wine review: Zýmē di Celestino Gaspari Amarone della Valpolicella DOCG Classico 2020

Matt’s review: Zýmē, founded by the legendary Celestino Gaspari, is one of Valpolicella’s most innovative and quality-driven estates. An artisanal winery where deep regional knowledge meets cutting-edge precision. Gaspari, long regarded as one of the foremost interpreters of the appassimento method, brings a philosophy rooted in patience, purity, and terroir transparency. His approach begins in the vineyard, where meticulous bunch selection and careful monitoring of ripeness ensure that only the most expressive grapes begin the Amarone journey.

Located in the heart of Valpolicella Classico, Zýmē works with a mosaic of hillside parcels rich in limestone, clay, and ancient rock, soils that give the wines their hallmark depth and mineral tension. The cellar is a fusion of modernity and tradition, where long, natural fermentations and extended élevage create Amarone wines that are simultaneously powerful, elegant, and unmistakably Zýmē. Gaspari’s wines are revered worldwide for their purity of fruit, structural precision, and ability to age for decades with grace.

The 2020 Amarone Classico from Zýmē is a glorious, richly textured wine that embodies the precision and artistry of Gaspari’s team. Intense and expressive from the first swirl, it displays savoury dark fruit, leather, balsamic notes, and deeply perfumed dried dark fruit—an unmistakable signature of the estate’s meticulous bunch-by-bunch selection for their ultra premium wines. On the palate, the harmony is remarkable. The flavours mirror the aromatics perfectly: dark fruit, savoury undertones, dried figs and cherries, sweet spices, and a beautifully integrated balsamic lift. The richness and concentration are balanced by impeccable structure, making this a wine of both immediacy and immense longevity.

Enjoy over the next 30 years as it continues to gain complexity and depth. Tasted February 2025.
96+ points. Matt Steeves – www.quercusvino.ca