Wines of Verona Tasting at Wine Watch

“I have lived temperately, I double the doctor’s recommendation of a glass and a half of wine a day and even treble it with a friend.”

― Thomas Jefferson

And we are trebling it this month with an event on almost every night next week!!

Valpolicella, according to some accounts, means “valley of many cellars,” which seems fitting.  It is derived, they say, from the Greek word poli (many) and the Latin cella (cellar).   This area is approximately 27 miles long and 5 miles wide, it passes north and west of Verona, extending from the Adige River to the Cazzano Valley.  Bardolino and Lake Garda lie to the west and Soave to the east.  The land ranges in altitude from 490 to 1,475 feet above sea level.  The vines in the classico district to the northwest of Verona, are planted on the hillsides and mountain slopes of the valleys of the Adige tributaries and the Fumane, Marano, and Negrar torrents.  Some of the vineyards are terraced with stone.  The cretaceous, calcareous soil is of glacial origins.  And volcanic activity in this area contributed elements to the soil as well.  

The area around Sant’Ambrogio is considered the heart of the Amarone production zone.  Within this area, northeast of Gargagnago, is a valley called Vaio Armaron, which may have given the wine its name.   The blend of grapes typically used in Valpolicella is Corvina (40%-70%), Rondinella (20%-40%), Molinara (5%-25%) and may contain up to 15% Negrara Trentina, Rossignola, Dindarella, Barbera, and/or Sangiovese.  Before 1989 producers were allowed to add as much as 15% of grapes, must, or wine from outside the zone to correct problems from a weak vintage, but this practice is prohibited today.  Corvina contributes color, body, bouquet, flavor, and the basic Valpolicella character to the wine.   Rondinella, which is resistant to disease and rot, is added for its color and strength, tannin and vigor, it also adds some refinement to the azromas.  Molinara, or Mulinara, is also known as Rossara Veronese and Rossanella, is blended in to make the wine lighter and more drinkable.  It also contributes dryness and acidity, as well as that characteristic bitterness.  Negrara, adds softness, freshness and early drinkability.

The first dry Amarone, according to writer Cesare Marchi, was the result of a fortunate accident.  In the early 1950s, Adelino Lucchese, Bertani’s cellarmaster, discovered a barrel of wine in the cellar that had been overlooked and neglected for some time.  Certain that it had spoiled he was about to discard its contents, when curiosity prompted him to take a taste just to see what had happened.  He was astonished to discover that the forgotten wine had a velvety texture and a penetrating perfume, a slightly bitter taste, but not at all unpleasant. 
There is however evidence that the Romans made a type of bitter Recioto for diabetics or other people who couldn’t take sugar.  Sandro Boscaini of Masi pointed out that some of the oldest families in Valpolicella, the Count Campostrini and Count Serego Alighieri, as well as his own produced an Amaro, a dry Recioto.  This would seem to indicate that Amarone is considerably older that Marchi admits.  According to another book called Valpolicella Spolendida Contea Dei Vino, written by Lamberto Paronetto, the name Amarone has been in use since the eighteenth century.  It became popular at the beginning of this century and the name could very well be derived from the Italian word amaro, meaning “bitter” (scholar Scipione Maffei, writing in the first half of the eighteenth century, refers to an amaro, a dry wine from the Valpolicella area), or it could come from Vajo Armaron, where some highly regarded Amarones have been produced for ages. 

This is one of my favorite regions of Italy and Amarone is one of the newest DOCG's in Italy.  Join us as we showcase some of the best wines from Verona along with a few tasting treats to accompany the tasting wines by Wine Watch Caterings Toni Lampasone.  This is a walk around tasting and the fee for this event is $55 + tax, for reservations call 954-523-9463.

Wines of Verona Tasting at Wine Watch
Wednesday, February 25, 2015
7:00 PM

2010 Bussola Ca' del Laito Ripasso Valpolicella Superiore
Price: $24.75  Sale $21.23  Case $253

Varietal notes: Corvina, Corvinone, Rondinella, Molinara and others.     Vineyard: Sourced from the Ca' del Laito vineyard. 380-400m in elevation. Orientation: Southwest. Soil: Clay. Viticulture: Work in the vineyard is measured by the months and the seasons. In order to avoid excessive impoverishment of the lands, the various soils are periodically analysed and a programme of interventions with organic fertilizers is drawn up. Vinification: The grapes were crushed towards the middle of October and fermentation was initiated immediately via inoculation of selected yeasts. Following a fermentation of 10 days at ambient temperature the wine was racked with a residual sugar of 20 g/l. It was then, after another 10 days, racked again off the gross deposit. In March 90% of the wine underwent a week-long refermentation on skins of the Amarone. Aging: IIt was then racked again, assembled with the remaining 10% and placed in 700-litre second-passage tonneaux of Styrian oak. After 17 months in wood it was assembled in a single mass, undergoing a light fining with egg-whites. Normally it is allowed to age for three months before release onto the market. Production: 15,000 bottles produced. Notes: Ca’del Laito was a place-name for a vineyard that straddles the ridge above Quintarelli. Tommaso purchased the vineyard (and the little workhouse there) from Masi in ~2002.

2008 Bussola Amarone Della Valpolicella
Price: $67.50  Sale $59.40  Case $689

65% Corvina and Corvinone, 30% Rondinella, 5% other varieties. The wine, of garnet-russet hue, is slightly sweet, warm, robust, full, harmonious, velvety with a most satisfying touch of bitterness. It is the ideal wine with game and has no rivals as an accompaniment to hard cheeses.

2013 Monte dall Ora Valpolicella
Price: $21.75  Sale $19.14  Case $222

A 40% Corvina, 20% Corvinone, 30% Rondinella, 10% Molinara and Oseleta.  it has a ruby red colour with garnet highlights. On the nose, it displays red fruit notes, (such as those of cherry), as well as hints of wild berries, musk and spices, enveloped in a faint suggestion of sweetness. On the palate, it is richly structured, with excellent balance and length, and echoes the sensations offered on the nose.

2013 Corte Sant Alda Soave
Price: $21.00  Sale $18.48  Case $215

Soave from a vineyard (about 2.24 hectares) located in Loc. Monte Tombole, near Mezzane di Sotto.  The grapes - Garganega 70% and Trebbiano di Soave 30% - are only irrigated in exceptional  circumstances so that this delightful Soave, thanks also to the stony, chalky terrain and harvesting at precisely the right time of optimal maturing and no later, boasts good acidity and ages well.
Short contact with the skins precedes spontaneous fermentation (native yeasts) partly in wood and partly in steel, with classic oak vats and only partial control of temperatures.  The wine then remains on its yeasts until bottling. An intense yellow colour and bouquet with hints of ripe apples and a classic almond finish, that also comes to the fore in the mouth alongside good body and flavour.

NV Pertimali Prosecco
Price: $22.25  Sale $19.58  Case $227

Dry, masculine style of Prosecco without overwhelming fruitiness. Living in Tuscany, winemaker Lorenzo Sassetti is not only passionate about his native Sangiovese varietal (we sell it, too), but is a huge fan of Prosecco. After years of suffering from drinking Proseccos with high levels of sulfites, he decided to take matters into his own hands. In 2012, he joined forces with an old friend with a few hectares of prime hillside Prosecco vineyards in the heart of the Valdobbiadene DOCG to bottle some sparklers under his own terms. Using techniques including long lees contact and temperatures just barely above freezing right up until final fermentations, he was able to bottle with less than 20 g/l of added sulfites.

Stacole

TERLANO SAUVIGNON BLANC WINKL 2013   
Price: $34.00    Sale $29.92  Case $347

"Winkl has been produced as a varietal wine since 1956. It is a succulent, delicately fruity Sauvignon Blanc made from grapes grown in the very center of Terlano. This location, where Terlano’s earliest wineries were established, is one of the region’s oldest wine-growing sites and is known to have been used for that purpose by the Romans and the Rhaetians."  Rudi Kofler

VENICA PINOT GRIGIO COLLIO JESERA 2013   
Price: $22.00    Sale $19.36  Case $225

"The natural copper color extracted with maceration is the signature of this wine and its richness reminiscent of williams pear, banana, and acacia flowers wrapped in a slight scent of fresh apricot. Intriguing taste with pleasant flavors of pear syrup and quince peels. Good acid/alcohol balance with a long fruity finish."

SANT ANTONIO CORVINA SCAIA 2012   
Price: $12.75    Sale $11.22  Case $131

The color is ruby red with purple glints. ON the nose it's flowery with notes of red rose and sweet violet, fruity hints of cherry, wild black cherry, plum, fruits of the forest such as blackberry, redcurrant, blackcurrant and raspberry. On the palate it is well-balanced, flavoursome and fresh. Intense and medium bodied despite its youth.

INAMA BRADISISMO ROSSO 2011   
Price: $32.00    Sale $28.16  Case $327

A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon 70% - Carmenere 30%. Deep red colour. The nose displays an intense bouquet of red and black fruit, dried cherries, cocoa and vanilla. It is soft and round on the palate with generous and balanced tannins and acidity. Persistent.

ZENATO ROSSO VERONESE ALANERA 2012   
Price: $20.00    Sale $17.60  Case $204

(90 Points)  The 2012 Alanera is a new edition to the Zenato portfolio and pays tribute to the family patron who developed the estate’s vineyards. the label depicts three swallows that are symbols of the three main hills that dominate this corner of Valpolicella. This IGT blend is composed of 55% Corvina, 25% Rondinella, 10% Corvinone and 10% other grapes that are aged in part in oak, and in part in stainless steel. The bouquet shows good intensity with bright layers of spice, dark fruit and prune.  Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate: December, 2014

LA GIARETTA AMARONE VALPOLICELLA 2011   
Price: $36.00 Sale $31.68  Case $368

The Amarone Classico is obtained from the best grapes of every harvest, left to wither on wooden grids and pressed in January.  At least two years of ageing and subsequent refinement in bottle result is a wine of a ruby red color with an intense bouquet of cherries and of morello cherries preserved in alcohol, with a robust body and a particularly well-balanced flavor.

REMO FARINA AMARONE 2011   
Price: $51.00  Sale $44.88  Case $520

Palm Bay

2011 Bertani Villa Arvedi Amarone                 
Price: $37.00       Sale $32.56          Case $378

Villa Arvedi Amarone is born on the hillsides of the Valpantena, the only cru denomination in the whole Valpolicella area. Villa Arvedi is another example of Bertani’s traditional dedication to producing Amarone, with this modern and well balanced Amarone which is nonetheless authentic and rich in body. New fermentation and drying techniques give this wine an elegant balance of exuberant fruity notes. It has a rich blackberry flavour, a minty scent, a sweet cherry taste and the spicy hints that are typical of this valley.

2011 Bertani Secco Verona                                   
Price: $18.75       Sale $16.50          Case $192

The first wine ever produced by the company, Secco-Bertani originated around 1870 on the hills of the Valpantena. Today it is still a timeless classic, a true point of reference by which wine-making standards are set. The result of a successful innovation, namely the technique of refermenting Valpolicella on the pomace of Recioto (with the recent addition of Amarone), Secco Bertani achieves a balance between fresh fruity quality, the spicy notes typical of the Valpantena and the concentration and structure which are the result of the particular vinification process used.

2011 Bertani Ripasso                                   
Price: $25.50       Sale $22.44          Case $261

Ripasso di Villa Novare is an intense, warm and friendly wine, supple and fruity. It is produced by the technique of refermenting Valpolicella on the skins, seeds and pulp (known as pomace) of Amarone and Recioto, to which Bertani adds a small quantity of semi-dried grapes to make the wine’s fruity notes more intense and to give it extraordinary freshness. This is a new interpretation of a traditional technique born of Bertani’s skill and culture.

2013 Bertani Velante Pinot Grigio                  
Price: $12.75       Sale $11.22          Case $131

Color : Pale gold  Aroma: Complex bouquet with scents of golden apple, ripe pear and peach Taste: Fruit aromas carry through on to the palate. Medium-bodied and dry, with a crisp, refreshing acidity

The wines of Moschioni from Colli Orientali del Fruili

2004 Moschioni Real
Price: $65.00    Sale $49.00
Quantity in Stock: 24

Wine Watch Review: A blend of 50% Tazzelenghe, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon and 25% Merlot. Lots of aromas on the nose here sweet tobacco, bitter chocolate, fine herbs a note of green grass black cherry and plum like fruit. Big and chewy on the tongue with layers of herbs spice and excellent underlying acidity with a long and complex finish, very unique. Finish 50+ Most Excellent +

2003 Moschioni Pignolo Friuli
Price: $111.50    Sale $75.00

This is my favorite of the indigenous varietals from this region which is far north of Valpolicella but we wanted to feature these wines at this event to showcase their uniqueness and

2004 Moschioni Refosco Friuli
Price: $64.75    Sale $55.04

Wine Watch Review: Wow lots of concentration on the nose rich ripe black cherry blackberry fruit incense spice and toasty with notes of licorice and violet floral notes, very exotic bouquet 2 clones of Refosco Collo rosso and Refosco Fiadas. Very Rich and ripe on the tongue with lots of smooth silky tannins very round and ripe with balanced acidity and layers of spice and fresh clay like minerality almost like the texture of Amarone. Finish 45 EXCELLENT

2000 Moschioni Schioppettino Friuli
Price: $108.00    Sale $91.80

(91 points) From 100% Ribolla Nera grapes, the 2000 Schioppettino (200 cases) displays a hint of raisiny character in addition to what may be a touch of residual sugar in its flavor. I'm not really sure about the residual sugar because it is so ripe, with high levels of glycerin and alcohol (16% minimum). This massive, opaque purple-colored offering boasts an extraordinary nose of liquid minerals intermixed with blueberries, black currants, camphor, and melted licorice. It is the most amazing Schioppettino I have ever tasted. Only time will tell how it will age, but everything is there for what should be an intriguing and gracious evolution. No doubt it will be controversial as it is such an immense wine, but it is surprisingly well-balanced as well as seamless. Anticipated maturity: 2005-2015+?  Wine Advocate #144, Dec 2002

Menu:

Blue cheese and Bacon quiche

Amarone Risotto Balls with cherry creme fraiche

BBQ Pork Belly Sliders with sundried cranberry cole slaw

Tuna Tartar with black Olive and roasted pepper tapenade