La Poja: an ‘icon’ of Valpolicella

Filippo Bartolotta travels to Venice to take part in a vertical tasting of Allegrini’s single varietal, single vineyard La Poja.

This special occasion was to celebrate a wine, or rather, an icon of the Italian wine scene: La Poja by Allegrini, with the project A Milestone in Our History, which has arrived at the Lido in Venice.

A blind vertical tasting of seven historic vintages, from 1997 to 2018, led by Cristina Mercuri, was preceded by a visit to the Guggenheim Museum, which opened hearts and minds to an artistic perspective and an openness to listening to and understanding the wines and work philosophy.

All of this was complemented by the refined cuisine of chef Massimiliano Alajmo, which delighted palates and enhanced the food and wine pairings. The goal was to deepen the experience of a wine that has become a symbol of the company, born as an oenological dream and today recognised as Allegrini’s most exclusive and prestigious Cru, proving itself not just a revolutionary symbol but a true icon. The event allowed participants to revisit the history of the Allegrini family, and despite the beauty and magical atmosphere worthy of a film, the protagonist was undoubtedly the wine, La Poja, which showcased its grandeur.

The word “icon” symbolises a message conveyed through an image. In wine, it manifests in the ability to tell the story of a territory through its complexity and translate it into sensations and emotions, just like art. We often refer to iconic wines to represent those capable of transcending the experience in the glass, even by name alone. But what does it mean to be an iconic wine? It means it embodies the ability to tell a story, a place, a family, narrating its origins and using time as a precious ally to evolve in elegance while preserving its soul.

Revolution and territory

La Poja is the child of Valpolicella Classica, crafted by Allegrini, encapsulating the history of an entire region, a grape variety, and a family.

It originates from the hills of Sant’Ambrogio di Valpolicella, where, at 320 meters above sea level, in 1979, Giovanni Allegrini, a pioneer of hillside viticulture and bottled quality in Valpolicella had the visionary intuition to carry out a true revolution by experimenting with the potential of the Corvina grape.

La Poja was born from the upper plot of the La Grola estate, identified by Giovanni Allegrini as the ideal place to create a great pure Corvina. This small plot of nearly three hectares, which had been uncultivated for some time, was where Giovanni planted the vineyard, choosing the historic native Corvina Nera variety.

La Grola resembles a limestone amphitheatre, benefiting from the influence of Lake Garda. The stony, white limestone soil ensures optimal ripening for the grapes. On this particular hill, the black and sweet grapes reach their maximum potential thanks to ideal exposure throughout the day, constant ventilation, and soil composed almost exclusively of limestone.

Just above La Grola lies La Poja, a 2.5 hectare vineyard planted in 1979 with the specific intention of experimenting with Corvina’s potential. Today, the vines, planted at a density of 4,240 vines per hectare, have an average age of more than 40 years.

With the wine from this vineyard, for the first time, the common belief that the great reds made from traditional Veronese grapes must be represented solely by Amarone — helped by the appassimento drying process — was dispelled. La Poja is a wine produced in the style of an Amarone but without applying the appassimento technique, using grapes left on the vine for a longer period, becoming slightly overripe and raisined.

“La Poja, is much more than a wine for our family; it is the legacy of my grandfather Giovanni, my father Franco, and my uncle Walter,” explained Francesco Allegrini. “This wine represents their vision and commitment to enhancing the Valpolicella region and the Corvina grape. With the project A Milestone in Our History, which my siblings and I, along with our cousin Silvia, launched last year, we aim to continue this legacy, sharing La Poja and our history internationally.”

Tasting notes

2018
Blackberries, blue flowers, blood orange. Salinity, smoky traits, juicy and crunchy with a great tannic touch. A cool vintage with refreshing character and a powerful and elegant finish. Definitely one of the best La Pojas, with a great balance and a lingering finish. Light character and refreshing despite the big structure.

2016
A very ripe black fruit-driven character with a tropical touch a cola and sweet roots with a coconut and tobacco leaf finish. The wine has a lot of power a very important tannic structure, a chocolate soufflé volume with a strong mineral finish.

2013
I love the floral touch with a great red fruit style, loads of spices, candied ginger, basil leaf, bay leaf and some delightful juicy mulberries. Incense and bees wax complexity with a hibiscus finish. Maybe the most ready to drink of the vertical tasting, sweet and delicious, probably with less ageing potential though.

2009
Prunes, dark berries, cherries macerated in spirits with some leather, earth and a strong eucalyptus touch. The wine seems to have a wee bit more sugar and a higher degree of oak spice than the other samples, which for me takes some depth away of the wine.

2006
Loads of mint, dry figs and dates with a powerful black currant nose a mineral and suede leather touch and a tobacco edge. Loads of oak, very ripe fruit with some coffee and toffee notes and tighter tannins.

2001
The most Mediterranean herb-driven wine of the vertical tasting. Juniper, gentian, wild blackberries and mountain flowers. The wine has a strong mineral presence with some salinity and a very refreshing and juicy character with a smoky trait.

1997
Leather and spices, crushed red berries with a strong and elegant herbal style. This was the sweetest and most luscious sample which showed some leathery traits, elegant juiciness and a phenomenally enjoyable saline finish.

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