Amarone Della Valpolicella Classico DOCG

Amarone della Valpolicella Classico DOCG

  • Amarone Della Valpolicella Classico DOCG, 
  • Veneto, 
  • italy

Latest Awards

  • 96 points Cellar Selection Wine Enthusiast , May 2024
  • 98 points Decanter , February 2024
Background

Bertani’s impact on Veneto wine making, particularly in Amarone production, is so considerable that ‘Bertani’ and ‘Amarone’ are nearly synonymous. Their 150+ year history is dotted with groundbreaking initiatives and royal accreditation. While respectful of their past, Bertani strives towards innovation, using progressive techniques and equipment allied with extensive experience and a deeply felt respect for tradition to provide wines of uncompromising quality.

TERROIR & VINTAGE NOTES

The grapes come from the Tenuta Novare vineyards at Arbizzano di Negrar, in the heart of the Valpolicella Classica area. Their 550 acre vineyards are covered with calcareous-marl soils and are devoted exclusively to the production of Amarone. The vines are vertical-trellised and Guyot trained, with a planting density of 2,025 vines per acre. The 2013 vintage was marked by a winter with slightly higher than average temperatures and rainfall. Heavy rains and low temperatures in spring delayed budbreak and flowering. The hot, dry summer brought invaluable rainfall in August and then set the conditions for a rare and exceptional pre-harvest period. The long-awaited diurnals (typical in Valpolicella) in the last week of August and the first ten days of September ensured full grape ripening in terms of polyphenols and aromas.

Winemaking & Aging

After careful bunch selection, the grapes are taken to drying lofts and laid in a single layer on arèle -- bamboo racks. They remain here for about 120 days, losing up to 60% of their water content. In mid-January the grapes are destemmed and crushed. Maceration at 40°F for about 20 days, then a slow fermentation starts – about 30 days in concrete vats at a maximum temperature of 64°F. The wine was aged in large Slavonian oak barrels, with an average capacity of 60 hl, for 8 years, followed by bottle maturation for at least 12 months.

Tasting Notes

A fantastic nose of great aromatic dimension and class. A palate of huge concentration with such pure lines: extremely intense and focused with dried cherry, cranberry, and forest floor. Lovely grainy tannins and a cedary quality to the whole. This is a monumental wine which dazzles with its complexity, beauty, and exuberance.

98
Points

The current-release 2013 vintage features a nose of dried cherries combined with spice and smoke, adding a savoury element. The tannins are still tight but fine-grained, and balanced by the firm, linear acidity. There's weight and breadth on the palate due to the immense fruit concentration, with a persistent finish. Elegant and poised. - M.C.K.

Decanter - February 2024

97
Points
#45 Top 100 Wines of Italy 2023

A super, dense core of mixed dried berries, together with notes of caramel and a mix of mild Indian spices, from coriander to mace. Full-bodied with a liqueur-like bead of fruit that’s riding abundant but well-integrated tannins through the long, long finish. Excellent and so fresh. Delicious to drink now, or in your centenary year! – J.S.

James Suckling - November 2023

96
Points

This is a very good interpretation of the cool 2013 vintage: a rainy winter and spring, then a hot summer which had a positive effect on fruit ripening. Strawberry, orange peel, bay leaf and assertive black pepper on the vibrant nose. Dense, full-bodied, packed with fruit and super-ripe tannins. Zesty acidity and chalk at the end of a warming but balanced and polished finish, which also displays cherry, strawberry and an orange vibrancy. A tribute to the Bertani Classico personality, this is what the Bertani lover and connoisseur expects. Personally, I love both this vintage and this stylish wine. - A.F.

Decanter - September 2022

96
Points
Cellar Selection

This classic Amarone exudes a robust essence of dark fruits and earthy undertones, reminiscent of a rich, oak forest and worn leather. On the palate, it unveils a compelling story of ripe cherries, plums, and a hint of spice, culminating in a velvety finish that lingers like a timeless song. Drink now–2050. —J.P.

Wine Enthusiast - May 2024

95
Points

Recently qualified MW, Andrea Lonardi, is determined to restore the great historic Veronese house of Bertani to its former glory by reinterpreting the traditional values of the area through its range of carefully crafted wines. The Amarone Classico 2013 is a minor masterpiece: dark fruit and toasted spice aromas with hints of seasoned wood lead to a full and juicy palate with fleshy fruit flavours and superbly balanced structure. Holding up really well, and will continue to improve.

Decanter - November 2023

94
Points

A well-meshed red, with savory notes of forest floor, iron and smoke underscoring dried cherry and cranberry fruit, red licorice and dried flower flavors. Features fine, taut tannins that firm the spiced finish. With 10 years of age already, this is still bright and focused, with many years of enjoyment ahead. Corvina and Rondinella. Drink now through 2033. —A.N.

Wine Spectator - January 2024

92
Points

The 2013 Amarone della Valpolicella Classico opens with an intense burst of shaved cedar, dark chocolate and crushed black cherries. This soothes with its silky textures, offset by tart red and black fruits as rosy inner florals form toward the close. Medium in length, it finishes fresher than expected, showing the wiry yet energetic character of the vintage. -E.G.

Vinous - December 2023

Appellation

Amarone Della Valpolicella Classico DOCG

grape varieties

80% Corvina Veronese; 20% Rondinella

Sizes

750ml

technical details
  • ABV: 15.5%
  • Closure: Cork
  • Vegan
winemaker

Andrea Lonardi

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