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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 91.2 pts. and median of 91 pts. in 151 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by SeaWine on 5/25/2022: Hit all the right Amarone notes for both me and my spouse, who probably enjoys Amarone more than me. Its 16.5% was (thankfully) not a distraction from its well-balanced structure and flavors. Just the right amount of raisin-y pleasure on the palate. (1347 views) | | | Tasted by frisbeedog on 1/16/2022 & rated 90 points: Nice tasting on its own, especially after opening up for a bit. However, with dinner the taste was still good but the food tended to accentuate the high alcohol content (16.5%) which we hadn't really notice before hand. (1393 views) | | | Tasted by guido23 on 6/27/2021: Acidic at first then mellowed with a beautiful nose and more balanced palate. (1933 views) | | | Tasted by MikaK on 3/21/2021 & rated 92 points: Nicely developed, maybe on the peak at the moment but still some years do go. (2056 views) | | | Tasted by brianakrin on 2/15/2021 & rated 91 points: Rich round ready! (2153 views) | | | Tasted by Arvidien on 12/24/2020 & rated 92 points: Excellent. (1561 views) | | | Tasted by olracx62 on 10/7/2020 & rated 91 points: rich and complex Amarone in its prime time, with deep notes of ripe red fruit, some marasca and gentle oak. Round and refined, juicy and elegant at the same time. Best paired with a risotto with sausage and red radish, with M and C at the table after a worried week (1519 views) | | | Tasted by TannicBeast on 10/6/2019 & rated 94 points: 2007 was a top year for Amarone in general and that is true for this classic. Deep ruby in color, with a garnet hue on the rim. The nose is clean, intense, with aromas of black fruit, blue fruit, dried figs, dark chocolate and sweet baking spices. The palate is dry but certainly has some residual sugar. It seems even more sweet due to the very ripe fruit in the fore-palate. The alcohol is high, but does not taste as hot as the 16.5% abv. would indicate. The tannins are medium to medium (+ and nicely polished. The acidity is medium (+), but appears a little lower as it is having to compensate for the sugar and alcohol. This wine is very extracted and rich, resulting in a creamy mouthfeel. This is full-bodied, with medium (+) flavor intensity and a long, mouth-coating finish. I believe this wine will become even more complex and nuanced with several more years of aging. As it is, it is a perfect wine for an assortment of aged cheeses, or possibly a dark chocolate dessert, or just by itself as dessert. I can't really see trying to pair it with any kind of dish, other than an exotically spiced, braised meat dish. I would put this vintage in the same category as the classic 1995, 1997, 2001 and 2005 vintages. (2086 views) | | | Tasted by forceberry on 11/24/2018 & rated 93 points: 16,5% alcohol.
Concentrated and lightly translucent reddish figgy color with a hint of bricking. The nose feels big, powerful and somewhat developed with intense aromas of raisins, dried dates, some alcohol, a little bit of christmas spices, light savory chocolatey notes, a subtly solvent-y hint of VA and a touch of mocha. The wine is rich, very full-bodied and slightly sweet-toned on the palate with very dense and chewy mouthfeel along with bold flavors of sweet raisins, some pruney dark fruit, a little bit of Amaro bitterness, light sanguine notes of blood, a hint of mocha oak and a touch of brighter red fruit. The wine is pretty structured with its bright acidity and ample, moderately grippy tannins. The alcohol lends some obvious warmth to the palate. The finish is dense, juicy and moderately grippy with some alcohol warmth and rich flavors of boysenberry jam, some raisiny tones, a little bit of dried figs, light chocolatey oak notes, a hint of amaro bitterness and a touch of savory spices.
A very big, robust and classically built Amarone with quite muscular and concentrated overall feel. The wine is quite monolithic with its extracted, raisiny fruit and high alcohol, but the age has benefited the wine with some additional complexity and relative sense of finesse - it doesn't come across as so massive and bulky as the last time I had it, some 7 years ago. There is still some obvious room for further improvement, so I'd say the wine won't be hittig its peak at least within the next 5-7 years. A great effort for a non-Riserva Amarone and good value at 36,30€. (2141 views) | | | Tasted by Lype on 11/24/2018: Tasted in an Amarone 1997-2007 evening with friends. This was a difficult set, monolithic wines with surprisingly little variation. Nose: chocolate, acetone, closed, palate: big and bold, high on alcohol, a bit one dimensional, not my favourite vintage this wine. (2245 views) | | | Tasted by Fantasio on 10/26/2018 & rated 95 points: Nez envoûtant qui projette et en jette... La prune confites, les cerises au marasquin, cacao, chocolat, espresso, le tabac blond, un peu de terre. La bouche volumineuse avec une sucrosité certaine s’allonge interminablement. Pas pour les palais délicat, mais quel vin singulier! Une beauté en son genre. 95 bien sonné! (2395 views) | | | Tasted by Lord Marc on 3/3/2018 & rated 95 points: Excellent Amarone, one of my favourites. Great balance of fruit and tannins. Ready to drink or can use a little decanting. (2956 views) | | | Tasted by teemuskogberg on 4/8/2017 & rated 90 points: väri alkanut jo saamaan hiukan tiilenpunaista sävyä reunoilta. Edelleen todella tumma ja punainen väri siitä huolimatta.
tuoksu lakritsia, boysenmarjaa, savua, lantaa, tallia, alkoholinen
maku voimakas, hiukan hapan, erittäin tanniininen, tummia marjoja, vadelmaa, nahkaa, boysenmarjaa,
Vasta elämänsä alussa. Liian hyvä juotavaksi näin nuorena (4384 views) | | | Tasted by bsouligny on 1/2/2017 & rated 94 points: J ai vrament aimé cet amarone avec un nez exuberant de confiture de fruits rouges,sauce hoisin et cacao.en bouche decadent,notes de fruits noires poivre et reglisses,acidité faible et tannins velours ,un longueur exeptionel 8-10 minurtes sur la reglisse poivré et fruits noires.semble etre a une belle place dans son evolution. (4347 views) | | | Tasted by filipanadian on 12/19/2016 & rated 92 points: Decanted for 2 hours, could have used 4. Beautiful rich ripe fruit. Chocolatey undertones. Velvety tannins and alcohol is non-apparent, very well integrated. Perfect pairing with 45-day dry aged rib-eye. (4118 views) | | | Tasted by Vinophiliac559 on 10/11/2016 & rated 91 points: BDay Wine Dinner (Annex Fresno): 90-91 Agree with others that this is too young, would sit on these for a while. Very big plummy and pruney nose/palate, felt a touch heavy for me but I imagine that will improve with time. (4662 views) | | | Tasted by Juekbox on 9/3/2016 & rated 86 points: I hate to say it but this is still too young. I would say atleast two more years in the cellar. Great potential though! (3902 views) | | | Tasted by maxima on 8/22/2016 & rated 85 points: Pas mal moins réussi que le riserva, c'est leur cuvée générique,
fruits confits, vanille et chauffe. Ordinaire en ce moment. (2632 views) | | | Tasted by dollevoet on 6/18/2016 & rated 91 points: Nice Amarone, although I think it is still too young. If you have 2007 keep it in the cellar for a few more years. (2529 views) | | | Tasted by wculpepper on 5/19/2016 & rated 91 points: Decanted for two hours; minimal sediment. Inky ruby color. Nice nose of raisins and prunes. Mouth-filling, full-bodied palate of jammy prunes and other dark fruit, with acids and tannins less prominent. The high (16.5%) alcohol comes through on an otherwise very good and lengthy finish. Overall, I'm guessing that this wine's best days are still ahead and it should still be drinking well 8-10 years from now. There are better Amarones, but at a recent $31 auction price, it's a good value. (2559 views) | | | Tasted by sethmill on 5/1/2016 & rated 91 points: excellent, jammy and raisiny, did not really notice the alcohol (2312 views) | | | Tasted by r2power on 3/14/2016 & rated 97 points: This wine was knock your socks off good. I enjoyed it with a friend who drinks a lot more Italian wine than I do, and we were both speechless after our first taste Rich, with high alcohol, it fills your mouth with flavors that fit together without a false note. (2548 views) | | | Tasted by Kucci on 1/26/2016 & rated 83 points: Opened up nicely. Lots of black fruit & berries!
Still young in my opinion but showing signs of age. Drink now or cellar for another 7-10 years! (2836 views) | | | Tasted by pkatz on 1/3/2016 & rated 94 points: Stunning flavors with sweet delicious fruit. Mature but youthful. (2548 views) | | | Tasted by Bobc7had on 12/26/2015 & rated 91 points: Drinking nicely with a few years ahead.
Alcohol has settled down.
Delicious wine (2466 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| By Antonio Galloni
Vinous, Northern Italy: Alto Adige, Friuli, Veneto (Feb 2011)
(Zenato Amarone Della Valpolicella Classico) Subscribe to see review text. | By Ian D'Agata
Vinous, March/April 2012, IWC Issue #161
(Zenato Amarone della Valpolicella Classico) Subscribe to see review text. | By Antonio Galloni
Vinous, Northern Italy: Alto Adige, Friuli, Veneto (Feb 2011)
(Zenato Amarone Della Valpolicella Classico) Subscribe to see review text. | By David Lawrason
WineAlign (7/3/2011)
(Zenato Amarone Della Valpolicella Classico red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Steve Thurlow
WineAlign (5/27/2011)
(Zenato Amarone Della Valpolicella Classico red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Walter Speller
JancisRobinson.com (3/16/2011)
(Zenato, Amarone Valpolicella Classico Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Richard Jennings
RJonWine.com (3/10/2012)
(Zenato Amarone della Valpolicella Classico) Very dark ruby color; intense, spice, anise, root, licorice, tart black fruit, chocolate nose; tart black fruit, licorice, tar, beet juice palate; needs 6 years; long finish 92+ points 92 points |
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of Vinous and WineAlign and JancisRobinson.com and RJonWine.com. (manage subscription channels) |
| Zenato Producer website
U.S. Importer (addt'l info)Corvina BlendPrimarily Corvina and Corvinone (45% to 95%), and Rondinella (5 to 30%). Sometimes includes Molinara, Oseleta, Negrara, Pelara, Spigamonti, etc, and, in small quantity, international red grapes allowed in the Valpolicella region.Italy Italian Wines (ItalianMade.com, The Italian Trade Commission) | Italian Wine Guide on the WineDoctorVeneto Credit to WineCountry.it for this article
History and Tradition
The first human settlements of the lagoon and the surrounding areas maintained a simple social structure until the arrival of the Romans in the second century B.C. who divided the land into parcels of about 4,800 square meters and distributed those tracts among the locals to be cultivated.
The Romans founded the cities of Verona, Vicenza, and Padova, and named what was then the 10th imperial region, Venetia. Both the Veneto region and the province of Venice (Venezia in Italian) derive their names from the original Latin name of the area. The precursor of the city of Venice that we know today was founded during the Middle Ages when the locals escaped the barbaric invasions that followed the decline of the Roman Empire by taking refuge in coastal areas, islands, and the lagoon’s marshland.
The Venetian trade routes that connected Europe with Asia brought great wealth and general prosperity to the region. In many provinces, especially around Treviso, mulberry cultivation and the breeding of silkworms imported from China brought more affluence and prestige to local residents. With money pouring in from all quarters, Venice began its great building projects, chief among them creating the lagoon and canal infrastructure and systems still enjoyed and used today.
Between the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th centuries following the opening of the Suez Canal, Venice once again became an important port city. Foreign investment financed the creation of the industrial infrastructure of Porto Marghera and freed the port of Venice from the burden of commercial navigation. Improved communications technology has allowed the rest of Italy and the world beyond closer ties to Venice, and has contributed to making Venice into an incomparable tourist destination.
The long period of power and splendor that blessed Venice encouraged the highest quality creations by local artisans. The ongoing request for jewelry, precious fabrics, lace, glass, wood and ceramic products by the noble Venetians shaped the development of typical stores along the narrow calli (streets) of Venice as well as factories both inland and on the lagoon islands. Up to today, popular tourist destinations are the Murano and Burano islands, famed for their glasswork and needlepoint products.
The Wines
Veneto is among the foremost wine-producing regions, both for quality and quantity. The region counts over 20 DOC zones and a variety of sub-categories, many of its wines, both dry and Spumanti, are internationally known and appreciated.
The three most well known DOCs are Bardolino, from the town with the same name and surrounding the shores of Garda Lake, Valpolicella, and Soave. Other noteworthy wines produced here are the white Bianco di Custoza, the excellent sparkling Prosecco, the Breganze, and the Amarone (a rich and powerful red from the Verona province). If you travel to the Treviso area, look for the little-known Clinton, a wine that is banned from distribution because it does not conform to the DOC standards, but is produced in limited quantities for local consumption.
The importance of winemaking in this region is underscored by the creation in 1885 of the very first Italian school for vine growing and oenology. In addition, Veneto was the first region to constitute the first strada del vino or "wine road". This first wine-touring road featured special road signs providing information on vines and the wines they were made into and joined the Valdobbiadene and Conegliano DOC zones crossing a series of hilly vineyards.
The most appreciated wines in the region come from the provinces of Treviso, Verona, Padova, Venice, and Vicenza. The area around Verona, with its temperate climate and hilly surrounding, is believed to have cultivated grapes since the Bronze Age.Valpolicella Consorzio of Valpolicella
The Crus on weinlagen-info
Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Wikipedia article
Classification of Amarone Vintages, according to Davidef:
1997 ****1/2
1998 ***1/2
1999 ***1/2
2000 ****1/2
2001 *****
2002 **
2003 ***1/2
2004 ****1/2
2005 ***
2006 ****1/2
2007 *****
The slopes facing the sunset are the best ones in Valpolicella Classica for producing high-quality Amarone. Here, where the day is longer, the vines that face Lake Garda benefit from the reflection of its light and from its mild climate. Amarone is a unique wine due to its origin, ancient grape varieties and production method (vinification of grapes that have been semi-dried for 3-4 months on bamboo racks). The Costasera Amarone expresses a particular majesty and complexity. Ideal with red meats, game and mature cheeses. An excellent wine for the end of the meal and for ageing. |
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