Alpha Zeta, Amarone della Valpolicella, 2018

The fruit for this decadent Amarone wine comes from vineyards in the hills outside Verona, in the Valpantena Valley.  Selected Corvina and Rondinella grapes are hand harvested in mid-September and left to dry in specially ventilated rooms until the end of January. Once they have lost about 40% of their natural weight the grapes are destemmed and crushed. The resulting wine is matured in oak for 24 months and transferred in concrete tanks for final filtration before bottling.

This Amarone is deep and intense on the nose with aromas of dried cherries and blueberries and notes of spiced autumn fruit compote. On the palate it is powerful, with a lovely balance of ripe tannins and spiced, concentrated savoury cherry fruit character. A touch of woodsmoke completes the long finish.