Dark yet moderately translucent brick-red color with mature russet overtones. The nose feels developed and quite tertiary with aromas of raisins, hoi sin, some beef jerky, a little bit of pungent soy sauce, light earthy tones and a hint of old, dry leather. The wine is full-bodied, developed and slightly oxidative on the palate with flavors of sour cherries and amaro bitterness, some beef jerky, a little bit of wizened cranberry, light pruney tones, a hint of smoke and an aldehydic touch of saline tang. The wine is quite high in acidity, but the tannins are fully resolved and almost imperceptible. The finish is somewhat warm with moderately long, oxidative flavors of amaro bitterness, sour cherries, some salty notes of soy sauce, light earthy tones, a little bit of crunchy cranberries, sweet hints of prunes and raisins and a sharp touch of acetaldehyde.
An Amarone that is still somewhat drinkable, but is already going downhill. The tannins are fully resolved at this point, relatively fruit remains and oxidation is starting to creep in. Most likely the wine has been in a good shape a decade ago, but has been on a decline for some years now. These are the final moments to enjoy the wine before it falls apart completely. (84 pts.)
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1981 Masi Recioto della Valpolicella Amarone Classico - Italy, Veneto, Valpolicella, Recioto della Valpolicella (11.3.2020)
Labeled as “Recioto della Valpolicella Classico Amarone”, meaning that this is not a sweet Recioto, but instead a dry Amarone. 15,5% alcohol.
Very dark and rather opaque mahogany color. Aged and rather madeirized nose with aromas of syrupy molasses, some malty tones, a little bit of raisin, nutty notes of Tawny Port, a sharp hint of acetaldehyde and a touch of barley wine. The wine is dry, moderately full-bodied and rather oxidative on the palate with extracted and fully tertiary flavors of tangy aldehydic salinity, sour cherries, some herbal bitterness, a little bit of nutty rancio, light raisiny tones, a hint of dried red cherry and a sweet-umami touch of hoi sin. The wine is high in acidity with rather gently grippy tannins. The finish is long and oxidative with flavors of hoi sin and salty soy sauce, some aldehydic tang, a little bit if sour cherry bitterness, light nutty notes of rancio, dried-fruit hints of raisins and prunes and a touch of tart lingonberry.
Already in pieces. In a flight of three old Masi Amarones (1990, 1981 and 1974) this was definitely in the worst shape, tasting already somewhat oxidized. Not particularly pleasant anymore; tasted just of old, anonymous wine. NR (flawed)
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1974 Masi Recioto della Valpolicella Amarone Classico - Italy, Veneto, Valpolicella, Recioto della Valpolicella (11.3.2020)
Labeled as “Recioto della Valpolicella Classico Amarone”, meaning that this is not a sweet Recioto, but instead a dry Amarone. 15,5% alcohol.
Quite pale and fully translucent brick-red color with aged mahogany overtones and a pale, orange rim. Sweet, fragrant and slightly liqueurish nose with aromas of cherry marmalade, some gamey meat, light plummy tones, a little bit of maple syrup, a cooling hint of medicinal herbs and a lifted touch of balsamic VA. The wine is moderately full-bodied, ripe and subtly sweet-toned on the palate with a silky texture and complex, evolved flavors of cranberries and sour cherries, some herbal bitterness reminding me of Underberg bitters, light pruney tones, raisiny fruit and marmaladey sweetness, a little bit of gamey meat, a hint of mint chocolate and a subtly oxidative touch of rancio along with some aldehydic tang. The wine is very balanced with its moderately high acidity and almost fully resolved, gently grippy tannins. The finish is subtly grippy with long, evolved flavors of raisins, some herbal bitterness, gently sweet, liqueurish fruit tones, a little bit of sour cherries, a hint of nutty rancio and a touch of aldehydic salinity.
A very evolved and complex Amarone that is starting to taste quite old, but still manages to retain great sense of balance and impressive intensity of fruit. I can imagine the wine must’ve been even better some years ago, since there are some slightly oxidative aldehydic notes, but the wine is still far from dead. It is on a decline, but fortunately not much - yet. Offers lots of hedonistic pleasure, not just academic curiosity. Fine stuff, better to be drunk sooner rather than later. (92 pts.)
Deep, very slightly translucent pomegranate color with a hint of developed rusty maroon and an almost colorless rim. The sweet nose feels concentrated, wonderfully developed and very complex with intense aromas of black cherries, plum liqueur, some wizened strawberries, a little bit of dusty, earthy spice, light sweeter spice notes of cloves and allspice, a hint of balsamic VA and a touch of raisiny dark fruit. The wine is full-bodied, rather concentrated and slightly sweet-toned on the palate with bold, complex flavors of cherry marmalade, some meaty umami, a little bit of wizened dark fruit, light blackcurrant jam tones, a sweet hint of volatile lift and a touch of coffee liqueur. The high alcohol remains surprisingly well-hidden and the wine feels very balanced with its moderately high acidity, although the ripe tannins feel quite fully resolved and silky. The finish is long, dry and gently grippy with complex, mature flavors of black cherries, some dried figs, a little bit of wizened forest fruits, light bitter notes of sour cherries, developed hints of raisins and meaty umami and a lifted touch of balsamic VA.
For me, Campolongo di Torbe has been consistently the most exquisite Amarone in the Masi range and even this aged vintage managed to impress: although starting to feel quite aged, the wine still retains remarkable intensity and sense of balance. Its firm tannic grip has softened quite a bit over the years, but otherwise it is still packing quite a punch. Most likely the wine is sitting firmly on its plateau of maturity and it won’t develop any further from here, but I doubt it will fall apart anytime soon either. An outstanding Amarone by all means and a fine developed red wine. Very highly recommended. (96 pts.)
Luminous and quite translucent pomegranate color with a hint of developed rusty maroon and a colorless rim. Quite restrained and somewhat sweetish nose with aromas of raisins, some kirsch, a little bit of beef jerky, light earthy tones, a hint of wizened blackcurrant and a touch of prunes. The wine is full-bodied, ripe and somewhat sweet-toned on the palate with dry-ish to off-dry, evolved flavors of syrupy richness, some raisiny tones, a little bit of Christmas spices, light cherry marmalade tones, mature hints of beef jerky and oxidative soy sauce and a touch of dried dates. Despite its big size, the wine feels like it is lacking in intensity and structure with its medium acidity and imperceptible tannins. The finish is long, slightly off-dry and somewhat oxidative with tertiary flavors of raisins, some sour cherries, a little bit of beef jerky, light medicinal herb bitterness, a hint of earth and a touch of prunes.
A still quite nice and enjoyable Amarone that is at the end of its life. The overall feel is slightly off-dry, so most likely there’s some residual sugar here. The structure seems to have given in as the overall feel is quite soft and round - which is only further emphasized by the subtle sweetness here. However, the sweetness also manages to give some life to the fruit flavors, so the wine doesn’t appear that dead yet. Although on a slight decline, the wine still manages to give some pleasure - although a big wine like this really could use a bit more structure to come across as balanced. Still pretty good, but I can imagine this must’ve been a lot better +10 years ago. (88 pts.)
Deep, very slightly translucent pomegranate color with a hint of developed rusty maroon. Aged, dark-toned and quite oxidative nose with aromas of raisins, Amontillado Sherry notes of chopped nuts and sharp aldehydic notes of green apple slices, a little bit of cherry marmalade, light nuances of dried herbs, tertiary notes of beef jerky and sweet hoi sin and a touch of hay. The wine is developed, full-bodied and somewhat oxidative on the palate with aged yet still juicy flavors of cranberries and sour cherries, some sharp aldehydic tones, a little bit of sweet raisiny fruit, light salty notes of soy sauce, sweet hints of raspberry marmalade and syrupy richness and a spicy touch of peppery amaro character. The wine is impressively high in acidity with still somewhat grippy medium tannins. The finish is dry, oxidative and somewhat grippy with flavors of blood, sour cherry bitterness, some salty notes of soy sauce and acetaldehyde, a little bit of nutty rancio, a hint of crunchy cranberry and a sweet touch of raisin.
A pleasant but overall rather tertiary Amarone that is already over the hill. The wine still retains quite a bit of fruit and life, but with the oxidative qualities that have crept in over the years, it is obvious that the wine isn’t showing its best anymore. Fortunately the wine is not dead and completely in pieces yet, but I doubt it will hold for much longer. Better to drink up while the wine still offers some pleasure. (85 pts.)
Developed and almost fully opaque ruby red color with a mature mahogany hue. Sweet and perfumed but also somewhat underwhelming nose with light aromas of wizened red cherries, some dried cranberries, a little bit of plummy dark fruit, light raisiny tones, a hint of boozy alcohol and a developed touch of gamey character. The wine is full-bodied, ripe and quite noticeably bitter on the palate with complex, somewhat developed flavors of sweet pruney fruit, amaro bitterness, some bittersweet notes of dark chocolate and, light coffee tones, a little bit of raisiny fruit, a hint of leather and a touch of peanut butter. The high alcohol lends some obvious warmth to the palate. The overall feel is quite structured, thanks to the high acidity and still firm and moderately grippy tannins. The finish is long, somewhat warm and rather tannic with intense flavors of sour cherry bitterness, some dried dates, a little bit of dry leathery character, light bittersweet notes of dark chocolate, sweet hints of raisins and cherry liqueur and a touch of savory wood spice.
A very impressive, complex and balanced Amarone starting to show some developed characteristics now at 20 years of age, but hasn’t gone into fully tertiary territory yet. Packs still quite a bit of structure, but doesn’t come as too robust or muscular anymore. The nose feels surprisingly subdued and perhaps is in a sort of dumb phase; fortunately on the palate the wine is simply singing. All in all a terrific aged Amarone starting to close in on its apogee. Will probably keep good for another decade or two, but most likely further upward development is going to be quite limited. Drink or keep. (95 pts.)
Somewhat translucent blood-red color with an aged mahogany hue. The nose is sweet, fragrant and slightly restrained with aromas of wizened red cherries, some dusty earth tones, a little bit of wild strawberry, light notes of dried fates, a hint of sweet liqueuriss richness and a touch of balsamic VA. The wine is full-bodied, silky and textural on the palate with layered flavors of raisiny dark fruit and dried dates, some leathery tones, a little bit of overripe black cherry, light strawberry liqueur tones, a hint of sour cherry bitterness and a sharp touch of oxidative rancio. The high alcohol lends some warmth to the mouthfeel. The acidity feels rather modest and the tannins feel quite resolved, lending only a subtle touch of grippy sensation on the gums. The finish is ripe, warm and mellow with long, developed flavors of sour cherries, some sweet black cherries, a little bit of developed leathery and gamey character, light bitter notes of amaro, a hint of liqueurish sweetness and a touch of earthy and slightly peppery spice.
A rich, mellow and textural Amarone at its peak. Although pretty outstanding now, the wine is starting to get a bit soft-ish and the fruit is just about to lose the last smidgens of freshness, instead starting to turn into raisiny and pruney instead. Not yet going downhill, but probably won’t take much longer before it starts to go. Very enjoyable and rewarding wine - not just in academical sense - but now seems to be the last moments to get a glimpse of this wine in its days of glory. (94 pts.)
Dense, almost fully opaque blackish-brown color with the appearance of coffee liqueur. The nose feels aged, powerful and somewhat madeirized with sweetish aromas of raisins, nutty rancio, some sweet smoky tones, a little bit of wizened black cherry, light aldehydic notes of sorrel, a hint of Porty richness and a fragrant, lifted touch of VA. The wine is full-bodied, quite tertiary and somewhat madeirized on the palate with sharp notes of rancio and tangy acetaldehyde, some dried dates and raisiny fruit, a little bit of sour cherry, light gamey tones, a hint of stewed dark fruits and a touch of amaro bitterness. The wine is quite high in acidity with medium tannins that still retain a bit of grip. The finish is gently grippy with long and quite tertiary flavors of sour cherries, amaro bitterness, some leathery tones, a little bit of earthy spice, light dried-fruit notes of raisins and dates, a hint of gamey meat and a sweetish-umami touch of hoi sin.
An aged and tertiary old Amarone that has ventured quite a bit into the anonymous old wine territory, but unlike many other old Amarones we had in the tasting this wine was tasted in, this particular wine hasn’t really fallen apart yet. It is definitely very aged and somewhat past its peak, so it really isn’t that recognizable as an Amarone anymore, but it is drinking remarkably well all the same, retaining quite a bit of richness and complexity with good sense of structure. The more oxidized qualities haven’t managed to decimate this wine yet. Definitely better to drink sooner rather than later. (91 pts.)
Rather translucent and quite evolved mahogany brown color. Restrained and quite understated nose with very tertiary and rather oxidative nose of wizened cherries, some soy sauce, light dried-fruit notes of dates and raisins, a little bit of Terrantez Madeira, a perfumed hint of ethery VA and a touch of shoe polish. The wine is full-bodied, pungent and quite oxidative on the palate with rather aldehydic flavors of nutty rancio, sorrel, some dried cranberries and wizened sour cherries, light bitter notes of amaro, a little bit of earth, a hit of beef jerky and a touch of peanut butter. The wine is medium-to-moderately high in acidity and while the tannins felt quite subtle at first, they slowly pile up on the gums. The finish is tangy, oxidative and somewhat grippy with quite long flavors of salty soy sauce, aldehydic notes of sorrel and green almonds, some tart lingonberries, a little bit of nutty rancio, light cranberry tones, hints of raisins and dried dates and a touch of herbal bitterness.
A very big, bold and concentrated Amarone that is already past its peak. Based on its quite big size, exceptionally high alcohol and still relatively firm structure, this must have been quite a wine in its youth. However, only a shadow of it remains. The wine isn’t completely in pieces, but the nutty notes of rancio and sharp nuances of acetaldehyde make the wine feel a bit too oxidative. There’s still a bit of pleasure left to this wine, but it certainly isn’t showing its best anymore. Offers more academic than hedonistic pleasure. The vintage 1971 of Mazzano that was tasted alongside offered more pleasure at this point than this did. Any remaining bottles should have been drunk some time ago. (83 pts.)
Quite pale and fully translucent rusty-red color with a rather aged overall appearance. Aged, sweet-toned and quite tertiary nose with aromas of old leather, some dried cranberries, a little bit of bloody raw meat, light tomato purée tones, sweet hints of dried figs and cooked strawberries and a smoky touch of charred game. The wine is ripe, full-bodied and quite tertiary on the palate with a silky texture and developed flavors of cherry marmalade, some strawberries, a little bit liqueurish sweetness, light bloody meat tones, a hint of wild forest fruits and a touch of meat consommé. The acidity seems to be rather modest and the tannins feel now barely nonexistent. The finish is dry, soft and very tertiary with silky, medium-long flavors of wizened red cherries, some pruney tones, a little bit of earth, light umami tones of soy sauce and a hint of beef jerky.
An old yet still quite drinkable Amarone, although it seems quite obvious that the wine is past its prime: it might not be particularly oxidative yet, but the structure has softened up so much that the wine has become flabby and the fruit flavors are rather pruney and raisiny, retaining only very little freshness anymore. Most likely this has been a lot better some 10 years ago. Quite enjoyable, but nothing particularly thrilling. Drink up. (86 pts.)
Developed, medium-deep ruby red color with an aged mahogany hue. Relatively youthful appearance for the age. The nose feels somewhat sweetish, fine-tuned and slightly restrained with aromas of wizened red fruits and boysenberry jam, some black cherries, a little bit of strawberry, light meaty tones, a sweet, liqueurish hint of VA and a fragrant touch of orange peel. Contrasting the nose, the wine is bone-dry, medium-bodied and surprisingly lean on the palate with intense flavors of sour cherries, tart lingonberries, some sour red plums, a little bit of herbal bitterness, light sanguine notes of iron, an oxidative hint of salty soy sauce and a tangy touch of rowanberries. The wine is still impressively structured with its high acidity and still surprisingly firm and grippy tannins, but despite its all intensity, the fruit department seems to have started to thin out due to the age. The finish is dry, touch and rather noticeably bitter with quite long and intense flavors of tart lingonberries, some sour red plums, a little bit of sour cherries, light astringent notes of rowanberries, a sanguine hint of iron and a touch of bouillon.
A developed but still surprisingly stern and vibrant Amarone. The flavors have still quite a bit of intensity still left to them, but the fruit flavors seem to have started to thin out over the years and most of the intensity is in the bitter and non-fruity notes. Nevertheless, the wine manages to offer quite a bit of pleasure despite being slightly over the peak now. It’s a fine wine, but better to be drunk sooner than later since it’s not getting any better with further cellaring. (90 pts.)
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1959 Bertani Valpolicella Reciotto Secco Amarone - Italy, Veneto, Valpolicella (11.3.2020)
My 10,000th tasting note. Also, this is hands-down the oldest Amarone I’ve tasted - also predating the creation of the Valpolicella/Recioto/Amarone appellation law by 9 years.
This is actually just the regular Amarone of Bertani, but since in the 1950’s there were no official appellation laws nor regulations concerning labeling of Amarone, the wine was known as “Reciotto (with two 't’s) Secco Amarone”, i.e. “dry and very bitter Reciotto”. 15% alcohol.
Deep, quite translucent syrupy brown color with a hazy golden yellow rim. Aged, somewhat sweet-toned and rather oxidative nose with aromas of raisins, chopped nuts, some perfumed notes of dried flowers, a little bit of sultana and dried dates, light kirsch notes, a developed hint of ghee or custard and a sharp, madeirized nuance of caramel reminding me of Verdelho Madeira. The wine is dry, dense and textural on the palate with a full body and tertiary, subtly sweet-toned flavors of wizened sour cherries, some notes of dried figs and prunes, a little bit of medicinal herb bitterness, light brambly forest fruit tones, oxidative hints of tangy aldehydic character, salty soy sauce and syrupy richness and a touch of raisins. The wine is still quite bright and structured with its high acidity and the medium tannins still manage to retain a little bit of grip. The alcohol remains surprisingly well-hidden. The finish is dry, rich and very tertiary with complex flavors of sour cherries, fresh cranberries, some aldehydic salinity, a little bit of sanguine iron, light umami notes of soy sauce, developed hints of raisins and nutty rancio and a touch of herbal bitterness.
A very developed and tertiary Amarone, but one that is nevertheless in a remarkably good shape for its age - in the tasting this wine was poured there were lots of Amarones from the 1980’s and 1970’s that were in noticeably worse shape than this. The wine is already somewhat past its peak, but still clinging on to enough fruit to make the wine feel not just alive, but even somewhat recognizable for an Amarone. Although not showing its best anymore, this is still a very pleasant and rewarding wine. A true testament to the aging capabilities of Bertani Amarones. (93 pts.)
Posted from CellarTracker
