Bertani Amarone Classico 1999

Vinification: After harvest, ripe, unblemished grapes from the uppermost portions of each cluster -- those grapes richest in sugar and extracts -- are painstakingly 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, they will have lost up to 60% of their water content. A lengthy maceration period ensues, a factor responsible for Amarone's 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.

Color: Deep garnet red

Bouquet: Generous aroma of freshly picked cherries mingled with notes of sour cherry, vanilla and an agreeable trace of spiciness.

Taste: Dry, full bodied and amply structured. Cherries, red berries and a hint of vanilla lead into a dazzling finish that recalls walnuts and hazelnuts.