TERRITORY
The wait was long, but it was worth it. Nine years is the length of time we have waited to be able to present you with our Amarone Riserva 2015. This is a wine that has rested in one of our most private and peaceful places, Monte Pistoza: a place surrounded by sun-drenched, dewy hills. A valley steeped in tradition and old knowledge handed down with great jealousy and love from generation to generation. An intimate place that can be accessed through a staircase that will immediately immerse you in the atmosphere of the barrel cellar. The intense scent of French oak and the dampness of the surrounding soil will overwhelm you and in a moment you will find yourself in what for us is the temple of Amarone. A place of contemplation and waiting that transcends time.
The grapes for this wine come from two new vineyards owned by the Sabaini family: Monte Castello d’Illasi and Monte Tomelon. Two soils with very different characteristics, yet capable of expressing and transmitting a unique style. The Monte Castello d’Illasi vineyard is situated at an altitude of 250 meters and is characterized by a limestone-volcanic soil with the presence of tuff, while the Monte Tomelon vineyard – in the municipality of Tregnago, in the upper Val d’Illasi – is situated at an altitude of no less than 460 meters and has a limestone soil with tuff and marl.
The indigenous varieties used are Corvina (40%), Corvinone (35%), Rondinella (20%) and Oseleta (5%); those from Monte Castello grow in calcareous soil with the presence of skeleton and tuff, giving the wine complexity and fruity notes, while those from Monte Tomelon, characterized by calcareous soil with the presence of tuff and marl, have spicy notes with a persistent length.
2015 VINTAGE
The 2015 harvest is comparable to the prestigious 2000, rated above the maximum score of 5. Spring was warm but not arid, with little but regular rainfall. A hot summer arrived a little early, while the autumn provided optimal conditions for healthy vines and perfect grape ripening. The winter was mainly snowy, helping to keep the water reserves in optimal condition until harvest. The result is a wine of great intensity, high complexity and a clear fruit profile..
Since September 2015, this wine has lived no fewer than 36 seasons under the watchful eye of our oenologists, who have been able to nurture and manage this precious gift from the earth month after month. And that’s where the magic happens. The combination of what nature offered us and our support, respecting the rhythm of the seasons, resulted in a unique and special wine.
RESERVE FEATURES
It is a wine with an intense ruby red color with garnet reflections, an elegant bouquet with spicy and fruity notes and a rich, intense and persistent palate. A wine of great structure and uniqueness, the latter best expressed by the limited number of bottles – only 1230, of which 27 are magnums and 5 jeroboams – and the precious, clean and eye-catching packaging. This limited edition is archived in a register that we jealously guard in our winery, and whoever owns one of these 1230 bottles has the honor and the ‘duty’ to leave their signature next to the number of the bottle they own, thus creating a link with the history of our family and our territory.
The bottles are currently kept in our Wine Shop, some of which are displayed on a binding, a historical work donated by a carpenter artist from the Val d ‘Illasi to the family and to this creation, which fully represents the history and territorial identity closely linked to this bottle. For us, it is not just a wine, but the result of commitment, perseverance and excellence. A wine that represents our territory, the freshness and longevity of the wines of the Val d ‘Illasi.
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