There is something gloriously refined about drinking Venetian wine on a warm summer’s evening. Located in the best vineyard sites in foothill and hillsides near the Italian Austrian border, winemakers Masi has been at the forefront of Venetian wine for several decades, working to identify the historic “cru” vineyard sites for Amarone. They produce modern, attractive and well-balanced wines credited for “revolutionising the art of wine-making in the Venetian region”, defined as a “touchstone” of the area by Hugh Johnson.
Born in 1964, Campofiorin was the first in a new category of wines, reinventing the technique of double fermentation and continually updating it. Grown in the vineyards of Marano di Valpolicella, a quintessentially Italian commune in the Province of Verona, Masi Campofiorin is a blend of Corvina, Rondinella and Molinara to make a wine that is as complex as it is smooth. Notes of cherry and plum underline the complexity with vanilla and cinnamon delivering wonderfully soft tannins on the palate with a long and persistent finish.
A full-bodied and velvety wine, it is best enjoyed on a cool evening next to barbecued meats or on a cold winter’s night next to a log fire with wintery treats. It is available priced £11.99 from Waitrose or £12.99 from Majestic.