Tedeschi's La Fabriseria: A Vertical

La Fabriseria is now Tedeschi's top Valpolicella Classico Superiore, made from Corvina, Corvinone, Rondinella and Dindarone grapes that are allowed to dry for a time after harvesting in a shed in the vineyard, and then pressed, fermented, and aged in large wood.

In the past, however, it was an IGT because it also contained a small percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon -- 3% more recently, and 6% further back, and also went into small wood. This year at Vinitaly the family presented some of the earlier vintages, and it was a beautiful tasting. We began with the most recent, the 2006, and worked back:

La Fabriseria Valpolicella Classico Superiore 2006
Deep black almandine ruby with black reflections. The nose is rich, with jammy berry fruit supported by licorice root and some greenish accents with hints of almonds as well. Great depth, and rare harmony for a wine so young, and it will clearly climb with time. On the palate it's full, with rich languid red berry fruit laced with some plum sweetness supported by clean slightly greenish spicy tannins that have a core of velvet to them, and flow into a clean bright finish with tannic underpinning. It's quite elegant, but also very, very young, and though one could drink it with rich red meats now (a crown roast comes to mind), it will richly reward those with the patience to let it age for 3'5 years, and continue to grow for at least 10.
90

Rosso La Fabriseria IGT 2003
Deep almandine ruby with almandine rim. The bouquet is rich, with powerful red berry fruit laced with plums and supported by clean, rich greenish accents and sandalwood supported by spice and some hints of almonds with underlying animal tang that adds depth. On the palate it's full and rich, with powerful red berry fruit supported by clean sweet tannins that derive some of their character from the fact that the wane was made from whole bunches of grapes, and flow into a warm clean tannic finish. Quite nice, and though there is a certain warmth that's ascribable to the 2003 vintage, it displays great depth and control in a fairly young key. In other words, it's still a babe.

Rosso La Fabriseria IGT 2000
Deep black almandine ruby with black reflections and brownish rim. The bouquet is powerful, with clean animal accents, in particular polished leather, mingled with warmth and alcohol, spice (and jammy accents mingled with plum cherry fruit (a testament of the August heat) and slight wet horse that adds depth. A great lot going on. On the palate it's full and much softer than the 2003, with elegant cherry plum fruit supported by greenish sandalwood laced tannins that are very smooth, and rather languid, and flow into a very clean, rich, fairly sweet finish. A beautiful wine that has much to say.
90-91

With the older vintages, wood use changes from used barriques to new barriques, which surrender more to the wines

Rosso La Fabriseria IGT 1998
Deep black almandine with black reflections. The bouquet is clean and rich, with leaf tobacco and raw beef mingled with tar and well polished saddle leather, and some elegant spice supported by acidity and red berry fruit. The palate is full and rich, with powerful red berry fruit supported by bracing acidity and smooth sweet tannins (in part from wood) that flow into a clean sour finish with a beautiful underpinning of fruit. Great elegance, and impressive balance.
90

Rosso La Fabriseria IGT 1997
Deep, almost impenetrable almandine ruby with brownish rim. The bouquet is very rich, with powerful saddle leather laced with coffee and rich cherry plum fruit; rare harmony -- it's like listening to Mozart -- and though it's quick to write there's a lot going on. On the palate it's it's delightful, with rich full red berry fruit laced with some plum that gains direction from deft, delicate forest berry fruit acidity and is supported by ample tightly woven tannins that are very smooth and flow into a clean rich berry fruit finish. It all comes together, and the result is extraordinary.
95

Want to know more? Tedesci's Site

Tasted at Vinitaly: La Fabriseria Valpolicella Classico Superiore

Greetings From Vinitaly!The first winery I visited was Tedeschi, whose Amarone and Valpolicella I have always liked. This year they have reclassified their La Fabriseria as a Valpolicella Classico Superiore, in doing so taking a significant step back into tradition. To begin with, the name: La Fabriseria was the council of townspeople who worked with the parish priest on parish affairs, and Antonietta, one of the current younger generation, says the people on this council, including her great grandfather, were all winemakers, and would bring a bottle to each meeting, each trying to bring the best. So meetings of La Fabriseria became opportunities to discuss wines as well, and the Tedeschi family decided to apply the name to their top wines.

This said, until this vintage what is now called La Fabriseria Valpolicella Classico Superiore contained a small percentage of Cabernet, and was therefore an IGT. Now the Cabernet is gone, and they have also made the decision to ferment the old way, with whole bunches of grapes. In other words, after a brief period of drying, the bunches are looked over and those that are unblemished go into the fermentation tank, stems and all. There is some tannic extraction from the stems, but the tannins are not harsh, and greatly increase the longevity of the wine. After fermentation, large wood.

Enough talk:

Tedeschi La Fabriseria Valpolicella Classico Superiore 2006
Deep cherry ruby with hints of almandine in the rim. Rich bouquet with ripe berry fruit supported berry fruit jam mingled with warmth, some balsamic notes, underlying sweetness and licorice root; a fellow taster also find almonds. Pleasant in a young key. On the palate it's full, with rich wild berry fruit supported by clean slightly greenish spicy tannins that have a steely velvety core, and flow into a clean bright finish with tannic underpinning. It's quite elegant, but also very, very young, and though one could drink it with rich red meats now (a crown roast comes to mind), it will richly reward those with the patience to let it age for 3'5 years, and continue to grow for at least 10.
90