2021 Cortelavel Amarone della Valpolicella, Marion

Velvet Gravity

This is Amarone with power, polish and a slow-burning sense of luxury. Deep ruby in the glass, it opens with black cherry, dried plum, blackberry and blueberry, followed by dark chocolate, mocha, cinnamon, liquorice, black pepper and a warm savoury edge. It has all the richness you want from Amarone, but Marion keeps it beautifully measured rather than heavy.

The palate is full, soft and expansive, with layers of ripe dark fruit, dried cherry, spice and cocoa wrapped in smooth tannins. There is plenty of depth, helped by the appassimento method, where the grapes are dried before fermentation to concentrate flavour and texture, but the wine still carries freshness and lift. Long, warming and quietly dramatic, this is a bottle for slow food, low light and very good glassware.

For when you want Italian red wine with depth, drama and velvet-lined confidence.
Pairs with braised beef, venison, roast lamb, wild mushroom risotto, aged Parmesan, blue cheese, or a proper Sunday roast.

Marion is a small family estate in the Marcellise valley, just east of Verona, run by Stefano Campedelli and Nicoletta Fornasa. The estate has been in the Campedelli family since 1986 and began bottling under its own name in 1995, building a reputation for elegant, classically styled Valpolicella with layers of dark fruit and real finesse. Cortelavel Amarone is made from traditional local varieties, Corvinone, Corvina, Rondinella and the wine is produced using dried grapes, slow fermentation and extended oak ageing. The result is Marion at its most generous: rich, supple, dark-fruited and deeply expressive of Valpolicella.