Amarone della Valpolicella Classico DOCG 2019

Deep dark cherry red, black at the core, with minimal lightening toward the rim. The nose remains fragrant: dark fruits, wild raspberries, black tea, marzipan and a flood of wild herbs. A ripe, densely built Amarone whose style aims for freshness and elegance rather than power and alcohol – the signature of Alessandro Castellani, who is responsible for the wines in the cellar.

The grapes come from the historic Valpolicella Classico zones of Marano and Fumane and grow on limestone. Nicola Castellani farms 29 hectares of terraced hillside vineyards in the Marano valley, between 150 and 300 metres, facing east-southeast. Clay and limestone, together with the slow, steady ripening on these slopes, shape the wine's minerality and structure.

Corvina, Corvinone and Rondinella. Fermentation happened spontaneously with wild yeasts; the wine then ages for at least 36 months in large wooden casks rather than barriques.

Dense fruit with pronounced fruity sweetness, along with dried fruit, dried cherries and dark chocolate with fine spice notes. Lively acidity and invigorating tannins keep this richness in motion.

With intense dishes of aromatic richness.

Cà la Bionda was founded in 1902; Alessandro and Nicola Castellani now run the estate in its fourth generation and have farmed organically since 2012. Brogna sheep, an endangered breed from the Veneto, graze between the vine rows, keeping the grass short and fertilising the soil naturally. As co-founders of FIVI, the brothers stand for independent winemaking craftsmanship; they have deliberately reduced Amarone production and dedicated entire parcels to Valpolicella Classico instead.