my first in depth Amarone tasting.
Posted: Wed Apr 27, 2005 10:17 pm
Another great event organised by http://winewatch.com
Flight one, Take Off:
1998 Zonin Amarone.
So light that I wouldn't even guess it was the Amarone.
88 points by WS.
2000 Castellani Monte Cristi
Vivid berries, and nice minerals aroma. Not overly alcoholic. Was #2 by me in the flight. Probably will get a bottle @ $33
2000 Masi
Too light for my palate. Reminded me of British saying:
"If this is coffee, I'd rather had a tea, but if this is a tea, I'd rather have a coffee" 87 points by WS
1998 Tomassi Amarone
The best of the flight for my taste. Full bodied, long finish, mineral notes, nothing sticks out, my kind of wine. 91 points by WS. $45
Flight Two, The flight where it was hard to tell them apart.
2000 Brigaldara Amarone
This one was kinda like continuation where we left off with Tomassi, but a bit more alcoholic.
2000 Mazzi Punta Villa
I wasn't impressed. Raisiny, alcoholic, this wine wouldn't seduce a virgin.
90 points by WS.
2000 Zenato
I could have sworn some light crude oil was added to it. I felt the asphalt the road to the winery was covered with. 90 points by WS
2001 Tomasso Bussola, BG Amarone
Too young, still needs a few years in the bottle, not rated, but was my #1 pick of the flight. $47 a bottle.
Flight Three, the Big Guns
2000 Tomasso Busola, Vigneto Alto
Quite powerful juice, well packed juice, too sweet for my taste, though,
but if you like this sort of things, you wouldn't be disapointed....'til you see the price tag of $137
1994 Dal Forno,
the star of the evening.
This is a Mohammed Ali of the Amarones. Big on everything, from start to finish and due to it's richness hides 16% alcohol quite easily. I was sipping and sipping and still can't answer honestly if I liked it or was just shocked by it. Same feelings Marquis Phillip 9 Shiraz produces. The huge problem is when you have to wonder with the bottle which is sold for more than the case of Marquis Phillip, doing it with Phillip is more acceptable to the wallet.
The best part for me about this wine were the stories the fellow tasters shared about going to Italy and meeting Signore Forno in all the odd places, him being dressed like what we call "Shlepper" in Yiddish, him giving personal tour of his cellars to complete strangers who just happen to love his wine,
and all his millions, Fortune Magazine write ups haven't changed the simple farmer who enjoys what he is doing best - top notch Amarone.
My kind of a guy. Salut. Salut! Salut!!! 97 points by WA, but I'll pass at @$396 a bottle.
1995 Quintarelli
This one was my favorite of the flight due to it's resolved tanins, but $264 price tag a bottle was a cold shower. 88 points by WS.
1976 Bertani
This wine tasted like a skeleton of it's former self. Definate Amarone, after all those years in the bottle, but most of it what was there once is gone,
leaving the presence, but not the substance. Quite an interesting experience, that was the oldest wine I ever had.
I really enjoyed this tasting, as it brought a definate answer to the question:
Do I like Amarone?
No, I do not, and it didn't cost an arm and a leg, like it would be if I tried it bottle by bottle.
Flight one, Take Off:
1998 Zonin Amarone.
So light that I wouldn't even guess it was the Amarone.
88 points by WS.
2000 Castellani Monte Cristi
Vivid berries, and nice minerals aroma. Not overly alcoholic. Was #2 by me in the flight. Probably will get a bottle @ $33
2000 Masi
Too light for my palate. Reminded me of British saying:
"If this is coffee, I'd rather had a tea, but if this is a tea, I'd rather have a coffee" 87 points by WS
1998 Tomassi Amarone
The best of the flight for my taste. Full bodied, long finish, mineral notes, nothing sticks out, my kind of wine. 91 points by WS. $45
Flight Two, The flight where it was hard to tell them apart.
2000 Brigaldara Amarone
This one was kinda like continuation where we left off with Tomassi, but a bit more alcoholic.
2000 Mazzi Punta Villa
I wasn't impressed. Raisiny, alcoholic, this wine wouldn't seduce a virgin.
90 points by WS.
2000 Zenato
I could have sworn some light crude oil was added to it. I felt the asphalt the road to the winery was covered with. 90 points by WS
2001 Tomasso Bussola, BG Amarone
Too young, still needs a few years in the bottle, not rated, but was my #1 pick of the flight. $47 a bottle.
Flight Three, the Big Guns
2000 Tomasso Busola, Vigneto Alto
Quite powerful juice, well packed juice, too sweet for my taste, though,
but if you like this sort of things, you wouldn't be disapointed....'til you see the price tag of $137
1994 Dal Forno,
the star of the evening.
This is a Mohammed Ali of the Amarones. Big on everything, from start to finish and due to it's richness hides 16% alcohol quite easily. I was sipping and sipping and still can't answer honestly if I liked it or was just shocked by it. Same feelings Marquis Phillip 9 Shiraz produces. The huge problem is when you have to wonder with the bottle which is sold for more than the case of Marquis Phillip, doing it with Phillip is more acceptable to the wallet.
The best part for me about this wine were the stories the fellow tasters shared about going to Italy and meeting Signore Forno in all the odd places, him being dressed like what we call "Shlepper" in Yiddish, him giving personal tour of his cellars to complete strangers who just happen to love his wine,
and all his millions, Fortune Magazine write ups haven't changed the simple farmer who enjoys what he is doing best - top notch Amarone.
My kind of a guy. Salut. Salut! Salut!!! 97 points by WA, but I'll pass at @$396 a bottle.
1995 Quintarelli
This one was my favorite of the flight due to it's resolved tanins, but $264 price tag a bottle was a cold shower. 88 points by WS.
1976 Bertani
This wine tasted like a skeleton of it's former self. Definate Amarone, after all those years in the bottle, but most of it what was there once is gone,
leaving the presence, but not the substance. Quite an interesting experience, that was the oldest wine I ever had.
I really enjoyed this tasting, as it brought a definate answer to the question:
Do I like Amarone?
No, I do not, and it didn't cost an arm and a leg, like it would be if I tried it bottle by bottle.
