Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/44136
by Anthony Dias Blue A mong the world's greatest wines, Amarone della Valpolicella is the one most positively affected by the hand of man. The way in which this powerful Veneto wine is made has everything to do with its well-deserved reputation. But unlike other revered wines, Amarone does not have a long and storied history; the first time the wine was sold commer- cially was only about sixty years ago. Back in Roman times the process of appas- simento was invented. Grapes were dried on the vine or, more likely, on straw mats for several months to concentrate their flavors through evaporation. This method was used to make sweet, port-like wines called recioto—wines that are still being made today. The widely accepted explanation of how Amarone came to be is that somebody mistakenly let a barrel of recioto ferment all the way to dryness. What remained was a rich, concentrated wine with many of the intense characteristics of recioto but none of the sugar. At first only a few producers made Amarone; the pro- cess was too time and labor-consuming for most. But when non-participating vintners saw the high prices the wines were commanding, the holdouts all jumped on the bandwagon. Today there are more producers than I can count, making wines that range across the spectrum from awesome to awful. As a result of the wild diversity in quality, and espe- cially in response to the influx of inferior wines labeled as Amarone, ten top producers formed an association in 2009 called the Confraternita dell' Amarone (the Amarone Brotherhood). This group produces 55% of the quality wine in the region (40% of all the Amarone made). The members of this group are Allegrini, Brigaldara, Masi, Musella, Nicolis, Speri, Tedeschi, Tenuta Sant'Antonio, Tommasi and Zenato. In typical Italian style, the Amarone Brotherhood does not include a number of top-quality producers, but it does help to identify good brands. The best rule of thumb is to avoid low-priced versions; they are bound to be disappointing. Amarone is made from the same grapes varieties that grow in the hills north and east of Verona—the same varieties that go into Valpolicella. The main grape is Corvina, but blends often include percentages of Corvinone, Rondinella, Molinara and Croatina. Wines made from these grapes in the traditional way—wines that are harvested, fermented and then bottled—are labeled Valpolicella. These are charming, fresh and balanced wines. Wines put through appassimento are like Valpolicellas on steroids. Concentrated, intense and powerful, these are Amarones. What follows is a list of top producers, with a tasting note on one of their top wines. Most of these brands offer a number of Amarones, but we only had room for one from each. ALLEGINI One of the biggest and most respected houses with great vineyards and a rich, fruit-forward style. Allegrini 2007 Amarone ($75) Lush and dense with ripe blackberry spice and ripe plum; rich, balanced, long, and stylish. 92 WINEBOW BERTANI This 150-year-old winery produces a traditional, well-aged, concentrated Amarone. Bertani 2003 Amarone ($120) Dense and intense with ripe plum and berry fruit; extracted and concentrated, soft tannins. 92 PALM BAY INTERNATIONAL CORTE SANT'ALDA Marinella Camerani's winery, located at a high eleva- tion on the eastern edge of Valpolicella, is the region's only biodynamic operation Corte Sant' Alda 2006 Amarone Mithas ($250) Rich and smooth, lush, concentrated and balanced with lovely depth and great structure; clean, ripe and long; dense and complete. 95. DOMAINE SELECT DAL FORNO The region's cult superstar uses draconian selection to make small quantities of highly- allocated, extremely expensive wines. Dal Forno 2008 Amarone (barrel sample; $600) Dark, rich nose of plum, blackberry and spice; intense, ripe and concentrated with blackberry fruit, dark chocolate, vanilla and mocha; huge but elegant, long and persistent; powerful yet quite refined. 100 VIAS IMPORTS LE RAGOSE The Galli family farms 40 acres of vineyard at the highest point in Valpolicella. They believe in long-aging, which results in spicy wines with a hint of leather. Le Ragose 2004 Amarone ($60) Dark, dense and spicy with leather, jam and rich blackberry fruit; pure with chocolate-vanilla notes, ripe but not too sweet; intense and creamy; juicy, balanced and smooth with a seamless finish; long and elegant. 95 FREDERICK WILDMAN & SONS october 201 1 / the tasting panel / 109