Zeni Amarone della Valpolicella 2018

Cellar for up to 20 years. No need to decant before serving.

The Zeni family have been making wine in the hills of Bardolino by the eastern shore of Lake Garda since 1870, and today the business is run by siblings Fausto, Elena and Federica. The winery is set right in the heart of the Valpolicella wine region and their deep roots in the area mean they have great relationships with local growers who help them supplement their 25 hectares of estate vineyards. The family’s wines are popular amongst Italian wine lovers all over the globe, with more than 80% of their total production destined for export.

Their classic Amarone offers a great value introduction to this rich and powerful red wine which is made according to traditional local winemaking techniques. The grapes are sourced from hilly vineyards planted on mixed limestone, marl and basaltic sediment soils. This helps to produce an elegant yet intense wine, and the fruit is all harvested by hand to maximise quality. The grapes are then left to dry out over the winter and become like raisins. This helps to concentrate the flavours and sugars, and is part of the process required by law to make an Amarone wine.

Following vinification the wine is left to mature in 50 litre oak casks for 2-3 years depending on the character of the vintage. This lengthy ageing helps to fully integrate the bold flavours and firm tannins, softening the flavour profile and adding gentle notes of spice, tobacco leaf and woodsmoke. The result is an opulent, full-bodied red that’s bursting with ripe cassis, blackberries, dark cherry and hints of dark chocolate and dried fruit.