Tenuta Santa Maria - Amarone Classico Riserva 2018 750ML D.O.C.G. (16% ABV)

Region: Veneto | Farming Practice: Sustainable | Appellation: Amarone

74% Corvina, 13% Rondinella and 13% Corvinone • All from the Tenuta Santa Maria, a 20-hectare belted clos in Negrar • The grapes are hand harvested left to dry for 4/5 months • In January after losing 25%/30% of their weight, the raisin-like grapes are pressed and fermented for 25/30 days at controlled temperatures with daily pumping over • After 48 months of aging in large cask and tonneaux the wine is bottled • Rested 6 months in bottle before release • 2000 cases produced annually

Natural drying for 3 months on the arelle
Separate fermentation and maceration in steel for 30-35 days
Ageing for 66 months in large Slavonian oak barrels
Subsequent blending in concrete tanks
Bottle ageing for 6 months before release

2018’s spring marked the beginning of a rather rainy year, which meant that the water reserves in the soil were rebalanced. The growth of the shoots in the first days of April and the subsequent raceme inflorescences were favoured by a rather mild and sunny climate. The entire summer season was marked by a good temperature range, which reached above average temperatures. Veraison ended in mid-August, ensuring a complete and healthy ripening of the grapes.

With headquarters at Arbizzano near the bottom of the Negrar valley, the Bertani family produce a wide range of Veronese reds from the walled vineyards surrounding the magnificent, neoclassical, 18th century Villa Mosconi. Their Amarone is made as a Riserva, with five years of oak ageing. The wine shows a ripe and chocolatey nose of surprising freshness, and the palate lives up to this initial promise: balanced and firm with juicy fruit flavours. Plenty of life left ahead of it

93 pts across the board

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