Italy, Veneto, Valpolicella, Amarone della Valpolicella Classico
There is a touch of balsamico that strikes right off the bat, but it is more part of the whole than taking on a starring role. There is so much depth to it with balanced tones of leather, black cherries, spice cake, dried violets, raspberries, dried herbs, and a touch of carob powder. The Full bodied feel is silky and polished with crisp, medium acidity and refined, medium tannins that have mostly resolved. This showed as mature in the blind setting, but I really have no clue how to place these wines with age to a point. It does feel like it's in its pomp and may possibly be cresting the hill if not just on the other side.
Italy, Veneto, Valpolicella, Amarone della Valpolicella Classico
The nose is pungent, rich, and deep with tones of black cherries, raspberries, cranberries, fruitcake, fig, chocolate, spice notes, and roses. There is excellent layering right now with this showing off a very expressive side. The Full bodied feel carries through that depth and expressiveness with medium acidity and silky, medium+ tannins. This really had it all going for it. Everything about this was in its right place and firing on all cylinders.
Italy, Veneto, Valpolicella, Amarone della Valpolicella
The nose is deep and layered with a distinct wood note striking immediately that lays back into black currants, black cherries, ground coffee, black raspberries, wood spice, vanilla extract, herbs, and some licorice. The full bodied feel is polished and balanced with crisp, medium acidity and silky, medium+ tannins. This is a real powerhouse and when it was revealed it wasn't surprising given how good it was. This is really in a groove and it feels like it will hold for a while.
Italy, Veneto, Valpolicella, Amarone della Valpolicella
The nose is rich, yet perfumed and with a savorier take to the tones of licorice, black cherries, violets, raspberries, plum sauce, some prunes, vanilla extract, and figs. There is a lot of depth with a real vibrancy to the fruit that is intoxicating. The Full bodied feel is deep and balanced with moutwatering, medium acidity and chewy, medium+ tannins. The structure still has some youth to it while the nose is a real knockout. This is a killer Amarone that is giving joy now, but there is still a good ways to go.
Italy, Veneto, Valpolicella, Amarone della Valpolicella
The nose is balanced and open-knit with black cherries, plum sauce, savory herbs, balsamico, licorice, dried herbs, black raspberries, and some dried violets. This is expressive, but it lacks some depth and is smelling a slight bit long in the tooth. The Full bodied feel is balanced with medium acidity and silky, medium tannins that have pretty much resolved. The lack of depth on the nose shows on the palate and the acidity is a little bitter. This feels like it's seen better days, but it still provides a good amount of enjoyment. On its own, this would likely show a lot better but its in some major company tonight.
Italy, Veneto, Valpolicella, Amarone della Valpolicella
The nose is fresh, rich, and expressive with lush tones of black cherries, plums, raspberries, fruitcake, violets, chocolate covered cherries, fresh herbs, spice notes, and liqueur tones. There is good depth with a real seamless quality to the tones. The Full bodied feel is plush and deep with medium acidity and chewy, medium+ tannins. This is on the young side, but it is really friggin delicious right now. A few more years to smooth out some rough edges will certainly help, but it doesn't feel like it's far off.
Italy, Veneto, Valpolicella, Amarone della Valpolicella Classico
This is just a thrill ride of a nose. There is so much depth and layering as it fills the glass with tones of crushed rocks, plums, dark red cherries, raisins, chocolate, liqueur notes, spice cake, blueberries, chocolate cake, rose petals, and some violets. The Full bodied feel is silky and refined with crisp, medium+ acidity and youthful, medium+ tannins. The structure clearly has some youth, but what's here right now is what I expected when it was revealed. The quality of the producer is easily shining through as this is just a real stunner and just pure joy.
Italy, Veneto, Valpolicella, Amarone della Valpolicella Classico
This has a raw power behind it with rich tones of black cherries, licorice, black raspberries, violets, sweet tobacco, bitter chocolate, some VA, and a touch of herbs. The VA is a little distracting but there is good depth to the tones. The Full bodied feel is balanced, but the mid-palate is a little thing while the medium acidity is crisp and the medium+ tannins are youthful. The VA makes it tough to know where it will go with age. If it settles down and lets the mid-palate flesh out, this can really turn into a beauty.
Italy, Veneto, Valpolicella, Amarone della Valpolicella
The nose is deep and dense with powerful tones of black cherries, black raspberries, licorice, liqueur tones, crushed rocks, spices, and chocolate notes. The Full bodied feel is deep and rich with medium acidity and chewy, high tannins. This is showing a fair bit of youth and unrestrained power. Even with that youth, this is clearly a monster of a wine and there is plenty of room for it to develop.
Italy, Veneto, Valpolicella, Amarone della Valpolicella Classico
The nose is seamless and perfumed with layered tones of raspberries, plums, bitter chocolate, spice cake, black raspberries, plums, herbs, licorice, liqueur notes, and some violets. There is a lot of purity to the nose that is attractive and really draws you in. The Full bodied feel is silky and balanced with medium acidity and fine-grained, medium tannins that have basically resolved. This was a real surprise when revealed. This didn't come off as close to this level of age. This actually felt more fresh than some of the younger wines and was really lovely.
Italy, Veneto, Valpolicella, Amarone della Valpolicella Classico
This was firing on all cylinders from the second I put my nose to the glass. There is a lot of poise and depth with flowing tones of menthol, bitter chocolate, black cherries, fruitcake, raspberries, prunes, figs, cranberries, and a whole lot of violets. The Full bodied feel is pure silk and poise with medium acidity and resolved, medium tannins. I was floored when this was revealed. While it certainly felt like it was mature, to expect it to be going into its 45th year was just amazing and a wonderful experience.
1998 Mazzi Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Punta di Villa 92 Points
Italy, Veneto, Valpolicella, Amarone della Valpolicella Classico
There is a touch of balsamico that strikes right off the bat, but it is more part of the whole than taking on a starring role. There is so much depth to it with balanced tones of leather, black cherries, spice cake, dried violets, raspberries, dried herbs, and a touch of carob powder. The Full bodied feel is silky and polished with crisp, medium acidity and refined, medium tannins that have mostly resolved. This showed as mature in the blind setting, but I really have no clue how to place these wines with age to a point. It does feel like it's in its pomp and may possibly be cresting the hill if not just on the other side.
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2004 Mazzi Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Punta di Villa 93 Points
Italy, Veneto, Valpolicella, Amarone della Valpolicella Classico
The nose is pungent, rich, and deep with tones of black cherries, raspberries, cranberries, fruitcake, fig, chocolate, spice notes, and roses. There is excellent layering right now with this showing off a very expressive side. The Full bodied feel carries through that depth and expressiveness with medium acidity and silky, medium+ tannins. This really had it all going for it. Everything about this was in its right place and firing on all cylinders.
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2008 Romano Dal Forno Amarone della Valpolicella Vigneto di Monte Lodoletta 94 Points
Italy, Veneto, Valpolicella, Amarone della Valpolicella
The nose is deep and layered with a distinct wood note striking immediately that lays back into black currants, black cherries, ground coffee, black raspberries, wood spice, vanilla extract, herbs, and some licorice. The full bodied feel is polished and balanced with crisp, medium acidity and silky, medium+ tannins. This is a real powerhouse and when it was revealed it wasn't surprising given how good it was. This is really in a groove and it feels like it will hold for a while.
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2011 Romano Dal Forno Amarone della Valpolicella Vigneto di Monte Lodoletta 95 Points
Italy, Veneto, Valpolicella, Amarone della Valpolicella
The nose is rich, yet perfumed and with a savorier take to the tones of licorice, black cherries, violets, raspberries, plum sauce, some prunes, vanilla extract, and figs. There is a lot of depth with a real vibrancy to the fruit that is intoxicating. The Full bodied feel is deep and balanced with moutwatering, medium acidity and chewy, medium+ tannins. The structure still has some youth to it while the nose is a real knockout. This is a killer Amarone that is giving joy now, but there is still a good ways to go.
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2004 Musella Amarone della Valpolicella Riserva 90 Points
Italy, Veneto, Valpolicella, Amarone della Valpolicella
The nose is balanced and open-knit with black cherries, plum sauce, savory herbs, balsamico, licorice, dried herbs, black raspberries, and some dried violets. This is expressive, but it lacks some depth and is smelling a slight bit long in the tooth. The Full bodied feel is balanced with medium acidity and silky, medium tannins that have pretty much resolved. The lack of depth on the nose shows on the palate and the acidity is a little bitter. This feels like it's seen better days, but it still provides a good amount of enjoyment. On its own, this would likely show a lot better but its in some major company tonight.
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2016 Musella Amarone della Valpolicella 92 Points
Italy, Veneto, Valpolicella, Amarone della Valpolicella
The nose is fresh, rich, and expressive with lush tones of black cherries, plums, raspberries, fruitcake, violets, chocolate covered cherries, fresh herbs, spice notes, and liqueur tones. There is good depth with a real seamless quality to the tones. The Full bodied feel is plush and deep with medium acidity and chewy, medium+ tannins. This is on the young side, but it is really friggin delicious right now. A few more years to smooth out some rough edges will certainly help, but it doesn't feel like it's far off.
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2012 Giuseppe Quintarelli Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 95 Points
Italy, Veneto, Valpolicella, Amarone della Valpolicella Classico
This is just a thrill ride of a nose. There is so much depth and layering as it fills the glass with tones of crushed rocks, plums, dark red cherries, raisins, chocolate, liqueur notes, spice cake, blueberries, chocolate cake, rose petals, and some violets. The Full bodied feel is silky and refined with crisp, medium+ acidity and youthful, medium+ tannins. The structure clearly has some youth, but what's here right now is what I expected when it was revealed. The quality of the producer is easily shining through as this is just a real stunner and just pure joy.
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2012 Tommaso Bussola Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Tb Riserva 92 Points
Italy, Veneto, Valpolicella, Amarone della Valpolicella Classico
This has a raw power behind it with rich tones of black cherries, licorice, black raspberries, violets, sweet tobacco, bitter chocolate, some VA, and a touch of herbs. The VA is a little distracting but there is good depth to the tones. The Full bodied feel is balanced, but the mid-palate is a little thing while the medium acidity is crisp and the medium+ tannins are youthful. The VA makes it tough to know where it will go with age. If it settles down and lets the mid-palate flesh out, this can really turn into a beauty.
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2012 Romano Dal Forno Amarone della Valpolicella Vigneto di Monte Lodoletta 94 Points
Italy, Veneto, Valpolicella, Amarone della Valpolicella
The nose is deep and dense with powerful tones of black cherries, black raspberries, licorice, liqueur tones, crushed rocks, spices, and chocolate notes. The Full bodied feel is deep and rich with medium acidity and chewy, high tannins. This is showing a fair bit of youth and unrestrained power. Even with that youth, this is clearly a monster of a wine and there is plenty of room for it to develop.
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2017 Zenato Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Sergio Zenato Riserva Flawed
Italy, Veneto, Valpolicella, Amarone della Valpolicella Classico
corked. There did seem to be a really good wine trying to fight through, but not today
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2007 Tenuta Sant'Antonio Amarone della Valpolicella Campo dei Gigli
Italy, Veneto, Valpolicella, Amarone della Valpolicella
This was all over the place and none of those places were pleasant. I'm not sure what's going on here, but this is a mess of a wine.
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1990 Masi Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 92 Points
Italy, Veneto, Valpolicella, Amarone della Valpolicella Classico
The nose is seamless and perfumed with layered tones of raspberries, plums, bitter chocolate, spice cake, black raspberries, plums, herbs, licorice, liqueur notes, and some violets. There is a lot of purity to the nose that is attractive and really draws you in. The Full bodied feel is silky and balanced with medium acidity and fine-grained, medium tannins that have basically resolved. This was a real surprise when revealed. This didn't come off as close to this level of age. This actually felt more fresh than some of the younger wines and was really lovely.
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1979 Bertani Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 95 Points
Italy, Veneto, Valpolicella, Amarone della Valpolicella Classico
This was firing on all cylinders from the second I put my nose to the glass. There is a lot of poise and depth with flowing tones of menthol, bitter chocolate, black cherries, fruitcake, raspberries, prunes, figs, cranberries, and a whole lot of violets. The Full bodied feel is pure silk and poise with medium acidity and resolved, medium tannins. I was floored when this was revealed. While it certainly felt like it was mature, to expect it to be going into its 45th year was just amazing and a wonderful experience.
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