Amarone: Verona's Revered Powerhouse Red
2016 Monte Zovo Amarone della Valpolicella DOCG - Tre Bicchieri Award Winner
Amarone is one of Italy’s most iconic wines and certainly the most celebrated style of the Valpolicella region. The effort and investment required to produce Amarone pays dividends in the finished product, and it’s not hard to see why they necessitate a premium price. In Italy, Amarone is known colloquially as "vino da meditazione" or meditation wine, because of the ethereal layers and complexity that are best appreciated when slowly and thoughtfully savoured. Today, we are pleased to feature the 2016 Monte Zovo Amarone as a true benchmark of the style.
Only the ripest red grapes (usually a combination of Corvina, Corvinone and Rondinella) are carefully hand-selected to undergo the appassimento method, which requires drying the grapes on straw mats or in specially designed lofts for months at a time. Through this process, the ratio of water to sugar is reduced, resulting in more concentrated flavours and tannins. The wine is also fermented very slowly at cooler temperatures to ensure that the perfumes and flavours are retained.
What Carlo Cottini began as a family farm in 1925 has become a state-of-the art winery, with 140 hectares of vineyards scattered across the province of Verona, and a slew of highly awarded wines. Winemaker Diego Cottini prefers sites with higher altitude, as he believes the diurnal temperature range is critical to achieving the utmost expression of Valpolicella’s native varieties. Several vintages of the Monte Zovo Amarone, including the 2016, have won the coveted Tre Bicchieri (3 glasses) designation from Gambero Rosso, Italy's best-known Italian wine guide. Only about 2% of Italian wines reviewed receive this award.
Full-bodied and well-balanced, the Monte Zovo Amarone also displays notable elegance. Deep ruby red in the glass. Sumptuous aromas of ripe dark cherries mingle with cinnamon, liquorice and coffee. The palate is warm and powerful with an impressively long finish. Outstanding cellaring potential. An excellent match for braised meat, beef filet, duck ragu, and mature cheeses.