2015 Bertani Amarone Classico

100 POINTS

James Suckling

A vivid ruby color with a garnet tinge and super-restrained nose of licorice, oak bark, smoke, wood, cigar box, leather, dark chocolate, crushed violets and prunes. Freshness and subtlety. Full-bodied and elegant on the palate due to ripe, filigree tannins with long acidity and a toasty, savory aftertaste. One of the great Amarones. Corvina and Rondinella. Ready to drink now, but intended for the long haul.

98 POINTS

Falstaff

Brilliant, bright ruby, garnet hints. Lovely appealing nose, with subtle aromas of cherries and ripe cranberries, fine earthy notes and slightly smoky nuances, then after a little time in the glass, hints of mint and red peach. Many layers of fine-meshed tannins on the palate, a fine texture, very juicy, right through to the hearty, salty finish. A very elegant example. Reviewers: Othmar Kiem, Simon Staffler

93 POINTS

Monica Larner - Robert Parker Wine Advocate

The Tenuta Santa Maria di Gaetano Bertani 2015 Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Riserva is a long, polished and flowing wine that offers lots of aromatic detail. At first, it shows plenty of ripe blackberry and Morello cherry, with the baked aromas you can expect of a hot and sunny vintage such as 2015. Then, you get toasted spice, tar and licorice. In terms of Amarone, which is almost always an exceedingly full-bodied wine, this expression is slightly more slender and accessible. It has plenty of power though, with 16% alcohol, which is contained within the solid frame of this northern Italian red. The blend is 75% Corvina, 15% Corvinone and 10% Rondinella. Production is 12,000 bottles.

93 POINTS

Eric Guido - Vinous

Cedary spices mix with shavings of dark chocolate and crushed black raspberries as the 2015 Amarone della Valpolicella Classico entices from the glass. Cool-toned and crisp, it offers silken textures offset by depths of tart red berry fruits and balsamic tones. A pleasantly bitter sensation puckers the cheeks, as fine tannins saturate and nuances of sour citrus fade. Despite the warm vintage, Bertani has found a beautiful balance in its 2015 Amarone.