Hi,
I dont know these wines very well, but attended a tasting on the 30th of October.
“Terroir Amarone”
Flight 1
2009 Zanoni Valpolicella DOC
C: looks old, with thin brown rim
N: rose petal and raisin nuances. Delicate, sweet, and fugacious.
T: jam, pink pepper, good, and very drinkable with hints of dried fruit. Good finish and fine to drink now.
2012 Bertani “Ognisanti” Valpolicella DOC Classico Superiore
C: more vibrant and young
N: characterful, but also subtle with a whiff of furniture polish
T: round and engaging, with friendly tannin and a slightly tarry aftertaste that finishes refreshing. Seems at its peak. Very nice, fruity, and balanced with a lingering floral aftertaste.
2011 Tenute Ugolini “Colle S.Michele” Valpolicella DOC Classicao Superiore
C: deep core, thin rim
N: perfumed, complex, Pinot Noir like (!), pretty, and a little empyreumatic
T: unfolds beautifully. Feminine personality with a soft aromatic aftertaste. Soft, a little diluted, but elegant with a subtle tannic tang.
2011 Tenute Chevalier Valpolicella COC Classico Superiore
C: little thin and browning
N: coffee and cosmetic powdery (talc) overtones as well as subtle caramel, confectionery, and aniseed nuances
T: taffeta, ash, and dryness on the finish. Ageworthy with a lovely interplay between freshness and tannin, but the aftertaste is disappointingly short and raisiny.
Flight 2
2011 Villa Erbice “Monte Ombole”
C: nice, brilliant, purplish, and youthful
N: ethereal caramel bouquet, but a bit too sweet
T: big and strong, but a little weak on the middle palate and there’s some heat on the aftertaste. Virile, muscular.
2011 Massimago “Profasio”
C: medium intensity, with some browning on the rim
N: somewhat “technical” nose, but there is potential there. Wait and see.
T: big, then drops. Short, with a floral and raisiny aftertaste as well as a mineral element. Pleasant, but lacks depth and balance.
2010 Contràmalini
C: medium in every respect
N: tiny bit of volatile acidity, so-so
T: much, much better on palate. Soft, sweet, and caressing with cotton candy overtones. Bewitching.
2009 Zanoni “Campo Denari”
T: deeper, but with medium bricking
N: overdone oak influence, but there’s sweet fruit behind. Buttery.
T: buttery quality dominates the palate and makes it overbearing. OTT (too much).
Flight 3
2007 Terre di Leone Valpolicella DOC Classico Superiore
C: medium deep with thin browning rim
N: merringue, almost a white wine nose. Fascinating, but could it become tiring?
T: sweetness carries over from the bouquet. Good acidity with a puckery, refreshing, moreish finish. Short aftertaste, but a successful wine.
2008 Contràmalini Amarone della Valpolicella DOC Classico
C: among the deepest of the tasting and not showing its age
N: touch acetone/VA?, the people presenting the wine say “balsamic”
T: chemical flavours come through along with harsh tannin. Patently out of balance.
2008 Massimago Amarone della Valpolicella DOC
C: diffuse color with thin browning rim
N: lovely aromatics, sensation of VA. Piercing and fascinating.
T: much more round than expected, with overtones of candied fruit. Great development on the palate with really good follow-through. Pure, fresh, and fascinating. Only the shortish finish detracts.
2008 Villa Erbice “Tremenel” Amarone della Valpolicella DOC
C : very deep, much more than others at the tasting
N: little herbaceous (celery), with marked alcohol. Subdued, still young.
T: really big and concentrated. Sweet, full-bodied and strong. Very typical, but surely you would not drink much of it. Tannic aftertaste provides a welcome bitter counterpoint.
Flight 4
2006 Tenuta Chevalier Amarone della Valpolicella DOC Classico
C: medium, not brilliant, with a browning rim
N: nail polish remover
T: sharp, off, not for me, strong aftertaste, but this is more powerful than tasty or elegant
2006 Zanoni “Zovo” Amarone della Valpolicella DOC
C: very brick-red rim
N: penetrating, but chemical bouquet, sweet and sour
T: better, big, alcoholic, brawny, but sensual with good tannic structure. Needs age. Good grip. Very successful on palate. Long aftetaste.
2006 Bertani Amarone della Valpolicella DOC Classico
C: medium light with subtle brown through and through
N: lovely, spring flowers, very subtle and fine, nothing obvious,
T: floral quality carries over onto the palate, with a certain tarriness and coarsely textured tannin. Somehow both elegant and strong. Very good indeed. The degree and quality of tannin on the finish bodes well for further ageing.
1981 Bertani Amarone della Valpolicella DOC Classico
C: very brown old Madeira like rim. Deep blackish-red core.
N: fortified wine nose, but very ethereal, touch of oxidation but that doesn’t bother as well as coffee, overtones. Very old.
T: old on the palate as well. Resolved, piercing acidity. Old-fashioned, more interesting than vital, a wine of meditation.
Best regards,
Alex R.