Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 2019 (David Sterza)

Cellar for up to 15 years. Decant up to 2 hours. A traditional Valpolicella blend of Corvina, Rondinella, and Molinara varietals in the ancient style of Amarone. This wine is dark ruby red with aromas of raisins, leather, and blackberry. The tannins are like gossamer and the soft acidity gives rise to the rich blackberry and raspberry compote, cedar, and spice. A long, smooth finish of toasted wood and juicy raisin leave you pouring another glass of this full-throttled red. Enjoy this Amarone in the dead of winter with a good book, hot cup of tea, and a blazing fire. It is also agreeable when paired with roasted wild game, grilled red meat, lasagna, grilled portabella mushrooms, and Osso Bucco. Serve at 18°C. Although very drinkable now, Amarone is known to get better with age, so get another and stick it in the cellar. The name Amarone was coined in the 18th century and is a style of winemaking using approved grapes that have been laid out to dry or allowed to dry on the vine to almost a raisin. The sugars in the juice become more concentrated imparting a pronounced sweetness and a slight "raisiny" taste to the resulting wine. This Amarone has been aged in French oak barrels for 15 months. The grapes were harvested manually at the Sternza farm in a village located in Casterna, at the foothills of the Lessini mountains.