Pietro dal Cero - 3-bottle wooden case

Amarone della Valpolicella in a wooden crate

3 bottles of Cà dei Frati Pietro dal Cero Amarone della Valpolicella DOCG 2018 packed in a 3-bottle wooden crate make a magnificent gift for wine lovers and Amarone fans.

The Cà dei Frati Amarone della Valpolicella DOCG 2018 is an exceptional, 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.

In fact, the Amarone della Valpolicella, which bears the name of their 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 parcel in their great-grandfather’s homeland in Valpolicella, east of Verona, to create this very special Amarone from the indigenous varieties Corvina, Corvinone, Rondinella, and Croatina.

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

Pietro dal Cero – a gift for wine lovers

In the glass, the Pietro dal Cero glows with a deep ruby red with black-red reflections. On the nose, the spicy Cà dei Frati Amarone della Valpolicella 2018 displays a rich bouquet of raisined red and black fruits, such as Amarena cherries, blackberry puree, or wild blueberry compote. Balsamic notes, tobacco, and roasted coffee beans, well-integrated notes from barrique aging, as well as a refreshing note of mint are also present. 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, this Cà dei Frati red wine is complex and concentrated, with animating acidity and silky-smooth tannins.

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

Cà dei Frati – Pietro dal Cero

Even though the Ca dei Frati winery is located very close to Lake Garda, the grapes for the Amarone originate from a different wine region in Italy: Valpolicella. This wine region lies to the east of Lake Garda. The selected Vigneto di Luxium parcel in Pian di Castagnè, with 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 the most prestigious Amarone Valpolicella DOCG, which is appreciated all over the world, is that it is made from dried grapes. After harvest, these are dried for about 100-120 days on wooden racks in well-ventilated attics, with the grapes being turned several times. During this period of appassimento, the grapes lose a third to half of their weight, and valuable substances like sugar and polyphenols become concentrated. Following this elaborate process, the raisins are slowly fermented and vinified during the cool winter months. The wine is then aged for 24 months in large wooden barrels, undergoing malolactic fermentation, followed by 12 months in stainless steel tanks and another 24 months in the bottle. It is a heavy wine that exhibits a great wealth of aromas. It owes its name to slight bitter notes, as "Amaro" means bitter in Italian.

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

Amarone – 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