What are Amarone and Recioto? They are Italy's finest 'Vini da Meditazione', 'Meditation wines'. When you want to open a bottle that might just induce a sense of awe in the drinker then accept no substitutes! Both wines are produced in the region of the Valpolicella to the east of lake Garda and are made from 'Appassimento', the process of grape drying that concentrates the sugars and flavours of the 4 main grape varieties, Corvina, Corvinone, Rondinella and Molinara. I have always thought the sound of this blend, the most enticing in the world! Nick Belfrage MW best describes the difference between the two wines:
'The wine's fermentation has traditionally been 'left to nature', that is to say the battle between yeasts and sugars was allowed to proceed in every vat. When the sugars won, you got sweet Recioto. When the yeasts won, you got what is today known as Amarone.'
A medium ruby colour leads to a nose of jammy red fruits, Morello cherry with notes of spice, vanilla and bitter chocolate. The palate is very full yet balanced, velvety soft with notes of toasted oak and spice. A good example of Amarone.
This sweet red wine is rich and intense on the nose with aromas of Fig, black cherry and spice. On the palate the richness continues but is combined with great elegance and exceptional minerality attained from the Ravazzol vineyard's superb limestone/clay soils. This palate is freshly acidic so never cloying and renders this Recioto a sumptuous glass of sweet wine ideal for chocolate deserts and blue cheese!
If I had to drink Amarone everyday for the rest of my life it would be this one! Ca la Bionda’s estate wine is a masterclass in smooth opulence, balance and drinkability. A great concentration of aromas assails the nose with strong notes of liquor cherries and candied fruits, the palate is long and rich with the same ripe fruits and a hint of almonds prevailing. Grilled steak, rich stews and game are ideal accompaniments to this wine although it is equally good when sipped and savoured without food
Ca la Bionda's flagship wine is a stylish and incredibly pure example of high quality, traditional Amarone from the superb Cru Ravazzol vineyard. The wine's graceful nose and palate of fresh and dried red fruits combined with sublime balance and power makes this 'amongst the best expressions of the type' (Gambero Rosso 2007). Fabulous Amarone.
What a sensational wine. The colour is pale as should be a wine from the Valpolicella. The nose is intense, port like with dried fruits ranging from raspberry to blackberry to prune to fig with notes of spice and Vanilla. The palate is full, incredibly warming and seductive with Velvety feel that makes Meroni's wines unique and soft integrated tannins. 100% 'Vino da Meditazione', sip with strong blue cheese after dinner or with very hefty stews of Boar or beef! A beautiful wine from such an exceptional vintage that Carlo Meroni decided to declare a 'Riserva'. It is the best Velluto vintage for a decade and this is genuinely a unique wine in its flavour and character.
Allegrini Amarone, one of the great wines of its type despite its now relatively large production and commercial success. It is a superbly well-structured, complex, elegant and velvety wine, with an intense ruby red colour. It has a warm and spicy bouquet, with an aroma of raisins, currant, prune, flowers and hints of cardamom. It is very full bodied and powerful on the palate where the fruit turns to fresh black currant, coating the firm tannins and giving a long, fresh finish of fruit and mineral. Superfresh and well-structured. It is delicious now, but would be best to wait until 2010.
The Amarone 04 is fruity and approachable yet with a sensational array of flavours which dance across the palate with each sip. Dark dried fruits and candied peel interspersed with aromatic herbs, spices and flowers. This is beautifully crafted wine, complex yet elegant and hedonistic.
The Corte Sant Alda has a justified reputation as being one of the leading producers for fine quality Amarone. Everything is done with a focus on quality and authenticity ignoring the costs involved and adhering strictly to an organic regime in the vineyard and cellar. Marinella Camerani runs the estate and her dedication to her work has inspired others over the years. (cont...)
Type: Type Dry full bodied red wine made from dried grapes
The Veneto is one of Italy’s most beautiful and diverse regions with its combination of Venetian History, majestic mountains and viticultural heritage. The Veneto boasts the highest production of DOC wine of any region in Italy and the styles vary immensely. Up in the Dolomite foothills around the town of Conegliano you find Italy’s most well known sparkling wine, the delicate Prosecco and to the western extremity bordering Lake Garda, you find the country’s most powerful red wine in Amarone della Valpolicella. From Venice to Verona, the Auto Strada is lined with km after km of vineyard which produce a vast array of single varietal wines from fleshy Pinot Grigio to light fruity Merlots. The Veneto really is one of Italy’s gems and this sumptuous collection from some its best estates offers a great introduction to the wines!
'Appassimento' is the process of drying grapes on mats to concentrate the flavours and sugars and increase the potential alcohol level in the wine. The process is most famous in the Valpolicella region with dry Amarone and sweet Recioto but the method is used now widely all over Italy with some superb examples made from Nebbiolo, Barbera, Longanesi, Marzemino and many other varieties. This case puts together some Italy's finest and most unique 'Appassimento' wines, a fabulous mix of silky, rich and heady red wine! These truly are 'Vino da Meditazione'!
The Veneto is one of Italy’s most beautiful and diverse regions with its combination of Venetian History, majestic mountains and viticultural heritage. The Veneto boasts the highest production of DOC wine of any region in Italy and the styles vary immensely. Up in the Dolomite foothills around the town of Conegliano you find Italy’s most well known sparkling wine, the delicate Prosecco and to the western extremity bordering Lake Garda, you find the country’s most powerful red wine in Amarone della Valpolicella. From Venice to Verona, the Auto Strada is lined with km after km of vineyard which produce a vast array of single varietal wines from fleshy Pinot Grigio to light fruity Merlots. The Veneto really is one of Italy’s gems and this sumptuous collection from some its best estates offers a great introduction to the wines!
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