The grapes were harvested in Valpolicella. The passito (the by-product after Amarone is produced) is carefully selected for its fresh, unblemished, destemmed character, which results from gentle pressing of the grapes (Amarone is made from naturally dried grapes). The best passito is still dripping with must! It is then “batch” distilled very slowly in special copper pot stills to allow correct evaporation and subsequent condensation of the volatile components that are responsible for the final product’s aromas. Only the purest part of the distillate, called “the heart,” is preserved. It is aged for a minimum of five years in medium-toasted 60 gallon French barriques, and then the separate lots are blended together for the final product. Corvina, Molinara and Rondinella.