Masi Amarone Tasting with special guest Tony Apostolakos, U.S. Director of Masi Agricola at WWWB

Wine, like food, is so emotional. If you think about it, so much of the courting ritual is surrounded by wine and food. There’s a built-in romance to wine.

Padma Lakshmi

And there is no where on Earth more romantic that the city of Verona, the home of Romeo and Juliette.

You may know from my subliminal e-mail messages over the last decade Amarone is one of my favorite wines on the planet. We plan at least two events that feature the best wines that this region has to offer every year.  I would surely include the wines produced under the auspices of the Masi estate in this elite group from the Veneto. The Sergio Allegheri wines along with the Masi single vineyard Campolongo are spectacular and their Campofiorin has been our go to entry level Amarone for the last few years.

Join us as we welcome the U.S. Director of Masi Agricola Tony Apostolakos to host a tasting of the entire line-up of Amarone from this historic estate.  Chef Toni Lampasone will be presenting a special menu to accompany the tasting wines, the fee for this tasting is $125 + tax for reservations call 954-523-9463 or e-mail andy@winewatch.com.

Masi Amarone Tasting at Wine Watch with special guest Tony Apostolakos, U.S. Director of Masi Agricola
Thursday October 4th
7:30pm

Masi Bonacosta Valpolicella 2016v/2017v. 
Price: $13.50   Sale $11.88

The blend is 70% Corvina, 25% Rondinella, 5% Molinara.  One of the classics of the great Veronese tradition, made by Masi in a contemporary style. Valpolicella Classico, praised by Hemingway as "a light, dry red wine, as friendly as the house of a favourite brother", is made in an elegant style full of simplicity and freshness.

Masi Campofiorin 2014
Price: $19.75   Sale $17.38

A blend of 70% Corvina, 25% Rondinella and 5% Molinara. With an intense, ruby-red color and violet traces, the wine shows generous, ripe aromas of plum and cherry jam, with hints of spice. Bold and rich flavors of bitter cherries and berry fruits stand out on the palate, with good acidity, balance and velvety tannins.

Masi Brolo Campofiorin 2014
Price: $28.75   Sale $25.30

‘Brolo’ is equivalent to the French ‘clos,’ a walled vineyard. This special selection of Campofiorin expresses the individual style of local Veronese varieties (particularly Corvina) and the original methods of appasimento and Masi’s double fermentation. This dry, rich, velvety, complex and elegant wine is aged in small oak barrels. Brolo di Campofiorin vineyards are located in Valgatara di Marano, in the heart of Valpolicella Classico, where grapes for the original Campofiorin are grown, with very deep alluvial soil on eocenic limestone. Like Campofiorin, this wine is produced using Masi’s double fermentation system. Wine from fresh grapes undergoes temperature-controlled fermentation with selected yeasts. The end of November, the wine is re-fermented, with 30% of semi-dried Corvina grapes. Malolactic follows fermentation. The wine is aged in 600-liter ‘fusti veronesi’: Allier and Slavonian oak barrels, before a period in bottle.

Masi Amarone Costasera 2012
Price: $57.75   Sale $50.82

(92 Points)  The Masi 2012 Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Costasera is a plump and rich wine that portrays the opulent characteristics of this hot vintage. Dark blackberry is followed by sweet tobacco, baking spice, tar or resin. This beautiful Amarone glides smoothly over the palate imparting dense extraction and dark fruit flavors along the way. The wine has the natural constitution to hold strong for the next decade.  Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

Masi Amarone Costasera Riserva 2012
Price: $75.00   Sale $66.00

Majestic, complex and exuberant, this special cru of Costasera is a benchmark for Amarone, which complements Barolo and Brunello as the aristocracy of the Italian wine world. Masi's unrivalled expertise in the appassimento method gives the grapes a long period of further ripening on bamboo racks. Ageing period is a minimum three years in casks made of the finest wood types. Expert use of Valpolicella Classica’s indigenous Corvina, Rondinella and Molinara grapes is enhanced by the unique Oseleta variety, rediscovered by Masi. Costasera’s slopes face the sunset, making this the best terroir in Valpolicella Classico. With a longer day, vines that face Lake Garda bask in reflected light, receiving more sunlight, with soft breezes.

Masi Campolongo Torbe Amarone 2007v/2011v. 
Price: $160.50 Sale $141.24

Within Negrar commune, this well-ventilated vineyard has southwest exposure at 375-400 metres elevation, and soil of deep, red eocenic limestone with good drainage, many stones, and beneficial mineral content. Amarone is made with the ancient method of 'appassimento' (drying of the grapes). At end of September or beginning of October, bunches are dried on bamboo racks. By mid-February, the grapes weigh 35-40% less and only Corvina is affected by botrytis. After pressing, the dried grapes are partially de-stemmed, fermented for about 45 days in large Slavonian oak botti, at very cold, natural temperatures until the sugar has completely transformed to alcohol, and malolactic occurs. The wine is aged 3 years: 60% in 30-40 hectoliter Slavonian oak botti; 40% in 600-liter Slavonian and Allier oak casks, new and 1, 2 and 3 yrs. old; minimum 6 months in bottle.

Masi Mazzano Amarone 2009
Price: $177.75 Sale $156.42

Masi Cru wines come from single vineyard (cru) sites selected by Masi from trails that began in the 1950s. Cru wines are reference point wines from the finest terroirs in Valpolicella. The historic Mazzano vineyard has been renowned for quality since the 12th Century, and its austere, majestic wine is a prototypical Amarone. Production is extremely limited and made only in the best years. Within Negrar commune, this vineyard has northeast/southwest exposure, an elevation of 350-415 metres, and brown soil of eocenic marls. Wide terraces are supported by natural, stone walls called ‘marogne.’

Menu

Selection of Cheese and Charcuterie

Beef Tenderloin & Caramelized Onion Tartar atop a Flakey Pastry Crouton Drizzled with Herb Aioli

Amarone Braised Short Rib of Beef with Mole Sauce, Celery Root Puree, Glazed Baby Carrots, Leek Confit, and Herbal Jus

Blue Cheese Soufflé with caramelized walnuts and drizzled aged balsamic

The fee for this tasting and dinner is $125 + tax, for reservations call 954-523-9463 or e-mail andy@winewatch.com. 

Please let us know when you make your reservation if you have any food allergies or preferences chef Toni will be happy to accommodate you if you don’t eat raw beef.

A bit about Masi:

The Boscaini family have been the owners of the Masi vineyards for six generations. Sandro Boscaini is the company president. The other members of the family involved are Sandro's children: Alessandra and Raffaele, and his brothers: Bruno who looks after the production processes, and Mario who is a sleeping partner in the company.

Sandro graduated in Business and Economics at the Catholic University of Milan in 1964. He took charge of the commercial and marketing development of the company from the start of his career.  Internationally recognized as an innovator and promoter of wines from the Veneto on the world stage, Sandro was involved in the foundation of the modern wine fair Vinitaly in the 1960s and today part of the fair's Technical Commission. President of Masi Agricola SpA since 1978.Creator of the Masi Prize in 1981, he is also co-ordinator of the Masi Technical Group and Vice-President of the Masi Foundation.  His activities in the development of winemaking, and the promotion of wine and its associated cultural aspects, are widespread and well recognized.  This work has led him to become a member of numerous local associations and promotional bodies at a national and international level.  He is the prime mover behind leading promotional bodies abroad such as the Istituto Grandi Marchi (Institute for Leading Brands) and Excellence from Italy.

The signature Amarone, Coastasera is named aptly because the coasts which face the sunset are the best ones in Valpolicella Classica for producing a high-quality Amarone.  Here, where the day is longer, the vines, which overlook Lake Garda, benefit from the reflection of its light and its milder climate.  The 2011 vintage produced wines that are have excellent structure with good freshness that are drinking nicely at this young stage in their life.  Proud, majestic, complex and exuberant: this is Masi's gentle giant. A benchmark for the Amarone category, which, together with Barolo and Brunello,makes up the aristocracy of the Italian wine world.

All the Amarone in the store:

2007 Bertani Amarone della Valpolicella

Price: $99.00    Your Price: $87.12               Quantity in Stock: 3

2007 Brigaldara Amarone della Valpolicella Riserva San Floriano Magnum

Price: $360.00    Your Price: $316.80          Quantity in Stock: 1

2007 Brigaldara Amarone della Valpolicella Riserva San Floriano

Price: $186.00    Your Price: $163.68          Quantity in Stock: 3

2008 Brigaldara Amarone della Valpolicella Case Vecie

Price: $95.00    Your Price: $83.60               Quantity in Stock: 1

2010 Brigaldara Amarone della Valpollicella 3 Liter

Price: $375.00    Your Price: $330.00          Quantity in Stock: 1

2011 Brigaldara Amarone Della Valpolicella Case Vecie

Price: $96.00    Your Price: $84.48               Quantity in Stock: 1

2012 Brigaldara Amarone Della Valpolicella

Price: $60.00    Your Price: $52.80               Quantity in Stock: 11

2009 Brigaldara Amarone della Valpolicella Riserva San Floriano

Price: $186.00    Your Price: $163.68          Quantity in Stock: 11

2009 Begali Monte Ca Bianca Amarone della Valpolicella

Price: $75.00    Sale Price: $60.00                Quantity in Stock: 2

2011 Corte Sant'Alda Valmezzane Amarone della Valpolicella

 Price: $99.00    Your Price: $87.12              Quantity in Stock: 11

2009 Dal Forno Amarone Della Valpolicella

Price: $375.00    Your Price: $330.00          Quantity in Stock: 1

2010 Dal Forno Romano Amarone

Price: $389.25    Your Price: $342.54          Quantity in Stock: 5

1998 Dal Forno Amarone della Valpolicella

Price: $500.00    Sale Price: $400.00           Quantity in Stock: 1

2005 Fumanelli Amarone Della Valpolicella

Price: $99.00    Your Price: $87.12               Quantity in Stock: 5

2003 L'Arco Amarone della Valpolicella

Price: $120.00    Sale Price: $100.00           Quantity in Stock: 1

2011 Marion Amarone Della Valpoicella

Price: $99.00    Your Price: $87.12               Quantity in Stock: 12

2007 Masi Agricola Mazzano Amarone

Price: $168.75    Your Price: $148.50          Quantity in Stock: 9

2000 Masi Amarone Della Valpolicella Mazzano

Price: $225.00    Sale Price: $175.00           Quantity in Stock: 4

2003 Marchesi Fumanelli Amarone della Valpolicella Octavius Riserva

Price: $199.00    Sale Price: $150.00           Quantity in Stock: 2

2009 Monte Faustino Amarone della Valpolicella 3 Liter

Price: $300.00    Your Price: $264.00          Quantity in Stock: 1

2009 Monte dei Ragni Amarone della Valpolicella Classico

Price: $220.00    Sale Price: $180.00           Quantity in Stock: 11

2010 Pra Amarone della Valpolicella

Price: $65.00    Your Price: $57.20               Quantity in Stock: 7

2013 Pra Amarone della Valpolicella

Price: $74.00    Your Price: $65.12               Quantity in Stock: 1

1998 Quintarelli Amarone della Valpolicella

Price: $499.00    Sale Price: $439.00           Quantity in Stock: 13

2014 Remo Farina Amarone della Valpolicella Classico

Price: $47.25    Your Price: $41.58               Quantity in Stock: 11

2000 Tommasi Amarone della Valpolicella

Price: $150.00    Sale Price: $115.00           Quantity in Stock: 2

2011 Tenuta Santa Maria di Gaetano Amarone

Price: $78.00    Your Price: $68.64               Quantity in Stock: 6

2003 Tommaso Bussola Amarone Della Valpolicella TB Vigneto Alto

Price: $210.00    Your Price: $184.80          Quantity in Stock: 8

2013 Zenato Amarone Della Valpolicella Classico

Price: $64.25    Your Price: $56.54               Quantity in Stock: 12

2003 Zyme Amarone della Valpolicella

Price: $198.00    Your Price: $174.24          Quantity in Stock: 1