Santi LE CALESELLE Valpolicella Classico DOC Veneto

The Wine: bright ruby red; the bouquet is intense and complex, with recalls of bush fruits and bitter almonds, fern, violets and spices. Dry taste, full, warm and harmonious with an elegant aftertaste of cherries and bitter almonds. Vinification: the ripe grapes are hand picked at the beginning of October; traditional vinification in red with 10-12 days on skins maceration; fermentation takes place at 28-30ºC. Ageing: 12 mounths in Slavonian oak; after bottling it refines at least 6 months in the bottle. Area: Commune of Illasi Vine: Corvina, Rondinella and Molinara Grapes. The Vineyard: 15 ha of vineyards situated in the Castle area in the Commune of Illasi at an height of 132-160 metres south west exposed. The soil is mainly composed of limestone and stones, loose with layers from the Cretaceous era. The training system is veronese overhead trellis with a production of 3.3 Kg per vine; the yields are 100 quintals/ha. (6 x 75 cl)

The Wine: Valpolicella Solane (6 x 75 cl)

The Wine: deep and bright garnet red; the nose is intense, deep with dominance of dry grapes and plums and hints of spices , cherry jam and iris; taste is hot, full and vigorous, austere with an elegant peach's stone and toasted almonds aftertaste. Vinification: the selection of the healthiest grapes takes place around five days before the beginning of the harvest in October ; the grapes are hand picked and placed in plateaux of 7 Kg where they are left to dry naturally for 4 months in dry and well ventilated rooms. The natural drying enriches the sugar in the grapes able to produce up to 15º in alcohol. In February the dried grapes are pressed and vinified in red with a long maceration. The yield is limited to 40%. Ageing: three years in Slavonian oak; six months refinement in bottle before consumption. Area: Areas of Negrar, Fumane and Marano Vine: Corvina, Rondinella and Molinara Grapes. The Vineyard: particularly vocated vineyards situated in the historical areas of Negrar, Fumane and Marano. The training system is spur cordon exposed South West on a stony, clay and limestone soil. (6 x 75 cl)

The wine: has a purple colour with garnet rim; intense, very complex bouquet with strong notes of raisins and prunes and hints of vanilla, cinnamon and cherry brandy; full, generous and very firm flavour with an elegant, lingering aftertaste of conserve and spices. It is already well developed, but can keep thanks to its firm and balanced structure. Vinification and Maturation: from the end of September the healthiest bunches are harvested by hand into 7 kg wooden boxes and then left to dry in a controlled humidity until the February; after the pressing the traditional maceration lasts for more than three weeks; towards the end of the fermentation the wine's racked into lightly toasted French barriques used for a varying number of times; the wine's matured for 24 months in wood and rests 6 months in bottle before being sold Unusual fact: this is the modern version of the classic Amarone; richer in fruit, it takes less time to reach the optimum balance for consumption. Production started with the 1995 vintage. Area: San Pietro in Cariano, Marano and Fumane Vine: Corvina, Rondinella and Molinara Grapes. The Vineyard: selected vineyards in the communes of San Pietro in Cariano, Marano and Fumane. The vines are trained by the cortina pendente system on soil of average density with clay and limestone mixed with stones well exposed to the southwest. (6 x 75 cl)

The Wine: pale straw colour, with vivid green tints; delicate but well defined bouquet, of exceptional finesse with a fresh fragrance of elderflower and vine and cherry blossom and mellow hints of exotic fruit ; dry, savoury, balanced, very agreeable flavour, with an elegant, lingering aftertaste of white peaches and almonds. Vinification: the ripe grapes are gathered at the beginning of October, and undergo a gentle pressing. 70% is vinified by the white wine method, the rest is cold macerated for 24 hours on the skins to improve the aromas and the structure. After natural clarification, nearly all the must is fermented at a controlled temperature with selected yeasts in stainless steel tanks until the beginning of February. The wine is cold sterile bottled. Area: Monteforte D'Alpone Vine: Garganega and Chardonnay Grapes. The Vineyard: selected parcels in the hills of Monteforte D'Alpone in the heart of the Classico zone, facing southwest. The soil is of volcanic origin and basalt-based, rich in calcium, potassium and magnesium. The vines are trained by the Pergola Veronese system , with a yield of 100 quintals of grapes per hectare. (6 x 75 cl)

The Wine: light ruby red; vinous on the nose with cherry, raspberries and vanilla notes; dry taste, clean, particularly flavour-some with an aftertaste of cherry and bitter almonds. Vinification: the mature grapes are picked at the end of September and are vinified traditionally in red with 7 days maceration; fermentation takes place with indigenous yeasts to give a better character. Sangiovese is vinified alone, once the fermentation is over it spends a little time in new American oak barriques then is blended with the rest at the beginning of January. Ageing: 4 months in stainless steel; couple of months in barriques for sangiovese. Area: Calmasino di Bardolino Vine: Corvina, Rondinella, Sangiovese and Molinara Grapes. Hectares: 8. 64. 64 ha The Vineyard: Cà Bordenis is placed in Calmasino di Bardolino and counts for 8.64.64 ha of vineyard. The training system is a modified Sylvoz with South East exposure on a Morainic glacial soil, rich in calcium, hard and stony; the yields of grape is 110 quintals/ha. (6 x 75 cl)

The Wine: light and lively cherry red; the bouquet is intense with particular scents of mature grapes, cherry and ribes; dry taste but not over powering, flavoursome, fresh, fruity with a bitter almond long aftertaste. Vinification: the grapes, picked in mid-September, are slightly less than ripe and 30% is vinified in white the rest in rosa with a short skin contact of the must in order to obtain the right colour; the two lots are fermented separately at controlled temperature with selected yeasts. Ageing: the new wine ages in stainless steel till December; during this time the wine-makers select the best parts of Chiaretto for l'Infinito. If the vintage allows it, the wine is bottle at the end of December as ''Christmas Wine'', with particular notes of freshness and fragrance. Area: Bardolino, Garda, Affi, Costermano and Cavaion Vine: Corvina, Rondinella and Molinara Grapes. The Vineyard: selected vineyards in the most renown D.O.C. areas at an height of 100-150 metres in the Southern East side of Lake Garda. The soil is of morainic origins, medium mixture, hard and stony. The vines are trained on overhead trellis and the yields of grape is 120 quintals/ha. (6 x 75 cl)

The Wine: bright straw yellow; fragrant and persistent bouquet with specific notes of flowers , recalls of musk and apple; dry taste, fresh and well balanced with a fruity long and pleasant aftertaste of ripe fruits and sweet almonds. Vinification: the grapes are picked at the end of September when the degree of ripeness is perfect. 50% of the grapes is vinified (6 x 75 cl)

Tommasi Viticoltori Valpolicella Classico DOC from Italy, Veneto, Valpolicella Classico by Tommasi Viticoltori Pedemonte di Valpolicella (12 x 75 cl)