2017 Santa Sofia Amarone della Valpolicella Classico

Santa Sofia has been making wine in Valpolicella since 1811 from the historic Palladian Villa Sarego, a UNESCO site. Under the Begnoni family they focus on elegant, refined expressions of the classic varieties rather than the heaviest, most powerful styles of Amarone.

The 2017 is a dark ruby, garnet wine.  On the nose you’ll find ripe cherries, cassis, prunes, milk chocolate, rhubarb, balsamic notes, and mentholated tobacco. Palate is full-bodied, juicy with lively yet elegant tannins, good freshness that balances the alcohol, and a long, refined finish.

Grapes are hand-picked from higher sites in the Classico zone, dried for about 100 days, then aged 36 months in large Slavonian oak barrels plus additional bottle aging.

Grape: Corvina, Corvinone, Rondinella

Region: Amarone della Valpolicella Classico DOCG, Veneto, Italy

- Decanter 96