Amarone della Valpolicella Classico “Sant’Urbano” DOCG

Amarone is the king of Veronese wines, not to mention Italian wines. It combines power and softness, evolving to Port-like lusciousness over three decades or more, showing grandeur and depth. It starts off like Valpolicella, but select bunches of the perfect grapes are lengthily dried on traditional arele racks in special fruit drying lofts after harvest, to achieve greater concentration.

Speri Amarone is made from Corvina, Rondinella, and Corvinone, grown in the estate’s most prestigious cru, a single hillside vineyard called Sant’Urbano. This vineyard features calcareous-cretaceous soil of volcanic origin that retains humidity, protecting it from drought. The whole vineyard extends 19 hectares.

The grapes are hand-picked and then re-sorted to find only the best bunches in late September. They then dry for about 100-120 days under ideal conditions in terms of temperature, humidity and ventilation. They lose about 41% of their initial weight, enhancing concentration and sugar levels. In mid-January, the grapes are soft-pressed and de-stemmed. This is followed by about thirty-six days of maceration on the skins with periodic pumping over and délestage. The wine completes fermentation in large oak barrels and then ages twenty-four months in oak, eighteen months in Slavonian oak barrels and twelve months in bottle.

Very deep and intense bouquet with spicy, aromatic and jammy notes combining power and finesse; a prelude to a palate that is rich, sensuous, highly structured and complex, lingering on and on. Especially cellar-worthy.


Wine exported to

Bermuda, Japan, Puerto Rico, Australia

Most recent awards

  • 2017 | James Suckling93
  • 2016 | Wine Spectator92
  • 2016 | Vinous95
  • 2016 | Wine Enthusiast94
  • 2016 | Gambero RossoTre bicchieri
  • 2010 | Wine Advocate93
  • 2009 | Decanter96
Grape Varieties:

70% Corvina veronese and Corvinone, 25% Rondinella, 5% Molinara

Fermentation container:

Stainless steel

Length of alcoholic fermentation:

32 days

Type of yeast:

Selected Organic Certified

Fermentation temperature:

16-18 °C (60.8-64.4 °F)

Maceration technique:

Periodic pumpovers and délestage

Length of maceration:

32 days

Malolactic fermentation:

Yes

Fining agent:

None

Aging containers:

Tonneaux, barrels

Container size:

500L and 20-25-40-50hL

Container age:

tonneaux are new or maximum 5 years old. Big barrels are 10 years old

Type of oak:

Allier for tonneaux, Slavonian for big barrels

Bottling period:

July

Aging before bottling:

42 months

Aging in bottle:

12 months

Closure:

Natural Cork

Organic:

Yes

Vineyard name:

Vigneto Monte Sant'Urbano

Vineyard location:

Fumane, Valpolicella Classica, Veneto

Vineyard size:

20 hectares (49 acres)

Soil composition:

Calcareous, clay and sand with volcanic origins

Vine training:

inclined open pergoletta

Altitude:

280-350 meters (918-1,148 feet) above sea level

Vine density:

98 hl per ha

Exposure:

Southern

Age of vines:

28 years

Time of harvest:

September 19 to October 4

First vintage of this wine:

1958

Total yearly production (in bottles):

100,000

Tasting notes:

A deep color and a very intense bouquet with spicy, aromatic and jammy notes combining power and finesse; a prelude to a palate that is rich, sensuous, highly structured, complex and persistent. Especially cellar-worthy.

Serving temperature:

Best served at 16-18 °C (60.8-64.4 °F).

Food pairings:

Red meat, game, and aged cheeses. An excellent meditation wine

Aging potential:

more than 20 years

Alcohol:

Alc. cont.: 15% by vol.

Winemaker:

Alberto Speri