| . WINE : "ANTEPRIMA" AMARONE della VALPOLICELLA CLASSICO D.O.C. NAME : Amarone della Valpolicella Classico D.O.C. NAME ACKNOWLEDGMENT : D.P.R. of 21 August 1968 (Gazzetta Ufficiale no. 271 of 11 October 1968).
PRODUCTION DISTRICT : Valpolicella Classica. COMMUNE : Negrar in Valpolicella and Marano di Valpolicella. LOCATION : hilly, close to Colle Masua. EXPOSURE : towards East (commune of Negrar in Valpolicella) and towards West (commune of Marano di Valpolicella). ALTITUDE : between 212 and 305 m above sea level. SOIL : soils originated by marine sediments, calcareous, not very deep, of average fertility.
VARIETIES : almost totality of Corvina Veronese and Corvinone more small porcents of other indigenous varieties admitted by the specifications GROWING TECHNIQUE : guyot (2,20-3,00 m distance between the rows and 1,00 m between the vines). STUMPS DENSITY : 3.300 to 4.500 per hectar. HARVEST : manual, from middle September to the beginning of October; the grapes are carefully selected and laid down in small plateaux for the withering. DRYING UP: the small plateaux with the harvested vines are put in the so-called "fruttai" (covered and dry, well aired rooms). During the withering, complex metabolic processes take place and in the meanwhile sugars and dyestuff as well as the extractives in general concentrate. YELD per HECTARE : 30-35 hectolitres.
WINE-MAKING : in red. The berries are destemmed and crushed and the raisined vines are made macerate-ferment for 4 to 6 weeks; pumping-overs are carried on daily and delestages every two or three days. FERMENTATION : in small steel containers, where the several varieties of grapes are mixed together. FERMENTATION TEMPERATURE : at low temperature (8-15°C). AGEING : in steel (1 month), in barrique (12 months), in Slavonian oak cask (12 months) and then in bottle (9 months). ALCOHOLIC CONTENT : 15-16% Vol. COLOR : deep garnet red. BOUQUET : fruity and raisining flavours.
COUPLING : with roasts, grilled meat, aged cheeses (except blue cheese) and dried fruit.
SERVING : at 18°C in capacious glasses. |