amarone della valpolicella

Amarone della Valpolicella is one of the most famous and appreciated dry DOCG red wines in the world, with a reputation built in a few decades of history. Its production is allowed only in the area of Valpolicella Classica, in the municipalities of Fumane, Negrar, Marano and Sant'Ambrogio della Valpolicella, San Pietro in Cariano, but also in those of Valpantena, Val Tramigna, Val d'Illasi and Val di Mezzane , in the province of Verona. Overall, the production area extends from Lake Garda to the border with Vicenza, along a series of valleys and hills that follow one another without stopping. Valpolicella is certainly one of the areas most suited to viticulture, whose name would derive from the Latin Vallis-polis-celle and would mean "valleys with many cellars", never a more representative name. Amarone is obtained from only red berried grapes typical of Valpolicella, with a significant presence of the Corvina Veronese variety (from 45 to 95%), to which are added other red berried vines, typically Corvinone (max 50%), Rondinella (from 5 to 30%) and molinara (from 5 to 25%).

This structured red wine from Veronese was given the name of Amarone to differentiate it from Recioto, sweet sweet raisin wine from which it originates. It is said that when the cellar manager Adelino Lucchese tasted the contents of a barrel of Recioto della Valpolicella forgotten in the cellar by mistake , he was struck by the bitter taste of that wine, coming to declare that it was not only a bitter wine but even a wine " amarone ". Its flavor was highly appreciated and the new term was immediately reported on the label.

Since then, the production process has been completed up to the current production method, which provides a substantial post-harvest withering within plateaux stacked in fruttai aerated. In this phase there is a progressive reduction of the water content in the berries, with an increasingly higher concentration of sugars, the same which will give the character and the intense aromatic outfit that distinguish it. This phase is followed by a slow fermentation at low temperature lasting 30-50 days. Once the winemaking process is completed, the aging required by its production specification is at least two years inside wooden containers, generally in Slavonian oak barrels or in small French oak barrels. At least four to be able to say Reserve . Amarone wines made within the historic region of Valpolicella will take on the name of Classico . In order to be able to bear the denomination, all operations must take place within the established borders of the area of origin.

It develops a great wine with an intense and deep ruby red color that tends to garnet with aging. The aroma is characteristic, very pronounced, of red and black fruits, accompanied by fragrant notes of dried flower potpourri which turn towards spicy and earthy hints in the more advanced versions. In the mouth it is a wine of great structure and fullness, warm and velvety, dense and round. It divinely accompanies important red meat, roast and braised dishes, or aged cheeses. It is excellent for meditation. <

Amarone is one of the most long-lived Italian red wines, capable of supporting an aging of over 20 years in ideal storage conditions.

Being produced with dried bunches, it is necessary that the Amarone grapes are perfectly healthy and intact, therefore it suffers from particularly wet, fresh and rainy vintages that often cause mold problems. Here are the vintages deemed best for the denomination:

2011 . A vintage that started with a rainy winter and a rather hot and dry spring. The rains also characterized the beginning of summer, which then stabilized on good weather. The harvest was brought forward with healthy and excellent quality grapes. The wines are intense, fresh and balanced.

2010 . Vintage overall cool but rather regular in its development. The weeks before the harvest were characterized by significant temperature changes which ensured grapes with very rich aromatic profiles. Interesting wines for freshness and aromas, less powerful, warm and structured compared to the sunniest vintages.

2008 . 2008 is what is usually defined as a classic vintage, with the weeks that preceded the harvest dry and with important temperature changes and excellent phenolic ripeness. Harmonious and intense wines, but which have also preserved the right freshness.

2006 . The 2006 vintage is remembered as one of the best of the last decades, with a splendid and dry September and autumn, ideal for withering. Rich and concentrated wines, powerful and persistent.

2004. A thousandth started with a rainy spring and a splendid summer, which allowed an excellent ripening of the grapes. The stable and dry climate allowed a good drying of the bunches. The wines are harmonious, intense and aromatically rich.