# Amarone della Valpolicella Classico (2012)

- **Producer:** Gerardo Cesari
- **Colour:** red
- **Type:** still
- **Grapes:** Corvina, Rondinella, Molinara
- **Region:** Veneto, Italy
- **Style:** Classic
- **Alcohol:** 15.0%
- **Average price:** €50
- **Contains sulphites:** Yes
- **When to drink:** Now or Later
- **Serving temperature:** 16–18 °C
- **Aromas & flavours:** cherry, plum, blackcurrant, blackberry, black pepper, violet, vanilla, cloves, chocolate, coffee, smoke, cedar, leather, tobacco, dried fig, prune, forest floor, mushroom

## About this wine

Founded in 1936 by Gerardo Cesari, the winery is celebrated as one of the foremost pioneers of the Valpolicella region. In the early 1960s, Cesari became one of the first brands to export Amarone globally. This flagship Amarone della Valpolicella Classico is sourced from prime hillside plots within the historic Classico municipalities of Negrar, Marano, Sant’Ambrogio, Fumane, and San Pietro in Cariano. The combination of historic Classico fruit with a balanced oak regime yields an Amarone of exceptional freshness and classical structure, avoiding the heavy, cloying profile sometimes associated with the style.

## Interesting facts

- Cesari was one of the very first producers to export Amarone globally in the early 1960s.
- The grapes lose up to 40% of their water weight during the 3-4 month appassimento drying process.
- Aged for a total of 36 months, utilizing a precise blend of small French barriques and large Slavonian casks.

## Food pairing

This full-bodied, high-alcohol wine requires rich, savory dishes with high protein and fat content to soften its robust tannins. The concentrated fruit and subtle residual sugar of the Amarone complement slow-cooked meats, game, and earthy mushroom dishes, while its structural intensity stands up beautifully to mature, hard cheeses.

## Wine making process

The hand-harvested grapes undergo the traditional appassimento process, naturally drying in well-ventilated rooms (fruttai) for 3 to 4 months, losing 30% to 40% of their water weight to concentrate sugars and flavors. This is followed by a slow, cool fermentation with skin contact lasting 20 to 30 days in temperature-controlled stainless steel. After completing malolactic fermentation, the wine is aged for 36 months, including 12 months in a combination of small French oak barrels (barriques and tonneaux) and large Slavonian oak casks, followed by at least 6 to 8 months of bottle maturation before release.