Damoli Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 2018
by Damoli
- Grape variety
- Corvina, Corvinone, Rondinella
- Region
- Negrar, Valpolicella (DOCG Amarone della Valpolicella Classico), Italy
- Style
- red
- Alcohol
- 15.5%
- Vintage
- 2018
Price: CHF 49 In stock
About this wine
Amarone is one of the most labour-intensive wines made anywhere. The grapes — Corvina, Corvinone, Rondinella — are harvested and then dried on wooden racks for 90 to 100 days, a process called appassimento, during which they lose roughly 30% of their weight and concentrate everything: sugar, colour, tannin, flavour. Fermentation is then slow — 30 to 40 days — with daily hand-mixing. Damoli Bruno's Checo then spends 4 to 5 years in a combination of old French barriques and large Slovenian oak. The 2018 vintage from Negrar is a fully realised expression of this: 15.5% alcohol, firm tannins, high acidity, and a concentration of dried fruit, dark chocolate, coffee and balsamic that opens slowly and rewards patience.
Tasting notes
Deep garnet with brick-tinged reflections. The nose is intense and layered — dried plum and black cherry at the core, with dark chocolate, coffee, cloves and a balsamic thread weaving through. On the palate, commanding and rich with firm tannins and a spine of acidity that keeps the concentration in check. Long, complex finish with dried fig and a hint of tobacco. A wine that needs time in the glass and food at the table.
Aromas
dried plum, black cherry, dark chocolate, coffee, cloves, balsamic, dried fig
Critic scores
- Vivino: 4.4
- Falstaff: 93
Structure
body full · tannin high · acidity high · sweetness dry
Serving
Serve at 17–19°C · Drink 2025–2040
Food pairings
Braised beef cheeks, Wild boar ragù, Aged Pecorino, Dark chocolate
Best for
Not every night. But when the evening earns it.
From the winemaker
Equal parts Corvina, Corvinone and Rondinella from Negrar, Valpolicella Classico; 90–100 days appassimento on wooden drying racks; 30–40 days fermentation and maceration with daily hand-mixing; 4–5 years in old French barriques and large Slovenian oak. Family estate; winemaker Daniele Damoli.
Editor's note
Amarone is not a wine you open casually. The grapes dry for 90 to 100 days before fermentation even begins — losing weight, concentrating everything. Fermentation takes another 30 to 40 days, with Daniele Damoli hand-mixing daily. Then 4 to 5 years in oak. The Checo 2018 is the result: dried plum, dark chocolate, coffee, balsamic, firm tannins, 15.5% alcohol, and decades of drinking ahead. A wine for the evenings that deserve it.
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