Vineyards and winemaking
The 2015 Riserva is based on Corvina and Rondinella with a small proportion of traditional grapes such as Molinara, Dindarella, Pelara and Oseleta. Corteforte’s vineyards lie in the Fumane valley at the heart of Valpolicella Classico, where limestone-influenced soils and a temperate hillside climate favour slow, even ripening.
Selected bunches underwent several months of appassimento before controlled fermentation in stainless steel. The wine then spent 30 months in Burgundian tonneaux, 24 months settling in stainless steel and a further 18 months in bottle, an unusually patient sequence that built complexity while allowing the oak and tannin to knit together.
Tasting notes
Appearance
Deep ruby-garnet with a dense core and lightly evolved rim.
Nose
Blackberry, blueberry and black cherry rise from the glass with cinnamon, ginger and liquorice. Dried flowers, pepper and a quiet note of cedar keep the aromatic richness detailed and composed.
Palate
Broad and structured, with concentrated dark berries, plum and savoury spice held by refined tannins. The fruit remains vivid through the middle, leading to a persistent finish of cocoa, liquorice and balsamic herbs rather than overt sweetness.
Food pairing
Pair with roast rib of beef, lamb shoulder with anchovy and rosemary, pappardelle with wild boar, or a mature clothbound Cheddar. Its spice and breadth also suit baked radicchio with Taleggio and walnuts.
Background story
Corteforte is based in a historic Fumane property that began as an early-15th-century fortified complex. Since Carlo Maria Cerutti began commercial production in 1989, the estate has remained deliberately small, with around three hectares of vineyards and deep underground space for slow ageing.
This Riserva demonstrates that patient philosophy particularly clearly. Appassimento supplies concentration, but the extended sequence through tonneaux, steel and bottle is intended to refine that power into a more complete, savoury expression of Amarone with the capacity to evolve further.
