2011 Tedeschi Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Riserva Capitel Monte Olmi DOCG, Veneto

Aged 4 years.

Monte Olmi is the name of this vineyard, located at Pedemonte di Valpolicella in the heart of Valpolicella Classica. The vineyard has a south-western exposure and is 2.5 hectares in size. It is laid out on terraces in order to ensure efficient draining in case of abundant rainfall. At the same time, the depth and the clay structure of the terrain serve to retain water during dry period.

If you like big Amarones, this one is big with a capital B. The most robust and powerful of the bunch, the 2011 Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Riserva Capitel Monte Olmi is also sophisticated and integrated, despite its huge alcohol content at 17%. I knew the alcohol was high, but I would have never guessed it was that high, and that speaks to the relative balance achieved here. It is sweet, robust and richly layered and textured in the mouth. This is a huge wine that will make you very happy, very fast. The blend is 30% Corvina, 30% Corvinone, 30% Rondinella and a 10% mix of Oseleta, Negrara, Dindarella, Croatina and Forselina, which comes from the Monte Olmi vineyard in the Pedemonte hills. The grapes are dried for a lengthy four months. This is the estate's flagship label, and it became a Riserva starting with the 2009 vintage. Some 10,000 bottles were made.