From the opening page of the tasting program:
"The Famiglie dell'Amarone d'Arte, comprised of many of Veneto's greatest producers, was formed to ensure that these wines, and particularly the inimitable Amarone, maintain their prominence on the international stage."
"This association of prestigious and historic producers of Amarone ... has been created in an effort to protect the Valpolicella region's precious wines ... The families have pledged themselves to maintaining Amarone's good name and premium quality."
12 producers were in attendance in the room ...
And countless amount of people, who were thrilled at the opportunity to taste some iconic wines.
The Wines ...
My Top 5 of the Tasting
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| Venturini 2007 CampoMasua - Amarone della Valpolicella Classico ($65.00) wine spends 3 years in oak and grapes are sourced from a single vineyard with the highest elevation still fresh and fruity but with great acidity and minerality - lovely complexity. (**** 1/2) |
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| Venturini 2008 Amarone della Valpolicella Classico ($55.00) wine spends 2 years in oak with 4 months of drying rich red fruit, hint of chocolate and white pepper with a long spicy finish. (****+) |
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| Nicolis 2007 Amarone della Valpolicella Classico ($65.00) rich and juicy with robust cherry intensity and lovely sweetness - real purity of fruit (****+) |
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| Tedeschi 2008 Amarone della Valpolicella Classico ($39.95) black cherry with a huge creamy dark cocoa note, good finishing acidity and great value. (****+) |
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| Tenuta Sant'Antonio 2006 Campo Dei Gigli - Amarone della Valpolicella Classico ($85.00) round, soft and silky; an Amarone that could easily be drunk all on its own: black cherry mixed with dark and milk chocolate; shows the beauty of older vines. (****+) |
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| Allegrini 2010 Palazzo Della Torre ($24.95) 30% appassimento with 70% fresh fruit - single vineyard smoky licorice with lovely cherry backbone. (****) |
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| Allegrini 2010 La Grola ($29.95) single vineyard wine made with all fresh fruit: 80% Corvina / 10% Syrah / 10% Oseletta plenty of spice throughout. (****) |
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| Allegrini 2008 La Poja ($95.00) 100% fresh Corvina grapes grown in stony soil: very nice fruit, mineral and smoky combination dark berries with a smoky finish (****) |
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| Begali 2009 Tigolo ($42.00) Corvina and Cabernet Sauvginon get together for 2 months of drying and 2 years in barrel chocolate, cherry and quite juicy. (*** 1/2+) |
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| Masi 2009 Seregho Alighieri Valpolicella Dell'Anniversario Classico Superiore ($23.95) nice finesse due to the cherry oak barrels this wine ages in, the minerality and acidity balance it off nicely (****) |
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| Masi 2009 Brolo Campofiorin Oro ($24.95) robust cherry and mocha notes all held together with silky tannins (*** 1/2+) |
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| Masi 2006 Campolongo di Torbe - Amarone della Valpolicella Classico ($99.95) always rich and exciting: cherry, chocolate, hints of coffee and good acidity. (****) |
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| Musella 2008 Amarone della Valpolicella ($52.00) nicely dark fruited with hints of mocha and black pepper. (*** 1/2+) |
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| Nicolis 2008 Testal ($35.00) "testal" means head of the rows where the grapes get a little more sun and dry on the vine; interesting intensity, licorice (sweet and black) with coffee and mocha, blackberry, cassis and cherry (*** 1/2+) |
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| Nicolis 2006 Ambrosan - Amarone della Valpolicella Classico ($79.00) dried cherry and kirsch notes with nice acidty and intensely spiced. (****) |
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| Speri 2008 Vigne Monte Sant'Urbano - Amarone della Valpolicella Classico ($69.00) baker's cocoa with a cassis and cherry base. (*** 1/2+) |
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| Tenuta Sant'Antonio 2010 Selezione Antonio Castagnedi - Amarone della Valpolicella ($44.00) two years in oak giving it a rich mouthfeel, with cherry, chocolate and hints of spice. (*** 1/2+) |
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| Sergio Zenato 2011 Lugana Riserva ($27.95) one of only a couple of white wines in the room: 100% Trebbiano, 60% oaked tropical yet with citrus twist of grapefruit and a nice finish (*** 1/2+) |
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| Zenato 2007 Cresasso ($47.00) 100% Corvina; mix of fresh and late harvest aged in oak, 60 days dried lots of lovely rich red fruit, nice minerality on the finish; a good food wine. (****+) |
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