Score: 92/100
This Amarone wine is produced from grapes sourced in Zenato’s Costalunga Estate, in the heart of the Classical area of Valpolicella.
It is a traditional Valpolicella blend of 80% Corvina, 10% Rondinella, and 10% Oseleta grapes left to rest in a well-ventilated room to raisin for 3-4 months, before pressing. Once fermented, the wine was aged in oak barrels for 36 months.
After pressing of the dried Amarone grapes, their skins are used again to make another wine in the Valpolicella Ripasso style, a cuvée called ‘Ripassa’ by Zenato.
Zenato Amarone Tasting Notes
This Amarone comes in a rather dark red color, with hints of orange hues, it is nearly black to the core, slightly brick color to the rim.
The nose is powerful and much lifted, inhabited by intense plum (or is it prune? probably more of the latter), blackberry, clove, vanilla, and super-spicy pepper.
Add a huge complexity from a myriad of aromas that seem to have been packed in your glass: Amaretto (Italian almond liqueur), coffee liqueur, fennel and licorice, turmeric, with clear smoky tones. So much going on I could go on and on.
There is a dual aromatic profile: both utterly fruity AND spicy.
The palate equally bursts in liqueur-like fruits, apple eau-de-vie, prune liqueur, and raspberry jam. But the flavors are deeply intensified by a wealth of black pepper notes, almost chili-like. It’s so spicy in fact you could say it is hot.
It does feel hot from the alcohol, just as much as because the spicy flavors.
But for a big-red lover like me, it has to be made clear that it doesn’t feel heavy, yet it IS big!
Tannins are soft, just a little grippy to the finish, body is full, while the acidity is very concentrated lightening the whole tasting experience up.
Very long and complex finish.
Enjoy ?
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