Monte Santoccio Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 2020

This Amarone comes from Fumane, one of the historic villages of Valpolicella Classica, north of Verona. Monte Santoccio's four hectares are spread across small hillside plots at around 300 metres, exposed to the wind and trained on the pergola trentina system. The free-draining limestone soils and alluvial areas, combined with good air circulation around the bunches, yield healthy grapes, essential for the long drying process that gives birth to Amarone.

The hand-sorted grapes dry in crates on wooden racks in the fruttaio until mid-January, following a traditional appassimento. After pressing, a cold pre-maceration precedes an alcoholic fermentation of around thirty days. The wine is then aged for twenty-four months in 500-litre French oak barrels. The 2020 vintage, with its challenging weather conditions, produced a concentrated, elegant and balanced wine.

This wine reveals notes of violet, cherry jam, prune, blackberry, black pepper, cigar, undergrowth and cocoa. The garnet-red colour leads into a remarkably generous nose. On the palate, the texture is full and velvety; the wine is dense and powerful while keeping great balance and well-integrated alcohol. The long, flavourful finish lingers on spicy notes and a slight volatile touch that adds lift and complexity.

Ah, Italy, what a beautiful, hedonistic country, the land of la dolce vita, but how difficult it is to understand its wine industry! The key to understanding the appellation system in Italy is to think of it as several small countries rather than a single homogeneous nation, as each region has its own appellation system. Italy can offer wine lovers a multitude of wines with varied and unique flavors and styles, bottles brimming with surprise and creativity. Unfortunately, it also produces a large quantity of soulless, characterless wines sold under their most commercially useful and prestigious name: Pinot Grigio, Chianti, Valpolicella, Lambrusco, Prosecco, and many others... But let's talk a little history. Viticulture in Italy dates back to antiquity and originated in Greece. The Etruscans are said to have introduced the vine, and Greek immigrants improved and modified the grape varieties, subsequently calling the country "Oenotria": the land of wine. At the height of the Roman Empire, wine held an important place in daily life, and certain regions already distinguished themselves by the excellence of their product. The Romans also established numerous vineyards in Europe, leaving an indelible mark of their conquest. Today, Italy is the world's largest wine producer, ahead of France. Italy is divided into three climatic zones. The northern mountains have a rather harsh mountain climate. The plains of the "central boot" are characterized by a continental climate with cold winters and hot, stormy summers. In the southern part of the Italian boot, the Mediterranean climate prevails, with very hot and dry summers, not forgetting the islands of Sicily and Sardinia. In short, Italy produces a wide variety of wines thanks to its 200 different grape varieties, many of which originated in its own lands. It is a country as complex as its wines, which deserve to be explored!