Monte Santoccio Viola Passito Rosso 2019

Viola is made in Fumane, in the heart of Valpolicella Classica, on the hills rising north of Verona. Monte Santoccio farms four hectares of small plots there at around 300 metres, exposed to the wind and trained on the pergola trentina system on limestone soils and alluvial areas. This natural ventilation keeps the bunches healthy and allows them to be picked late, slightly overripe, then dried at length without spoiling.

The grapes, harvested slightly overripe and sorted by hand, dry in crates in the fruttaio until the depths of winter. A thirty-day cold pre-maceration precedes a very slow alcoholic fermentation of about a month, at a temperature that never exceeds 18 °C. The wine is then aged for twenty-four months in 500-litre French oak barrels. The excellent 2019 vintage produced an elegant, precise wine with fine ageing potential.

This wine reveals notes of blackberry, plum jam, black cherry, amarena cherry, prune, roasted coffee, dark chocolate and liquorice. The garnet-red colour with purple glints leads into an intense nose, lifted by balsamic touches. On the palate, the texture is supple, both fresh and indulgent, highly expressive and beautifully balanced, with a sweetness that never feels heavy. The very long, flavourful finish lingers with intensity.

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!