Monte del Fra
Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 2020
| Denomination | DOCG Amarone della Valpolicella Classico |
|---|---|
| Size | 0,75 l |
| Alcohol content | 15.5% by volume |
| Area | Veneto (Italy) |
| Grape varieties | Corvina, Corvinone, Rondinella |
| Aging | Once malolactic fermentation is complete, the wine is aged for at least 24 months in wooden casks of 20 and 30 hl; after bottling, it undergoes a further ageing period of at least 6 months before being released for sale. |
- Appellation and vintage: Amarone della Valpolicella Classico DOCG 2020; 92 Suckling points
- Format and alcohol content: 0.75-litre bottle with 15.5% alcohol by volume
- Grape composition: a blend of Corvina, Corvinone and Rondinella selected by Monte del Frà
- Drying and ageing: 120 days in the drying room, 24 months in 20-30 hl wooden casks
- Pairings and serving: 16-18°C, decant for 1 hour; with red meat, game and cheeses
Description
What type of wine it is
The Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Tenuta Lena di Mezzo by Monte del Frà is a still red wine from Veneto with a Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita (DOCG) status, an elegant blend of Corvina, Corvinone, and Rondinella. The glass reveals a deep ruby red colour with garnet shades, whilst on the palate it is harmonious and dry, supported by a full-bodied structure and defined tannins. The aromatic profile is intense, characterised by notes of cherries in alcohol, plums, liquorice, tobacco, cocoa, and dark spices such as black pepper. The ageing in wooden barrels consolidates its dense flavour texture, providing a long, enveloping, and highly persistent finish, consistent with the style of the famous appellation.
Where it comes from
This red wine is born in Valpolicella Classica, the heart of the eponymous Venetian wine area. The vineyards stretch across the hills between 250 and 450 metres above sea level, cultivated using the traditional pergola system. The soils have a tuffaceous, clayey, and calcareous composition, ideal for encouraging optimal ripening of the bunches. This soil gives the grapes a rich polyphenolic content, essential for creating wines of great concentration. The territorial identity shapes the character of the wine, ensuring a broad sip that is faithful to its land of origin.
How it is produced
The autumn harvest begins with a brief drying on the vine, then completed inside climate-controlled drying rooms. The bunches rest for approximately 120 days, concentrating sugars and aromatic precursors. This is followed by soft crushing and destemming and a slow alcoholic fermentation in steel, combined with a long maceration on the skins to maximise the extraction of colour and tannins. Once the malolactic fermentation is complete, the wine matures for at least 24 months in large wooden barrels. This careful production process ends with a further six months of rest before being marketed, guaranteeing an impeccable balance.
History and Background
This majestic Amarone is born from the Bonomo family’s deep passion for Valpolicella, celebrating a bond with the land that has lasted for over sixty years. Its essence lies in the meticulous drying of the grapes, started directly on the vine and completed in the drying room for 120 days, until the perfect sugar concentration is reached. After a slow fermentation, the wine rests for 24 months in wooden barrels and is further refined in the bottle. An artisanal excellence, awarded 92 James Suckling points, it is capable of transforming the wait into a tasting experience of absolute prestige.
Awards
-
2020
92/100
James Suckling is an influential American wine critic and journalist who worked at Wine Spectator for 30 years. He left the magazine in 2010 to start his own website and guidebook (JamesSuckling.com). He specialises in Italian and Bordeaux wines.
Tasting notes
Perfume
Color
Taste
Serve at:
18 - 20 °C
Longevity:
10 - 15 years
Decanting time:
1 hour
- Start up year: 1958
- Oenologist: Claudio Bonomo
- Bottles produced: 1.000.000
- Hectares: 247
Almost two centuries later, in 1958, Massimo Bonomo rented two rooms and the adjacent fields. His family opened a Frasca, a typical Venetian bulk wine shop. They made wine and grew peaches, strawberries, and wheat.
Today, after over 60 years, the Bonomo family is still managing Monte del Frà: the second generation, with the brothers Eligio and Claudio, has been joined by the third with Marica, Silvia, and Massimo. The years pass, and the generations change, but something will always stay the same: the utter commitment to the land. Read more
| Name | Monte del Fra Tenuta Lena di Mezzo Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 2020 |
|---|---|
| Type | Red still |
| Denomination | Amarone della Valpolicella DOCG |
| Vintage | 2020 |
| Size | 0,75 l |
| Alcohol content | 15.5% by volume |
| Grape varieties | Corvina, Corvinone, Rondinella |
| Country | Italy |
| Region | Veneto |
| Vendor | Monte del Fra |
| Story | History and Background This majestic Amarone is born from the Bonomo family’s deep passion for Valpolicella, celebrating a bond with the land that has lasted for over sixty years. Its essence lies in the meticulous drying of the grapes, started directly on the vine and completed in the drying room for 120 days, until the perfect sugar concentration is reached. After a slow fermentation, the wine rests for 24 months in wooden barrels and is further refined in the bottle. An artisanal excellence, awarded 92 James Suckling points, it is capable of transforming the wait into a tasting experience of absolute prestige. |
| Origin | Valpolicella Classica area (Veneto, Italy) |
| Soil composition | Tuffaceous, clayey and calcareous soil. |
| Cultivation system | Pergola |
| Harvest | Towards the middle of October |
| Production technique | Short drying of the grapes on the vine, followed by further drying in crates in a drying room at controlled humidity and temperature (approximately 120 days); soft crushing and de-stemming; slow alcoholic fermentation in small stainless steel tanks with long maceration on the skins; ageing in 20–30 hl wooden casks. |
| Wine making | Soft crushing and destemming takes place from late January to early March, depending on the vintage. Alcoholic fermentation in small steel tanks is slow, with a long maceration on the skins to allow for maximum aromatic and polyphenolic extraction. |
| Aging | Once malolactic fermentation is complete, the wine is aged for at least 24 months in wooden casks of 20 and 30 hl; after bottling, it undergoes a further ageing period of at least 6 months before being released for sale. |
| Allergens | Contains sulphites |