Torre D'Orti Amarone della Valpolicella 2022 (750ml)

Torre d’Orti sits on the hillsides above Marcellise, just east of Verona, and takes its name from an ancient watchtower that once belonged to the nearby Castle of Montorio. The estate is owned by the Piona family, brothers Franco and Luciano, who made their name with acclaimed wines in Custoza before returning to their roots in Valpolicella, where they replanted these slopes with the region’s native grapes. Remnants of old stone terraces, once used for olives, grain, and vines, still shape the land, and the vineyards grow in a distinctive mix of red earth and white chalk that, together with the altitude, lends the wines an elegance and structure suited to long aging. Yields are kept low, only the best clusters are selected, and the Amarone is made in the time-honored way: Corvina, Corvinone, Rondinella, and a touch of the rare Oseleta are laid out to dry for months after harvest, concentrating their sugars and flavors before slow fermentation into a deep, powerful dry red. A member of the Amarone Families, a group of producers dedicated to the wine’s heritage, Torre d’Orti crafts an Amarone of dark cherry, violet, and spice with a savory finish, delicious now with rich braises and aged cheeses, and well worth cellaring for years to come.