Valpolicella Classico D.O.C. By Michele Castellani

The Finer Details

What does our Somm say?

This wine is a super easy drinking and versatile red drop from family winemakers, Michele Castellani.

Whereas other wines from Castellani are super full bodied and strong, this Valpolicella Classico D.O.C ‘i Castei’ has a lower body at 12.5% and therefore lends itself to lighter meals or entrees.

 

In particular, I would enjoy this wine with any roasted chicken or turkey meals, vegetable risotto or gnocchi with a cheese and walnut sauce. Even lighter meals such as broths, minestrone or marinated grilled vegetables would work wonderfully.

 

Outside of a meal setting, we love to savour the taste of this wine with a board of good quality Prosciutto and lighter salami with some seasoned cheeses; think Parmigiano Reggiano, Aged Gouda, and fresh baguette.

 

 

Optimal Serving Temp: 18 Degrees Celsius

 

The Winery

Michele Castellani is a third generation family wine producer of some of the highest quality wines in the famous Valpolicella wine region of Veneto, North Italy. Set up in 1945 by its founder Michele, the Michele Castellani winery has indeed transformed itself, thanks to the substantial investments in the vineyards and in equipment made by his far-sighted successors, into a state-of-the-art winery that makes the most of the excellent raw material provided by the about 40 hectares of directly owned or grown vineyards.

 

Sergio Castellani, with his wife Maria, continues today the wine business and manages the family-run company through all the wine making stages. Together with his children Michele, (in the winery), Martina (administrative department) and Mara (International Sales Manager), the success in Italy and abroad confirms the validity of the project.

 

The Michele Castellani Estate consists of about 40 hectares of directly owned or grown vineyards situated in the hillside area of the Valpolicella Classico. The planting system is pergola except for few vineyards that are cultivated with the ‘Guyot’ system. The main varieties cultivated by the company are: Corvina, Corvinone, Rondinella and Molinara.

 

Both the new vineyard and the well renowned ones at Cà del Pipa and Castei, in the heart of Valpolicella Classico, present high quality geo-morphological and viticultural features. There include; ideal exposure, constant ventilation, soils with a well-balanced composition both in terms of nutrients and draining capacity, and carefully-chosen training systems depending on the vine variety (“Pergoletta” for Corvina, Corvinone and Rondinella, ‘Guyot’ for grapes like Oseleta or Croatina) with very excellent planting densities.

 

They combine these characteristics with selective winter pruning and summer thinning operations aimed at controlling the natural growth. The winery practices the selection of the best harvesting times, depending on the grapes phenolic and aromatic maturity, enabling the company to harvest grapes at the peak of their organoleptic potential.

 

For more, follow @castellanimichelevini

 

Grapes

• Corvina Veronese & Corvinone 70%
• Rondinella 25%
• Molinara 5%

 

Alcohol Content: 12.5%
Bottle Size: 750ml