Monte Zovo DOCG Amarone Riserva 2020

In Short

A Riserva Amarone from Veneto built on Corvina with dried cherry, cocoa, and warming spice, structured for the next fifteen years.

Quick Facts

• Region: Amarone della Valpolicella DOCG, Veneto
• Variety: Corvina Veronese blend
• Style: Full-bodied dry red
• Best For: Special occasions, cellaring

Why We Stock It

Monte Zovo's Riserva designation marks a wine made from carefully selected fruit and aged longer than the standard bottling, and at this price it offers a serious Amarone without the premium markup of the most famous names. The 2020 has the richness and structure that defines the style while remaining approachable in its youth. It is a bottle worth holding for a few years, or opening now with food that matches its weight.

Tasting Profile

This is a concentrated wine with the dried-fruit intensity and warmth Amarone is known for.

• Aroma: Dark cherry, cocoa, dried plum, tobacco, subtle spice
• Palate: Rich and velvety, ripe black fruit, leather, licorice, balanced acidity
• Structure & Finish: Full body, ripe tannins, long warming finish with dried-fruit persistence

Winemaking

Amarone is made from grapes dried for several months after harvest, which concentrates their sugars and flavors. The resulting wine ferments slowly and ages in wood before release. Monte Zovo's Riserva receives extended ageing to build complexity and allow the tannins to integrate.

Serving & Pairing

Serve at 65 to 68 degrees Fahrenheit. Decanting for thirty minutes will open the wine and soften its tannins. Pair it with braised short ribs or beef stewed with red wine and mushrooms, where the wine's weight and structure anchor a composed meal. It is also at home with a simple plate of aged Parmigiano and cured meat, where its richness and spice shine without competition.

The Estate

Monte Zovo is a family-run producer in the Valpolicella region working with estate vineyards to make traditional Amarones and other wines of the appellation. The estate practices sustainable viticulture and controls the drying process carefully to ensure balanced fruit concentration in the finished wine.

Terroir

Amarone della Valpolicella lies in the foothills north of Verona, where Corvina and related grapes thrive in a temperate Alpine climate moderated by nearby Lake Garda. The soils are limestone-rich and well-drained, and the warm growing season allows the grapes to ripen fully before the selective drying that defines the appellation.