Wine Enthusiast calls Amarone “one of 15 icons in Italian wine”. They are certainly some of the country’s most treasured reds. Rooted in the ancient tradition of sun-drying grapes before fermentation, Amarone wines offer exceptional richness and a glorious combination of power and complexity that cellars well, too. No wonder they are sought after worldwide. This 2020 from esteemed Cantina Negrar pays tribute to 18th century poet Bartolomeo Lorenzi, whose epic poems celebrating rural life made Valpolicella wines famous.
The grapes are from the ancient, dry, stone terraces of the cool Marano Valley, where they ripen slowly. They are then air-dried for 120 days to intensify flavours. Decant early and enjoy with hearty dishes, or cellar.
If you enjoy the food-friendly reds of northern Italy, especially the Valpolicella Ripasso style, you'll love this. We have worked with Italian Winery of the Year Cantina di Negrar for years. They own a vineyard in the Marano Valley and they’ve offered us a deal on their Rosso Veronese – a wine usually reserved for their Italian fans. It’s named after Bartolomeo Lorenzi, whose epic 18th-century poem of rural life made Valpolicella wines famous the world over.
The Marano Valley is especially cool, so grapes take longer to ripen, which adds depth, character and freshness to the wines. Also included is a dash of dark Amarone. With black cherry fruit and Christmas cake spice, it’s hard to imagine a more appealing Veronese red. Great with game.
Hervé Sabardeil, our winemaker with limitless talent, has been making Cabalié, the big, ripe Catalan red, for over 15 years. He added the old-vine (Vieilles Vignes) edition in 2011, originally as a one off, but it was so popular we insisted he did it again. And again! The magic to this punchy red is really in the vines. At 60 to 100-years-old, yields are minute (about half of a Grand Cru claret). As a rule of thumb, the smaller the yield, the more concentrated the fruit, the more flavoursome the wine!
That’s why we call it Cabalié’s Big Brother. Still made in the same style that was beloved by the Roman centurions and now our customers too, it packs even more flavour than the original. Ideal with garlic-roasted lamb, rich stews or cheese.
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Like the much adored so-called ‘standard’ Corsiero, this punchy rich red is full of the dark spicy cherry fruit of Nero di Troia. It’s a terrific southern Italian grape, deeply coloured and full of dense red fruit, and with excellent structure. However, in our ‘riserva’ edition – our thoroughbred charger, Purosangue – the grapes are from particularly old vines to lend even more intensity of flavour. Leading winemaker Mario Ercolino made a rigorous selection of the grapes, then oak aged the wine in barrel to create this sleek, aristocratic red that will warm you with its velvety texture, rich spice and dense black fruit. Partner with equally substantial dishes – we recommend a well seasoned pork and butter bean casserole or meaty pasta.
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Duemani CiFRA 2019 is a fabulous Super Tuscan red, using the pure herbaceous and raspberry fruit of Cabernet Franc.
All biodynamically grown in prized Maremma, it's "a bright and articulate entry-level wine from this top-level estate" (Wine Advocate).
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