The Story
Valpolicella, as we conceive it to be, is a wine which can be defined from a multitude of related wines by the particular methodology we use to produce it. In fact, we faithfully follow the same qualitative and procedural criteria that we use for Amarone. It is enough to just think that, since the 2002 vintage, all grapes that go into the making of Valpolicella are subjected to a light but advantageous drying process which lasts around one and a half months. This process allows the wine to achieve an optimal balance between organoleptic concentration and olfactory freshness.
As a result of said procedure an intense aromatic wine is produced out of the norm of the category in which it historically finds itself placed. Valpolicella offers hints of blueberry, blackberry, cherry and chocolate which emerge gradually as the wine breathes. The potent tannins, which give structure to this product, are in perfect symbiosis with the velvety aromas of sweet spices and jam which envelop the palate and excite the senses. It is suffice to say that time can do nothing other than benefit a wine so extremely fresh and fruity.
Vuosikerta 2008
The season was characterized by an autumn and a winter which were not particularly cold and with little rain, conditions which favored a slightly early bud break compared to the preceding vintages. Spring, and the first vegetation, saw the appearance of adverse meteorological conditions, with frequent rainfall until the end of May which caused a slowing of plant growth, a slowing which, nonetheless, did not have harmful effects on vine health. June and July, instead, were warm and dry, while in August there was scattered rainfall which helped the vines to sustain regular growth of both the vegetation and the grapes.
The months of September and October were very favorable for harvest operations, thanks as well to temperature swings from daytime heat to nighttime coolness, optimal conditions for grape quality. Sangiovese was picked during the last ten days of September, while Cabernet continued to be harvested until the middle of October. From the very beginning of the harvest the musts showed very interesting colors and aromas, which indicated that the vintage was of very high level indeed.