2019 Amarone della Valpolicella Classico, Sant'Urbano, Speri

‘If I had to choose an Amarone to bring to the dinner table, without a doubt, Speri would be at the top of the list.’
Eric Guido, vinous.com (December 2023)

2019 Amarone della Valpolicella Classico, Sant'Urbano, Speri
£225 per 6 bottle case in bond

It may be a little-known Larkin fact, but I am very partial to top quality Valpolicella in all its guises, and notably Amarone della Valpolicella. That said, my preference is for the more elegant styles than those that can come across as a bit too heady. This example from Speri, which I tasted just yesterday begged to be offered as it has all the complexity that you might hope for, with a certain lightness of touch or as Eric Guido terms it ‘wonderfully lifted and graceful in style’. It doesn’t sound like your run of the mill Amarone, does it? And it isn’t, there is a rare sophistication and poise about the 2019 Sant’Urbano from Speri that belies its relatively modest price point.
 
The Speri style tends towards lower alcohol than some Amarone, just 15 degrees, together with lower, barely discernible, residual sweetness (about 1-1.15 grams per litre) as Eric Guido cites in his producer overview on Vinous. The wine itself is relatively pale in hue, more so than you might expect as Speri’s blend features the main grape varieties of Valpolicella, namely Corvina Veronese and Corvinone, as well as Rondinella and Molinara.  The merest hint of sweetness that you pick up on the palate therefore comes from the dried grapes, rather than simply reflecting any residual sugar in the wine. I believe it is far easier to attain balance at this level of alcohol and sweetness, which, to my mind, renders such wines better food partners. I absolutely love the freshness that this style captures as it offers a scented, floral overlay, with macerated, wonderfully ripe dark cherry and damson fruit behind, with those notes of freshly brewed coffee and Moroccan spice mix adding further intrigue. So sleek, gloriously textured, the finish here is long and resonant, without any suggestion of heaviness. Importantly, it finishes dry. Of course, it is a rich wine, but the poise is such that it keeps you reaching for yet another sip. For me, this is already drinking now, but I have little doubt it has a decade or more of drinking pleasure to offer if given patience.

Speri is an old established estate, which today resides in the hands of its seventh generation. They own 60 hectares of organically managed vineyards in Valpolicella Classico with their cellars being based in Pedemonte. The Sant’Urbano vineyard is highly regarded, lying at 250-350 metres above sea level on a hill which separates the Fumane and Marano valleys. The finest bunches are selected to be dried for around 100 days, which leads to the loss of 40% in weight as the water content of the berry evaporates. Then they are destemmed, the grapes pressed before fermentation with skins commences. After fermentation, the young wines are aged for two years in 500-litre French oak tonneaux then for 18 months in large Slavonian oak casks before spending a further year in bottle before release. The Slavonian oak has tighter pores and allows less oxygen ingress and therefore slows the ageing.
 
Please see Eric Guido’s full note from his December review below.