Terroir Amarone

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Tenute Ugolini

Elisabetta Tosi

The Casale over vineyards at Tenute Ugolini

  • Contact: Giambattista Ugolini
  • Where: Fumane (see map below)
  • Website: www.tenuteugolini.com
  • N. bottles produced / year: 25,000
  • Vineyards: 22 hectares (54.2 acres)
  • Farming: organic
  • Rooms or B&B: no

Story

The grape growing has been part of Ugolini family since ever. About 20 years ago the eldest of three brothers, Giambattista, decided to handle the vineyards and, in order to produce wine from their own grapes, he accepted to work far away from home for an important italian company for many years. The decision to start his winery goes back about 10 years ago. Since then, the main focus was to improve their vineyards in the hills, most of them were replanted. Furthermore, recently Ugolini purchased an antique house with a panoramic courtyards, Corte Quaranta - now renamed Casa Ugolini - in the rural area below the hills of San Michele, in the hearth of Valpolicella Classica, very close to the village of Fumane. 

People

The three brothers Giambattista, Davide e Tiziano Ugolini are the Tenute Ugolini owners. However, it's Giambattista the guy who reserves most of his time to the winery, with the help of some coworkers (like the cellarers Tommaso and Pedro) and consultants. Casa Ugolini also hosts Vinart, a modern art gallery and it is always open to visitors.

See this map in the original post

Vineyards

Currently, there are 22 ha (54.2 acres) growing Corvina Gentile, Corvinone, and Rondinella grapes. Close by there are approximately 7,000 square meters of olive oil tree cultivation in the high valley of Fumane, for the production of the local Extra Virgin Olive Oil. The vineyards are around the house, on the hills of Fumane and on the hills of S.Giorgio di Valpolicella: everywhere the farming method is organic. Moreover, each vineyard is reserved to only a specific wine. The soils are mainly marlstone or limestone, depending on the area. The age is 10-50 years.

Winemaking

  • Grape selection table: yes
  • Fluids processed by gravity: no
  • Drying process: external facility
  • Type of drying process: thermal and humidity control
  • Bottling: in the winery

Wines

The harvest is manual, and a further picking is made with the selection table. After the fermentation in steel tanks, the aging is in oak of a different  kind of wood. The result is a group of wine quite typical and really drinkable

  • Valpolicella Classico DOC "Il Pozzetto"
  • Valpolicella Classico Superiore DOC "Colle S.Michele"
  • Valpolicella Ripasso DOC
  • Amarone della Valpolicella Classico DOCG "Vallalta"

 

  • Stock of old vintages: no
  • Selling old vintages: no

The wines we reviewed

See this gallery in the original post

The wine