Meroni, Amarone di Valpolicella Classico 'Velluto', 2016

The Meroni Wine Estate is located in one of the five municipalities of the Valpolicella Classica area and more specifically in the town of Sant'Ambrogio di Valpolicella, which is about 18 km northwest of the beautiful city of Verona. Valpolicella is a well renowned wine area, historically praised for its Recioto, but mostly for its Amarone, which has become the symbol of the area globally for its method of production. The estate covers 15 hectares, 11 of which have been planted with vines, after a careful restoration of the area, which has been suited for the cultivation of grapes since Roman times. All grapes for the vinification process come from owned vineyards. They are crushed and then undergo the natural fermentation process in stainless steel tanks. After racking and storage for 4-5 months in steel, the wines are transferred to the aging area where, depending on the wine, they will reach full maturity. The wine will undergo slow aging in classic 20-25 hl Slavonian oak barrels thanks to the slow oxygenation, due to the small porosity of the oak. As per tradition in Valpolicella, the wine rests from twelve months for Valpolicella, up to eight years for the Amarone Riserva and then it can be bottled.