Monte dall'Ora

  • Valpolicella, Veneto, Italy
Monte dall'Ora
  • Panorama of the vineyard
  • Poppies

Thank you to importer Louis/Dressner for this producer profile: 

(Click here for more on Monte Dall'Ora on Louis/Dressner's website and here for the winery's own website)

Located in the center of Valpolicella on one of the five ridges that descend the valley (which resemble the fingers of a hand), Monte Dall'Ora is the creation of Carlo Venturini and his wife Alessandra Zantedeschi. Both are from vignaioli families, but decided to start fresh with their own estate in 1995. At the time, the purchased terraces were in terrible condition and everything had to be rebuilt.

Vines are either selection massale or grafted on American rootstock. Carlo has chosen to work with (and in some cases, replant) the region's traditional varietals: Corvina, Corvinone, Rondinella, and Oseleta (a lost indigenous grape). The estate was worked organically until 2006, when the couple converted to biodynamic agriculture. The soils are unique to their particular ridge and are composed of limestone with a reddish hue. The first 15 meters are very soft and porous, permitting the vines' roots to penetrate deep in the subsoil.

The vines are all trained in the pergola style. Carlo thought about training the vines in Guyot, but quickly changed his mind for reasons of climate and quality control. In many regions, growers continue to use pergola because this vine tending system produces very high yields; while often inconsequential to the health of the grapes, the widespread justification is that is necessary to protect the fruit from the sun. In Valpolicella's case, this is actually true: Corvina and Corvinone are both very susceptible to sunlight. They are also very vigorous varietals: with guyot, bunches would get too big and become prone to illness. Pergola creates more air and space between clusters; the plants are more separated, which results in smaller and more concentrated bunches.

Instead of worrying about lower yields for higher concentration (an easy goal with but very hard to accomplish with pergola), Carlo prefers focusing his energy on balance in the vineyard: this essentially means promoting agricultural and natural biodiversity instead of just vine tending. Grass grows free, with cherry and olive trees complimenting the entirety of the vineyard. This work philosophy continues through the winemaking: "Finding the equilibrium in the vineyard brings balance in the cellar."

Image Producer PRODUCT Description Country / Region

DB4891-22
Biodynamic
Monte dall'Ora Vino Rosso "Vino Nato Disobbediente-Resistente Contadino"
2022
Corvina blend
LITERS. 50% Corvina/20% Corvinone/ 20% Rondinella/10% Molinara & Oseleta. Short maceration, very light color, low alcohol (10.5%)....
Italy

DB0144-22
Biodynamic
Monte dall'Ora Valpolicella Classico "Saseti"
2022
Corvina blend
50% Corvina/20% Corvinone/ 20% Rondinella/10% Molinara & Oseleta. Saseti is named for the "little stones" found in the limestone soils...
Italy

DB0145-20
Biodynamic
Monte dall'Ora Valpolicella Classico Superiore "Camporenzo"
2020
Corvina blend
50% Corvina/30% Corvinone/20% Rondinella. Monte Dall’Ora’s Camporenzo vineyard is a few kilometers from the home vineyard and is similar in...
Italy

DB8394-19
Biodynamic
Monte dall'Ora Valpolicella Ripasso Classico Superiore "Saustò"
2019
Corvina blend
40% Corvina/30% Corvinone/20% Rondinella/10% Oseleta & Molinara. Saustò comes from the same core estate vineyard as the Saseti...
Italy

DB4155-18
Biodynamic
Monte dall'Ora Valpolicella Classico Superiore "San Giorgio Alto"
2018
Corvina blend
60% Corvina/20% Corvinone/20% Rondinella. 2015 was the first vintage from this special 1.5-hectare site. San Giorgio is several miles NW of...
Italy

DB1012-12
Biodynamic
Monte dall'Ora Amarone della Valpolicella "La Stropa"
2012
Corvina blend
50% Corvina/20% Corvinone/20% Rondinella/10% Molinara & Dindarella. While DOCG law allows the use up to half of a harvest for the...
Italy

DB7870-15
Biodynamic
Monte dall'Ora Recioto della Valpolicella "Sant'Ulderico"
2015
Corvina blend
50% Corvinone/20% Corvina/20% Rondinella/10% Croatina-Molinara-Dindarella. The fruit for the recioto comes from the home vineyard--the same...
Italy