Amarone della Valpolicella Classico (1968)

About this wine

This 1968 Bertani Amarone della Valpolicella Classico shows intense ruby to garnet colour and a ripe nose of dried plum, Morello cherry, fig and toasted almond. The bouquet also reveals tobacco, warm spices and a hint of truffle that deepen with time in the glass. On the palate it is full bodied and velvety, with sweet tannins and persistent acidity that keep the wine balanced despite its concentration. The wine was produced by appassimento drying of Corvina Veronese and Rondinella grapes, followed by a long fermentation and aging for around seven years in large Slavonian oak barrels, then further bottle maturation in the 1980s. Alcohol is high for the style and the texture is rich and layered, with a long finish that recalls dried fruit, cocoa and spice.

About the grape

Corvina Veronese is the dominant grape in this Bertani Amarone and has long been the backbone of Valpolicella, valued for its thick skins and ability to concentrate during the traditional appassimento drying process employed at Tenuta Novare. Rondinella supplies the remaining portion of the blend, a locally developed variety prized for reliable yields and resistance to rot, which makes it especially suitable for leaving clusters to dry on racks in the fruttai. At Bertani much of the fruit comes from the Novare estate where soils include volcanic basalt and reddish clay and where a Double Guyot training system and massal selection programs such as the Corvina Novare project are used to manage vigor and preserve clonal diversity. Together these two varietals are chosen and cultivated to withstand drying and long barrel aging, with Corvina providing the core structure and Rondinella supporting concentration and consistent ripening.

Quick facts

• 🕰️ The 1968 Amarone from Bertani was bottled in the 1980s and intentionally cellared for about twenty years before release, so what you taste is partly shaped by that very long bottle-aging.
• 🍓 Despite being a dry Amarone, skilled tasters note a surprising, playful sweet wild strawberry note on the finish unique to the 1968 bottling.
• 🍷 This 1968 carries an unusually potent spirit for its time, listed around 15% alcohol, which helps explain its ripe, concentrated personality decades later.
• 🏛️ Bertani is one of Valpolicella’s oldest houses, founded in 1857, and was an early pioneer in moving from sweet Recioto to dry, Amarone-style wines—so the 1968 is part of that pioneering legacy.
• 🪵 The 1968 Bertani Amarone appears regularly in fine-wine auctions and is often offered in its original oak case, making it a collectible bottle prized by veterans and cellarmasters.

Palate profile

Producer

Bertani Winery, established in 1857 by brothers Giovan Battista and Gaetano Bertani in Quinto di Valpantena, Italy, is renowned for its pioneering contributions to Italian winemaking. Gaetano, having studied under French viticulturist Jules Guyot, introduced innovative techniques that elevated the quality of their wines. In 1958, Bertani produced its first Amarone della Valpolicella Classico, a style that has since become emblematic of the region. The winery's commitment to excellence was recognized in 2023 when it was named Winery of the Year by Gambero Rosso.