22 October 2017
Strong notes of mocha and black chocolate, both on the nose and in the mouth. Very good persistence, with a predominance of spirit soaked fruits, which doesn’t surprise, given the 15.5% alcohol typical for an “appassito” wine.
At around 30 CHF a bottle (at Coop), this is a fairly good Amarone. Often, at this price range, not much more than an imitation of the basic characteristics of the “real product” can be expected.
The “real” Amaroni tend to be priced above 60 CHF and to be more elegant, subtle and expressive.
A parallel could be made with Cognac: the XO being the “real product” and a VSOP an effort at replicating its main features, adding outside elements like caramel. In this respect I find interesting that a few years ago the disciplinary for the Amarone has been reviewed to allow the use of up to 25% grapes that are not the traditional ones: Corvina, Rondinella and Molinara. This change most likely simply regularised an already established praxis.
If you want to try something special, taste an old Amarone from Bertani. I enjoyed a 1973 a couple of years ago. The wine was already over 40 years old but still very smooth, clean and fresh. It was an amazing experience, made even more special by the fact that I was born the same year. Instead, I found the famous Quintarelli too rich and a bit tiring for my taste.
Country: Italy
Region: Veneto
Grapes: Corvina, Rondinella, Molinara
Type: Red
Vintage: 2013
Producer: Zeni
Price range: Medium (15-30 US$)
Pascal’s Enjoyment Index: 3 /5