Guy Woodward investigates Italy – Tedeschi

Sabrina Tedeschi, president, Tedeschi

‘It was my father Lorenzo who, largely out of intuition, felt the Monte Olmi vineyard’s south-westerly exposure gave it the potential to make a special Amarone. This was 60 years ago when nobody talked about cru wines, but he started to vinify the grapes separately and – very unusual for the period – put the name of the vineyard on the label.

‘With it, he introduced a new style of wine. In the past, Amarone was considered a massive wine, in volume and style. But when critics taste Monte Olmi, they always find some balsam notes, some freshness. Even if it is quite a complex, rich Amarone, the aroma always offers freshness.

‘Our style wasn’t so popular at the turn of the century because we’ve always maintained acidity as an important pillar of Amarone, and at the time, people liked the bolder, sweeter style. Today, the trend is moving in the opposite direction, to more elegant, complex wines, and, as winemaker, my brother Ricardo’s job is to keep good acidity in the grapes. Amarone is not an everyday wine. But if everything is very well balanced, that elegance gives the drinkability that people are looking for.

‘Monte Olmi is important to us – not in terms of volume (we produce around 500,000 bottles per year, but only around 7,500 bottles of Monte Olmi) but quality. I hope Tedeschi has been part of a move towards a more quality-driven philosophy in the region. Certainly single-vineyard wines are a definite trend today. Over the last 20 years, people have been focusing more and more on them.’