La Collina dei Ciliegi Amarone is a rich and beautifully polished expression of one of northern Italy’s most distinctive red wines. Made from grapes that are carefully dried after harvest, it combines remarkable concentration with a surprisingly elegant sense of balance. Morello cherry, plum preserve and dark berries sit at the centre, surrounded by sweet spice, dried herbs, leather and subtle balsamic notes. The palate is broad and warming, with enveloping tannins and enough freshness to keep the generous fruit from becoming heavy. Extended ageing in French oak adds depth and softness, while the long drying process intensifies both flavour and structure. Powerful enough for slow-cooked meat and game, yet refined enough to enjoy slowly on its own, this is unmistakably Amarone – generous, complex and built for lingering over rather than rushing.
La Collina dei Ciliegi Amarone della Valpolicella, Producer
La Collina dei Ciliegi is based in Erbin, a small hilltop village in Valpantena, north of Verona. The estate was founded by entrepreneur Massimo Gianolli, whose family connections with the area stretch back to his father Armando’s childhood in the village. The family began acquiring land here during the 1970s, with the first Amarone produced in 2005 and the wider wine project subsequently developed around the estate.
Today, La Collina dei Ciliegi combines wine production with hospitality and a strong focus on the possibilities of high-altitude Valpantena. The property extends across approximately 58 hectares, with around 33 hectares of organically cultivated vineyards positioned between roughly 450 and 700 metres above sea level. The estate produces the traditional wines of Valpolicella alongside more experimental high-altitude expressions, balancing respect for regional tradition with a distinctly modern approach.
La Collina dei Ciliegi Amarone della Valpolicella, Terroir & Winemaking
The Amarone is made from Corvina, Corvinone and Rondinella, the classic grapes of Valpolicella. In the current 2020 UK release, the blend is listed as approximately 55% Corvina, 40% Corvinone and 5% Rondinella.
The grapes are harvested by hand during the second part of September before undergoing appassimento, the traditional Amarone drying process. They remain in dedicated drying lofts for around 100 days, losing approximately 40% of their original weight as water evaporates. This concentrates sugars, flavours, colour and structural components before fermentation even begins.
The dried grapes are then destemmed and gently crushed. Fermentation takes place in temperature-controlled stainless-steel tanks at approximately 15–20°C for around 25 days, with regular pumping over to extract colour and tannin. The wine subsequently spends 24 months in French oak barriques and tonneaux, followed by a further six months in bottle before release.
La Collina dei Ciliegi Amarone della Valpolicella, Tasting Notes
Deep, bright garnet-red in colour. The nose is powerful and complex, opening with Morello cherry, black cherry and plum preserve before revealing dried fruit, sweet spice and subtle leathery notes. With air, hints of cocoa, tobacco, balsamic herbs and warm spice add further depth.
The palate is full-bodied and enveloping, with concentrated cherry and plum fruit framed by substantial but polished tannins. There is richness and warmth, but also sufficient acidity to keep the wine balanced. French oak contributes gentle spice and structure rather than dominating the fruit, while leather and savoury balsamic notes emerge towards the finish. Long, warming and persistent, it leaves lingering flavours of dark cherry, spice and dried fruit.
La Collina dei Ciliegi Amarone della Valpolicella, Food pairing suggestion: Slow-Roasted Duck Legs with Cherry, Balsamic and Creamy Polenta
Did you know?
The secret behind Amarone’s concentration is appassimento. Rather than pressing the grapes immediately after harvest, producers dry carefully selected bunches for several months. La Collina dei Ciliegi dries its Amarone grapes for around 100 days, during which they lose roughly 40% of their weight.
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