Le Salette

Le Salette is a small Fumane-based family producer with roots in the Valpolicella Classico zone extending several generations. The Scamperle family acquired and consolidated hillside vineyards in the Fumane and Marano communes through the 20th century, focusing on traditional appassimento winemaking practices. Unlike the larger commercial estates of the Famiglie Storiche association, Le Salette has remained a small-scale, family-direct operation, with no expansion outside Valpolicella and a deliberate focus on hand-harvest and limited bottling volumes. The estate's reputation rests on consistent quality at the moderate price tier and on the Pergole Vece single-vineyard Amarone, which has earned consistent recognition from Italian wine guides and international critics.

• Small family-run estate in Fumane di Valpolicella; Scamperle family ownership across generations
• Hillside Classico vineyards in Fumane and Marano communes; ~22 hectares total
• Not a member of Le Famiglie Storiche dell'Amarone Valpolicella association
• Artisan-tier focus: limited bottling volumes, hand-harvest, traditional appassimento

Le Salette's vineyards are concentrated on the hillside slopes of Fumane di Valpolicella and Marano di Valpolicella, within the Classico zone. Soils are predominantly calcareous-dolomitic, typical of the western Classico hills, with pockets of marly-clay providing complexity. Vineyards sit at elevations between 200 and 450 metres, providing the diurnal variation and acidity retention that distinguishes hillside Classico from valley-floor production. The Pergole Vece (literally 'old pergolas') vineyard derives its name from the traditional Pergola Veronese vine-training system used on the older plantings; the parcel is hand-tended with manual canopy management and yield-restrictive viticulture. Vine age across the estate averages 30-50 years, contributing to the concentration that defines Le Salette's flagship bottlings.

• Hillside Classico vineyards in Fumane and Marano communes; 200-450m elevation
• Calcareous-dolomitic soils with marly-clay pockets typical of western Classico hillsides
• Pergole Vece vineyard: traditional Pergola Veronese-trained old vines; site of flagship single-vineyard Amarone
• Average vine age 30-50 years; hand-tended manual canopy management; yield-restrictive viticulture

Le Salette practices traditional Valpolicella Classico winemaking. Hand-harvested grapes (Corvina, Corvinone, Rondinella, and small Molinara plantings) are sorted and laid on bamboo arele in ventilated fruttai for appassimento. Drying lasts approximately 100-120 days for Amarone (longer for Recioto, up to 130 days), with grapes losing 35-40% of their weight. Fermentation begins no earlier than December 1 at cool cellar temperatures, with extended maceration for Amarone (typically 40-50 days) and shorter, arrested fermentation for Recioto (15-20 days). Aging is exclusively in Slavonian oak botti of various sizes (typically 25-30 hectolitres), with no use of new French barrique. Amarone Classico ages a minimum of 3 years before release; Pergole Vece typically ages 4-5 years; Recioto ages 18-24 months. The house style emphasises traditional aromatic clarity, mineral lift, and structural balance rather than barrique vanilla or maximum extraction.

• Hand-harvest of Corvina, Corvinone, Rondinella, Molinara from hillside Classico parcels
• Appassimento: ~100-120 days for Amarone, up to 130 days for Recioto; 35-40% weight loss
• Fermentation: extended maceration for Amarone (40-50 days); arrested early for Recioto (15-20 days)
• Slavonian oak aging exclusively (no new French barrique); Amarone Classico minimum 3 years; Pergole Vece 4-5 years; Recioto 18-24 months

Le Salette's reputation rests on two signature bottlings. Pergole Vece Amarone della Valpolicella Classico DOCG is the estate's flagship cru, produced from old Pergola-trained vines in a specific hillside parcel in Fumane. The wine shows concentrated dried cherry, dried plum, fig, tobacco, and warm spice on a structured palate balanced by Corvina acidity, typically reaching 16% ABV after appassimento. Aging in Slavonian botti for 4-5 years preserves aromatic clarity. Le Traversagne Recioto della Valpolicella Classico DOCG is the small-batch sweet sibling, produced from grapes dried up to 130 days with arrested fermentation preserving 90-100 g/L residual sugar; the wine shows lush dried cherry, fig, dark chocolate, and a hint of botrytis lift in cooler vintages. Both wines are produced in limited quantities (typically 3,000-6,000 bottles annually for Pergole Vece, 2,000-4,000 for Le Traversagne) and have earned consistent recognition from Italian wine guides.

• Pergole Vece Amarone Classico DOCG: flagship single-vineyard cru from old Pergola-trained Fumane parcel; 16% ABV; 4-5 years Slavonian oak
• Le Traversagne Recioto Classico DOCG: small-batch sweet wine; 130 days drying, arrested fermentation, 90-100 g/L residual sugar
• Limited production: ~3,000-6,000 bottles annually Pergole Vece, ~2,000-4,000 Le Traversagne
• Consistent recognition from Italian wine guides; both wines reflect Le Salette's artisan-tier, site-specific philosophy

Le Salette delivers a traditional Valpolicella Classico style emphasising aromatic clarity, structural balance, and longevity. Pergole Vece Amarone shows the producer's classical hand: 16% ABV with preserved acidity, fine-grained tannins, and 15-20+ years cellaring potential. The entry-tier Valpolicella Classico Superiore and Ripasso provide approachable expressions of the same hillside fruit. The estate welcomes visitors by appointment for cellar tours and tastings, with the autumn appassimento period (October-January) offering the most evocative visit experience. Le Salette's wines are distributed through specialty importers in the US, UK, and selected European markets, with limited supply reflecting the estate's small-scale production. Critically, Le Salette demonstrates that artisan-tier Valpolicella outside the Famiglie Storiche framework can achieve consistent quality at moderate price points.

• House style: traditional Classico emphasising aromatic clarity, structural balance, longevity
• Pergole Vece Amarone: 16% ABV, preserved acidity, fine-grained tannins, 15-20+ years cellaring potential
• Visits by appointment; autumn appassimento period (October-January) most evocative experience
• Distributed via specialty importers in US, UK, selected European markets; limited supply reflects artisan scale