There is a wine area in Italy, whose character is more distinguished than others: this is Valpolicella, in Veneto, North East of Italy, by Verona, the world famed city of Romeo and Juliet, the tragedy written by Shakespeare. From such a romantic and fascinating land, it comes a deep, noble and passionate red wine: Amarone della Valpolicella. This is a wine that has deeply changed in the latest decade, from a muscular, alcoholic, almost sweet chewy red, it turned into an elegant, austere, less alcoholic and elegant wine.
Among the main Amarone’s I tasted, the latest one by the Tommasi’s, historical wine producer from Veneto is absolutely outstanding: I am talking about the De Buris, that is definitely a luxury wine. The Tommasi’s are involved in the wine business since four generation and today they are a milestone in the wine business, not only in Veneto, their homeland, but even in other regions where they grow and produce wines as Lombardia (Caseo), Montalcino (Casisano), in Tuscany (Poggio al Tufo), in Apulia (Surani) and in Basilicata (Paternoster).
Giancarlo Tommasi, wine maker
Amarone de Buris is the result of a ten-year project; the very first year of production was Riserva 2008, followed step by step, as a child’s growth, by the family’s winemaker, Giancarlo Tommasi, who is told to be “a contemporary craftman”. The De Buris wine was born twenty years ago, when the family purchased the estate La Groletta in Sant’Ambrogio, Veneto. The estate was made up of ten hectares and 1,9 hectare of vineyard exclusively planted for the De Buris wine. Highest quality grapes, blended mainly as followed: 62% Corvina, 25% Corvinone, 5% Rondinella and 8% Oseleta.
My tasting notes. Tommasi – De Buris – Amarone Valpolicella Riserva DOC 2008
Corvina (62%), Corvinone (25%), Rondinella (5%), Oseleta (8%). The color is garnet, but on the nose there are notes of cherry jam, dried roses, sweet tobacco, coffee grains, mint, incense, liquorice, resins and cloves. On the mouth it is smooth, powerful, elegant and velvety, well balanced, with long tasting taste. A great elegant wine, without being overwhelming. This is a Super Amarone, limited edition, just 8,000 bottles per year, from the best vines and best grapes.
Some technical info: The grapes, after manual selection, lay down on bamboo canes (locally named Arele) and then left for 110 days to dehydrate. In January the grapes are crushed and the slow fermentation was in oak for thirty days. After the malolactic fermentation, the wine is aged in Slavonian oak barrels for two years, following the lunar phases and seasons. Then, the wine is aged for further five years in 15-30Hl oak barrels.
Suggested pairing: game, savoury and seasoned meats and aged cheeses.
Retail price: € 150 – $ 170 – My Rating: 95/100
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