Tag Archives: amarone della valpolicella
Amarone 101: everything you wanted to know
The short answers: Amarone is a place, not a grape. It is dry, not sweet, despite tasting of dried fruit. It is not fortified, the alcohol comes from drying the grapes. The name means the big bitter one. Everything below is the long version, question by question.
Amarone Bertani 2015 – James Suckling’s Wine of the Year 2024
James Suckling named Bertani Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 2015 his Wine of the Year for 2024, scoring it 100 points. Bertani has made Amarone since 1857, ages it in large Slavonian oak and releases it many years late. The 2015 was one of the two best vintages of the century.
The best Amarone of 2023? We consult the critics
The critics who matter for Amarone are Gambero Rosso with its Tre Bicchieri, Bibenda with its 5 Grappoli, James Suckling, Wine Spectator and Decanter. They rarely agree. This gathers what each of them rated highest in 2023 and says where the overlap is.
Wine, Food, Science and Valpolicella – In Depth
Wine and food work together through acidity, tannin, fat, salt and sugar. Acidity cuts fat, tannin binds to protein, sweetness must outrun the dish or it tastes sour. This applies that to the Valpolicella wines and explains why Amarone wants braised meat and aged cheese.
Romano dal Forno
Romano Dal Forno remade what Amarone could be: yields cut to almost nothing, grapes dried in temperature controlled lofts, long ageing in new French barriques, and a wine of extraordinary density that needs a decade before it opens. He is the modern pole of the valley, opposite Quintarelli.
A visit to Le Ragose
Le Ragose sits high above Negrar, one of the first estates to plant at that altitude, now in its third generation with Marta Galli. They make traditional Amarone in large Slavonian oak, and keep old vintages back. We went up to taste with them and this is what they said.
The Advanced Guide to Amarone della Valpolicella Docg
This goes past the basics: the sub zones and their soils, how growers differ on drying time and vessel, what Riserva really changes, how residual sugar is handled, and why two Amarone at the same price can taste nothing alike. Read the beginner guide first if you have not.
Amarone Wine & Valpolicella Vintages, an in-depth analysis
Vintage matters in the Valpolicella because Corvina ripens late and the grapes are then dried through the winter, so both the autumn and the months after it decide the year. The best years of this century are 2000, 2004, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2015, 2016 and 2019. The hardest were 2002 and 2014.
How Amarone wine is made
Amarone is made by drying whole bunches of Corvina, Corvinone and Rondinella on racks for three to four months until they lose about 40% of their weight in water. The shrivelled grapes are then pressed and fermented slowly to dryness, reaching 15 to 17% alcohol, and aged at least two years.
What is “Appassimento”? An in depth look into the “Appassimento” technique
Appassimento is the drying of whole grape bunches for three to four months after harvest, on racks or in crates, until they lose 35 to 40% of their water. Sugar, acid, colour and aroma stay behind and concentrate. It is the step that turns ordinary Valpolicella fruit into Amarone and Recioto.
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