# Checo Amarone della Valpolicella Classico DOCG

- **Producer:** Damoli Vini
- **Colour:** red
- **Type:** still
- **Grapes:** Corvina, Corvinone, Rondinella
- **Region:** Veneto, Italy
- **Style:** Classic
- **Alcohol:** 15.0%
- **Average price:** €93
- **When to drink:** Now or Later
- **Aromas & flavours:** dried fruit, cooked fruit, black cherry, black plum, red cherry, vanilla, cedar, chocolate, coffee, leather, tobacco, earth, mushroom

## About this wine

Checo Amarone della Valpolicella Classico DOCG is a still red wine from Damoli Vini, produced in the Valpolicella Classica region of Veneto, Italy. The wine is a tribute to the family's first commercial winemaker, Francesco Damoli. It is crafted from a blend of Corvina, Corvinone, and Rondinella grapes, sourced from vineyards located at different elevations in Jago and Mazzano. The wine undergoes an appassimento process where grapes are dried for 90-120 days, followed by extended aging of four to five years in a mix of French and Slavonian oak barrels. Damoli Vini is a small, family-run estate with a philosophy centered on tradition, quality, and a deep connection to their land.

## Interesting facts

- Named after the producer's grandfather, 'Checo dei Merli', the first commercial winemaker in the Damoli family.
- Grapes are dried for 90-120 days, concentrating sugars and flavors before fermentation.
- Vineyards are situated on hills in Jago (200m) and high hills in Mazzano (400-500m), contributing to wine complexity.
- Aged for 4-5 years in a combination of French and Slavonian oak barrels.

## Food pairing

The wine's full body, pronounced tannins, and rich fruit profile are well-suited to hearty, protein-rich dishes. The acidity cuts through the richness of braised meats and fatty cuts, while the tannins bind with the proteins, softening both the wine and the food. Savory and umami notes in dishes complement the wine's complexity.

## Wine making process

The production of Checo Amarone della Valpolicella Classico DOCG begins with hand-harvested, slightly over-ripened grapes in October. These grapes undergo the traditional appassimento process, drying for 90 to 120 days to concentrate sugars and flavors. Following pressing, the grapes ferment in steel tanks with their skins for 30-40 days, with manual pump-overs and délestage employed for extraction. The wine is then aged for four to five years in a combination of French and Slavonian oak barrels. Damoli Vini follows uncertified organic farming practices and emphasizes a low-intervention approach.