Tommasi Amarone della Valpolicella Classcio 2018

Amarone della Valpollicella is responsible for producing Italy’s finest rich, full-bodied, and unfortified, dry red wine. Dry Amarone is a relatively new style of wine and was only officially recognized since 1953. It was thought to have been made accidently when some fermenting grape must, destined to be fashioned into the sweeter ‘Recioto dell Valpolicella’, was forgotten about and left in the vat until it fermented to dryness. The wine is made from three principal grapes, Corvina and Corvinone, which must comprise a minimum of 80% of the blend, and Rondinella. Molinara and Croatina are also used in small amounts. Once the grapes are harvested they are left to dry on racks in lofts for about 100 days over the winter to concentrate. The fruit is then pressed and fermented the following March and left to age in casks for up to seven years. Valpolicella Ripasso, is similar in style but a notch down in intensity and is made with the addition of Amarone’s left-over grape pomace.