AMARONE AND A COUPLE OTHERS - University Circle (5/25/2016)
Last night my tasting group met in the second floor dining room at a University Circle restaurant to drink Amarone. We normally try to look for value, but to do that tonight, we raised the price range to under $75. Most of the wines were purchased locally for the tasting but a few came from our cellars. The wines were served blind over 2 hours. Plenty of great food was offered up as well.
In general the wines were very good if perhaps not worth the money. I know that drying the grapes is an intensive and costly method of making the wine. That, doesn’t mean, however, I am willing to pay up if the quality is not there. I suppose that is why I have very few of these in the cellar. That said, there are certainly a couple of these worth owning and letting develop and age in the cellar.
A white to start:
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2010 Cesari Lugana Cento Filari - Italy, Lugana
This was interesting and very hard to “score”. I am guessing that the current vintage is at least 2014, so I am assuming this is old. Given that, it was a very nice showing. 95% Trebbiano and 5% Chardonnay. Deep golden in color. Blind, it drinks like a Rhone white. The nose is waxy with slight lemons and minerals. On the palate, there are tart oranges. This is slightly bitter, more so on the finish. From the DOC of Lugano. I would drink these up sooner than later, but this was a fun experience.
The Amarone flight:
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2007 Cesari Amarone della Valpolicella Classico - Italy, Veneto, Valpolicella, Amarone della Valpolicella Classico
Ruby/purple in color. The nose has cherries with a slight tobacco note. On the palate, a very nice texture. Seemed to keep improving. Tart black cherries on the palate, Nick, who liked this the best thought the intensity was very persistent. Seems to have shed some tannins and entering adulthood. (91 pts.) -
2011 Masi Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Costasera - Italy, Veneto, Valpolicella, Amarone della Valpolicella Classico
The groups last place wine, but still a very nice wine (not counting the $60 price tag). This was very tight and certainly seems to need some cellar time or air. The nose has cherries and some raisins. A bit of coffee. The palate had a slightly medicinal note that turned bitter on the finish. A bit better with some air though. Despite the 15% Alc, medium bodied. (89 pts.) -
2011 Tedeschi Amarone della Valpolicella - Italy, Veneto, Valpolicella, Amarone della Valpolicella
This is a big wine. Maybe the most fruit of any wine on the table. That said, some felt it started out strong and faded (shut down?) over time. I liked it more than the group. Lots of black cherry and raisins on the nose. Very tannic. Black cherry fruit on the palate. Seemed to have some depth to it. Good acidity. Needs time of course but the stuffing is there. At around $40, there is some value for this category. (91 pts.) -
2011 Giuseppe Campagnola Amarone della Valpolicella Classico - Italy, Veneto, Valpolicella, Amarone della Valpolicella Classico
Very nice showing for this. This is one Amarone I often see on the local grocery shelves and is under $50. Purple/ruby in color. The nose is dusty with black cherries. Slight hint of over ripe but not raisin. Very nice and showing a lot of complexity already. This might not make old bones (it might), but is drinking very well now. Slight tannins. Black cherry fruit. For all that I like it, however, it does not seem to have that extra Amarone quality. Why is this different than a very good Valpolicella? (92 pts.) -
2001 Masi Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Mazzano - Italy, Veneto, Valpolicella, Amarone della Valpolicella Classico
The group liked this much more than I did, placing it second. There is no doubt, I might have liked this better on its own rather than with younger wines. That said, it was not the old that bothered me. Ruby/brown in color. The nose is pruney with some cigar tobacco. Or do that call that dried plums now? On the palate, the pruney character carried thru. There is also a nice complexity which is nice. Some dried cherry fruit as well. Good acidity. I wonder how this drank on release. It is drinking nicely now and I am happy to drink this. (90 pts.) -
2011 Famiglia Pasqua Amarone della Valpolicella - Italy, Veneto, Valpolicella, Amarone della Valpolicella
At a Veneto tasting a few years back with this group, the 2008 version of this wine was the WOTN. Tonight, this was middle of the pack (but my last place wine). Solid wine though. Black cherry fruit on the nose, slightly raisin. On the palate, this is good, if not outstanding for my palate. Black cherries, slightly pruney. Lou felt it was soft and diluted (thin). At these alcohol levels, that is saying something. $40 is probably more than I would like to spend though for a wine like this. (88 pts.) -
2007 Nicolis Angelo e figli Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Ambrosan - Italy, Veneto, Valpolicella, Amarone della Valpolicella Classico
A producer I had not heard of. $75. Purple/ruby in color. The nose has black cherries with some cigar tobacco. A bit of raisin. Much better on the nose. On the palate, there is no there here. Just sort of meh. Some generic black cherries. Nice texture though. It seems about to kick into a higher gear and doesn’t. Its a good solid wine and certainly worth drinking but at that price point, it should deliver more. Especially at 9 years old. (89 pts.) -
2009 Tommaso Bussola Amarone della Valpolicella Classico - Italy, Veneto, Valpolicella, Amarone della Valpolicella Classico
Great showing for this bottle. I always feel that Bussola is just behind Quintarelli or Dal Forno in Amarone but affordable. This is Bussola’s base Amarone and runs for around $50. The bottle was opened at 10:00 and slow-oxed all day until consumed at 8:00. The run away WOTN with 3 first and 2 seconds out of 7. Purple in color with some ruby. The nose has black cherries, slight milk chocolate covered raisins. Great texture. 17% Alcohol ( :-0 ) On the palate, this is deep and complex. Still quite young but starting to open up into layers. The milk chocolate covered raisins and dark cherry note flow thru. Nice acidity. Continued to improve all night. (93 pts.)
And a sweet to finish the night:
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1997 Romano Dal Forno Recioto della Valpolicella - Italy, Veneto, Valpolicella, Recioto della Valpolicella
Opened as an extra to finish the evening. I love this wine. Ruby purple in color. The nose has black raspberries, dark chocolate and some dark cherries. Slight dust. On the palate, this is warm not hot though. Delicious. Black raspberries layered with dark chocolate and some cherries into a liquefied nectar. Some resemblance to a port but rounder, softer and not quite as sweet. Gorgeous wine. Expensive but a nice splurge. (97 pts.)
Thanks to Robert putting this together for us. It was informative and a lot of fun.
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