Amarone della Valpolicella 2018

Enjoy the noble Cà dei Frati Amarone della Valpolicella – Pietro dal Cero

The Cà dei Frati Amarone della Valpolicella DOCG 2018 is an extraordinary, powerful red wine from the Italian wine-growing region of Veneto. With this red cuvée, the Dal Cero family impressively demonstrates that they can also produce outstanding red wines full of power and depth.

Indeed, the Amarone della Valpolicella, which bears the name of the father, Pietro dal Cero, is the pride of the family alongside their iconic wine, Il Lugana. Just a few years ago, the Dal Cero family purchased the Vigneto di Luxium plot in the home of their great-grandfather in Valpolicella, east of Verona, to create this very special Amarone from the indigenous Corvina, Corvinone, Rondinella, and Croatina varieties.

In 2008, after a decade of intensive preparation, the first vintage of the Cà dei Frati Amarone was presented. The second vintage already received high ratings in Italian wine guides. Today, the siblings Gian Franco, Igino, and Anna Maria manage 12 hectares of vineyards in Pian di Castagnè.

In the glass, the Pietro dal Cero shines in a deep ruby red with black-red highlights. On the nose, the spicy Cà dei Frati Amarone della Valpolicella 2018 reveals a rich bouquet of raisined red and black fruits, such as Amarena cherries, blackberry purée, or wild blueberry compote. Balsamic notes, tobacco, and roasted coffee beans, well-integrated notes from barrique aging, and a refreshing mint note are added. On the palate, pickled sour cherries meet dried plums and berry compote, as well as dark chocolate and spicy star anise. At the same time, the Cà dei Frati red wine is complex and concentrated, with animating acidity and silky-soft tannins.

As a food companion, the Cà dei Frati Amarone della Valpolicella 2018 harmonizes very well with dark meat—both grilled steaks, like Bistecca di Fassone, and Ossobuco, the traditional braised dish of Italian cuisine. It is also an excellent choice for stews, braised game dishes like wild boar goulash or roast venison, and mature cheese.

Amarone – Pietro dal Cero

Even though the Cà dei Frati winery is located very close to Lake Garda, the grapes for the Amarone come from a different Italian wine region: Valpolicella. This wine region adjoins the eastern shore of Lake Garda. The selected Vigneto di Luxium plot in Pian di Castagnè, with its limestone soils containing crushed rock and clay, is optimal for the local grape varieties Corvina, Corvinone, Rondinella, and Croatina.

What is special about the production of this most prestigious Amarone Valpolicella DOCG, which is appreciated all over the world, is that it is made from dried grapes. After the harvest, these are dried for about 100–120 days on wooden racks in well-ventilated lofts, with the grapes being turned several times. During this period of appassimento, the grapes lose a third to half of their weight, and the valuable substances, such as sugar and polyphenols, become concentrated. Following this elaborate process, the raisins are slowly fermented and vinified during the cool winter months. The wine is aged for 24 months in large wooden barrels, undergoing malolactic fermentation, then for 12 months in stainless steel tanks, and finally for another 24 months in the bottle. It is a heavy wine that possesses a great abundance of aromas. It owes its name to its light bitter notes, as amaro means "bitter" in Italian.

Amarone is considered one of the great red wines of Italy. In its youth, the Cà dei Frati Amarone della Valpolicella 2018 presents itself as powerful yet soft and still characterized by wood. With maturity, this extract-rich red wine develops complexity and elegance.

A red wine and its values

• Corvina, Corvinone, Croatina, and Rondinella
• 16% vol alcohol
• 7.2 g/l acidity
• 5.1 g/l residual sugar