Monte Tabor Amarone della Valpolicella DOCG 2016

A powerful Amarone that remains dry and direct. Dark cherry fruit, dried plum and spice notes take the lead, underpinned by an earthy, almost austere freshness that carries the long finish. 16% alcohol by volume, yet nothing feels jammy.

The grapes grow in Valpolicella, the hill country west of Verona. Fidora manages two estates there: Montorio in the eastern part of the region and Fraune in the classic valley of Fumane. The family's original estate, Civranetta, in the hinterland of the Venice lagoon, is considered the oldest organic winery in the Veneto — insecticides, herbicides and artificial fertilizers have been avoided there since 1974. At least a third of the land remains unproductive: woodlands, hedges, ponds.

The Valpolicella trio: Corvina contributes dark fruit and finesse, Corvinone spicy depth, Rondinella color and backbone. For the Amarone, the grapes are dried using the appassimento method until sugar and extract are concentrated. Hence the wine's density and the fine bitter edge in the finish.

Full-bodied, with ripe, smoothly polished tannins and dense dark berry fruit. The wine stays upright rather than broad, the finish is spicy and long.

It stands up to robust food: braised beef cheeks in red wine jus, venison goulash, wild boar ragout with polenta or duck breast. Among cheeses, Parmigiano Riserva and aged pecorino pair well. A Verona classic: Risotto all'Amarone, in which the wine serves as both ingredient and accompaniment. Decant and serve at 18 degrees.

The estate has been Demeter-certified since 2020, and the label carries the Demeter logo. Emilio Fidora prepares every biodynamic preparation himself, from chamomile, yarrow, nettle and dandelion that grow between the vine rows.