2013 Bertani, Amarone della Valpolicella Classico DOCG - 750ML

98 Points – Decanter

Bertani’s Amarone Classico is a benchmark for the traditional, long-aged style of the appellation, favoring freshness, structure and extended development over sheer richness. The 2013 spent years maturing in large Slavonian oak before release, and even at more than a decade from harvest it retains impressive tension beneath its concentrated fruit and emerging savory complexity.

Blend: Corvina and Rondinella.

Tasting Notes: Dried cherry, plum and cranberry are layered with blood orange, dried flowers, cedar and sweet spice, followed by more mature notes of leather, tobacco and forest floor. The palate is concentrated yet focused, with ripe dried fruit, savory spice and mineral nuances carried by fine-grained tannins into a long, persistent finish.

Structure: Full-bodied and concentrated, but distinguished by firm acidity and finely textured tannins that keep the wine poised rather than heavy. Its substantial fruit is balanced by a linear, savory backbone, giving the 2013 considerable presence and continued aging potential.

Drink Window: Now–2050. The 2013 is entering an excellent drinking phase, combining mature complexity with considerable remaining fruit and structure, while well-stored bottles have the balance to evolve for decades.

Decanting: Stand the bottle upright beforehand to allow any sediment to settle. Decant gently for approximately 30–45 minutes and follow the wine in the glass; despite its concentration, this is a mature Amarone that benefits more from measured aeration than prolonged exposure.

Bertani’s 2013 is Amarone for the cellar as much as the dinner table, offering the depth of appassimento with a distinctly classical emphasis on freshness and longevity. It is particularly well suited to braised beef, game, aged Parmigiano-Reggiano or mature cheeses, and has the stature to serve on its own after dinner.