Grandarella
⏳ Drinking Window
2018 - 2028
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Slow-cooked beef stews, roasted game meats such as venison, and aged, savory cheeses like mature Asiago or Pecorino.
✨ Technical Specifications
Masi's Grandarella is a fascinating testament to the Venetian art of appassimento, a traditional grape-drying technique pioneered and perfected by the Boscaini family. While appassimento is famously associated with Valpolicella's Amarone, Grandarella represents a bold, innovative application of this ancient method to Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso, an ancient indigenous grape of the Venetian regions, grown in the stony soils of the estate's vineyards. The hand-harvested grapes are laid out to dry on traditional bamboo racks, known as 'arele', during the dry autumn months. This natural dehydration process concentrates the sugars, acids, and tannins, resulting in a deeply colored, robust red wine. After fermentation, the wine is aged in oak casks, marrying the wild, rustic blackberry and plum notes of Refosco with sophisticated layers of sweet spice, cocoa, and velvety tannins. It is a brilliant bridge between historical regional grapes and time-honored winemaking craftsmanship.
🍾 About the Producer
Established in 1772 when the Boscaini family harvested their first vineyard plots in the Vaio dei Masi valley, Masi Agricola stands as a foundational pillar of modern Venetian viticulture. Anchored in the heart of Valpolicella Classica, the estate spans diverse microclimates and sedimentary limestone, marl, and volcanic soils across the Trevenezie, tempered by Lake Garda and alpine foothills. Masi revolutionized regional winemaking through the modern mastery of the ancient appassimento method—drying harvested bunches on traditional arelle bamboo racks—and pioneering the ripasso revival with their landmark 1964 Campofiorin. Governed by the Masi Technical Group and long stewarded by Sandro Boscaini, affectionately hailed as 'Mr. Amarone', the estate blends sustainability with exacting enology. Their benchmark expressions range from majestic, cru-designated Amarone della Valpolicella such as Costasera, Campolongo di Torbe, and Mazzano, to crisp Trevenezie whites like Masianco and vibrant sparkling wines, epitomizing classical Venetian refinement and textural depth.