Summer Tasting Star Wine - Amarone Classico Costasera 2006 Masi

The summer tasting was a success with around 50-60 of our customers attending to try some fantastic wines we had open to taste. I will be slowly posting tasting notes on most of these wines over the next few days. But I want to start with the highly anticipated Masi Ameroni that we tasted. This was our most expensive bottle open at £30.
This wine comes from Valpolicella Classico regions in Italy. Grapes used come from the best south west facing slopes, facing the sunset for maximum sunlight and ripening hours. It is70% Corvina, 25% Rondinella, 5% Molinara. Amarone uses a special process called  "appassimento", which is basically grape drying. The grapes are left out to dry on bamboo racks until January, by this time they have lost 35% of their weight and become super concentrated. After this there is an 80 day fermentation period. All this contribute to its massive body and super concentrated flavours and fruit.

A nose of ripe red cherries, liquorice, sage, coffee and tar. This leads the way for a palate of equally rich proportions. Richly textured, it has a sleek, refreshing finish – and will spend the next decade or more improving. Good to drink now, but keep for a decade to see what happens. Overall an epic wine.

Ageing potential of 30-35 years.

I have been told its not worth spending under £20 on a bottle of amarone, mainly because you wont find a bottle for under that! The cost and time it takes to make this wine contributes to its price tag. However, good things come to those who wait, and to those who spend!

Wine Rating: 5