Allegrini Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 2016

Drink now or cellar for up to 15 years. Decant 1 hour before serving.

The Allegrini family have been growing grapes in the Valpolicella Classico appellation for six generations, with the current estate founded by Giovanni Allegrini. In the 1960s and 1970s Giovanni played a key role in the development of modern Amarone wines thanks to his drive to innovative and prioritise quality over quantity through strict grape selection.

Their flagship Amarone is made according to time-honoured traditional techniques from their estate vineyards which are planted on hills outside Fumane in the northern part of the Valpolicella region. All of the fruit is harvested by hand and left to dry out over winter, a process which helps concentrate the flavours and sugars in the grapes. Each variety is then fermented separately and aged in oak barrels for 18 months before being blended and left to mature for another 7 months.

This is very much a classic style Amarone with plenty of power and opulence. On the nose there’s a complex bouquet of ripe plums, dark cherry, star anise, and cedarwood, while the first sip reveals a punchy full body, a generous texture, and firm tannins. The intensity and structure of this hearty red will help it age beautifully in the cellar over the next decade, although it can also be enjoyed now alongside braised beef, ribs, venison, or rich winter stews.