Musella Amarone della Valpolicella Superiore Riserva 2016

Wine Type:
Style of Wine:	Big & Bold
Country of Origin:	Italy
Wine Region:	Veneto
Appellation:	Valpolicella
Grape Varietal:	Corvina , Corvinone, Rondinella, and Oseleta
Bottle Format:	750mL
Case Size:	6 bottles
$662.40 Per Case ($110.40/btl) Add to Cart

Tasting Notes

Intense and defined candied cherry and blueberry woven in notes of dark chocolate, spices and tobacco leaf. Full bodied and broadly structured showing intense concentration of fruit laced with spice, chocolate and orange zest. Elegant tannins and fresh acidity stay focused through to a long luscious finish.

- First vintage of production: 1993

- Grape varieties: Corvina and Corvinone 70%, Rondinella 20%, Oseleta 10%.

- Geographical area: north-east of Verona, on the hill that separates Montorio from Valle d’Illasi.

- Total extension of the vineyards in the estate: 27 hectares of modern vertical trellis.

- Age of planting: since 1960 to 2001.

- Soil composition: calcareous with red clay and tufo

- Planting density: 5/7000.

- Thinning: from July 30th to August 10st.

- Harvest: from the end of August until the middle of September.

- Yield per plant: 1 kg

- Vintage climate

The winter was extremely warm, the development of blooms started already in March, few rainfalls and hot temperature till June, when the rain started. At the end of month we had a terrible hail storm and we lost the 40% of grapes, but we had the time to clean up and work a lot in the vineyards, so the many rainfalls of July and August didn’t compromise the grapes. From end of August till the finish of the harvest in October we had a nice weather and the result is a small (in quantity), but great (in quality) Musella vintage.

- Winemaking technique

The healthiest, ripest bunches of picked grapes undergo a unique drying process (Appassimento) that take place, on cases in a well naturally ventilated loft. The grapes lose at least the 35% of their original weight thereby concentrating sugar, aromatic compounds and noble tannins. In January grapes are gently crushed and the fermentation starts at low temperature(13-17 C). then, transfer to oak barrels of 700,1500 and 3500 litres of various origins and composition and age, mostly from Allier forest. The wine remains one year in bottles before release.

- Bottling: July 2011

- Enochemical characteristics

Alcohol: 15.98 % vol

Total acidity: 6.15

PH: 3.55

Sugar: 7.5 g/l

Extract: 34.8 g/l

- Enjoy to drink: Stewed meat, roast of red meats, seasoned cheeses; agreeable also as a meditation wine

Critical Praise

2 1/2 out of 3 Glasses, Gambero Rosso Guide to Italian Wines

Ratings for the 2007 vintage:

3 out of 3 Glasses, Gambero Rosso