Amarone & Valpolicella wines from 2009

2009 defied early expectations to become, not merely a good year, but a really stellar one, whose wines have aged better than many predicted at the time and are continuing to grow. A wet late-winter was followed by a hot spring and very hot summer, but less-than-perfect day-night temperature variation led many to fear the wines would lack the acidity necessary for real ageability. However, the vintage turned out a truly outstanding one, with the top winemakers’ stuff holding up beautifully.