Italy's Big Reds: What Makes Barolo, Brunello and Amarone Special

Italy has hundreds of native grapes, but three red wines sit at the top of most collectors' lists. Each comes from a different region, a different grape and a different method, and each holds DOCG status, Italy's highest tier of appellation, with strict official rules on how long the wine must age before you can buy it. Here is what the label promises, and what is in the glass.

Barolo: the king of Piedmont

• Grape: 100% Nebbiolo, grown in the Langhe hills around villages such as Barolo, La Morra, Serralunga d'Alba, Monforte d'Alba and Castiglione Falletto.
• Rules: at least 38 months of ageing, 18 of them in wood, counted from 1 November of the harvest year. Riserva requires at least 62 months. Minimum alcohol is 13%.
• Style: pale garnet yet powerful, with tar, roses, cherry and firm tannin wrapped in high acidity.
• Tip: named vineyards such as Cannubi or Vigna Rionda appear on labels as official additional geographic mentions.

Barolo looks delicate in the glass and then grips you like a handshake from a man who means business.

Brunello di Montalcino: Tuscany's long game

Around the hilltop town of Montalcino, south of Siena, Sangiovese, locally called Brunello, makes one of Italy's most age-worthy reds. The Consorzio's rules require 100% Sangiovese, at least two years in oak and at least four months in bottle, with release no earlier than 1 January of the fifth year after the harvest. The Riserva waits a year longer and spends at least six months in bottle. Expect sour cherry, leather, dried herbs and bright acidity. For a younger, lighter taste of the same grape and place, look for Rosso di Montalcino.

Amarone della Valpolicella: power from dried grapes

• Method: grapes are dried for months after harvest in a process called appassimento, concentrating sugar and flavour; they usually cannot be vinified before 1 December.
• Grapes: Corvina and Corvinone between 45% and 95%, Rondinella between 5% and 30%, plus small amounts of other permitted varieties.
• Rules: DOCG since 2010, minimum alcohol 14%, at least two years of ageing from 1 January after the harvest, four years for Riserva.
• Style: dry but rich, with dried cherry, plum, chocolate and spice. Its sweet sibling is Recioto della Valpolicella.

How to choose and serve

• Love structure and perfume? Barolo. Prefer savoury elegance? Brunello. Want velvet and warmth? Amarone.
• Decant young Barolo and Brunello an hour or more ahead; serve all three around 16 to 18°C.
• Pair with braised beef, truffle dishes, game, aged cheeses or a long Sunday lunch.
• These are high-alcohol wines: smaller pours, water on the table and moderation make them better, not worse.