Amarone Tasting including the legends Quintarelli, Dal Forno, Fumanelli and more

Friday, April 7, 2017 - 07:30 PM

This Event has been read: 2456 times.

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Wine hath drowned more men than the sea.
THOMAS FULLER

 

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And if I drowned in wine, I can think of none better than Amarone!!

 

This is annual event here at the Wine Watch. We show the wines of these two producers every year at a "Once in a Lifetime" tasting event and then every other year we show them against each other but this year we decided to show them with a few friends.   

The styles are dramatically different between Dal Forno and Quintarelli but they both make Amarone at the top level of quality and both sacrifice quantity over quality.  They are also very expensive but the price reflects the demand for these wines in the marketplace.

Dal Forno is a bit more progressive thinking aging his wines in new French Oak and making a dryer style of Amarone by not drying the grapes for as long as Quintarelli.

Although Giuseppe Quintarelli passed away last year his wines will forever be iconic examples of this ancient style of making wine by drying the grapes before fermenting.  These wines are incredibly rare and to be opening up 6 bottles on one evening categorizes this evening as a "once in a lifetime" experience.

Join us as we experience some of the top vintages for this region and some of the most sought after wines from the Veneto in an all out battle over who's wine reigns supreme- the godfather of Verona, Giuseppe Quintarelli or the new kid on the block, Romano Dal Forno along with a few friends...

Wine Watch Caterings Toni Lampasone will be making a special menu to accompany the wines. The fee for this "Once in a Lifetime" wine tasting event is $295 per person, for reservations call 954-523-9463.

 

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Quintarelli VS Dal Forno and Friends Amarone Tasting at Wine Watch
Friday, April 7st, 2017
7:30 pm

 

Image result for 1994 Dal Forno Valpolicella

1994 Dal Forno Romano Valpolicella

This may seem old for some Valpolicella but not for this producer.  Dal Forno makes a Valpolicella that will rival many producers Amarone.

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2003 Quintarelli Rosso Ca Del Merlo Valpolicella
Price: $105.00    Sale Price: $85.00

 

The wine of Valpolicella is made in various styles. The most common is the light-bodied, dry, fruity red. This wine is most appealing when drunk young and cool. Some producers make a more serious style of Valpolicella using a method known as ripasso. This word is derived from the Italian verb ripassare, meaning "to pass over" or "to do something again." In the late winter or spring, occasionally later, the new Valpolicella is refermented on the grape pomace from the Amarone, which still contains a lot of sugar. The wine is put into the barrels that had been used to ferment the Amarone immediately after the wine is drawn off. The pomace, still high in sugar, nutrients, and extract, activates an alcoholic refermentation. The temperature increases, due to the warming of the season combined with the warm pomace, causes the development of Saccharomyces bayanus yeasts, which bring about the refermentation of the Valpolicella. This adds alcohol, total acidity, dry extract, and glycerine to the wine. The alcohol increases 1.5 to 1.7 percent and total acidity 0.5 to 1 percent. The wine becomes deeper in color, bigger in body, and richer in alcohol, extract and tannin. In fact at one time the wines of the Veronese hillsides were classified by the farmers according to their degree of sweetness, and they were priced accordingly, with the sweetest wines commanding the highest prices. The recioto wines were the sweetest, mezzo recioto was medium sweet, pastoso off dry, and amaro dry. The first two wines here are made from the same varietals as Quintarelli’s Valpolicella, however the Ca del Merlo (NOT Merlot) is aged longer in large wood vessels and comes from a single hilltop vineyard named after a plot of land where a large Merlo (bird) sat perched on a tree overlooking the hillside.

 

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2002 Quintarelli Rosso Del Bepi
Price: $220.00    Sale $193.60

Since Giuseppe demands absolute top quality, he labels his Amarones only in exceptional vintages; in lesser vintages he refuses to produce any Amarone at all; but in fair years he declassifies it, giving it an IGT appellation and calling it Rosso del Bepi, as in 1996, 1999 and 2002. Forward, delicious, and already becoming a cellar addition for many collectors. Made from the classic Amarone formula of Corvina, Rondinella, with Cabernet, Nebbiolo, Croatina, traces of Molinara and Negrara.

 

Image result for 1999 Tommaso Bussola TB Vigneto Alto Amarone Della Valpolicella

1999 Tomasso Bussola TB Vigneto Alto Amarone Della Valpolicella

 

(93 points)  The 1999 Amarone Vigneto Alto is powerful in aroma, ripe, sweet, and complex. It offers plum jam, grilled black cherries, chocolate, and sweet herbs in its flavor range. Dense, muscular, but warmly alcoholic and enveloping, it is built to last until 2020.  Wine Advocate #154, Aug 2004

 

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1997 Quintarelli Amarone della Valpolicella (Magnum)

(94 points) Quintarelli's 1997 Amarone is seductive from the first aromas that float from the glass. It offers a myriad of dried cherries, plums, tea leaves, earthiness, spices, smoke and herbs in a deceptively medium-bodied style bursting with flavor. Constantly changing in the glass, this is a sensual wine of contrasts; it is sweet yet dry, rustic yet incredibly elegant, all at the same time. Unfortunately I have encountered a significant amount of bottle variation with this wine, most recently from two bottles purchased at the same shop. Bottle variation is always frustrating but at roughly $350 a pop this degree of inconsistency is especially painful. A bottle tasted several months ago showed levels of volatile acidity that are high even for this producer, and which obscured everything else in the wine. This bottle, though, tasted in August of 2007, was magical. The phrase caveat emptor has never been more appropriate. Anticipated maturity: 2007-2017. eRobertparker.com #173 Oct 2007

 

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1997 Quintarelli Alzero  (Magnum)

 

From the master of Verona the Alzero is made from Cabernet Franc grapes air dried in the same fashion as Amarone. Opaque black plum color with an amazing bouquet of clay like minerals, black cherry liqueur, licorice, and bittersweet chocolate nuances. Velvety smooth texture with incredible concentration and depth of flavors, a bit sweet on the tongue, but finishes dry with persistent acidity. Finish 50+ KILLER!

 

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2003 Marchesi Fumanelli Amarone della Valpolicella Octavius Riserva
Price: $199.00    Sale Price: $150.00

 

Grape Varieties: Corvina Veronese and Corvinone, Rondinella, Oseleta.

 

Grapes from the Squarano estate situated on a hill with 150 m altitude and with an optimal south east sun expostion. The average age of the vines is 40 years and they grow with the tradional Pergola system. WINEMAKER NOTES Intense ruby red with slightly brick coloured reflexes, typical nose of cherries under spirit and sweet notes of vanilla, spiced with nutmeg and cocoa. Full bodied and warm on the palate, soft yet powerful and incredibly long lasting. Gastronomic Suggestons: Main courses in particular roasted or grilled red meat and game but also ideal with mature cheeses and at the end of a good meal. HARVEST NOTES The grapes are carefully hand selected and then placed in wooden plateaux and left to rest for 120 days with drying and the concentration of all the elements. The grapes are being dried for 120 days, in February are vinified according to the traditional system with grapes made into red wine. 30 days of maceration and daily pumping over follows. The wine making takes place with the greatest respect for the grapes using a combination of traditional and innovative techniques. TECHNICAL INFORMATION Ageing: 48 months in French oak casks and 8-12 monts in the bottle Alcohol: 16% by volume

 

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1993 Quintarelli Giuseppe Recioto Della Valpolicella Classico 375ml  

 

For 100 years this small producer from the Veneto has been exporting limited quantities to the U.S. The absolute traditionalist has not changed the techniques set by his father. As those who are familiar with Quintarelli know, he creates miracles in off vintages and legends when Mother Nature shines - and in 1990, 1993 and 1995 she did just that, rivaling her efforts of 1990 and perhaps 1976 or 1985. For Giuseppe, like his father, the challenge of Recioto is a labor of love. After arrested fermentation, which provides Recioto's distinctive sweetness, this wine's vinification follows the same pattern as for the Amarone.

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1998 Dal Forno Romano Recioto Della Valpolicella Magnum  

 

The 1997 vintage of this wine is one of the greatest wines that I have ever tasted and this 1998 is not far off.  I only have a bottle or two of this wine in my private stash but this tasting would not be complete without it and you only live once so I want to make sure that I drink every bottle before leaving this earth!
Image result for 1995 Dal Forno Romano Nettare 500ml

1995 Dal Forno Romano Nettare 500ml  

 

5000 bottles, 1/2 of this extraordinary dessert wine made with dried grapes, 80% Garganega, 8% Turbiana, 12% Trebbiano Toscano. Aged in barriques for 30-40 months. Robert Parker's Wine Advocate on Romano Dal Forno: "Romano Dal Forno is a humble, down to earth and extremely passionate person. Just a few minutes with Dal Forno are enough to understand his unwavering, some might say obsessive, pursuit of quality. I have never met a producer with such a maniacal approach to cleanliness in the cellar. Nothing is wasted here. As I tasted the drying grapes after the 2006 harvest one grape fell to the ground, but it was swiftly picked up by Dal Forno. The same aesthetic applies to Dal Forno’s work in the vineyards. Dal Forno’s newest plot is planted with an extremely dense 12,800 vines per hectare and can only be described as a work of surgical precision." (10/2007)

 

Menu

Selection of Cheese: St. Andre, Blue Cheese, Beemster Gouda

Black Amarone Risotto with Reggiano Parmesan

Braised Beef Shortrib with Amarone Mole reduction

 

The price of this event is $295 per person for reservations call 954-523-9463 or e-mail:  andy@winewatch.com

 

 

A bit about Giuseppe Quintarelli - The Godfather of the Veneto

 

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Known as “The Master of the Veneto,” Giuseppe Quintarelli makes some of the world’s most sought-after wines. From aperitifs to digestifs, his limited production Amarones, Reciotos, and Valpolicellas are the benchmark for excellence. Their greatness stems from the inherent quality of the terroir and natural talent of this master, whose concept of vintage approval and strict grape selection rival great Chateau of Sauternes.  Quintarelli makes stunning wines in average vintages by hand picking everything and making severe selections- sometimes going cluster by cluster and selecting each individual berry!

Giuseppe puts his wines on the market when he deems them ready, often keeping them in the cellar for decades until the right moment arrives.  Quintarelli Produces around 2,500 cases of Valpolicella, 850 cases of Amarone and 300 cases of Recioto.  Valpolicella is a terroir with a long history.  It has weathered difficult times and has now been saved by the commitment of a large number of young producers, and the example of a great one, Guiseppe Quintarelli.  Giuseppe’s winery, situated at Negrar on the gentile Valpolicella hills, has 12 hectares of vineyards at an average altitude of 240 meters above sea level.  Some of the grapes are brought in bringing the average annual production up to 50-60,000 bottles.  In the best years, Giuseppe Quintarelli makes an Amarone Riserva, and of course 1990 was no exception.  Before release, this seriously good wine spent ten years ageing in Slavonian oak barrels.  The deep garnet hue is appealing and there are sweet cocoa powder and ripe berry fruit on the nose.  The palate is generous with plums, fruit liqueur and coffee in a harmonious, lingering profile.  The Alzero, made from raisined Cabernet Franc grapes is deep ruby red and proffers aromas of red peppers, vegetables and tobacco on the nose.  The palate has remarkable finesse and hints of cocoa, morello cherries, pepper and pencil lead create a very stylish, bitter-sweet effect.  The fresh-tasting nicely rounded Valpolicella has hints of aromatic herbs, cherry fruit and liquorice, as well as good extract.

According to archaeological evidence vines were growing in the Valpolicella area some 40 million years ago, but winemaking probably came about around the 5th century BC somewhere that is now referred to as Fumane, the home of one of the most famous Amarone producers, Allegrini.  This wine was referred to as Retico and came from the county of Catullus, Verona.  Late in the Roman period the name Retico changed to Acinatico.    Cassiodoro, a famous Italian minister to the Ostrogoth king Theodoric, has been quoted making reference to Acinato:  “It has a pure and exceptional taste and a regal color, so that you may believe either that purple got its colour from the wine or that the wine is the epitome of purple.  Its sweetness is of incredible gentleness, its density is accompanied by an indescribable stability and it swells over the tongue in such a way that it seems either a liquid made of solid flesh or else a drink to be eaten.”

Valpolicella, according to some accounts, means “valley of many cellars,” which seems fitting.  It is derived, they say, from the Greek word poli (many) and the Latin cella (cellar).   This area is approximately 27 miles long and 5 miles wide, it passes north and west of Verona, extending from the Adige River to the Cazzano Valley.  Bardolino and Lake Garda lie to the west and Soave to the east.  The land ranges in altitude from 490 to 1,475 feet above sea level.  The vines in the classico district to the northwest of Verona, are planted on the hillsides and mountain slopes of the valleys of the Adige tributaries and the Fumane, Marano, and Negrar torrents.  Some of the vineyards are terraced with stone.  The cretaceous, calcareous soil is of glacial origins.  And volcanic activity in this area contributed elements to the soil as well.  

The area around Sant’Ambrogio is considered the heart of the Amarone production zone.  Within this area, northeast of Gargagnago, is a valley called Vaio Armaron, which may have given the wine its name.   The blend of grapes typically used in Valpolicella is Corvina (40%-70%), Rondinella (20%-40%), Molinara (5%-25%) and may contain up to 15% Negrara Trentina, Rossignola, Dindarella, Barbera, and/or Sangiovese.  Before 1989 producers were allowed to add as much as 15% of grapes, must, or wine from outside the zone to correct problems from a weak vintage, but this practice is prohibited today.  Corvina contributes color, body, bouquet, flavor, and the basic Valpolicella character to the wine.   Rondinella, which is resistant to disease and rot, is added for its color and strength, tannin and vigor, it also adds some refinement to the azromas.  Molinara, or Mulinara, is also known as Rossara Veronese and Rossanella, is blended in to make the wine lighter and more drinkable.  It also contributes dryness and acidity, as well as that characteristic bitterness.  Negrara, adds softness, freshness and early drinkability.

The first dry Amarone, according to writer Cesare Marchi, was the result of a fortunate accident.  In the early 1950s, Adelino Lucchese, Bertani’s cellarmaster, discovered a barrel of wine in the cellar that had been overlooked and neglected for some time.  Certain that it had spoiled he was about to discard its contents, when curiosity prompted him to take a taste just to see what had happened.  He was astonished to discover that the forgotten wine had a velvety texture and a penetrating perfume, a slightly bitter taste, but not at all unpleasant.  There is however evidence that the Romans made a type of bitter Recioto for diabetics or other people who couldn’t take sugar.  Sandro Boscaini of Masi pointed out that some of the oldest families in Valpolicella, the Count Campostrini and Count Serego Alighieri, as well as his own produced an Amaro, a dry Recioto.  This would seem to indicate that Amarone is considerably older that Marchi admits.  According to another book called Valpolicella Spolendida Contea Dei Vino, written by Lamberto Paronetto, the name Amarone has been in use since the eighteenth century.  It became popular at the beginning of this century and the name could very well be derived from the Italian word amaro, meaning “bitter” (scholar Scipione Maffei, writing in the first half of the eighteenth century, refers to an amaro, a dry wine from the Valpolicella area), or it could come from Vajo Armaron, where some highly regarded Amarones have been produced for ages. 

 

 

A bit about Romano Dal Forno

 

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A few years ago the last day of the Vinitaly we left early to go see one of the producers that does not show his wines at the fair- Romano Dal Forno.   We just happened to be doing a tasting with this producers wine in a few weeks after my return, so I was anxious to learn more about this producer from the horse’s mouth.

Although Romano’s wines have become some of the most sought after in all of Italy, there are not many people that know a lot about them, many people believe that he was a pupil of the great Giuseppe Quintarelli.  Well it is true that Dal Forno is a good friend of Quintarelli and that it was Giuseppe’s passion for winemaking that inspired Romano to get into the wine business, however he never worked for Quintarelli like so many wine experts have claimed.  Romano’s family had been land owners in Valpolicella for several generations and they owned vineyards, but they had always sold their grapes to other producers.  Romano never went to enology school, he is a self taught winemaker, his first vintage was 1983 and over the course of the next few he quickly became one of the rising stars of this area. 

His approach to making Amarone is very different from Quintarelli and collectors usually will like one or the other rather than both.  Quintarelli dries his grapes for upwards of six months before crushing them.  This causes the resulting wines to be rather sweet in style.  Romano prefers the taste of dryer wines so he only leaves his grapes to dry for one to two months, thus the resulting wines are fairly dry in style.

When you walk down to the cellar, the stairs are made of white marble tile that has been tumbled so that the surface is not slippery, everything that Romano does is well thought out, he is a perfectionist and it shows in his cellar and in his wines.  The brick work on the ceilings of the cellar is a mosaic and really makes the cellar one of the most attractive that you will encounter.  The barrles are stained in the centers so you will not notice the drippings from topping off.  It seems like every little detail has been thought out.

His greatest recent vintages are:  1996, 1997, 1998, 2001, and the 2004 which is still in barrique.  The Valpolicella is one of the most concentrated and rich that you will encounter and is rich enough that it could be mistaken for Amarone.  The magical elixir, Recioto was declassified in 2003 because it failed the tasting panel from the DOC and will from this vintage on be simply entitled late harvest with the name of the vineyard, Vigna Sere.  There are two tests that Valpolicella, Amarone and Recioto have to pass before they are allowed to carry the DOC title.  One is a chemical analysis that measures both the sugar content and the grape varietals.  The second is a physical tasting that the DOC panel conducts to ensure that the wine resembles the style of wines that are produced in this area.  The Recioto in 2003 passed the chemical analysis but the tasting panel failed this wine for being to astringent, this may have angered Dal Forno as he stated that this wine will no longer be submitted for DOC status. 

We were like kids in a candy store during our visit as the exuberant wine producer showed us his newest wines that were still in barrique.  Romano is very passionate about his wines and you could tell that he was glad to have a group of his fans in his home to learn more about what makes this producers wines so unique.

His journey stared with the 1983 vintage and every vintage he has continued to improve his wines by making progress in the vineyard as well as developing new techniques in the winery.  He began a complete renovation and expansion of the winery in 2005 and it was completed by the end of 2007 just in time for the harvest.  One of the things that he stresses is cleanliness.  Some producers of Amarone like to have a bit of "Noble Rot" in their wines.  Romano feels that there is nothing noble about rot, therefore he goes to every extreme to ensure that there is none in his cellar.  The new facility has a series of fans to circulate the air in the cellar so there is very little moisture, which is one of the largest contributors to the formation of mold in the cellar.

Any great producer will tell you that great wine is made in the vineyard and Dal Forno is no exception to this rule.  Dal Forno spends a lot of time tending his vines and has planted several new acres of vines to increase the size of his production which now hovers at around 20,000 cases of the four wines. 

 

 

Everything that we have in the store that is Amarone

 

Image result for 2011 Brigaldara Amarone Della Valpolicella

 

2011 Brigaldara Amarone Della Valpolicella
Price: $60.00    Your Price: $52.80
Quantity in Stock: 23

They use a mix of barrels 2nd level of toasting, they use some barrique and large Slovenian wood.  The Amarone 1 year barrique, 2 years Slovenian oak.  A beautiful bouquet of red cherry, a potpourri of flowers, herbs, light smoky toasty notes, bitter coco  and incense like spice.  Ripe rich cherry berry fruit, big but very forward and smooth tannins notes of tobacco spice and that dried meat and smoky notes through the finish.  Finish 45+            Excellent +

 

2011 Brigaldara Amarone Della Valpolicella Case Vecie
Price: $96.00    Your Price: $84.48
Quantity in Stock: 6

This is the single vineyard wine, only 13,000 bottles they started producing in 2000 and they make this wine every year, the vineyard is at 450 meters,  they were the first to go over 300 meters now someone at 650.  They also have different soils, different temperature and maybe just a bit more Corvina in the blend in the Case Vecie.  This wine spends 2 years in barrique and two years in large oak.  Wonderful intensity here on the nose with red cherry liqueur like fruit complimented by a host of dried flowers, exotic spices and a distinct playdough/clay like minerality, a slight meaty nuance coming out the second day.   A very big and chewy wine on the tongue with lots of ripe juicy red berry fruit, smooth velvety tannins and a long finish, very well built, this wine show many layers, that floral nuance, dark coco spice notes coming out at the end, this  wine should last for a few decades in the cellar.  Finish 50+    Most Excellent

 

 

2011 Marion Amarone Della Valpoicella
Price: $99.00    Sale Price: $83.00
Quantity in Stock: 15

A traditionalist, the grapes are dried for 5 months, but they use some new barrels here, an array of wild herbs, flowers and dried cherry and plum fruit on the nose, quite rich and complex, notes of green tea and wild game meaty notes.  A big and rich wine on the tongue with ripe round tannins, lots of sweet berry and plum fruit with a firm hand of acidity balancing things out through the finsih, big but still has elegance.  Finish 50+    Most Excellent

 

2011 Zenato Amarone Della Valpolicella Classico
Price: $52.50    Your Price: $46.20
Quantity in Stock: 20

This wine is a blend of 80% Corvina aged in large barrel for 36 months and then 1 year in bottle a very thick and fruity wine dark cherry liqueur like fruit with sweet tobacco spice chai tea, dark spices and dried meats, nice complexity on the nose. Sweet berry fruit very rich and ripe with a nice hand of spice and dark coco with exotic dried floral notes. Finish 45+ Excellent +

 

2010 Musella Amarone Della Valpolicella
Price: $58.25    Your Price: $51.26
Quantity in Stock: 5

More Corvina and Corvinonie more pepper earth and less explosive fruit, aged in big barrels and a small amount of oseletta. Dark cherry liqueur like fruit on the nose with hints of coco and a good amount of that distinct clay like minerality on the nose, some dried floral notes. A very smooth and round wine on the tongue with excellent freshness for a wine at 15.5 alcohol pretty floral and that textbook minerality through the finish. Finish 45+ Most Excellent

 

2009 Dal Forno Amarone Della Valpolicella
Price: $375.00    Your Price: $330.00
Quantity in Stock: 13

(97 Points) I'm not sure how anyone can resist a wine like the 2009 Amarone della Valpolicellla Monte Lodoletta. It would be impossible to exaggerate the enormity of this wine. Romano Dal Forno has his critics, of course: Some people find his wines exaggerated and too big to drink. They have a point, but you can not doubt the sheer quality of winemaking that goes behind this monumental wine. Dal Forno's Amarone is a message of optimism that speaks to the infinite possibilities that can be achieved with a simple fruit like the grape. The decadent and layered bouquet offers slow pulses of black fruit, tar, teriyaki, mesquite and prune. The wine wraps like a thick blanket over the palate. This beautiful bottle should be aged ten more years.

 

2009 Monte dei Ragni Amarone della Valpolicella Classico
Price: $220.00    Sale Price: $180.00
Quantity in Stock: 11

 

2009 Pra Amarone della Valpolicella
Price: $69.00    Your Price: $60.72
Quantity in Stock: 7

This wine is on the dry style with only 5 grams of residual, most are upwards of 10, this wine has a good amount of herbs and fresh clay like minerality on the nose, peppery spice. A smooth and silky wine on the tongue with lots of spice, herbs and good freshness on the finish, big but balanced and leaves you yearing for a second glass. finish 45+ Most Excellent

 

2007 Bertani Amarone della Valpolicella
Price: $97.50    Your Price: $85.80
Quantity in Stock: 3

 

2007 Brigaldara Amarone della Valpolicella Riserva San Floriano Magnum
Price: $360.00    Your Price: $316.80
Quantity in Stock: 3

 

2007 Brigaldara Amarone della Valpolicella Riserva San Floriano
Price: $169.75    Your Price: $149.38
Quantity in Stock: 3

(95 Points) The beautiful 2007 Amarone della Valpolicella Riserva San Floriano already shows the sheer magic of bottle-aging with touches of leather, spice and dried fruit that play perfectly off one another. The wine is so incredibly lively and bright in the mouth: it is teaming with vitality and energy. Dark notes of tar and resin make appropriate background tones. This is a masterpiece Amarone that still has a long way to go. Drink 2015-2028.

 

Brigaldara holds the Valpolicella banner high and makes some of the best Amarone available today. The 50-hectare estate is owned by the Cesari family and is home to extensive vineyards and olive groves. This beautiful collection of wines is absolutely unbeatable thanks to the excellent vintages (2010, 2009 and 2007) on offer now.  eRobertParker.com #209 Oct 2013 Reviewer: Monica Larner

 

2007 Marchesi Fumanelli Amarone della Valpolicella Octavius Riserva
Price: $150.00    Your Price: $132.00
Quantity in Stock: 9

 

2007 Quintarelli Amarone Della Valpolicella
Price: $406.00    Your Price: $357.28
Quantity in Stock: 12

95 points "This finely tuned version hits a sweet spot, offering an integration of creamy tannins, lightly juicy acidity and an ample range of flavor, with baked currant, rich, smoky mineral and wild herb notes. Drink now through 2032. (11/30/16)" Wine Spectator:

 

2006 Quintarelli Amarone Della Valploicella Classico (Magnum)
Price: $875.00    Your Price: $770.00
Quantity in Stock: 5

Made from a blend of 55% Corvina and Corvinone, 30% Rondinella, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, Nebbiolo, Croatina and Sangiovese.   A truly stunning wine with great potential for long-term aging, but is tremendously rewarding to drink right now, but I would caution you to finish with this wine as it is hard to follow this wine with anything else.

 

 

2005 Brigaldara Amarone della Valpolicella Magnum
Price: $175.00    Your Price: $154.00
Quantity in Stock: 4

 

(90 Points) The 2005 Amarone della Valpolicella Classico is a relatively straightforward wine but I loved it for its superb balance and harmony. Sweet red cherries, herbs, leather, spices and earthiness are buffered by finessed tannins as this soft-textured wine opens in the glass. This is a great introduction to Amarone. Curiously, the 2005 comes across as more advanced than the 2004, and I would choose to drink it on the young side. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2015. I was very impressed with the wines I tasted from Brigaldara. The Amarone is aged in cask and is made in a fairly approachable style, while the single-vineyard Amarone Case Vecie is a richer wine that also sees some French oak. Both wines are well worth seeking out. Wine Advocate # 179, Oct 2008

 

2005 Tommaso Bussola Amarone della Valpolicella TB Vigneto Alto
Price: $220.00    Sale Price: $170.00
Quantity in Stock: 3

 

2003 Dal Forno Romano Amarone della Valpolicella
Price: $547.00    Sale Price: $429.00
Quantity in Stock: 4

(95 Points) Dal Forno’s 2003 Amarone is a joy to taste. Today it is surprisingly much more accessible than the Valpolicella in this vintage. Inviting aromatics lead to a sumptuous expression of dark fruit, bitter chocolate, minerals, licorice, tar and smoke. The wine possesses stunning depth and a finish that lasts forever. A few years of bottle age will allow the wine to acquire additional complexity, but this remains one of the more accessible Amarones (in relative terms) that Dal Forno has made in the recent past. According to Dal Forno, the 2003 Amarone has a touch more residual sugar than is the norm here (owing to the hot vintage), which is the main reason the wine remains relatively accessible. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2020. All of these wines from Romano Dal Forno require significant aeration to show the true breadth of this passionate grower’s innovative style. Ideally the wines should be cellared for a minimum of a few years. Readers in search of short-term gratification are advised to open these bottles at least eight to ten hours before serving. This also holds for the Valpolicella, which has become an especially massive, structured wine after Dal Forno started producing it from 100% dried fruit in the 2002 vintage. Dal Forno favors 100% new American oak for his wines, although in recent years he has brought the aging regime down considerably. Wine Advocate # 179, Oct 2008

 

1995 Quintarelli Amarone della Valpolicella
Price: $550.00    Your Price: $484.00
Quantity in Stock: 1

 

2005 Fumanelli Amarone Della Valpolicella
Price: $99.00    Your Price: $87.12
Quantity in Stock: 8

(92 points) The 2005 Amarone della Valpolicella Classico is a delicious wine, even if it is a touch light in body for an Amarone. Dark cherries, plums, flowers and sweet spices take shape in the glass. This shows lovely inner perfume and radiance, not to mention considerable harmony. The understated style seems best suited to near and mid-term drinking. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2017. Wine Advocate #193 Feb 2011

 

2004 Quintarelli Amarone della Valpolicella
Price: $430.00    Sale Price: $329.00
Quantity in Stock: 1

(96 points)  The 2004 Amarone della Valpolicella Classico is insanely beautiful. A dark, mysterious beauty, the 2004 hits the palate with masses of black fruit, tobacco, smoke, licorice and incense. The 2004 is constantly changing in the glass, as it reveals layer after layer of flavor and pure nuance. Readers will have to be patient with the 2004, but it is spectacular. I tasted the 2004 just after bottling, and will not be surprised if it is even better with more time in bottle. The huge, voluptuous finish bodes well for the future. Readers who can find the 2004 should not hesitate. This is another magical 2004 from Quintarelli. (3/2014) Antonio Galloni

Wine Watch Tasting Notes:  A beautiful bouquet of clove, cigar box, menthol and orange peel, very complex array of dark berry fruit, maybe a bit closed on the nose at first but after a day really showing nicely.  This wine is quite large, not quite as sweet as the 1995 but still has nice richness and a host of spice and a firm hand of acidity keeping this wine balanced and fresh at the end.  Finish 50+  Most Excellent +

 

 

2003 Zyme Amarone della Valpolicella
Price: $198.00    Your Price: $174.24
Quantity in Stock: 3

(92 Points) The 2003 Amarone della Valpolicella Classico reveals gorgeous density and purity in its fruit. Sweet menthol, flowers and minerals emerge with air, adding considerable complexity to the dark fruit. The wine boasts superb balance and the French oak is integrated very nicely, even if the tannins dry out slightly on the finish. This medium-bodied yet sumptuous Amarone is all about clarity and precision. Anticipated maturity: 2011-2021.

 

Proprietor Celestino Gaspari boasts one of the most extensive resumes in Valpolicella. Once widely considered the heir-apparent at Quintarelli, where he worked for a number of years, Gaspari subsequently consulted for a number of local wineries, helping launch some of the most exciting young properties on the scene. More recently Gaspari has scaled back his consulting activities to focus on his own project. The dramatic Zyme cellars are carved out of rock and hold some of the most dramatic wines being made in Veneto today. Zyme is still a young property, and I am curious to see what happens here over the coming years. Gaspari is highly ambitious and technically very proficient, as these wines clearly show. The open question is whether he will allow the wines to express more personality over the coming years. Given his track record elsewhere, there is every reason to think that will indeed be the case. There is a very clear struggle here in trying to acknowledge tradition on one hand, while not being excessively bound by convention on the other hand. As a result, the top wine here is not Amarone, but Harlequin, a blend of various grapes given a short time of air-drying and aged in 100% new French oak. All of these wines required considerable aeration for some of the SO2 to blow off. eRobertParker.com #185, Oct 2009

 

2001 Conati Amarone della Valpolicella
Price: $55.00    Sale Price: $40.00
Quantity in Stock: 2

 

2000 Quintarelli Amarone della Valpolicella
Price: $625.00    Your Price: $550.00
Quantity in Stock: 5

This is one of the hardest wines to come by from Italy. This wine comes primarily from the indigenous Corvina, as well as Rondinella with a small percentage of Molinara with traces of Cabernet, Sangiovese, and Nebbiolo. A truly stunning wine with great potential for long-term aging, but is tremendously rewarding to drink right now, but I would caution you to finish with this wine as it is hard to follow this wine with anything else.

 

1995 Quintarelli Amarone della Valpolicella
Price: $550.00    Your Price: $484.00
Quantity in Stock: 1

 

1967 Bertani Amarone della Valpolicella
Price: $565.00    Sale Price: $480.00
Quantity in Stock: 1

A very good vintage for Amarone production: a fairly dry and very hot summer followed a wet spring. Harvest of perfectly healthy grapes.

 

Intense garnet red with a slightly orange rim. Well - defined aroma of dried plum, hazelnut, black truffle, walnut and chocolate. Intense scents that continue to change and to vary.

 

 

Recioto – the Crème de la Crème of the wines of Verona

Image result for 2009 L'Arco Recioto della Valpolicella

2009 L'Arco Recioto della Valpolicella
Price: $150.00    Your Price: $132.00
Quantity in Stock: 2

 

They only make this wine 2-3 times a decade, Recioto is the best wine in Valpolicella and this wine has only been made twice 2003 and this 2009. A very concentrated and rich like the amarone on seroids with an array of dried fruits, dark spices, balsamic and this wine has 70 grams per liter of residual but wears it very well with a firm hand of acidity to keep things fresh and leaves you wanting a second glass, not at all sweet on the finish, this wine is just oozing with flavors and the finish just goes on and on, WOW!! Finish 50+ KILLER

 

2003 Monte Faustino Recioto Della Valpolicella (500ml)
Price: $35.00    Sale Price: $29.75
Quantity in Stock: 19

 

1998 Tommaso Bussola Recioto BG 500ml
Price: $70.00    Your Price: $61.60
Quantity in Stock: 2

 

2001 Quintarelli Recioto Della Valpolicella Classico
Price: $395.00    Your Price: $347.60
Quantity in Stock: 5

2001 Quintarelli Recioto Della Valpolicella Classico (375ML)
Price: $201.25    Your Price: $177.10
Quantity in Stock: 5

For 100 years this small producer from the Veneto has been exporting limited quantities to the U.S. The absolute traditionalist has not changed the techniques set by his father. As those who are familiar with Quintarelli know, he creates miracles in off vintages and legends when Mother Nature shines - and in 1990, 1993 and 1995 she did just that, rivaling her efforts of 1990 and perhaps 1976 or 1985. For Giuseppe, like his father, the challenge of Recioto is a labor of love. After arrested fermentation, which provides Recioto's distinctive sweetness, this wine's vinification follows the same pattern as for the Amarone.

 

1997 Quintarelli Recioto (Magnum)
Price: $1275.00    Your Price: $1122.00
Quantity in Stock: 1

1997 Quintarelli Recioto
List Price: $499.00      Sale Price: $425.00
Quantity in Stock: 2

 

(94 Points) The 1997 Recioto della Valpolicella Classico is a gorgeous, refined wine with layers of sweet, perfumed fruit that flow gracefully from its medium-bodied frame. The 1997 Recioto isn't quite as extroverted as the profound 1995, but it does offer impeccable balance in a relatively understated, slender style for this house. Sweet spices, licorice, leather and incense linger on the long and immensely satisfying finish. I tasted the 1997 Recioto from both 375ml and 750ml bottles and found the wine consistently superb. Anticipated maturity: 2009-2019. It's always a bit of a challenge to keep up with Giuseppe Quintarelli as he doesn't follow a predictable schedule; the wines are simply released when he feels they are ready. Originally the 2000 Alzero was scheduled to be released this fall, but work in the vineyards pushed back the timetable a few months and I wasn't able to taste the wine in time for this article. I have had the pleasure and privilege of drinking a number of Quintarelli's older, benchmark wines over the last few months, and at their best, they have no peers. eRobertParker.com # 185, Oct 2009

 

1995 Quintarelli Recioto Della Valpolicella 750ml
Price: $450.00    Sale Price: $350.00
Quantity in Stock: 4

 

(97 Points) There’s not too much I can say about the 1995 Recioto other than it is a stunning, unforgettable wine. It explodes from the glass with an array of heady, exotic black cherries, graphite, roasted coffee beans and spices. Endowed with an almost port-like richness, it offers phenomenal concentration and depth on the palate without ever giving the impression of heaviness. It, too, is a remarkable wine in every way and is not to be missed. Anticipated maturity: 2007-2025. eRobertparker.com # 173, Oct 2007