2006 'CATERINA ZARDINI' AMARONE DELLA VALPOLICELLA - SWEET LIKE CHOCOLATE

Amarone della Valpolicella is one of Italy’s most legendary wines. Made from grapes that have been deliberately raisined, thereby concentrating tannin and sugar, and fermented to over 15% ABV (sometimes approaching 18% ABV), Amarone is not a shy or retiring customer.

This particular example from Caterina Zardini is a typically hefty Amarone, displaying liqueur cherry and dark chocolate in abundance. With a noticeable residual sugar (notwithstanding its 15.5% ABV), it is akin to an unfortified vintage Port and probably best enjoyed in a similar food context, that is, with a selection of cheeses at the end of a meal.

Although this is a big wine in all senses of the word, it is seamless, smooth and well balanced. While there is little to complain about, this particular imbiber prefers to see Amarone with a touch of bitterness rather than the residual sugar that one encounters here. That said, the wine would please many of a hedonistic persuasion.

2006 ‘CATERINA ZARDINI' AMARONE DELLA VALPOLICELLA CLASSICO
Producer: Giuseppe Campagnola
Variety: Corvina et al
Vintage: 2006
Region: Veneto, Italy
ABV: 15.5%
Closure: Natural cork
Retail Price: N/a
Date tasted: 10 March 2013

Tasting Note:
Deep crimson to the rim. Brooding nose of liqueur cherry, dark chocolate, mocha. Slightly off-dry, rich and full bodied, high in alcohol, yet well balanced, the bouquet flows through to the palate, high quality dark chocolate overlaid by cherry liqueur and damsons, cocoa powder. Opulent and powerful yet seamless. A well made and well balanced Amarone, but lacking the complexity and bitterness that would make the wine more interesting.
Score: 16/20

2011 AZ. AGRIC. IL PIGNETTO BARDOLINO - SHE AIN'T NO BEAUTY QUEEN

When thinking of the red wines of Italy’s Veneto region, one immediately turns to distinctive Amarone della Valpolicella, a powerful, alcoholic, often slightly bitter wine made from grapes that have deliberately been allowed to raisin. At the opposite end of the spectrum is Bardolino.

Located near the shores of Lake Garda, Bardolino is a DOC recognised for producing relatively light wines utilising a similar composition of grape varieties to those that make-up Amarone. Poor examples can be thin and vapid and certainly don’t enhance the appellation’s reputation.

This particular Bardolino is true to style. The wine isn’t particularly deep in colour. Indeed, to us in the Antipodes, it could easily be taken for a bold rosé. On initial nosing, one doesn’t hold out a tremendous amount of promise; there’s a distinct volatile edge. To the uninitiated, the palate might underwhelm at first taste, a touch of sour cherry and redcurrant leading to a dry finish. A light chill improves matters somewhat.

What transforms this wine is serving it alongside appropriate food, in this instance a post-Christmas selection of cold meats and salads. A wine that superficially comes across as dry and vapid suddenly comes to life, at one enhancing the dining experience and putting a large smile on one’s face. It’s not a wine that is ever going be rated 95+ points by those that care for scores, but it works a treat with simple food.  Isn't this what wine is supposed to do? After all, you can't drink all those points.....

2011 BARDOLINO
Producer: Azienda Agricola Il Pignetto
Variety: Corvina et al
Vintage: 2011
Region: Veneto, Italy
ABV: 12.5%
Closure: Natural cork
Retail Price: $23.00
Date tasted: 28 December 2012

Tasting Note:
Translucent cherry red. Slightly volatile nose, cherry confiture. Dry medium bodied, very savoury, redcurrant, lively acidity, touch of drying tannin on the finish. Much improved when served slightly chilled alongside food. Not overly complex, but a revelation with cold meats and salads.
Score: 15+/20

2009 VALPOLICELLA CLASSICO SUPERIORE 'LA BINE' - BITTERSWEET SYMPHONY

Valpolicella is one of the world’s most distinctive wines, whether made as an easy drinking Valpolicella Classico, re-fermented over the lees as a Valpolicella Ripasso, an Amarone della Valpolicella, made from raisined grapes, or a sweet Recioto della Valpolicella, produced in much the same way as an Amarone, but not fermented to dryness.

The wines very much suit the food enjoyed in the Veneto region, especially in and around the city of Verona, the setting for Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet. A ragout of horsemeat, braised in the local red wine accompanied by polenta and served with a glass of strong Amarone della Valpolicella enjoyed in a Veronese enoteca, sits in the mind a decade on. It is hard to imagine a better food and wine match.

This example, a Ripasso from Giuseppe Campagnola, is true to its origin and style. Medium in body, it delivers straightforward black cherry and damson fruit, with just a touch of bitterness. It is an ideal wine to enjoy with a Risotto with Radicchio, Red Wine and Pancetta, the wine providing a perfect counterpoint to the slightly bitter radicchio. While there are more interesting and expressive versions of the Ripasso style to be found, this is a good honest example that delivers on authenticity.

2009 VALPOLICELLA CLASSICO SUPERIORE ‘LA BINE’
Producer: Giuseppe Campagnola
Variety: Corvina et al
Vintage: 2009
Region: Veneto, Italy
ABV: 13.5%
Closure: Natural cork
Retail Price: N/a
Date tasted: 7 November 2010

Tasting Note:
Bright cherry red. Direct nose of black cherry, damson and animal fur. Dry, savoury, medium bodied, quite straightforward and uncomplicated; black cherry, plum skins. Good length. Not an exceptional wine by any means, but food friendly, true to type and enjoyable.
Score: 15/20