Guilano Rosati: Amarone, Mio Amore!
Sometimes a wine can remind you of a certain type of person. Sometimes the stereotype is true but unfortunately, good wine suffers. That's not a haiku, that's a fact about Amarone.
Our guest reviewer last week, Keith Levenberg, once wrote something on Facebook so hilarious that I cried myself to sleep thinking about it. He suggested that wine menus at restaurants be broken down according to the type of person who might drink it. Opus One, Sassicia and 1st growth Bordeaux would appropriately be under a section named "Wines for Long Island Orthodontists Who Drive Little Red Porsches." He got quite the response.
I bring this up, because there is perhaps no greater wine that conjures up a stereotypical image of the person who drinks it better than Amarone. You probably have this person in your mind and they probably look something like the pictured featured atop this post.
Believe me, we know. But PLEASE don't take all of Amarone down with you. I beg of you. There is so much diversity and beauty in Amarone that your head will spin. Don't fall for the stereotype!
The Giuliano Rosati wines are made by the Tezza family, now in its third generation of winemaking in Italy’s hilly, bucolic Veneto region, not far from the great city of Venice. The Veneto region of Valpolicella is most famous for its eponymous light red table wine and for Amarone, an opulently, rich red. The two extreme styles leave a gap for something in between. Welcome the Giuliano Rosati Amarone, a lighter bodied Amarone that still exudes the characteristics of a classic Amarone.
What sets Amarone apart from most still wines is that the grapes used (a blend of Corvina, Rondinella, and other approved red grape varieties) are dried before being crushed. This concentrates the remaining sugars and flavors. The Giuliano Rosati Amarone grapes are harvested in September and October, with hand-selection of the best quality grapes which are put on trays in a drying loft until December. The wine is ultimately aged 24 months in French barriques and then 6 months in bottle before being released.
Dark, garnet-edged ruby color. Aromas and flavors of wild cherries, blackberries, cassis, dark chocolate, smoke, vanilla, cinnamon, and cedar. Well balanced, with supple tannins. While lighter in body than the more muscular Amarones, the alcohol content here is a sneaky 15%. Its softer tannins lets it pair well with pork, veal, and lamb.
Get it here!