Allegrini, `Palazzo della Torre`

The Allegrini family estate comprises 120 hectares of vineyard in the heart of Valpolicella Classico. Although the family has grown grapes here for several centuries, Giovanni Allegrini was the first to start bottling wines from the family’s vineyards. When he died in 1983, he passed his passion and commitment to quality winemaking onto his three children, Walter, Marilisa and Franco. Together, they worked to build on Giovanni’s quality ethos until Walter’s death in 2003. Franco looked after the vineyards and winemaking, while Marilisa continued to manage sales and marketing. From the 2007 vintage, Franco sacrificed the Valpolicella Classico classification by bottling the Allegrini wines under Stelvin to eliminate cork taint and reduce oxidation problems. Franco sadly passed away in 2022. He was an inspiring figure who led the way in Valpolicella’s quest for quality, forging a path many others have followed. In 2023, Franco’s sons Francesco, Giovanni and Matteo, alongside their cousin Silvia Allegrini (Walter’s daughter), became custodians of their family’s historic estate.

Allegrini’s Valpolicella has a lovely intensity of red cherry fruit, lifted perfumes and a ripe yet zesty character on the palate. ‘La Grola’, sleek and beguiling, sets the standard by which all other wines from Valpolicella are judged. The ‘Palazzo della Torre’, a ‘baby Amarone’ produced by Allegrini’s modern approach to the ripasso method, is plush and rounded. Their Amarone is outstanding, offering an expression that is intense yet balanced. The ‘Giovanni Allegrini’ Recioto Classico, named after the winery's famous founder, is bursting with fruit and notes of cherry intertwined with pepper and thyme.

In 2018, Allegrini purchased 40 hectares of land in the municipality of Pozzolengo after years of scouting the Lugana area around Lake Garda. They created a Lugana defined by lively acidity, which balances the natural richness of the Turbiana grape. The resulting wine is stylish and elegant, defined by classic floral aromas and hints of almonds.