By a bit of luck we've managed to get a stonker of a bottle back into the shop. This Amarone went down an absolute treat the first time and we expect it to do the same again! Let's have a read...
The Torre del Falasco wines are the standard bearers of this co-operative, situated in the Valpantena, northeast of Verona. Known as the ’valley of god’ to the ancient Greeks, this area is well-known for its high quality red wines, due partly to the soils but also because of the cool breeze that blows down the valley from the foothills of the Dolomites. Run by Luca Degani since 1995, the Cantina di Valpantena is now one of Italy’s best co-operatives, with 700 hectares of vineyard producing excellent quality fruit. Matt Thomson makes some of the Alpha Zeta wines here and has worked closely with them since 1999.
The grapes for the Amarone are grown on the steeply terraced hillside vineyards belonging to the co-op, where soils are chalky and poor.
The summer brought abnormally high temperatures and a prolonged absence of rainfall. A providential downpour on 17th July, with 25mm of rain, managed to restore water reserves and bring the vegetation back into a state of equilibrium. In addition, abundant and much-needed rainfall at the beginning of September - about 80mm - changed the macroclimate substantially, bringing with it significant differences in day and night-time temperatures that produced a wide range of aromas and helped to retain acidity.
Once picked, the grapes dried for at least four months in the Valpantena drying centre where temperature and humidity are controlled to ensure slow, even drying. During this period, the grapes lost 40% in weight. After drying, the grapes were fermented in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks at between 18-22°C with maceration for 20 days. Once fermentation was complete, the wine matured in French oak barriques for 18 months before bottling.
Torre del Falasco Amarone della Valpolicella 2012 @ £28.95 - Buy it here!
Deep ruby in colour, this wine has aromas of plums, spice and dried fruit compôte, which give way to a solid tannin structure that supports the concentrated, dried-cherry fruit character. Long and spicy on the finish, with a bitter cherry-chocolate twist characteristic of good Amarone.
Come grab a few of this beautiful beast. We love it!
