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The prodigious 1997 Amarone Vigneto Alto TB is reminiscent of Henri Bonneau’s 1990 Chateauneuf du Pape Reserve des Celestins. The lofty 16% alcohol is barely noticeable. Yields were a minuscule 20 hectoliters per hectare. Sadly, there are only 300 cases of this extraordinary Amarone. It boasts notes of smoke, truffle oil, blackberries, plums, and earthy, concentrated black currant jam. Layered, thick, full-bodied, and dry, with extraordinary purity as well as definition, it is an amazing achievement. While not for everybody, this is a singular, impeccably balanced wine. Anticipated maturity: now-2020.Robert Parker | 96 RP

The 2005 Rosso del Bepi is made with the same blend of grapes found in the Valpolicella Superiore. Only in the case of this wine, the entire mass of fruit sees a four-month appassimento cycle. The wine is aged in large oak casks for eight years. A severe hail storm in 2005 reduced yields. The fruit was good in that vintage, but not good enough to become Amarone. All that potential got locked into this wine instead. Despite its age, the Rosso del Bepi offers surprising freshness and crispness with delineated tones of dried cherry and pressed rose. This wine has more decades of cellar aging locked within.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RP

It started in 1993, with 3ha of vineyards; now Buglioni has 54ha. This riserva is made only in the best vintages, with the best hand-picked grapes. Aged for 30 months in tonneaux, it has tertiary notes of balsam, dry leaves, sweet tobacco and jam. Bramble fruits and summer-fruit pudding surround the taste buds. Intense, elegant and poised, with great length and huge structure. Try it with bitter chocolate or enjoy it on its own. Drinking Window 2022 - 2030.Decanter | 96 DECInviting aromas of ripe dark-skinned berry, new leather, cocoa and forest floor emerge from the glass. The concentrated palate doles out black currant jam, licorice, black pepper and tobacco alongside fine-grained tannins. Drink 2019–2027.Wine Enthusiast | 92 WESome 3,570 bottles were made and each one is numbered. In some parts of the Valpolicella, 2010 was considered a difficult vintage, but not here. The 2010 Amarene della Valpolicella Classico Riserva Teste Dure is extracted, inky and soft. The wine is showing some maturity and evolution, with licorice and tar behind primary notes of dried blackberry, plum and raisin. I would suggest a slightly reduced drinking window as a result, maybe pairing it alongside lamb with balsamic reduction. The next time this Riserva was made was 2015, and the folks at Buglioni have been experimenting with whole-cluster fermentations and amphorae aging too. So far, they are happy with the results, so we will surely see these methods used in upcoming releases.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 91 RPIntense soy-sauce and cooked-plum nose that won’t be for everyone, but on the palate this is rich and silky. Good length. Drink now with mature hard cheeses.James Suckling | 91 JS

The 2011 Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Ambrosan wafts up extorverted and opulent, with exotic spices and medicinal cherries giving way to mocha and sweet pipe tobacco. This is silky-smooth and soothing, balancing both savory and sweet while coming across as autumnal in character, as rosy inner florals form. There is so much depth and focus here, showing citrus-tinged plum skins with coffee grinds and dark chocolate. This just goes on and on, lightly structured and incredibly long yet balanced. The 2011 Ambrosan is a thrilling wine to taste.Vinous Media | 96 VMVery pretty balance of fruit and tannins with freshness and finesse. Medium-bodied with beautiful, round and polished tannins. Really refined and elegant with lovely length. Drink now.James Suckling | 94 JSCedar, dark-skinned fruit and vanilla aromas form the nose on this hearty red. The chewy palate offers baked plum, coconut and star anise alongside pliant tannins. Drink through 2026.Wine Enthusiast | 91 WE

The 2016 Amarone della Valpolicella Monte Lodoletta keeps me at the edge of the glass to take in its darkly alluring bouquet of dusty black currants and dried flowers, with hints of blood orange offset by sweet rose. While currently youthful and understated, it continues to open and deepen with each swirl. This is silky and cool-toned in feel, savory to the core, with a dense wave of mineral-tinged dark red fruits carried across a core of vibrant acidity. Autumnal spices form toward the close. The 2016 is inward and saturating, building in fine tannins that clench the palate through the finale, promising a long, long life. This is a masterpiece in the making, and while already bottled, it will not be released until 2023. Production was again down by 50% in 2016 due to hail.Vinous Media | 96-98 VM

The 2016 Amarone della Valpolicella Morandina is dark and youthfully understated in the glass, as crushed rose petals and stone dust give way to red currants. This is silky-smooth, nearly velvety in feel, with masses of mineral-tinged black cherry and spice contrasted by a twang of sour citrus. The 2016 finishes with outstanding length and depth yet is also remarkably fresh, leaving hints of hard red candy and the slightest touch of bitter cocoa. The Amarone of Prà is always so unique but in the best possible way. The 2016 is a total gem but needs cellaring to come fully into focus.Vinous Media | 96+ VMA savory and complex expression of Amarone with some dried cherries, red dates, stewed herbs, orange peel, tobacco and white pepper. Some bold green peppercorn, too. A svelte delivery of Amarone with a medium body, showing tobacco, cedar and chocolate on the palate. Long, cedary finish. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 94 JSInspired by Dal Forno, renowned Soave producer Graziano Prà purchased 13 hectares high up in eastern Valpolicella’s Mezzane Valley in 2001. The previously unplanted parcel is protected by forest and has been farmed organically from the start. A relatively restrained nose shows dried garden herbs with plum and floral nuances. On the palate, fig and prune flavours are laced with cigar smoke. Velvety, malleable tannins enfold the easy to please package and the finish is bright with a pleasantly bitter edge.Decanter | 93 DECThis elegant red is medium- to full-bodied, with creamy tannins providing a fine frame for flavors of brambly red currant and blackberry fruit, pine, orange peel and crushed pink peppercorn. A subtle, savory overtone of cured tobacco and smoky bacon fat echoes on the fresh finish. Corvina, Corvinone, Rondinella and Oseleta. Drink now through 2030. 833 cases made, 250 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 92 WS

From the second I tilted the glass, I knew that the 2016 Amarone della Valpolicella was a total knockout. Macerated cherries are contrasted by a whiff of tangerine that gives way to vibrant rose tones and autumnal spice. This soothes with glycerol waves of spicy red fruits complemented by cinnamon, clove and dark, dark chocolate tones. There’s tremendous balance here with bright acids and a totally sexy and exotic style. This just goes on and on and finishes structured and firm yet incredibly fresh, leaving the palate stained in concentration as violet floral tones fade. For all of its heady depth and concentration, there are only two grams per liter of residual sugar. You don’t need to save this riveting Amarone for the dessert course.Vinous Media | 97 VMOwner Marco Sartori has slowly modified his winemaking over the years. He dries the grapes for less time these days, especially in hot years, and ferments at cooler temperatures for a more gentle extraction. And, as of 2016, a portion of the wine ages in large Slavonian oak casks (instead of 100% barriques) for less oxidation of the fruit. The 2016 is deeply coloured and youthful with wood spice and smoke dominating the nose. Compact, concentrated fruit is wrapped up in dense tannins, and hints of blackberry and anise emerge on the palpably dry palate. This definitely needs time to unfurl. Release date: January 2021. Drinking Window 2022 - 2032.Decanter | 90 DEC

The Tenuta Sant’Antonio 2016 Amarone della Valpolicella Campo dei Gigli (packaged in a very heavy eco-unfriendly glass bottle) is a dark and brooding wine packed tight with richly concentrated black fruit delivered in thick and lasting layers. The bouquet peels back to reveal dark plum and baked blackberry, but there is also a major focus on spice, tar, barbecue smoke and teriyaki. The wine makes a wide and large impact on the palate. It shows enormous textural richness and softly integrated tannins. You can age this blend of 70% Corvina and Corvinone, 20% Rondinella, 5% Croatina and 5% Oseleta (that sees three years in barrel) over the long haul.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPA unique yet beguiling mix of smoked meats, lavender and violets evolves into dusty black berries and currants as the 2016 Amarone della Valpolicella Campo dei Gigli blossoms in the glass. It’s velvety-smooth yet spicy and mineral in style, with penetrating dark red fruits giving way to dark chocolate, balsam herbs and building tannins. This tapers off remarkably long and primary, yet it maintains amazing freshness, leaving exotic inner florals and spices to linger. The 2016 is a gentle giant of an Amarone that will need a little time to show its best. It spent three years refining in neutral Tonneaux.Vinous Media | 95 VMVery potent aromas of blackcurrants and toasted oak with hints of eucalyptus and black-cherry liqueur, following through to a full palate with firm tannins that drive the fruit on through the long finish. There’s a kind of raw, almost rough-and-ready character to this that’s a bit hard work now. Will even out with bottle age. One for the cellar. Try from 2024.James Suckling | 93 JSThis wine offers a glimpse of dried cherry and plum flavors before the spectrum quickly shifts to notes of smoked bacon, fig and cardamom. The wine aged for three years in new French-oak tonneaux, developing a complex and decadent style that will appeal to the most ardent Amarone fans.Wine & Spirits | 91 W&S

The 2017 Amarone della Valpolicella Case Vecie is dreamy, wafting up with a remarkably fresh bouquet that features roses, violets, shavings of cedar, dusty cherry and sweet smoke. This is elegance personified, with ripe red and black fruits excited by vibrant acidity as confectionary spice emerges. Minerals add a more tactile feel toward the close. Balsam herbs and hints of mocha resonate as the 2017 finishes with a gentle tug of tannin and a slight bitter twang that punctuates the wine perfectly. This child of a warm vintage shows impressive balance and tremendous potential for the future. Bury your bottles deep.Vinous Media | 96 VMEnticing aromas of dried strawberries and raspberries, together with notes of heather-like herbs and dried citrus peel. Full-bodied with beautiful, silky tannins that embrace the fruit and add length. In fact this is very long, releasing more and more cedar and spicy dried peel for you to savor. An excellent 2017 from a top Amarone vineyard site. Enjoyable now and will age for many a year.James Suckling | 94 JS

With over 300ha of vineyard, the Pasqua family are one of the leading growers of the Valpolicella, with a range which focuses increasingly on premium and super-premium productions. This selection is sourced from the Valpantena, the valley to the east of the Classico zone known for earlier drinking wines with bright fruit character. The very stylish 2017 has intense aromas of wild berries, violets and almonds, great fruit concentration and the classic bittersweet finish of Valpolicella.Decanter | 95 DECAromas of black currants with some dried-fruit character, as well as vanilla-pod and spice. Full-bodied with a tight, focused palate and lots of oaky tannin and flavor. Bright, currant and spice finish. Give it some time to integrate better. Best from 2023.James Suckling | 92 JSThis bottling is an impressive wine from the start. This well-built Amarone has aromas of black cherries, black plums and savory herbs. The palate is lush and full in body, with the fruit flavors showing more tart notes of sour cherry and blueberries. Elegant tannins and well-balanced acidity add to the complexity and ageworthiness of the wine. Drink from 2025–2032.Wine Enthusiast | 92 WE

A total seductress, the 2017 Amarone della Valpolicella Classico is a dark beauty. It opens with a dusty bouquet of dried flowers and masses of cherry sauce, offset by spiced orange and nuances of violet pastille. It sweeps across the palate, a model of purity, with crisp wild berry fruits energized by tantalizing acidity and shavings of dark chocolate. Crunchy mineral tones emerge toward the close. The 2017 lingers impossibly long yet remains completely fresh. Grippy tannins remain as hints of dried blueberry and lavender resonate throughout. The Quintarelli winery has been working hard to perfect a style that mixes the magic of older vintages with a new level of freshness, and the 2017 is a big step in the right direction. Bravo.Vinous Media | 96+ VM

Here’s an iconic wine from the Veneto made from a blend of 68% Cabernet Sauvignon and 32% Merlot. The Maculan 2017 Fratta shows enormous intensity, muscle and brawn. The wine has absorbed every last drop of sunshine, heat and dry weather conditions that characterized the 2017 growing season, and it does so with elegance and poise. The wine is impeccably balanced with dark fruit and spice. It’s the kind of big-boned red wine you’ll want to pair with a hearty dish of barbecue or marinated beef. Some 7,000 bottles were made, and I tasted bottle number 589. The Fratta spirit is beautifully expressed in 2017.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPDeep, dense aromas of crushed black fruit with notes of charcoal and dried herbs, such as rosemary and thyme. The fruit envelops the lightly firm tannins on the full-bodied palate, creating a dense, velvety and lengthy mouthful. A well-crafted red that’s highly concentrated and bursting with flavor, but it also shows astute balance. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 94 JSThe 2017 Fratta lifts up with a dark and alluring display of black currants, sweet herbs, rich notes of mocha and savory brown spice. This is cool-toned and spicy, a bit lean, yet with a polished feel, showing tart blackberries offset by hints of sour citrus and toasty oak, as violet-tinged florals form toward the close. Fine tannins make themselves known throughout the finale, as this tapers off lightly structured, with hints of licorice lingering long. The Fratta is a blend of 67% Cabernet Sauvignon and 33% Merlot, refined for one year in French barriques. While a year or two of cellaring may bring a bit more flesh to the expression, I expect the 2017 will always have a slender feel.Vinous Media | 92 VM

The 2018 Amarone della Valpolicella Case Vecie is darkly alluring and brooding in the glass, with a dusting of confectionary spice and dried violets complementing wild blueberries and a lifting whiff of fresh mint. Soothingly round and surprisingly juicy in feel, this shows its minerality up front, as depths of tart wild berry fruits meet vibrant acidity, and an array of exotic spices emerges toward the close. It finishes tannic yet fresh and incredibly long, leaving a bitter blackberry crunch, violet inner florals and chalky concentration that boggles the mind. Bury the 2018 deep in your cellar, this is a long-distance runner.Vinous Media | 96 VM