Azienda Agricola Montezovo, Amarone Della Valpolicella DOCG, Veneto, Italy, 2019

Producer Profile

Montezovo wine estate, owned by the Cottini Family, places most of their business focus on managing terroir and biodiversity.

Montezovo wine estate, owned by the Cottini Family, places most of their business focus on managing terroir and biodiversity. Montezovo wines are the result of careful and conscious choices in the vineyards, where the interaction between the vine’s varietal, soil, climate and geographic position are all carefully considered. Most of the vineyards are located over 550m above sea level with some beyond 900m which form an average altitude much higher than the appellation usually sees and they see clear benefits for both vines and grapes. Montezovo wines are produced entirely with grapes from the family-owned vineyards, spread over the main Verona appellations: Valpolicella, Garda, Lugana and Lessini. Each wine is the expression of the identity of the vineyard and the result of the never-ending research for innovation and sustainability, the results of this incredible terroir are the flagship wines of Montezovo: Calinverno Rosso Veronese and Amarone della Valpolicella DOCG.

Viticulture

From the Zovolo Vineyard, Tregnago Estate in Eastern Valpolicella. It is a high hillside vineyard (altitude between 350 and 550 meters above sea level) located on western slope of the Tregnago's hill, above the ward of Mezzane di Sopra. It is exposed to south-west. The soil is composed by calcareous marls. The vines have an average age of 20 years, and they are trained with the Guyot system with a planting density of 6.000 vines per ha and an average yield of 40/50 tons per hectare.

Winemaking

After a careful selection, the grapes are manual harvested during the second week of September. Later the bunches are gently laid in special boxes, taking care about the distance between the bunches to facilitate a correct drying process. The grapes are then moved into the property drying facility (also known as ""fruttaio"") in Tregnago. Here they remain for about 100 days. During this period of time, they undergo to a slow and constant natural drying process, losing approximately the 30-35% of their weight. The dried grapes are crushed and left to macerate in inert vessels. The fermentation then lasts about 30 days, and it is carried on at temperature between 20°C and 24°C. Later the new wine is matured in French oak barriques for 24 months. The final blend is made in oak vats of 150 hl where the wine matures for other 6 months. At the end it is aged in bottle for minimum 6 months before commercial release.

Tasting Note

Notes of ripe blackberries and plum skins with hints of dried herbs, ground cloves and undergrowth. Full-bodied, concentrated and compact, yet with a succulent, fruit-driven mid-palate. Juicy and supple on the finish.

Food Matching

A great red wine with generous and complex aromas, perfect for special occasions.