Valpolicella: limestone layers and a volcanic seam
West to east across the Negrar valley, the easternmost of the Classica valleys, from the Marano ridge to the slopes climbing toward the Lessini. Tap a layer to read it.
Swipe the plate sideways to see the whole section.
Schematic. The Lessini beds are drawn flat, as they are near enough along a west–east line (they dip gently south). Heights of the boundaries are approximate; Eocene volcanic rock occurs as patches and seams, not one continuous bed. Of Righetti's five plots only Jago can be placed (near Colle Masua, east-facing, about 240–250 m); the others are somewhere on these slopes between 250 and 400 m. Check against the Regione Veneto geological map.
6 layers, youngest at the top
Single vineyards we pour from. Tap one on the plate.
Why the Negrar valley gives fresh, savoury Valpolicella
- Limestone and marl drain well and keep the soil cool, which holds acidity.
- Patches of weathered basalt and tuff add a darker, more water-holding soil.
- The plots run from 250 to 400 m, high enough for cool nights.
- The skeletal, stony soils keep yields down without irrigation.
Did you knowValpolicella's dry-stone terrace walls are called marogne. Many are built from the very limestone they hold up.
Pas Mal wines on this ground
Negrar valley, five plots
- Valpolicella ClassicoVigneti di Ettore Righetti
Sources: Consorzio Tutela Vini Valpolicella; Bolla / Gruppo Italiano Vini on the Classica valleys; Cantina Valpolicella Negrar zoning study (IVES); Regione Veneto geological map; Vigneti di Ettore Righetti grower data; AWS Terrain Tiles.