Fidora, Amarone della Valpolicella "Monte Tabor" 2015

This is a very fine wine that is uttlery delicous, rich, ripe and round condition.

Full-bodied and rich with svelte elegance and a range of flavours from macerated cherries and overripe strawberry to plum and Christmas cake, this the epitome of a the region's legendary wine. Or, as we like to call it, a Birthday wine.

In 1974, Guido Fidora was a farmer growing grapes in the Valpolicella region who felt uncomfortably out of place. All around him, his neighbours were turning to the use of chemicals to increase the volume of their crops and to prevent the grapes being eaten by pests. His attitude was one that sought to benefit from natural harmony and as such gained certification for organic vineyards, which firmly set him apart from most of the entirety of the Valpolicella community.

But he was right, of course. The quality of the grapes, the health of the vines and the consistently high level that his wines attained were proof enough that his decision added up for the business. The fact that he uses extremely traditional techniques puts him at the top table of Valpolicella producers and reminds us that these wines should be elegant, savoury, bright and characterful.

The estate is now run by Emilio, his grandson, and so convinced that his Nonno was right, Emilio has converted the entire estate to Biodynamic.

Amarone is made by harvesting fully ripened grapes and leaving them to dry in (traditionally bamboo) wooden crates called Fruttaio for up to five months over the winter after harvest. The semi-dried grapes are then vinified and the knock-on effect of this drying is simply mind-blowing. The alcohol, colour, flavour, structure and acid in the wine all increase in proportion because of the removal of water from the grapes (grapes are about 85% water content); and, because these other components increase together, they retain balance in the resultant wine. Now, balance is a loose enough concept because the wines that come out of this process are immensely full-bodied and rich, but they are absolutely delicious.

This wine is aged for a period that could vary from between 42 to 50 months in great big wooden barrels and about 12 months on bottle thereafter.

As we have seen with our very lucky possession of the 2011 vintage, this is a wine that can age for well-over a decade before it starts to get to that glorious stage of plateau-like maturity. It's so round and firm in youth that this 2015 stock will be able to give huge pleasure now, while those patient enough (or willing to buy enough of it!) will be able to follow its journey onward.