Allegrini, Amarone della Valpolicella Classico
Vintage: 2019
Vintage | Product Code | Format | Closure | Availability |
---|---|---|---|---|
2019 | AL202B19 | 6 x 75 | Natural Cork | Contact Us |
2019 | AL202M19 | 6 x 150 | Natural Cork | Not Yet Available |
Producer
The Allegrini family estate comprises 120 hectares of vineyard in the heart of Valpolicella Classico. Although the family has grown grapes here for several centuries, Giovanni Allegrini was the first to start bottling wines from the family’s vineyards. When he died in 1983, he passed his passion and commitment to quality winemaking onto his three children, Walter, Marilisa and Franco. Together, they worked to build on Giovanni’s quality ethos until Walter’s death in 2003. Franco looked after the vineyards and winemaking, while Marilisa continued to manage sales and marketing. From the 2007 vintage, Franco sacrificed the Valpolicella Classico classification by bottling the Allegrini wines under Stelvin to eliminate cork taint and reduce oxidation problems. Franco sadly passed away in 2022. He was an inspiring figure who led the way in Valpolicella’s quest for quality, forging a path many others have followed. In 2023, Franco’s sons Francesco, Giovanni and Matteo, alongside their cousin Silvia Allegrini (Walter’s daughter), became custodians of their family’s historic estate.
Allegrini’s Valpolicella has a lovely intensity of red cherry fruit, lifted perfumes and a ripe yet zesty character on the palate. ‘La Grola’, sleek and beguiling, sets the standard by which all other wines from Valpolicella are judged. The ‘Palazzo della Torre’, a ‘baby Amarone’ produced by Allegrini’s modern approach to the ripasso method, is plush and rounded. Their Amarone is outstanding, offering an expression that is intense yet balanced. The ‘Giovanni Allegrini’ Recioto Classico, named after the winery's famous founder, is bursting with fruit and notes of cherry intertwined with pepper and thyme.
In 2018, Allegrini purchased 40 hectares of land in the municipality of Pozzolengo after years of scouting the Lugana area around Lake Garda. They created a Lugana defined by lively acidity, which balances the natural richness of the Turbiana grape. The resulting wine is stylish and elegant, defined by classic floral aromas and hints of almonds.
Vineyards
The Allegrini family's south-east facing vineyards are located in the Valpolicella Classico hills at 450-520 metres above sea level. The varied soils are mostly chalk and clay of volcanic origin, which are well-draining. The vines are Guyot-trained and 37 years old on average, planted with about 5,000 vines per hectare.
Vintage
Overall, the 2019 vintage was characterised by a very mild winter. Temperatures only hit below 0°C for a few nights in January, whilst peaks of 10°C were recorded both in early December and in early January. This allowed the soils to still be 'workable' so vineyard managers took the opportunity to aerate the soils with some superficial subsoil tilling. There was very little rainfall in March and April which greatly reduced risks of mildew damage. In May however, rainfall came and temperatures dropped very low. This changed the growth-cycle of all plants in the area. This was followed by a cool, dry summer, which is why one can expect wines from this vintage to have finesse and elegance.
Vinification
The grapes were hand harvested in late September, and dried over three to four months using the traditional Appassimento process, during which they lost 40-45% of their original weight. Vinification took place in the first two weeks of January. The dried grapes were destemmed, crushed and fermented in stainless-steel tanks at temperatures between 8-22ºC. Maceration lasted 25 days, with daily pumping over. The wine was racked into 100% new oak barriques (225 litres) in March for 18 months. After blending, it spent seven months in bottle.
Tasting Notes & Technical Details
A classic expression of the appellation, with intense aromas of ripe, dark fruit and spice. The wine shows powerful structure and depth, superb balance with refined tannins and a long finish.
Alcohol (ABV)
16%
Acidity
6.05 g/l
Residual Sugar
2.6 g/l
pH
3.39
Other wines from this producer
Producer | Wine | Product Code | Features | Style | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Allegrini | Valpolicella | AL201 | R | ||
`Palazzo della Torre` | AL203 | R | Factsheet | ||
`La Grola` | AL204 | R | |||
`Giovanni Allegrini` Recioto Classico | AL206 | Sw | Factsheet | ||
Lugana | AL216 | W | Factsheet |