Pasqua Amarone della Valpolicella 2019
Cellar for up to 12 years. No need to decant before serving. The Pasqua brothers founded their family wine firm in Verona in 1925 and since then the business has been passed down through three generations of the family. Today they specialise in producing delicious and accessible Italian wines that offer exceptional value for money. As well as classic wines like this charming Amarone, their portfolio also includes more modern styles which are exported all over the world. The grapes for this handsome Amarone della Valpolicella are grown on calcareous and clay soils which help to create great depth as well as elegance in the finished wine. The fruit is carefully harvested by hand in mid-September and left to dry for three months over the winter. This traditional practice must be used for making Amarone wines as it helps to concentrate the flavours and sugars in the grapes as they turn into raisins. After the fruit is vinified the young wine is then moved to French oak barrels where it is left to mature for 18-20 months depending on the characteristics of the vintage. This lengthy ageing process helps to create seductive layers of flavours and aromas, including rich cassis, blackberry, dark plum and hints of tobacco, cocoa, leather, and cigar box spice. The silky tannins and bold structure make this a great wine to cellar for a few more years or enjoy now with rich game stews, venison steak, or aged cheeses.
Amarone della Valpolicella
Drink today or cellar for up to 15 years. Decant before drinking. Nestled in the heart of Italy’s Valpolicella is 95 hectares of top vineyards in what is considered the classic zone of both Lugana and Valpolicella. Founded by Sergio Zenato, the vineyards include two faces: One white, the other red. Sergio’s connection to the land, his people, and his commitment to championing local grape varieties has made Zenato integral in preserving tradition and sustainability in the region. For more than 60 years, the Zenato family has preserved the land and traditions so special to Laguna and Valpolicella. The Amarone della Valpolicella Classico is made in the traditional Amarone way where the grapes are dried before being processed into wine. In the case of this wine, the grapes are dried for 4 months and the actual crushing does not happen until January. The grapes stay on skin for a slow fermentation and then the wine is aged for 36 months in large-format Slavonian casks. Utilizing the classic grapes of Amarone, Corvina, Rondinella, Oseleta, and Croatina, this wine is intense yet well-balanced. The nose shows rich aromas of dried blackberries and bay leaves, leather, dark chocolate, vanilla and a touch of smoke. On the palate is licorice, mocha, dried prunes, and sweet fruitcake as this wine is semi off dry and opulent. The tannins are soft and supple with a creamy finish on the back palate. Enjoy with hearty pasta dishes, red meat, mature cheeses, or a chocolatey dessert.
Pasqua Villa Borghetti Amarone della Valpolicella 2021
Cellar for 20 years or more. Decant for up to 2 hours before serving. Appearing with an intense dark red colour in the glass, this is a classic Amarone, made from a blend of Valpolicella grapes: 65% Corvina, 25% Rondinella, and 10% Negrara. There are deep scents of ripe red fruits on the nose, with hints of dried herbs and balsamic. The notably ripe character comes from the winemaking process: for this Amarone, the grapes are left to dry for about 4 months before pressing, allowing the flavours to concentrate and mature. Pasqua Wines was established in 1925, near the city of Verona in northern Italy. It offers a variety of labels and distinct wines around Veneto, such as the Soave varietal around Verona, and the outlet of Villa Borghetti in the region of Valpolicella. Since 2014, the company has been in the hands of a third generation of Pasquas: Umberto, Riccardo, and Alessandro. It is soft and generous in the mouth, with fine, oaky tannins and flavours of raisin, prune, dried cranberry, balsamic, and dried herbs. The mixture is aged for about 16 months, before being bottled and aged further before release. It is a different kind of red wine, aged beyond its years. Consider pairing it with game meat, risotto, or a rich vegetable quiche.
Vino
Drink it now or cellar for up to 15 years. It is recommended to decant it for an hour. Founded by six Valpolicella growers in 1933, the Cantina di Negrar is a very important cooperative winery with a fundamental role in the production of Amarone. In the 90 years following its foundation, the cooperative has undergone many changes: in 1948, the headquarters moved to San Vito di Negrar, merging with the Cantina Produttori della Valpolicella, while in 1957 the Cantina was refounded with 80 members in Negrar. Amarone della Valpolicella Classico is the most representative wine of the Cantina di Negrar. The wine is produced from a blend of Corvina, Corvinone, and Rondinella, coming from vineyards with an average age of over 20 years located in the historic area of Valpolicella. After the manual harvest, the grapes are traditionally left to dry on racks so that they reach the right sugar concentration, before the vinification process, which generally begins in January. The finished wine ages for 18 months in large oak barrels and another 6 months in the bottle. This splendid Amarone reveals an intense and complex aromatic profile with notes of cherries in alcohol, typical of this wine, followed by aromas of plum, floral and sweet spices hints. On the palate, it is powerful and well-balanced with full structure and velvety tannins. It is the ideal wine with braised beef, aged cheeses, and dark chocolate.
