Amarone della Valpolicella DOCG (2016)

Bottles produced:  2,800

Grapes:  Corvina, Corvinone, Oseleta and Rondinella.

Colour:  Medium-to-deep ruby.

Alcohol by volume: 16%

ecoVINO says:  A wonderful premium Amarone DOCG wine with outstanding structure, balance and complexity. This delightful full-bodied red wine is dry, warm and hearty, yet is very elegant on the palate. The wine is extremely drinkable now, or if stored properly will continue to age until at least 2026.

Aroma:  Pronounced ripe red and black fruits - particularly blackcurrant, blackberry, black plum and blueberry aromas - with hints of white pepper and liquorice. Secondary and tertiary aromas include cloves, cedar, smoke, chocolate and leather.

Taste:  Dry with medium-to-high acidity and tannins. Full-bodied with high alcohol. Pronounced red fruit flavours - particularly red cherry, red plums, redcurrant and cranberry - with a lovely long finish.

Food pairing:  Best paired in combination with structured and savoury dishes. Can also drink without food at the end of your meal.

Open:  To fully appreciate the complexity of the wine, best to decant 2 hours before service.

Service temperature:  Room temperature (18 degrees Celsius).

Winemaking process:  Grapes are handpicked at optimal ripeness and then dried naturally for 3 months (appassimento method). Over this period, the grapes lose around 35 to 40% of their water. A long and slow fermentation - over 1 month -  is carried out in stainless steel tanks at very low temperatures to preserve the delicate aromas. Maturation takes place in old French oak barrels for 24 months. Refinement continues for a further 24 months inside the bottle.

Allergens:  Minimal sulphites - lower than EU organic wine production requirements.