# Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Selection Corte Vaona (2019)

- **Producer:** Società Agricola Novaia di Cesare e Giampaolo Vaona
- **Colour:** red
- **Type:** still
- **Grapes:** Corvina, Corvinone, Rondinella
- **Region:** Veneto, Italy
- **Style:** Classic
- **Alcohol:** 15.5%
- **Average price:** €40
- **Contains sulphites:** Yes
- **When to drink:** Now or Later
- **Serving temperature:** 16–18 °C
- **Aromas & flavours:** eucalyptus, black cherry, fig, black plum, mint, dried fruit, raisin, coffee, chocolate, cedar, cloves, vanilla, tobacco, leather, earth, forest floor, wet leaves

## About this wine

Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Selection Corte Vaona 2019 is a distinguished red wine from Società Agricola Novaia di Cesare e Giampaolo Vaona, produced in the historic Valpolicella Classico sub-zone of Veneto, Italy. The wine's name honors the ancestral paved courtyard of the Vaona family estate, and the 'Selection' designation highlights the meticulous selection of grapes from the family's own vineyards. Novaia, owned by the Vaona family since the mid-18th century, represents a continuation of winemaking tradition combined with a focus on quality. The wine is a product of the traditional appassimento method, a hallmark of the Amarone style.

## Interesting facts

- The name 'Corte Vaona' refers to the ancient paved courtyard at the heart of the family's estate.
- Grapes for this wine are dried for approximately 100 days in a traditional 'fruttaio' (drying room).
- Novaia's vineyards are situated at altitudes between 250-300 meters.
- The estate has a history of organic conversion, with the 2014 vintage being certified organic.

## Food pairing

The wine's full body and firm tannins are well-suited to rich, protein-heavy dishes, where they can be softened by the food's fat and protein. The wine's concentrated fruit notes can complement the sweetness of fruit-based sauces or accompaniments, while its potential herbal undertones can echo savory herbs used in cooking.

## Wine making process

The production of Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Selection Corte Vaona begins with hand-harvested grapes around the end of September. These grapes then undergo a natural drying process, known as appassimento, for approximately 100 days in a traditional 'fruttaio' located at a higher altitude. Following drying, the grapes are fermented for about 30 days in French oak vats or small steel tanks at controlled temperatures. The resulting wine is then aged for 24 months in wooden barrels, followed by a further 8 months of bottle aging before its release.