Vanessa

9.1

Amarone della Valpolicella is known as a deeply-hued, intense, dry (to off-dry) wine produced via the ‘appassimento’ method in Valpolicella region of Veneto, Italy, whereby the grapes are laid out to dry indoors for weeks to months following harvest.

As the grapes dry, they begin to shrivel due to the evaporation of water from within. This concentrates other components of the grape (such as the sugar and aromas / flavors) and increases the % of skin relative to remaining pulp (skin primarily contributes color, tannin, aroma/flavor).

The partly-shriveled grapes are gently pressed and slowly fermented. The resulting wine is matured at least 2 years in oak before release.

Why do winemakers do this? Primarily to enhance complexity, color / aromatic concentration, body, and produce an overall higher-octane wine.

This particular wine comes from the Amarone della Valpolicella Classico subzone, which is known for producing more elegant and aromatic expressions. We’re definitely picking up on that with this beauty! It’s made with the Corvina, Rondinella, Molinara varieties.

This wine is deep ruby. It has ripe, juicy aromas and flavors of black cherry, black currant, stewed plum, violet, anise, resin, cinnamon, nutmeg, dark chocolate, espresso, sweet tobacco, and leather. It’s structured and offers a long finish. The fruit, acidity, alcohol, and tannins strike a wonderful balance. Yum!

Masi, Costasera, Amarone Classico, Vintage 2015, ABV 15%. — 3 months ago

with Deked1

Tetsu Nakazawa

8.9

Questo chateau e’ il nostro favarito. Anche questa botteglia. Faccio biodinami, buono rosso da nero d’avola. Sarebbe il zone strike per noi, siamo sotisfatto con la qualita. — 8 months ago

Ryan Guy

9.4

Nose of mushroom and compost, leather, tar, vanilla and blackberry pie. Spicy on the tongue, with almost bitter cherry and blueberry skin. Dark chocolate and mocha strike on the mid palate with minerality to finish. Plush yet elegant. Drank side by side with ‘09 - prefer the ‘10. Alcohol stays in balance on this vintage, subtle oak notes show to finish. Drink now with a splash decant. — 2 years ago

Ian Hamel

9.1

2022/2/12-13 with oyster gumbo, oyster gratin, etc. This didn’t strike me as having quite the richness and breadth of aroma as the last bottle, but still excellent. — 5 months ago

Stephen Redenbaugh

9.2

Saline, citrus, stone. Very light lemon yellow color… light to med in weight…lean, powerful, laser-sharp, and focused… this wine needs time ( perhaps quite a bit) to settle. A touch of match strike reduction…I like the wine, but….on this evening tended to overpower the roast halibut and mashed celeriac. — 6 months ago

Stephen Redenbaugh

9.7

Coming into it’s own…just a touch of reduction/match strike on the nose that blows off. Green apple, pear, with nice fruit/acid balance. Becoming almost weightless and silken as it ages and warms in the glass. Fun company with traditional Dover Sole. Impressive length and finish on the backend. — 10 months ago

Elizabeth Bolles

9.7

We had a 2017 vintage. My wife enjoys lighter reds with some brightness, and I tend towards very earthy reds. This wine seemed to strike the perfect balance between the two. Will definitely buy again! — 2 years ago

Ely Cohn

9.4

This level of good at this level of wild is a rare special find. Usually there's a tradeoff. Slatnik is a strike with no bumpers. A very special bottle.

Beautiful copper tinted pumpkin ale. An aromatic journey with a beginning, a middle, and end - on loop.

Yellow canned peaches, orange zest, thyme. And then creeping curls of incense - a lift, higher registers and piercing perfumes of rosewater, potpourri, and butterscotch.

The flavors are concentrated and lengthy. Sweet salted tangerine, furry dried apricot. Really concentrated and powerful and also dynamic - this thing moves. — 5 months ago

Brandon Boesch

9.1

Very good cab from magnum at winery. It’s smooth bodied and pretty easy to drink now after popping the cork. It did not strike me as something that will age for a long while. I guess I was hoping for more structure and evolution over lunch. — 7 months ago

Aravind A

9.2

Pop and pour, bc I was hoping that lightning might strike twice (Ron Hextall, anyone, anyone?). So close (geographically) to the charme aux prêtres, but so different...still very good. On the nose:.much darker, with more plum and a touch of black raspberry, but still the signature house spice. On the palate: blackberry, cinnamon, allspice, fantastic acidity and density...soft tannin on the spicy finish. — a year ago