The MAI DIRE MAI label is the product of the coming together of the time-honoured experience of the Pasqua family and the exceptional terroir of the Montevegro vineyard.
The 23 ha plot which gives life to MAI DIRE MAI Valpolicella and Amarone, has conditions which are almost completely perfect for the production of high quality wines. Altitude is key: Montevegro is a hillside vineyard at 350m exposed on all sides, but looking over the Illasi and Mezzane Valleys with the Lessini Mountains nearby to protect it. The soil is basalt and chalk, making for optimum minerality.
The first vintages were a Valpolicella Superiore 2012 and an Amarone 2010 – classics in terms of origin and denomination, but innovative in terms of vinification technique and market approach. An iconic line characterised by elegance, complexity and a unique palate.
“Our almost one hundred years of history have given us the right know-how to be able to experiment,” says Umberto Pasqua, the President of Pasqua Vigneti e Cantine. “With MAI DIRE MAI we are aiming to produce a stand-out iconic product. We are sure that the demand is there in the market after seeing the rising popularity of wines from the Veneto all over the world.”
“We’d been looking for somewhere to make really high quality wines for some time. We wanted elegance and originality in the taste, and the right terroir situation for our plans. MAI DIRE MAI has finally given us liquid expression of the excellence that we were aiming at and planning for. We think the power and complexity of these wines will be appreciated right across the 50 markets where we operate,” adds CEO Riccardo Pasqua.
The name MAI DIRE MAI – or Never Say Never – as the saying goes, comes from the origins of the project as Pasqua, winemakers with almost 100 years of expertise, decided to collaborate with another leading Veronese family, the Dal Colle, who were not wine producers but had a piece of land with the ideal exposure and perfect soil profile for the production of top quality Amarone and Valpolicella Superiore. The first vintage was launched at Vinitaly just 5 years ago in 2016 and the wines have quickly become a symbol of Veronese collaboration and excellence.
Important trade magazines and international wine guides have recognised the project, but in 2021 independent confirmation of the wisdom of the decision to start the MAI DIRE MAI project came with two outstanding results from Decanter, one confirming the other:
- Decanter World Wine Awards 2021: Mai Dire Mai Amarone DOCG 2012 – Gold Medal 95 points
- Decanter magazine (February 2022), Wines of the Year Tasting: Mai Dire Mai Amarone DOCG 2012 – 96 points
Making a winning wine – MAI DIRE MAI Amarone 2012
Grapes (Corvina 65%, Corvinone 15% and Rondinella 10%) were selected by hand and laid in cases to dry, through appassimento for four months, to produce high sugar contents. After crushing, a pre-fermentation cold maceration took place.
Fermentation itself took place in temperature-controlled conditions in stainless steel tanks, for 40 days. Maturation was in new French oak barriques (70% in 225lt barriques and 30% in 500lt tonneaux) for 24 months.
Climate conditions in 2012 vintage: Mild winter with little rain. High temperatures in summer, again with little rain, causing hydric stress for the vines, compensated for by low temperatures in August and the right low-to-high daily temperature variations to ensure perfect ripeness.
Tasting note from Decanter World Wine Awards 2021 for MAI DIRE MAI Amarone 2012:
The nose suggests refined oak notes, with tobacco leafs, mushrooms and black olive notes over ripe dark fruit. Full-bodied with firm tannins, vibrant with a long finish.
Gold Medal 95 points
Other Pasqua Amarone wines to look out for:
Famiglia Pasqua, Amarone DOCG 2017
Part of the Famiglia Pasqua range, designed to show the company’s great links to the traditions of the territory.
Famiglia Pasqua, Amarone della Valpolicella DOCG Riserva 2013
An Amarone of great structure and character, produced in limited quantities and only in the best years.
Pasqua Vigneti e Cantine is an historic company producing quality Veneto and Italian wines. Through almost 100 years of history, the company has established itself on the international scene with its products, particularly red wines, which are synonymous with great winemaking tradition. Tradition, innovation, quality, research and passion are values handed down from generation to generation in the Pasqua family and today are represented by native wines from the Veneto region and great Italian classics distributed in every continent.
Discover more about Pasqua here
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