Pietro Clementi Amarone della Valpolicella 2016

Pietro Clementi has always tried to produce the kind of Valpolicella wine he grew up with, resisting trends in the 1990s toward richness, extraction, and new-oak presence. The Clementi estate uses no synthetic chemicals in their vineyards, and all fruit is harvested by hand. He and his children employ natural fermentations (assisted by pied de cuve if necessary), natural clarifications without fining or filtering, and pointedly long aging for their Amarone.

The appassimento method behind Amarone removes water from the grapes before fermentation. The result is enormous: the wine offers lovely note notes of dark cherry, stewed plums and cocoa, without overwhelming the palette with juicy tannins. Pair with dark chocolate, blue cheese, or grilled game meats. 

Made from a classic estate-grown blend of 65% Corvina, 30% Rondinella, and 5% Molinara.