Azienda Agricola Trabucchi d’Illasi was founded by the lawyer Marco Trabucchi in 1920, in a hamlet of Illasi (Monte Tenda), in Valpolicella, 15 kilometers east of Verona. In the 1950s the company passed to Marco’s son, Professor Alberto, who, despite being a luminary of private law, who came to write a manual on the subject, still considered a reference text for university students and not only, worked with equal vigour and enthusiasm for the wine production of Valpolicella. Among the various campaigns conducted as mayor of Illasi (it was for 40 years), it is worth remembering how much he spent himself for the application of the DOC to the whole territory of Valpolicella, favoring the enhancement of its wines.
Since the late 1980s the winery has been run by his son, Giuseppe d’Illasi, and his wife Raffaella, who immediately gave a further boost to its development, with the choice of converting the 22 hectares of vineyards (and 6 of olive groves) to the organic regime as early as 1993. In addition, the spouses Trabucchi have taken a decisive step towards the production of quality with the construction, in 2002, of the new cellar, 3000 square meters organized on three floors entirely underground, up to 20 meters deep, with the vineyard growing on the attic of the last floor, connected to the old structure by an underground tunnel. The use of modern oenological instruments, together with the perfect isothermy and the absence of external noises or vibrations, guarantee the wine production and aging in optimal conditions.
Each operation is supervised by the oenologist Franco Bernabei who, assisted by Aristide Piovan (for the winery) and Matteo Merzari (for the vineyards), has set up a production methodology made of low yields per plant, high selection of bunches, a lot of manual work and a series of about 50 different types of analysis to which the entire production process is subjected, from green pruning to aging. One of the most interesting results of this care and attention is undoubtedly Dandarìn, a wine originated from the blending of the classic Valpolicella grapes (Corvina, Corvinone and Rondinella) with 30% of Teroldego and Syrah, located in the Dandarìn and Castello funds, in Dandarìn area. After the harvest, around the middle of September, the grapes undergo a month of drying before total destemming and fermentation in steel tanks for 2/3 weeks. It then take at least one year of aging in large French oak barrels before bottling and marketing.
The 2007 vintage shows a decidedly intense ruby color, with an olfactory range that opens on notes of creme de cassis, mulberry, baked plum and dark chocolate, followed by pot pourri, cinchona green branch, vinyl and dark leather, with final echoes of aromatic tobacco and goudron. The palate, despite the opulent softness, reveals an unexpected and pleasant balsamic component, which contributes to the verticality of the sip, and a crisp and rhythmic tannins; all enriched by the return of red fruit and spices that accompany the sip towards an excellent length and persistence closure.
Rating: 88/100
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