CA’ DEI CONTI Il Conte — Red Wine, Veronese IGT

APPEARANCE
Il Conte 2015 displays an exceptionally deep red colour, almost opaque and approaching black, as described by the estate. Its pronounced colour introduces the character of a wine shaped by rigorous grape selection and extended appassimento. This intense appearance anticipates substantial concentration and structure, without by itself establishing the precise stage of development reached by an individual bottle.

NOSE
The bouquet is warm, intense and layered, centred on recognisable aromas of cherry and strawberry, accompanied by dried fruit, liquorice, cocoa and spice. The fruit character meets deeper aromatic registers, consistent with concentrated grapes and prolonged maturation in French and American oak barriques. The overall impression suggests density and complexity, with the spicy nuances complementing rather than overwhelming the wine's distinctive fruit expression.

PALATE
The palate is characterised by substantial body, breadth and pronounced concentration. The richness associated with dried grapes meets a significant acidic component, essential to understanding the wine's overall balance. Alcohol contributes warmth and volume, while impressions of mature fruit, liquorice and cocoa support its flavour development. Il Conte invites appreciation through the interplay of its components rather than intensity alone.

BALANCE & STRUCTURE
Il Conte's structure emerges from the relationship between concentration, acidity, alcoholic strength and extended maturation. The average analytical values provided by the estate — 7.5 g/L total acidity, 6 g/L sugar and 55 g/L dry extract — indicate a wine of considerable substance. Prolonged ageing contributes to a layered expression, in which elegance depends on the relationship between the individual components, rather than allowing power to define the wine on its own.

EVOLUTION IN THE GLASS
Il Conte 2015 deserves gradual observation, particularly after many years of maturation. Gentle aeration may allow the fruit to become more expressive and reveal greater definition in the liquorice, cocoa and spice notes, while serving temperature can significantly influence the perception of alcohol. Its precise evolution will also depend on the storage history of the individual bottle. Decanting should therefore be considered after opening, rather than automatically subjecting the wine to prolonged aeration.

FINISH
The estate describes Il Conte as a rich, structured and elegant wine, suggesting a finish of considerable intensity. Lingering impressions may include mature fruit, liquorice, cocoa and spice, supported by the wine's substantial texture. More compelling than an exaggerated claim of length is the potential for its aromatic elements to remain connected as the wine gradually recedes from the palate.

SENSORY IDENTITY
Il Conte 2015 originates from the hills of Tregnago, in the Val d’Illasi, Veneto, Italy, offering an independent interpretation of the region's distinguished red-wine heritage. The meeting of traditional and resistant PIWI varieties, rigorous grape selection, appassimento and four years of maturation in oak contribute to a strongly individual character. Its sensory identity should not be confused with Amarone: this is a distinctive Veronese IGT red in which concentration and time become defining elements of expression.

SERVING TEMPERATURE
18°C. (64°F.): the lower end of the estate's recommended range is the starting point I would favour. It can help preserve fruit definition, the perception of acidity and aromatic clarity while moderating the sensation of alcoholic warmth.

19–20°C. (66–68°F.): a slightly warmer serving temperature may broaden the impression of body and reveal more mature and spicy nuances, although it can also accentuate the wine's alcoholic presence.

For BEYOND*, an initial serving temperature of approximately 18°C (64°F) offers the most considered approach, allowing the wine to evolve naturally in the glass.

BEYOND* INTERPRETATION
For BEYOND*, Il Conte 2015 represents one of the most daring and personal interpretations of Veronese IGT red wine. Its distinction lies not simply in concentration, elevated alcoholic strength or extended ageing, but in the Rancan family's decision to create an individual identity through traditional and resistant grape varieties, uncompromising selection and a patient approach to maturation.

This is a wine that calls for attention, discernment and a willingness to explore its development. The richness of the fruit, the depth of its mature aromatic character and its substantial structure derive their meaning from their interaction. Il Conte thus expresses a vision of excellence founded not on the imitation of an established prestigious denomination, but on the freedom to pursue a distinctive winemaking identity rooted in the Veronese hills.

CERTIFICATIONS & AFFILIATIONS

ORGANIC VITICULTURE — CCPB | IT-BIO-009
Ca’ dei Conti places biodiversity and environmental responsibility at the heart of its winemaking philosophy, combining the heritage of traditional grape varieties with the exploration of resistant vines and agricultural practices attentive to natural resources.
The estate displays references to European organic certification and the control body CCPB, identified by the code IT-BIO-009. For Il Conte, organic certification is indicated from the 2021 vintage onwards. The 2015 vintage is therefore presented through its individual winemaking characteristics and distinctions, without attributing organic certification to this earlier release.

VEGAN CERTIFICATION — CERTIFICATO VEGANO
Ca’ dei Conti includes the Certificato Vegano mark among its estate credentials, reflecting an approach attentive to winemaking practices and processing aids compatible with vegan production requirements.
This certification relates to the products and production periods covered by its applicable certification scheme, preserving the distinction between the estate's credentials and the certified status of an individual vintage.

PIWI — FUNGUS-RESISTANT VITICULTURE & INTERNATIONAL SPECIALIST REFERENCE
The meeting of traditional winegrowing heritage and resistant grape varieties is a defining feature of Ca’ dei Conti's approach.
Il Conte 2015 reflects this philosophy through a blend incorporating Corvina, Corvinone, Rondinella, Marzemino, Teroldego and the PIWI varieties Regent and Cabernet Volos, as identified in the vintage-specific documentation.
These resistant varieties have been selected for their ability to withstand major fungal diseases of the vine, supporting opportunities to reduce phytosanitary treatments.
Ca’ dei Conti is also featured in the international PIWI Wines directory, dedicated to documenting and promoting fungus-resistant viticulture. This specialist presence highlights a varietal approach in which agricultural innovation complements regional winegrowing tradition.

FIVI — ITALIAN FEDERATION OF INDEPENDENT WINEGROWERS
Ca’ dei Conti presents its affiliation with the Federazione Italiana Vignaioli Indipendenti (FIVI), the Italian organisation representing winegrowers directly involved in managing their own estates.
Independence in agricultural and winemaking decisions, personal responsibility and a close connection to the land are values reflected in the Rancan family's philosophy and, particularly, in the production of Il Conte.

AWARDS & MEDALS

2026 — THE WINEHUNTER AWARD | GOLD
Il Conte Verona IGT 2015 — Ca’ dei Conti
Il Conte 2015 has received the prestigious GOLD distinction at The WineHunter Award 2026, placing it within the competition's evaluation category of 93–95.4 points out of 100.
The award recognises one of the estate's most ambitious expressions: a red wine shaped by rigorous grape selection, extended appassimento and four years of maturation in French and American oak barriques.

2025 — THE WINEHUNTER AWARD | RED MEDAL
Il Conte Verona IGT 2013 — Ca’ dei Conti
The 2013 vintage of Il Conte received The WineHunter Award Rosso 2025, adding another international distinction to the wine's historical record.
This recognition contributes to the documented achievements of a winemaking project characterised by careful grape selection, concentration and extended maturation.

2023 — THE WINEHUNTER AWARD | GOLD MEDAL
Il Conte Verona IGT 2014 — Ca’ dei Conti
The 2014 vintage was awarded The WineHunter Award GOLD 2023, marking a further distinction in Il Conte's international record.
The award highlights the character of a wine through which the Rancan family interprets the heritage of Veronese reds using an unconventional blend and an exceptionally patient approach to maturation.

2022 — THE WINEHUNTER AWARD | GOLD MEDAL
Il Conte Verona IGP 2012 — Ca’ dei Conti
Il Conte 2012 received The WineHunter Award GOLD 2022.
This distinction enriches the historical record of the label and documents the recognition achieved by different vintages of a wine with a distinctive stylistic identity.

PRODUCER RECOGNITION

2022 — PRAGUE WINE TROPHY | BEST WINERY
Ca’ dei Conti — Estate-Level Recognition
Ca’ dei Conti received the Best Winery 2022 distinction at the Prague Wine Trophy, an international competition dedicated to the qualitative assessment of wines.
This recognition acknowledges the estate's wider achievements, the character of its production and the Rancan family's presence within the international wine landscape.
The distinction belongs to the winery as a whole and complements, without being confused with, the medals individually awarded to different vintages of Il Conte.

SPECIALIST WINE EVENTS & REFERENCES

2026 — THE WINEHUNTER AWARD | OFFICIAL DIRECTORY
Il Conte Verona IGT 2015
The 2015 vintage is featured in the official The WineHunter Award directory with the GOLD distinction.
This record identifies the wine and documents its recognition within an international evaluation framework, adding particular significance to the vintage selected by BEYOND*.

2024 — WINE&SIENA | OFFICIAL CATALOGUE
Il Conte Verona IGT 2014
Il Conte 2014 appears in the official Wine&Siena 2024 catalogue among the wines presented by Ca’ dei Conti.
Its inclusion documents the label's presence at an event dedicated to showcasing and appreciating wine production, contributing to its visibility among wine professionals and enthusiasts.

PIWI WINES — INTERNATIONAL SPECIALIST DIRECTORY

Ca’ dei Conti — Traditional & Resistant Viticulture
Ca’ dei Conti's presence in the international PIWI Wines directory documents the estate's involvement in cultivating resistant grape varieties alongside the traditional vines of the Veronese region.

For BEYOND*, this specialist reference adds a meaningful dimension to Il Conte's viticultural identity, reflecting an approach in which regional heritage, independent winemaking decisions and varietal innovation converge.

GEOGRAPHICAL INDICATION

RED WINE, VERONESE IGT — VENETO, ITALY
Il Conte belongs to the Veronese Indicazione Geografica Tipica (IGT) category, the Italian classification corresponding to the European Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) framework.
The wine originates from the hills of Tregnago, in the Val d’Illasi, within the province of Verona, where the Rancan family cultivates vineyards characterised by limestone-marl soils, favourable exposures and rigorous grape selection.
Il Conte 2015 interprets this heritage through the meeting of traditional and resistant grape varieties, extended appassimento and prolonged maturation. It is an independent and distinctive expression of Veronese IGT red wine, where the depth of its origins meets the freedom of winemaking choices and the enduring influence of time.