2018 Le Preare Amarone della Valpolicella Classico

2018 Le Preare Amarone della Valpolicella Classico

2018 Le Preare Amarone della Valpolicella Classico; Italy

Ruby red, dense and compact. Nose: big intensity and persistence, ethereal, fruity with hints of cherries and dried prunes, dried flowers, sweet spiced. Flavor: full bodied and determinate smooth, counterpoint of velvety tannins.

Amarone della Valpolicella is a rich, dry Italian red wine from the Veneto region. It is produced primarily from the Corvina grape. Amarone is characterized by ripe, bold flavors. Directly after harvest, the grapes are air dried through a process called “appassimento”, which allows them to shrivel into raisins. This concentrates the sugar and flavors in the grapes, producing a distinctive and full-bodied wine well-suited to aging. It is often said that you can safely forget an Amarone in your wine cellar. Even average Amarones can be aged for 10-15 years. Depending on the vintage and aging technique, wines of exceptional quality can be enjoyed up to 30-50 years after bottling! In wine, time equals money. The aging process, manual labor, and prime grape-growing real estate mean that Amarone is often quite expensive. Bottles of this iconic wine generally start at $50-$60, but the sky’s the limit when it comes to price.
Despite its iconic status, Amarone only received DOCG recognition as recently as 2009. Amarone is best paired with very rich foods, due to its strong flavor profile, robust nature, and high alcohol (minimum 14% abv).

Cantina Valpolicella Negrar is a wine co-operative located just outside Verona in northeast Italy. It is best known for its Valpolicella Classico and Amarone della Valpolicella Classico wines.The co-operative was formed in 1933 with just six members. Today, that figure has risen to 230, farming over 700 hectares (1730 acres) of vineyards, most of which lie in the Valpolicella Classico zone. The grapes are harvested by hand and left to dry in large, airy warehouses for around three months for the production of the various Amarone and Recioto wines. A range of labels are made in the winery. The core label, Cantina di Negrar, and the Le Preare range each make a Valpolicella, a Ripasso and an Amarone. They both also make wines from neighboring appellations such as Bardolino and Soave.