ILatium Morini, Amarone della Valpolicella, DOCG Riserva, Due Mori, Veneto, Italy, 2015

Producer Profile

The seven brothers and cousins involved with ILatium Morini changed their approach in 2004 and decided to keep the best grapes to make wine themselves.

Since 2004 the torrent of accolades, including an IWC Gold for their Amarone and glowing reviews from Jancis Robinson, would suggest that they made the right decision. Now at the forefront of the new wave production of Soave, Valpolicella and Amarone, the wines combine beautiful fruit concentration with fresh, bright acidity.

Viticulture

From the Mezzane di Sotto and Valle d’Illasi area of Valpolicella, where the soils are clay/calcareous soil at around 200 meters above sea level. The vineyards are around 20 to 30 years old and the vines are trained in the Guyot system.

Winemaking

Only produced in exceptional years, the best grapes are hand-picked, with strict selection depending on the ripening period. Then the grapes are dried in 5- 6 kg crates in a controlled environment for 100 - 120 days right through to January, before they are destemmed and pressed. Cold maceration is followed by controlled fermentation for 15/20 days with frequent pumping over and moving of the pressed grapes (at a temperature from 18°C - 25°C, with a final temperature from 28°C - 30°C). Refinement takes place in 225 litre French oak barrels for about 24 months then in 50hl oak barrels for other 48 months, followed by 12 months in bottle.

Oak Ageing

Time: 6 Years
Type: 225 litre and 50 hl oak barrels
% wine oaked: 100
% new oak: 100

Tasting Note

The wine is an impenetrable ruby red colour. Intense, complex and incredibly rich aroma; ethereal hints and notes of ripe red berries, cherries, black cherries, blueberries, with spicy notes of cinnamon and vanilla. It is dry, warm and smooth on the palate, with beautifully elegant tannins

Food Matching

A wine as refined as this is best savoured on its own, but can be paired with wild game meats, dark chocolate or ripe cheese such as parmigiano/grana padano.