2016 Tommasi Amarone della Valpolicella Italy (Other)

2016 Tommasi Amarone della Valpolicella

94 JS

Featured Review

A rich, layered Amarone with lots of fruit. Bright, sliced dried citrus to the ripe and juicy fruit. It’s full-bodied and compact with a beautiful finish and transparency. Drink or hold. James Suckling

James Suckling | 94 JS

The 2016 Amarone della Valpolicella Classico is quite reserved and understated, but in a way that keeps you at the edge of the glass. Roses, blackberries, savory herbs and a hint of spiced citrus make for an alluring bouquet. It’s velvety in texture, ushering in a creamy wave of ripe red and black fruits, laced with salty minerals, as dark inner florals amass toward the close. There’s a lot of power here that is currently restrained, as this finishes youthfully structured and tense, with a saturating layer of dried black cherries to tempt the imagination with what's to come with a few years of cellaring. Also of note is the 2016’s 15% abv, making this a great option both on and away from the dinner table.

Vinous Media | 93 VM

The Tommasi 2016 Amarone della Valpolicella Classico (with 300,000 bottles made) reveals a dark and savory side that we did not see in the hotter and sweeter 2017 vintage. This wine is angular and strong with dried fruit, black cherry, leather, toasted spice and tarry smoke. The house blend is 50% Corvina, 30% Corvinone, 15% Rondinella and 5% Oseleta, and the wine ages in Slavonian oak casks for three years. What I notice in the wines from Tommasi, even the top-end wines like this, is that the mouthfeel tends to be shorter and leaner than I'd like to see, especially considering this home-run vintage.

Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92 RP

Giancarlo Tommasi waits until January to crush the drying grapes in order to maximise aroma and glycerol development, which he attributes to cooler conditions. As of the 2016 vintage, he has also decreased the percentage of Rondinella in favour of Corvinone. Not yet released, the 2016 is still shy in its expression but with coaxing, macerated strawberry, mint and cocoa emerge. Framed by stern tannins, Tommasi's Amarone is quite linear and austere through the mid-palate. A couple of years in bottle may help elicit its charms. Drinking Window 2022 - 2030.

Decanter | 90 DEC

This has a shy nose that eventually reveals whiffs of stewed prune, leather and tilled earth. The solid palate offers baked plum, candied raisin and a dollop of vanilla alongside polished, rather relaxed tannins before a bitter almond finish. Drink through 2026.

Wine Enthusiast | 90 WE

Type of Wine	Italy (Other) : There are dozens of grape varietals grown in Italy so no wonder they produce such a broad range of most exquisite wines. Some of the most cultivated red varieties are Nebbiolo, Aglianico, Sangiovese, and Barbera, while Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon are also popular. Among whites, you're likely to find Pinot Grigio, Trebbiano, or Vernaccia varietals.
Varietal	Proprietary Blend : Proprietary Blend is a general term used to indicate that a wine is comprised of multiple grape varietals which are either “proprietary” to the winery or is blended and does not meet the required maximum or minimum percentage of a particular varietal. This also is the case for the grape’s place of origin, especially for region, appellation or vineyard designated wines. There are endless examples of blended wines which are labeled as “Proprietary Blend” and in conjunction with each region’s stipulated wine laws and regulations makes for a vast blanket for wines to fall into. Perhaps the simplest example is California; if a wine is to be labeled as Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, it is required to have at least 75% of the varietal (Cabernet Sauvignon) and 85% of the fruit must be cultivated from the Napa Valley wine district. If the wine does not meet the requirements, it is then labeled as Proprietary Blend.
Country	Italy : Italy is renowned as one of the world’s greatest gastronomic havens; from certified Prosciutto di Parma to the sea-side seafood eateries on the island of Sicily. However, this epicurean experience could not possibly be as hedonistic without the ethereal combination of the country’s plethora of fine wines. It seems unfair that a nation should be able to boast, both, some of the world’s greatest cuisine as well as its greatest wines. Italian wine is one of the most sought after in the world, and has become the second most produced in the world, behind only France. Stretching an impressive 736 miles from northern Italy to the peninsula’s southern tip, the country’s geography generates an enormous array of topography, climate and soil structure. This is an extremely important quality of its winegrowing and making industry which lays claim to nearly 550 different grape varietals, which all desire their own necessities, in terms of terroir and climate. The still red wines of Italy truly characterize the nation’s vast and expansive terroir; Nebbiolo dominates Piedmont, where Barolo and Barbaresco reign king and queen of the region’s production. Hailing from Brunello di Montalcino in Tuscany, the rockstar Sangiovese grape has become synonymous with greatness. Vin Santo sweet wines have taken on a mighty feat of competing with the glorious wines of Sauternes, and of course, Prosecco. Prosecco, located in Trieste (northeast Italy) and its creation of luxuriously effervescent styles of wine has become Italy’s answer to Champagne. The Glera grape variety, which has become synonymous with the name Prosecco, is the main ingredient and is beloved in the appellation where the village of Prosecco’s name has become world renowned. The blurred boundary between Italy and the countries of Slovenia and Austria, where German influence still resonates through Friuli wines. The prevalence of Riesling and other such grape varietals is high in this region and have become extremely popular on today’s market. With nearly 702,000 hectares of grapevines covering the massive and diverse landscape, Italy’s annual average of 48.3 million hectoliters of wine production is second only to France in terms of volume and Spain in terms of hectares of vines. The country is vast and overwhelming when it comes to the culinary arts, but perhaps even this is overshadowed by its production of some of the world’s most sought after wines, whether the omnipresent Chianti to the highly collectible and sought after Amarone della Valpolicalla.
Region	Veneto : Venice is one of the most romantic cities in the world - the city of love. So how could Veneto wines be any different? This north-eastern Italian region has to offer nothing but sweet, liquid romance poured into elegant bottles ready for your dinner table. With its importance growing more and more every day, Veneto has proven its capacity by producing the same amount of wine, if not more, as some more popular regions, such as Tuscany or Piedmont. It may have been considered small in the past, but no one can deny the quality of Veneto wines today. Veneto's reds are easily recognized for their sweet, but intense fruity flavors that together create an impressive scope of Corvina-based wines. Other typical varieties are Rondinella and Molinara, and they're all well-known for the palate rich with red fruits, above all sour cherry. On the other hand, there's a breathtaking portfolio of refreshing, lemon-flavored dry whites, mostly based on Garganega and Trebbiano varieties. All these wines are outstandingly complex and long-lasting, thanks to the wonderful Garganega grapes.