well at auctions:

• A 12 bottle case of 1997 Quintarelli, Recioto della Valpolicella sold for $2,652 at a 2021 Christie’s auction.

If you’re looking to invest in Recioto della Valpolicella or any other fine wine from around the world, you should enlist the services of a professional wine investment company like Vinovest.

Now, let’s find out how this fantastic sweet red wine is made.

Recioto Della Valoplicella Winemaking

Amarone della Valpolicella wine’s predecessor, Recioto della Valpolicella is made from similar production methods. Legend has it that Amarone was born after a Recioto della Valpolicella wine was left to ferment for too long.

Corvina Veronese is the signature grape in the sweet wine, apart from Corvinone, Rondinella, and Molinary.

After hand-picking the grape bunches from the vine, they are dried in the sun on straw mats or shallow crates for at least 50-100 days. 

These dried grapes have a higher concentration of sugar and fruit flavours than grapes straight from the vine.

Then, the dried grapes are gently pressed and undergo maceration before first fermentation and malolactic fermentation. Fermentation continues until the wine reaches the desired sweetness level and alcohol content (no less than 12% alcohol and 50g/l of residual sugar.)

Before final bottling, the Recioto wines are barrel-aged for at least two years in Slavonian oak barriques.

The sparkling Recioto Valpolicella wines utilize the “Charmat method“ to trap bubbles in the wine via carbonation in large steel tanks. 

Grab A Bottle Of Recioto Della Valpolicella Today!

Recioto della Valpolicella is a spectacular dessert wine and the sweetest of all the Valpolicella wines.

So, grab a bottle of this high quality wine today!

Also, check out the Vinovest website for expert help with buying, storing, and selling rare and authentic wines from around the globe.