Amore for Amarone?

My wife and I are headed to a casual Italian dinner tonight (no kids!) and I grabbed a 2013 Tenuta Novari from my very modest collection.

Which got me thinking that I don’t see a lot of discussion about Amarone here. Everyone’s always talking about Burgundy or N. Rhone. neener

Is there a place in your cellar for Amarone? Any favorite producers? I’ve never had an Amarone with any real age – doesn’t seem like they’d significantly improve past a few years. Any experience otherwise?

Happy Saturday [berserker.gif]

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I have been a big Amarone fan for a long time.
Going to Quintarelli tasting at Wine Watch on March 8.
Certainly will be a memorable evening.
For a more reasonably priced Amarone I love Tomasso Bussola.

https://www.winewatch.com/wine-events-d6/march-events-c57/quintarelli-amarone-wine-tasting-at-wine-watch-e2058/

And they age marvelously.

Amarone has a bit of the same branding problem as port in that it seems somewhat stuffy and old fashioned to like it. I think it’s due for a comeback. They do age well, but don’t require it like great Barolo. I love the ones with more of that glycerol texture to them.

[snort.gif] Amarone is a wine to stay away from. newhere

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sounds like a fantastic event, wow

I love that raisin hint of flavor of a real Amarone

We import the wines of Nicolis. Splendid wines!

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I plan to open a 1985 Quintarelli Riserva and a different 1959 Amarone, for my upcoming 60th birthday.

I really love the Dal Forno wines. Has anyone had any of them?

I have a good bit in the cellar. Dal Forno and Quintarelli. Bussola as well. A producer I really like for a fraction of the price is Marion. Located next to Dal Forno. Very clean style. Bertani are old school and require a lot of age.

Yes really great Amarone also.
I have had a bunch.
Still have 3 1999 and 1 2000 in the cellar.

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Yes, one blind. Sniffed and guessed heavily overdone Aussie Shiraz: tons of alcohol and heavily overdone new oak with quite a bit of wood and toast. Tasted and still thought the same - only the amount of extraction surprised me.

I was quite surprised to see it was a Dal Forno when the bottles were revealed. I thought it was a horrible, overdone and excessively alcoholic mess with very little beyond over-extracted new oak. I guess these wines can taste fantastic once you’ve cellared for +20 years, but I can’t understand why anyone would want to drink them young when a $25 Aussie Shiraz (i.e. wine at 10% of Dal Forno’s price) gives you the same experience (at first I wrote “pleasure” but then reconsidered).

Have had Dal Forno Valpolicella a few times with very similar kind of experience.

I’ve yet to taste a Quintarelli Amarone, but from what I’ve heard, they might be more to my liking.

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You too funny!

oh Victor- have very fond memories of the 85 Quintarelli.Drank it off the list at a hotel in Sirmione on Lake Garda- near Verona. A great amarone iirc. First Quintarelli I had ever tasted.
Pls report back after you drink it.

Returning with a quick TN for the wine I posted about in the OP:

Right out of the gate, it was delicious. Really good, deep red fruit, a tiny hint of that glycerol, nice gentle tannin on the finish. Went perfectly with my blue cheese-crusted filet.

I need to buy more Amarone.

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Great Ken; see you Friday for the tasting!

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Both the 98 & 00 showed great in the last year or so

Yes, that sounds like Dal Forno. Quintarelli is an entirely different style and much more to my liking. Not that I’ve had the opportunity to taste either in the last 15 years.

I used to like Speri as a relatively inexpensive option, now I’m wondering how they are these days.

I love that amarone is generally under the radar these days. For me cracked black pepper is the telltale sign. Many years ago I was poured an Aligheiri, which I was told was actually Dante’s descendants, and from then on I was hooked. Have never tried the great Dal Forno though.

Maybe I’ve just had bad luck, but my ageing experience with amarone has not been so great. My sweet spot has been maybe 5-12 years of age. After 15 I have often encountered a cloudy pruney mess.

Another question for the panel: How to pair? Some would say a hunk of reggiano, but IMHO a steak works just fine as well.

I’d also love to hear pairing suggestions. We have a single bottle of 2007 Villa Canestrari Amarone della Valpolicella 1888 Riserva that my wife received from a charity wine pull. Not really sure when to drink or what to pair with it.

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