Amarone not to be missed: nine wines to mark on your calendar

The Consorzio di Tutela Vini Valpolicella has kicked off the traditional winter appointment with Amarone, a journey into the 2019 vintage that also allows wineries to present wines from less recent vintages. The release times already allow the commercialization of the 2019 Amarones, but unlike in other important national denominations, often wineries follow a more extended calendar. As a result, today we were able to taste wines already in the market, bottled but not yet for sale, and samples that will be bottled in the coming months or even years. We have paid special attention to this last category and highlight a small selection of wines that, in our opinion, have best expressed the potential of the excellent vintage.

Amarone della Valpolicella La Parte ’19 - Piccoli

From a hill so harmonious that it almost seems like a drawing, come the grapes of Amarone from the Piccoli estate. The vineyard extends, completely surrounding the summit of Mount La Parte, allowing the grapes to ripen bathed in sunlight and caressed by the evening breezes. On the nose, the wine expresses simple aromas of sweet and dried fruit, but it's the palate that highlights the value of the vintage. The sip is energetic, well-supported by lively acidity and assertive yet non-aggressive tannins. Time will bring complexity and harmony.

Amarone della Valpolicella Cl. Le Origini ’19 Ris. - Bolla

There is over a year until the bottling of this Amarone, but the tasting perfectly reveals its great potential. Meticulous selection of grapes, minimalist intervention in the cellar, and a long stay in oak allow the wine to present itself rich in fruity notes on the nose, with a whirlwind of nuances ranging from the undergrowth to spices, waiting to find tranquility and harmony. The sip is energetic, bold in tannic presence but with an acidic backbone that perfectly elongates its profile.

Amarone della Valpolicella Cl. Or’Jago Domini Veneti ’19 - Cantina Valpolicella Negrar

The name clearly indicates the origin of the grapes, the Jago area that develops above the town of Negrar. Great fruity concentration on the nose, where cherry, particularly evident in the valley's grapes, plays a leading role. Alongside it, there are spicy and damp earth notes. The sip, in the company's perfect style, is energetic and dense, revealing a promising profile that deserves to be awaited.

Amarone della Valpolicella Cl. ’19 - Tenuta Santa Maria Valverde

From the cellar perched on the top of a hill, you can enjoy a breathtaking panorama of the Marano Valley and the Valpolicella Classica. Here, the grapes mature without the concentration and power of other areas but maintain a refined aromatic profile and great gustatory elegance. The Amarone from this estate is no exception, a wine that will have to wait a long time before finally being bottled. The first taste, however, is very comforting, the aromas of dried fruit find in the balsamic presence the right touch of freshness that brings us back to Marano. The sip, on the other hand, seems to need time, but the tannic structure and the pleasant return of pepper allow us to face the wait with confidence.

Amarone della Valpolicella Cl. ’19 - Zymē

Celestino Gaspari needs no introduction, thanks to his expertise in Amarone production that allows his wines to showcase their character from the very beginning. The 2019 vintage is no exception, presenting with the usual aromatic richness full of fruity and mineral suggestions that await only the sealing in glass to find harmony and depth. The sip highlights the more persuasive and full-bodied character of the vintage, emphasized by tannins that are present but smooth and sweet.

Amarone della Valpolicella Cl. ’19 - Secondo Marco

In this case, too, we tasted a wine that will rest for a long time in the barrel before bottling, followed by a long period in the bottle before officially presenting itself to the world. The delicately transparent ruby ​​color clearly reveals the company's style, made up of aromas where fruit is the protagonist but leaves ample space for balsamic and spicy notes. The sip distributes itself with determination inside the oral cavity, and the wine highlights length and great evolutionary potential.

Amarone della Valpolicella Cl. Il Re Pazzo ’19 - Terre di Leone

Having remained to follow the fermentations of Amarone 2023, Federico Pellizzari left the task of presenting Il Re Pazzo to his wife Chiara, who accompanied us in the tasting. Grapes from the highest area of Marano tell of a territory that has finesse and elegance as its distinctive traits. The aromas offer a central and almost predictable red fruit but also a background of fine herbs and spices. The palate is rich and juicy, supported more by the acidic thrust than by the tannin structure.

Amarone della Valpolicella Morandina ’19 - Graziano Prà

Since his debut in the world of Amarone, Graziano Prà has highlighted the more refined and subtle profile of the Veronese red typology. The 2019 version, from the high hill property above Mezzane, is immediately recognizable for the officinal presence that accompanies mature and crunchy dark fruit. The palate interprets the vintage, leaving acidity as the protagonist, aware that time will transform this restlessness into elegance and momentum.

Amarone della Valpolicella ’19 - Le Guaite di Noemi

In this case, the wait will be very long, at least another 5 years before we can taste this wine again. The intense ruby color anticipates aromas dominated by sweet and fleshy red fruit, enriched by memories of damp earth, cyclamen, and spices waiting to gain space. The sip is still very straightforward, focusing on fruity fullness that relies on the characteristic acidity of traditional grapes. The volume, the nice tannic presence, and the gustatory depth guarantee excellent maturation.