Category: wine

wine review: Secondo Marco Amarone della Valpolicella DOCG Classico 2020 (Preview Blend)

Secondo Marco Amarone della Valpolicella DOCG Classico 2020 (Preview Blend) Located in Fumane, in the heart of the Valpolicella Classico area between Lake Garda and the ancient city of Verona, Secondo Marco’s vineyards benefit from a uniquely balanced microclimate. Warm breezes rise from Lake Garda each morning, while cool air descends from the Lessini Mountains in the late afternoon—an oscillation that promotes gradual, even ripening and preserves vibrant natural acidity. Combined with the valley’s mineral-rich soils and Marco Speri’s distinctive “Y-shaped” pergola training system, this setting creates an ideal environment for producing concentrated yet remarkably fresh and harmonious wines. Marco Speri’s winemaking philosophy is both patient and highly precise. Each varietal is vinified and aged separately, often for many years, and blended only once he deems every component to have reached an optimal point for integration. This meticulous, nearly decade-long approach is central to the expressive, structured, and elegant Amarone wines that define the Secondo Marco style. For this year's Anteprima, Marco prepared an educated preview blend of the 2020 Amarone—an early indication of the final wine—though all components continue aging independently. The definitive cuvée will only be assembled once Marco determines they have harmonized fully, likely within the next 1–2 years. This thoughtful process mirrors the philosophy behind the estate’s premium Amarone, crafted from vineyards just below the Speri family’s iconic Sant’Urbano cru. The 2020 vintage shows tremendous promise. Light ruby and beautifully transparent in the glass, this early composition is remarkably elegant, immediately expressive with a medley of sweet spices, red and dark fruits, menthol, and lifted floral tones. There is a striking freshness that frames the fruit, carrying through to a poised and finely textured palate. The structure already hints at Marco Speri’s stylistic direction: refined, linear, and impeccably balanced, leaning toward finesse rather than sheer power. The tannins are soft and integrated even at this stage, and the aromatic complexity suggests what an exciting final blend this will become once the individual lots have reached full harmony. A superb early indication of another outstanding Amarone from Secondo Marco—beautifully structured, elegant, and destined to evolve into a standout vintage once assembled. Tasted February 2025. 95+ points. Matt Steeves – http://www.quercusvino.ca

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wine review: Roccolo Grassi Amarone della Valpolicella DOCG 2020

Roccolo Grassi is located just outside the Valpolicella Classico zone in Mezzane di Sotto, an eastern valley renowned for producing some of the region’s most refined and distinctive wines. Established in 1996 by Bruno Sartori, the estate takes its name from Roccolo Grassi, their most important vineyard and the source of fruit for their flagship Amarone and Valpolicella. The family farms 16 hectares of vineyards in Val di Mezzane, situated between 200 and 300 metres elevation. The soils here are a compelling mix of volcanic basalt and stony red and black clays, a combination that imparts both mineral tension and depth to their wines. The valley enjoys a cool mesoclimate, influenced by cooling air descending from the Lessini Mountains, alongside lower-than-average rainfall—conditions that promote slow, even ripening. Roccolo Grassi Amarone 2020 is a beautifully expressive and impeccably composed wine, opening with meaty, graphite, fig, plum, and spice notes lifted by a touch of balsamic complexity. The aromatics are deep and savoury, yet elegant. On the palate, gorgeous integration and harmony, with plush dark fruit, savoury nuances, and a refined mineral backbone. The balance is exceptional, and the structure—powerful yet polished—demonstrates the precision and character that define Roccolo Grassi’s style. A fantastic, complex, and deeply satisfying Amarone, and one of the standout wines of the 2020 vintage. Built to age gracefully for decades. Enjoy 2026 - 2050. Tasted February 2025. 96+ points. Matt Steeves – http://www.quercusvino.ca

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wine review: Le Guaite di Noemi Amarone della Valpolicella DOCG 2020 (Early Sample)

Le Guaite di Noemi is one of Valpolicella’s most exciting new-generation wineries, led by the talented and visionary Noemi Pizzighella, who has quickly earned a reputation for crafting Amarone of precision, purity, and remarkable finesse. Working with high-altitude, terraced vineyards in the hills of Mezzane di Sotto, Noemi oversees every stage of production with an artisanal touch—from meticulous bunch selection to long, natural fermentations and careful élevage. Her wines are admired for their tension, aromatic lift, and quiet power, delivering both complexity and elegance without excess. The 2020 Amarone from Le Guaite di Noemi may be the finest vintage expression I’ve tasted from this talented up-and-coming winemaker. Still years away from bottling and release, it already shows exceptional promise as a top-of-class interpretation of Amarone. The nose opens with a fresh breeze of fig trees, dried figs, plum, dark cherries, and layered dried dark fruit. Complex accents of cypress, graphite minerality, and a touch of orange rind add remarkable depth and sophistication. On the palate, the wine is harmonious, soft, and beautifully textured, with tannins that are already finely integrated despite its youth. The structure is outstanding—firm yet elegant—and the complexity unfolding at this early stage speaks to Noemi’s craftsmanship and the strength of the 2020 vintage. This is an extraordinary early showing of what will undoubtedly become a profound, age-worthy Amarone. Tasted February 2025. 97+ points. Matt Steeves – http://www.quercusvino.ca

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wine review: Sabaini Amarone della Valpolicella DOCG 2020

Sabaini is a quality-driven family winery crafting expressive, terroir-focused wines from the Val d’Illasi, a celebrated valley northeast of Verona known for its limestone-rich hillsides and excellent natural ventilation ideal for appassimento. The estate sources its Amarone grapes from the Monte Castello d’Illasi and Monte Tomelon vineyards in the Val d’Illas, two elevated, well-exposed sites that provide fruit with freshness, depth, and signature balsamic-herbal lift. Working with careful bunch selection and traditional drying methods, Sabaini aims for balance and purity, producing Amarone that is both richly layered and elegantly structured. The 2020 Amarone is inviting and delicious. Opening with plum, fig, mocha, dark chocolate, and sweet spices, all supported by the fresh, mineral-driven character of its hillside Val d’Illasi vineyards. Subtle balsamic and herbal notes add regional complexity and lift. The palate is textural and refined, with firm, well-built tannins that make it an excellent pairing for braised dishes or charcoal fire-grilled beef. Rich yet balanced, this is a beautifully crafted Amarone that will evolve gracefully over the next twenty years. Tasted February 2025. 94 points. Matt Steeves - http://www.quercusvino.ca

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

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 – http://www.quercusvino.ca

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wine review: Ca’ La Bionda Amarone della Valpolicella Classico DOCG ‘Ravazzol’ 2020

Nestled in the heart of Valpolicella Classico, Ca’ La Bionda stands as one of the region’s highly respected family estates. Founded in 1902 in the historic commune of Marano di Valpolicella, the winery is now led by the fourth generation of the Castellani family, who farm organically and champion a pure, terroir-first expression of Valpolicella’s hillside vineyards. Their approach is patient and traditional—high-elevation terraces, careful bunch selection, and long natural fermentations—resulting in wines that balance depth with finesse. The estate’s crown jewel is the legendary Ravazzol cru, one of the most prized sites in all of Valpolicella. With its ancient marly-limestone soils, dramatic slopes, and excellent exposure, Ravazzol yields fruit that lends itself beautifully to Amarone’s appassimento technique. Ca’ La Bionda translates this into an Amarone style that is structured, savoury, and elegant—never heavy—making their wines among the finest, age-worthy expressions in the denomination. A stunningly elegant Amarone from one of Valpolicella’s great historic crus. The 2020 Ravazzol opens with a deep and complex aromatic profile: dried dark fruit, warm spice, flint, leather, balsamic lift, and a subtle salty mineral note that speaks clearly of its hillside limestone origins. On the palate, this is all about tension and refinement—chalky, savoury, and beautifully balanced. Waves of dark dried fruit mingle with spice and saline minerality, supported by youthful, tightly knit tannins that promise tremendous evolution. The structure is exceptional, and while it’s already expressive, the 2020 Ravazzol will be in a prime drinking window in about five years, with decades of graceful life ahead. Tasted February 2020. 95+ points. Matt Steeves - http://www.quercusvino.ca

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wine review: Corte Cavedini Amarone della Valpolicella DOCG 2020

Corte Cavedini is a small, family-run estate tucked away in the Marcellise Valley, an under-the-radar part of Valpolicella just east of Verona where the rolling hills and calcareous soils yield wines of natural tension and elegance. Here, the Cavedini family crafts their terroir-driven Amarone della Valpolicella DOCG that favours balance over sheer power—beautifully ripened Corvina, Corvinone, Rondinella (with a small portion of Merlot, Croatina, and Oseleta) grapes are gently air-dried for ~ 2 months then vinified, aged in French tonneaux for two years prior to bottling. The result, a lovely blend of dried fruit, red berries, pomegranate, and balsamic notes. The palate repeats with lovely dried red and dark fruit, fine tannins, harmonious texture on the long finish. Showing wonderfully now, this is a great go-to Amarone to enjoy now and over the next decade plus. Tasted February 2025. 94+ points. Matt Steeves - http://www.quercusvino.ca

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wine review: Zeni 1870 Amarone della Valpolicella Classico VigneAlte 2020

Zeni 1870 Amarone della Valpolicella Classico VigneAlte 2020 - Zeni is a historic family-run winery founded in 1870, which has deep roots in Bardolino where their main winery is located, but also in Valpolicella since the 1960s. Vigne Alte Amarone is sourced from higher-altitude hillside vineyards in the Valpolicella Classico zone, the traditional heartland of Amarone production. The combination of calcareous-basaltic soils and the cooler diurnal range of elevated slopes yields grapes with intense concentration yet remarkable aromatic lift. The nose is super-decadent, imagine a hedonistic interplay of black cherries, black-forest cake, kirsch, and dark chocolate, laced with cocoa powder, sweet baking spice, and a graphite-mineral undertone from the basalt-limestone soils. Elegant hints of dried fig, espresso, and preserved cherry linger in the background, adding warmth and sophistication. The palate is velvety and expansive, unfolding in layers of black-cherry-filled pastries and cocoa-dusted spice, framed by supple, creamy tannins and balanced freshness. There’s a subtle saline–mineral tension that keeps the wine from excess, leading to an opulent yet finely tuned finish of fruit preserves, mocha, and spice that lingers luxuriously. A decadent yet balanced Amarone, marrying luxurious richness with poise and minerality. Tasted February 2025. 94 points. Matt Steeves - http://www.quercusvino.ca

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wine review: Contrada Palui Amarone della Valpolicella DOCG 2020

This impressive lightly coloured Amarone impressed last year when it made its debut at Anteprima Amarone given it's surprisingly faint colour yet big and layered taste profile. The 2020 vintage brings a similar light ruby colour and all the elegance you would expect along with great structure and texture revealing red and dark fruits, dried fruits, fig, plum, and sweet spices with impressive crushed rock minerality from the white limestone, black basalt and flint stone found in their high elevation vineyards overlooking Verona. This Amarone represents so clearly the terroir from where it was born. With their high elevation vineyards and careful winemaking they're able to reflect a profound sense of place so well. Contrada Palui is changing how many may have perceived Amarone in the past. See for yourself. Put your fancy Burgundy down and try this wine! You'll be impressed. Enjoy now and over the next 15 years. Tasted February 2025. 95 points. Matt Steeves - http://www.quercusvino.ca

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wine review: Tezza Viticoltori Amarone della Valpolicella DOCG 2020

Tezza Viticoltori Amarone della Valpolicella DOCG 2020 - Tezza Viticoltori, based in the Valpantena valley immediately northeast of Verona. Their 2020 Amarone della Valpolicella DOCG shows impressive intensity and depth, layering bold dark and red fruit with inviting notes of sweet spice, chocolate, clove, and dried fig. The calcareous, well-drained soils of Valpantena lend structure and lift, keeping the wine refined rather than heavy, while the Tezza family’s restrained approach and organic farming allows the fruit and terroir to shine. It’s a beautifully balanced Amarone, rich, warmly spiced, and poised to age gracefully while preserving its hallmark warm spice and refreshing dried-fruit complexity. Tasted February 2025. 94 points. Matt Steeves - http://www.quercusvino.ca

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