Description
Prosperous wine merchants who believed that quality winemaking held the key to the future, the Bertanis invested their funds in buying some of the finest vineyards in the province and making their own wines. Consequently, unlike many other local producers, Bertani owns its own vineyards and so is able to oversee the entire winemaking cycle from start to finish. Recognition and success followed swiftly as Bertani became one of the first Veronese producers to export its wines on a significant scale. In the early years Bertani spearheaded a campaign to underscore the potential of Verona’s Valpolicella Valpantena wine district. The release of its Secco-Bertani Valpantena brand, still in production over 150 years later, is responsible for putting this DOC on the map. The late 1950s saw Bertani take center stage again, with the launch of a new-style Recioto della Valpolicella. Through the introduction of longer aging techniques, this traditionally sweet or sparkling red wine was dramatically transformed into the dry, opulent red we know today as Amarone, one of Italy’s most revered red wines. Recent years have been no less eventful. In 1986 an extraordinary cache of 1928 Recioto della Valpolicella Acinatico was discovered, bricked up behind the walls of a farmhouse on a Bertani estate where it had lain undisturbed since the twilight years of World War II. Tastings by experts confirm that the wine’s quality remains intact. A superb vintage, as exceptional as it is rare, it is served exclusively at charity events hosted by Bertani. To maintain its extensive vineyards, Bertani engages the skills of some of Italy’s most eminent viticulturalists. From its vineyards to its cellars, Bertani offers a fascinating and memorable introduction to Veronese winemaking at its best, where progressive techniques and equipment are allied with extensive experience and a deeply felt respect for tradition.
Bertani Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 2007 grape varietals – 70% Corvina Veronese; 30% Rondinella Carefully selected grape bunches are hand-harvested in Bertani‚Äôs best Valpolicella vineyards in Fumane, Marano and the Novare Valley. Unlike most leading Amarone producers, who buy grapes from outside growers, Bertani‚Äôs harvest originates entirely in the firm‚Äôs own vineyards. With marly-calcareous soil sheltered by surrounding woodland, these vineyards offer the ideal terroir for nurturing the quality of grapes necessary for producing a world-class Amarone. Harvest begins in early October and extends over a two-week period. After harvest, ripe, unblemished grapes from the uppermost portions of each cluster — those grapes richest in sugar and extracts — are carefully detached and laid out to dry on cane mats. The mats are stored on raised platforms in airy lofts, sheltered by a roof but otherwise exposed to drying breezes on all sides. By the time they are ready to undergo maceration and fermentation in February, they will have lost up to 60% of their water content. A lengthy maceration period ensues, a factor responsible for Amarone‚Äôs tremendous body and structure. After a controlled fermentation, the wine is transferred into oak casks for a period of 5-8 years during which it is racked twice annually prior to bottling. AGING – 5-8 years in Slavonian oak casks, plus one year in bottle prior to release.
Wine Spectator 92 points – An elegant version, finely knitting supple tannins and a rich vein of tarry minerality with flavors of dried cherry and fig fruit, dried marjoram, hot stone and bergamot. Offers a lingering, spiced finish. Drink now through 2027
