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Maestro -> RE: For Maestro (7/7/2008 3:19:35 PM)
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quote:
ORIGINAL: fingers
Now about Amarone. Asking for help as I'm anxious to try my first. I have the 2003 Masi Costasera at hand and I'm totally ignorant what to expect. Should I pair with something particular? Just go for it on it's own? I've heard great things about Amarone but I don't know how to treat it. Any other popular offerings I should check out?
Thanks, in advance, for your always informative and thoughtful advice.
Rob
Hi Rob,
The correct pairing of food with Amarone is the subject of a lot of discussion, even amongst people in Veneto. But it is generally accepted that Amarone -- with all its power, density, and alcohol -- require a heavy, meat-based dish, such as a stew.
To give you an idea, one typical veronese dish that nearly always is served with Amarone is the "Pastissada de caval", which is a horse meat stew. The Amarone is also supposed to be used to cook the stew. If you are feeling corageous, here's a recipe in English.
Of course you don't need horsemeat to enjoy an Amarone, but the pairing tends to be more successful with heavy stews like that, since the wine is likely to overpower most foods. However, there's a second school of thinking, which believes quite the opposite. There are people in Veneto who say that, since Amarone is likely to overpower the food, go for simple and plain dishes or some mild cheeses, and let the Amarone rule.
In fact, both views work quite alright in my experience. Amarone can also be consumed by itself, without food, as a meditation wine (with a book, in front of the fireplace, y'know).
Now, to the wine itself: Amarone is big, bitter, heavy, a bit port-like in the texture and, when young (and young for Amarone means less than 10 years in bottle), it can be a bit overwhelming, to the degree that one may not manage more than two or three glasses.
I don't usually drink Amarone in the summer. To me it is a winter wine. The alcohol is high, and the wine is dense and concentrated. If you are having it in the summer, choose a cool night.
As for the 2003 Masi Costasera, I tasted it a while ago, and if memory serves me well it was an interesting entry-level Amarone that was not really extracted for the long haul, which means you can probably consume it right now and in the next 5-7 years (I wrote no TN, sorry, it was part of a tasting of many Masi Amarone and Campofiorin wines).
Go for it and see if the style suits your taste. Amarone is usually a "love it or hate it" affair. If you like it, go up the scale a bit in terms of bottling and age. If you want to stick with Masi, I can recommend their "Mazzano" bottling. I recently had the 1999 and it was very good.
If money is not an issue, then Dal Forno and Quintarelli are the producers to look for. They are the equivalent of "First Growths" as far as Amarone is concerned.
Good luck.
Ah, and don't forget to decant the 2003 Costasera... I'd say 90-120 minutes in the decanter and you can get started.
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