Benedetti Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Corte Antica 2003 (75cl, 14%)

Benedetti Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Corte Antica 2003 is an Italian red wine from the Valpolicella Classica zone of Veneto, produced by the traditional appassimento method. Benedetti La Villa is a family-run estate in the hills above Negrar, near Verona. The wine is made from a blend of Corvina Veronese, Rondinella and Corvinone, harvested and air-dried to concentrate sugars, acids and flavour compounds before fermentation. The 2003 vintage was a notably warm year across Europe. The nose opens with ripe dark fruit, black cherry and dried plum, with subtle smoky and charcoal-like nuances and earthy undertones of loam and dried herbs. On the palate, concentrated red and black fruit arrives first, with crushed cherry and hints of blackberry, then ashy mineral tones and a touch of natural residual sweetness. The finish is smooth and medium in length, with lingering cherry pit, faint smoke and dried fruit.