Valpolicella

Veneto · Italy · Wine Auction Prices

The Valpolicella DOC encompasses the full range of wines produced from Corvina and its blending partners across the hillside valleys west of Verona. At its simplest, Valpolicella Classico is a light, refreshing red with cherry, herbs, and gentle almond bitterness on the finish — intended for early drinking. Valpolicella Ripasso elevates the category significantly: the base wine is refermented on Amarone or Recioto grape skins (the pomace), picking up additional colour, tannin, dried-fruit character, and often a slight residual sweetness, reaching 13%+ ABV. Ripasso wines occupy a key commercial sweet spot between the price-accessible Valpolicella DOC and the premium Amarone DOCG. The finest single-vineyard Valpolicella expressions — such as Quintarelli's Primofiore or Monte Dall'Ora's Saseti — rival entry-level Amarone in complexity. At auction, Valpolicella lots are typically more accessible in price and are often found as part of producer vertical sets alongside Amarone and Recioto from the same cellar.

Valpolicella

Valpolicella Ripasso DOC — the 'baby Amarone' — requires a minimum of one year's ageing and refermentation on Amarone or Recioto grape skins, adding structure and complexity to the base wine while remaining significantly more affordable than full Amarone production.

The Classico zone of Valpolicella, centred on the communes of Negrar, Marano, Fumane, Sant'Ambrogio, and San Pietro in Cariano, produces wines of noticeably greater concentration and aromatic complexity than the wider DOC, with hillside volcanic soils providing superior drainage and heat retention.

Allegrini's La Poja is a varietal Corvina Veronese IGT from a single hillside plot in the Classico zone, produced only in the finest vintages since 1979 — a benchmark for understanding Corvina's standalone potential outside the traditional blend.

Monte Dall'Ora's biodynamic Valpolicella Classico Superiore demonstrates the appellation's capacity for terroir-driven complexity, with Saseti vineyard wines of exceptional purity and longevity despite the DOC's reputation for lighter, early-drinking style.

$177

Avg Price / Bottle

249

Auction Lots

2005

Top Vintage

$12 – $1.4k

Price Range

In the Glass

Valpolicella in its Classico form shows bright cherry, herbs (particularly thyme and rosemary), a characteristic almond-bitter finish, and light, supple tannins. Ripasso adds dark cherry, dried fruit, leather, and additional structure from the refermentation. Single-vineyard Classico Superiore can develop tobacco, spice, and earthy complexity over 8–12 years.

Classico3 wines

Wine	Avg Price	Lots Sold
Quintarelli Giuseppe SuperioreClassico	$252	45
Monte Dall'Ora Superiore CamporenzoClassico	$72	29
Tommaso Bussola Superiore TbClassico	$42	9

Other

Wine	Avg Price	Lots Sold
Dal Forno Romano Superiore Monte Lodoletta	$214	127
Roccolo Grassi Superiore	$54	33
Novaia	$204	6

Top Producers

Dal Forno Romano Quintarelli Giuseppe Roccolo Grassi Monte Dall'Ora Tommaso Bussola Novaia

Find Live Valpolicella Auctions

Search active lots from Sotheby's, Christie's, Acker and 6 more houses.

Search Valpolicella wines →