Simply search for this keyword on Google, “rakastavaisten viini”: you will find it, the Amarone della Valpolicella! Maybe you would have thought of something simpler and sweeter. I don’t know, maybe a Prosecco, a Champagne, or even a charming rosé, a sweet and velvety moscato rosa from Alto Adige. Instead no: the intriguing pleasantness of this nectar coming from a blend of native dried grapes from Valpolicella becomes the true symbol of love in the glass.
Amarone is a wine that is increasingly loved by women at the table and, as we know, in the end it is they who drive the market for luxury wine. Also because: I challenge any gentleman not to please his partner or wife, right at the table, perhaps during a date! Aside from everything, Amarone della Valpolicella remains today the great driver of Italian agri-food, not only in the wine sector, with a growth trend that seems endless. Now it is the Asian markets that are declaring a new spring for it and the female universe has crowned it as the preferred red wine.
It will be its enticing charm, the soft roundness that ends dry and fragrant with crunchy almond. It will be that assertive alcohol that sinks into the depth of tannins and spicy nuances. A cherry wine which underlies shades of chocolate and caramel that can sometimes be too evident. But, if you think about it, these are all features that today represent crucial elements for defining pleasantness and choosing a wine.
Finally, also thanks to a constant communication strategy, Amarone della Valpolicella is increasingly crowned as the fireplace wine, the “finishing touch” that reconciles cuddles and caresses. Is it true? Well, let’s try! More than a meditation wine, therefore, it is a wine of “action”. Especially for Valentine's Day.
We at Spaghetti & Mandolino accompany you through our selection. A journey through valleys and vineyards from the classical historical area of Valpolicella to the more eastern valleys. Yes, because you must know that not all Amarone are the same and the difference is not made by price but by the soil on which the vines rest and the passion that women and men dedicate every year to the life of the grape. Yes, my dear, Amarone is a wine whose grapes must be treated like few others: hand harvested, cleaned and sorted with small scissors to remove what is not perfect, then laid in small boxes with the grapes side by side without ever overlapping, and there they are left to rest and dry for at least three months, in the fresh breezes of the highest mountains.
Let’s start from the valley of Fumane and pause at a biological production winery managed by a promising young winemaker: Le Bertarole. This company represents the authentic expression of the beautiful adventure of Marco and Giordano. An Amarone, il cru Le Marognole, which will win you over with its pleasant naturalness, without frills, simply representative of a territory and a distant wine tradition. The cherry that emerges from the tasting is beautiful and the particular spicy aroma of black pepper. An effusion of jam-like fruit and spirits with very elegant and fine tertiary elements. Don’t miss the very good Podere Cariano, essential where simplicity rhymes with authenticity.
Let’s move along the eastern slope of the Fumane Valley and, in particular, the fiery moraine characterized by tuffs coming from the ancient lavas erupted by the small underwater volcano that is now called Monte Castelòn. The vineyard of Monte Sant’Urbano is one of the most appreciated and sought after by all great enthusiasts and experts of Amarone worldwide. The family Speri produces it with great wisdom, trying to respect as much as possible the characteristics dictated by the soil and the unique microclimate of this hillside. An enveloping product, of great finesse and elegance, with a crunchy red cherry that spreads in the nuances of dark chocolate and intriguing smoky elements from flintstone. The essence of an authentic Valpolicella where man manages to tame the land and the vineyard.
Let’s shift to the Negrar valley and, in particular, we slightly climb the eastern slope in the district of Villa. Here we find an ancient dwelling from 1550 that still today accompanies those who travel the ancient Campiona Road that rises beyond the ridge and finds itself in the Pantena Valley. The winery is brand new, called Nepos Villae and takes the name of the founder who dedicates his properties to "nepos," the nephew. Today it is in the hands of the Ruffo family from Verona and its umpteenth nephew, the young Francesco, in love with his homeland. Here stands a beautiful vineyard leaning against the stones of the marogne. A field that gives its name to the Amarone Campo di Villa. Great depth and pleasantness, decidedly spicy, rich in forest fruits, blackberries, and blueberries. A nice consistency and roundness of the tannin. Beautiful balance and finesse of scents.
Let’s then move to the eastern valleys of Valpolicella and, in particular, the Marcellise valley where the Amarone Terre d’Orti from the Cavalchina family is born. These are stony lands, pearly white from emerging fossil marl. Rich in schists and stones that cover the roots of the vine. They offer powerful wines, with great emotional impact and decisively rich in jam-like fruit. A sincere tannic presence that evolves into an elegant black pepper spice.
Still in the eastern Valpolicella, the winery of Marco Mosconi, a young surveyor who abandoned construction ambitions to grow his vineyard among the deep marls of the ridges that wrap around the Valley of Illasi and the stones of the ancient creek Progno. His wines are characterized by great character and elegance, with a pleasantness that evolves significantly over time. His Amarone is an effusion of mixed fruit and spices with a tannic presence that is softened by a nice smoothness and a dry finish of crunchy almond.
Finally, a great Amarone from a great interpreter of the Valley of Illasi: Flavio Prà from the Azienda Agricola I Campi who has in his Campo Marna 500 one of the greatest Amarone produced today in the denomination. An enchanting journey through heroic vineyards at about 600 meters of altitude, where structural power rhymes with elegance and balance between fruit, spices, aromatic herbs, and pleasant notes of tobacco and bitter cocoa. A force that gives chills and leaves you with your eyes closed. An enchanting and unique wine, endowed with expressive strength and fruit gentleness. A timeless winemaking masterpiece.
Bernardo Pasquali
S&M
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