Bertani - 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.