Amarone Preview, focus on 2016 vintage

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Appassimento, the “Valpolicella method” in action - photo courtesy by Claudio Oliboni

If you are planning to attend “Anteprima Amarone”, the traditional appointment with Amarone della Valpolicella (Verona, Italy, 1st, and 2nd of Feb 2020) here there is some information that can be helpful to know before starting your tasting.

The 2016 winter was dry and mild and had caused an early start to the season, then abruptly interrupted by a couple of rainy months - May and June. In that period there were some attacks of downy mildew. However, the continuation of the season had been favorable, with a hot summer and cool nights. Seemingly, 2016 was a vintage similar to 2015. The grapes showed off a high degree of sugar, presenting good acidity - an essential requirement for wines destined for long aging, and a rich set of coloring substances. This was the photograph of the 2016 vintage at the time of that year's harvest.

The harvest began on the 258th day since the beginning of the year, 5 days after the start of the 2015 harvest, and almost 15 days after that of 2011.

2016 would, therefore, have all the characteristics of a more balanced vintage. The more accentuated temperature range should have led to a higher potential in anthocyanins compared to previous years, and this will certainly be reflected in the final colors of the wines.

That year, the Consortium had also requested and obtained from the Veneto Region a drastic reduction to just 40% of the grapes designated to the drying process, to improve the general quality of the final wines. With that in mind, the wines we're going to taste won't be very ready to drink: the best is yet to come.

However, you can always bet about their potential: after all, this is what the previews are for, isn’t it?