2004 Amarone Classico della Valpolicella Monte dei Ragni, Fumane, Veneto
About this WINE
Monte dei Ragni
Azienda Agricola Monte dei Ragni is a tiny jewel of a Valpolicella wine estate perched at between 250 - 350 metres above sea level on the vertiginous slopes above Fumane at the heart of the Valpolicella Classico zone.
Only 2 hectares of the total 8 available are planted with a view to making wine; part pergola, part guyot. Production is circa 3000 bts of the Valpolicella Superiore Ripasso and 1200 bts of the Amarone. The remaining 6ha of fruit is currently sold off.
Zeno Zignoli married into the Ragno family and then spent eight years preparing the ground, with the aide of a horse, before releasing his first wine with vintage 2003. Vinification is entirely in oak, predominantly used tonneau.
Corvina, Corvinone blend
Corvina is widely grown on the Veneto shore of Lake Garda and the hills of Valpolicella to the north and north-east of Verona. Sometimes known as Corvina Veronese, it is blended with Rondinella and Molinara to produce Valpolicella and Bardolino. It can be a tricky grape to cultivate, as it ripens late and is prone to rot if affected by rains at harvest time. It is a high-yielding grape and quality is very dependent on keeping yields low.
Corvina-based red wines can range in style from a light, cherryish red to the rich, port-like Recioto and Amarone Valpolicellas. Most Valpolicella from the plains is pale and insipid, and bears little comparison with Valpolicella Classico from the hills. Some producers such as Allegrini are now producing very high quality 100% Corvina wines.
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Description
Coming directly from Zeno’s cantina, perched high up above the Classica village of Fumane, he is particularly proud of his 2004s. The reason being that while 2002 was devastated by hail, and in 2003 he made a strict selection (only above 300 metres), that left the vines in 2004 unstressed by the previous vintage, with sufficient reserves to turn in a surprisingly good 2004.
Remaining very much an elegant, Monte dei Ragni wine, in the guise of Quintarelli, there’s that classic rosa (canina), freshness, spice and sapidita; so suave and spicy. He admits to have aged 2004 in a couple of 500 litre Hungarian oak barrels, for that year only, that give an earthy, tobacco quality to the wine. A classic, yet super elegant, traditonal Amarone with poise, not power. Zeno releases his old wines ten years from the harvest.
David Berry Green
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