Amarone della Valpolicella Classico DOCG

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.

The grapes come from the Tenuta Novare vineyards at Arbizzano di Negrar, in the heart of the Valpolicella Classica area. The 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 2015 vintage was characterized by a winter with higher than average temperatures and abundant rainfall. A dry spring favored early budbreak and flowering. The summer was very hot and dry with heat waves in August, accelerating the ripening process and resulting in an early start to the harvest. 2015 is the harvest in Valpolicella that for the first time has shown the effect of climate change and how it influences the composition of grapes and the duration of their rest. This vintage is classified as "Exuberance."

After careful bunch selection, the grapes are taken to drying lofts and laid in a single layer on arèle -- bamboo racks - 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 avg capacity of 60 hl, for 8 years, with min 12 months in bottle. The wine was bottled July 2023.

The nose is very expressive and complex, with distinct floral (violet/crocus) and cedar top notes, underpinned by darker, more brawny, earthy and tar tones. On the palate, there is substantial weight, but no heaviness thanks to the lively acidity. The generous, seamlessly textured fruit coats the tannins. Red fruit notes of remarkable purity are followed by a rich mouthful of great licorice dimension, and a meaty, savory finish. This is a brooding wine, with a reservoir of savory, smoky depths, accessible now thanks to the supple tannins and sensual expressivity, but with decades of glorious evolution to come.