Amarone della Valpolicella
The ‘raisin wine’! The best grapes in the region are selected for an extended drying process, after which they are crushed and fermented for an unusually long time, and the resulting wine aged for 2-4 years in wood. The subsequent product is astonishing: concentrated, strong, fruit-forward, yet also capable of great elegance and freshness – not to mention ageability, after which the best can achieve enormous subtlety and variety. The great wine of Valpolicella, possibly of all the Veneto.
It is never cheap, but then it shouldn’t be – not only are the grapes of the highest quality, then treated according to a difficult winemaking method, but due to the drying process there are simply more grapes per bottle of Amarone than there are for almost any other wine.
Amarone can vary greatly from year to year, not just in quality but also in style. Be sure to check our vintages chart for more information!
Alcohol: mimimum 14% (usually 15%+)
Colour: dark opaque purple; when aged, turning a translucent red brick.
Aroma: typically, intense cherries, hints of kirsch, and strong Christmas spices; sometimes leafy, tobaccoey aromas; with age, balsamic, tar, and baked spices.
Palate: rich, viscous texture, quite often accompanied by surprisingly bright acidity; plums and cherries will abound, with touches of cacao, smoke, and sweet spice.
Food Pairing: meat (or mushroom) dishes so rich they could afford of case of Amarone themselves!
Recent reviews
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Amarone della Valpolicella DOCG Classico Riserva “Mater” 2011
by Nick Singleton
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"The Amarone Journey" Wine Tasting - 5 Wines
by Stéphane Taunay
