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The embrace of native grapes in Amarone

While Corvina has always been central to Amarone della Valpolicella, producers are now leaving behind international varieties in the blend in favour of other native grapes from the region. Sarah Heller MW explores the trend

Words by Sarah Heller MW

Grapes for Amarone

Like many of Italy’s fine wine regions, Valpolicella has emerged from a few decades of dalliance with ‘interloper’ grapes in pursuit of international tastes, now returning firmly to its roots. Along with Corvina, bedrock of the Amarone blend – now substitutable with Corvinone, an unrelated and more structured variety – plus the mandatory Rondinella, producers are exploring even more of the region’s native grapes. There’s Oseleta – increasingly popular following its resuscitation by Masi – and Molinara – which is staging a mini-comeback after years of decline – along with curios such as Dindarella, Negrara, Rossignola and even (Lombardian) Croatina.

Producers are deeply cognisant of their role in safeguarding tradition

This movement is, undoubtedly, also motivated by international market tastes, which now privilege authenticity and heritage, valuing ‘typicity’ above and beyond absolute (and implicitly homogenous) ‘quality’. This has permitted the return of varieties like Oseleta that were once rejected by local growers for unpopular traits such as their low yields. Producers are deeply cognisant of their role in safeguarding tradition, a critical factor for Carlo Maria Cerutti of Corteforte. Celestino Gasparini of Zýmē notes that Oseleta, which he first released as a varietal wine in 2001, is arguably more indigenous than Amarone, which only emerged in the last century.

Celestino Gasparini of Zyme
Celestino Gaspari of Zýmē - with the producer's new grape reception facility, 'Terre della Grola', pictured above

Beyond this, these grapes are indisputably bringing something novel to the quality, and qualities, of Amarone despite remaining minor components (according to DOCG rules, varieties other than Corvina, Corvinone or Rondinella cannot exceed 10% of the blend). Their embrace is something of a rejection of the varietal movement shaping regions like Chianti Classico, where top wines are frequently pure Sangiovese. During our visit to her property, Marinella Camerani of Corte Sant’Alda expressed strong opposition to varietal Corvina (even if the denomination allowed this), particularly when grown on the plains where it gives ‘massive bunches’.

Instead, Corvina’s naturally moderate colour and tannins have driven producers to embrace varieties like Oseleta, with tiny bunches and thick, tannic skins that have helped it supplant Cabernet and Merlot as blending partners. Molinara – light, pale and fresh – lies at the other end of the spectrum, bringing a ‘sapidità’ (savouriness) or salinity embraced by Serego Alighieri, which has a proprietary clone, and Tommaso Bussola, which has an otherwise potent, muscular style. Some producers are using the nuances of native grapes to distinguish their various bottlings. Sabrina Tedeschi of the Tedeschi estate notes that while they appreciate Oseleta’s complexity, structure and acidity for their single-site Amarone, in other wines like Maternigo (the estate’s Valpolicella Superiore) they focus instead on the spiciness of Corvinone.

Zenato
Carla, Nadia and Alberto Zenato

Another critical factor is appassimento – Amarone’s distinctive drying process – for which international varieties are suboptimal. For example, Bordeaux grapes often leave a marked herbaceousness and harsh tannin. By contrast, Oseleta’s virtually non-existent juice following appassimento makes extraction very gentle, according to Masi’s Raffaele Boscaini. Along similar lines, Camerani prizes her hillside grown Corvinone – more common in the winery’s eastern Val d’Ilasi home – for the reliable appassimento that its thick-skinned, small bunches achieve, yielding a fine herbal spice. Nadia Zenato (Zenato) notes that her family’s choice to include spicy, berry-toned Croatina is also partially due to its appassimento-friendly sparse bunches.

A harvest in vineyards belonging to Brigaldara

However, even those who readily admit to the contributions of native grapes also caution that they will likely remain a minor part of the whole, acting as seasoning rather than ingredients. Tedeschi has reduced the level of ‘other’ native grapes – aromatic but colour-poor Dindarella; dark, structured Negrara, and savoury but low-tannin Rossignola, plus Oseleta – from 10% to 5% in its Amarone Marne 180.  Renzo Rubinelli of Rubinelli Vajol, who uses both Oseleta and Molinara for their to the blend, keeps the percentages minimal to avoid the rusticity, crude tannins and delayed drinkability (Oseleta) or frail structure, pale colour and curtailed longevity (Molinara) that a higher percentage of either variety might bring to the wine.

The greatest fruit of this shift may simply be the increased diversity

In the end, the greatest fruit of this shift may simply be the increased diversity: Gaspari of Zýmē estate notes the increased potential to appeal to a varied audience, while also acknowledging the potential for confusion. Personally, I find the presence of certain grape varieties a helpful signal of a producer’s stylistic intentions (for instance, in Serego Alighieri’s Molinara-leavened Vaio Armaron vs. Masi’s Oseleta-buttressed Costasera Riserva). Hopefully, with more time and experience, at least a few native grape varieties will develop still clearer identities, permitting a few ‘typical’ Amarone styles to coalesce, each as native as the next.

12 Amarones showcasing the influence of native grapes

Producer Name Vintage Region Subregion
Allegrini, Fieramonte Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Riserva 2016
Veneto , Amarone della Valpolicella Classico
Allegrini Fieramonte Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Riserva 2016 Veneto Amarone della Valpolicella Classico
Brigaldara, Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 2018
Veneto , Amarone della Valpolicella Classico
Brigaldara Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 2018 Veneto Amarone della Valpolicella Classico
Corte Sant'Alda, Amarone della Valpolicella 2016
Veneto , Amarone della Valpolicella
Corte Sant'Alda Amarone della Valpolicella 2016 Veneto Amarone della Valpolicella
Corteforte, Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Vigneti di Osan 2015
Veneto , Amarone della Valpolicella Classico
Corteforte Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Vigneti di Osan 2015 Veneto Amarone della Valpolicella Classico
Masi, Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Riserva Costasera 2017
Veneto , Amarone della Valpolicella Classico
Masi Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Riserva Costasera 2017 Veneto Amarone della Valpolicella Classico
Rubinelli Vajol, Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 2016
Veneto , Amarone della Valpolicella Classico
Rubinelli Vajol Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 2016 Veneto Amarone della Valpolicella Classico
Serego Alighieri, Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Vaio Armaron 2016
Veneto , Amarone della Valpolicella Classico
Serego Alighieri Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Vaio Armaron 2016 Veneto Amarone della Valpolicella Classico
Tedeschi, Amarone della Valpolicella Marne 180 2019
Veneto , Amarone della Valpolicella
Tedeschi Amarone della Valpolicella Marne 180 2019 Veneto Amarone della Valpolicella
Tommasi Viticoltori, Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 2019
Veneto , Amarone della Valpolicella Classico
Tommasi Viticoltori Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 2019 Veneto Amarone della Valpolicella Classico
Tommaso Bussola, Amarone dell Valpolicella Classico Vigneto Alto 2007
Veneto , Amarone della Valpolicella Classico
Tommaso Bussola Amarone dell Valpolicella Classico Vigneto Alto 2007 Veneto Amarone della Valpolicella Classico
Zenato, Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 2018
Veneto , Amarone della Valpolicella Classico
Zenato Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 2018 Veneto Amarone della Valpolicella Classico
Zyme, Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 2017
Veneto , Amarone della Valpolicella Classico
Zyme Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 2017 Veneto Amarone della Valpolicella Classico
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