2013 Pasqua, "Mai Dire Mai" Amarone della Valpolicella, Veneto, Italy - 750ml

93 Points – Wine Enthusiast

Mai Dire Mai is Pasqua’s ambitious single-vineyard expression of Amarone, produced from the elevated Montevegro vineyard overlooking the Illasi and Mezzane valleys. The 2013 combines the concentration of four months of appassimento with firm structure and notable acidity, giving this powerful Amarone sufficient freshness to carry its considerable richness.

Blend: 65% Corvina, 15% Corvinone, 10% Rondinella, 10% Oseleta.

Tasting Notes: Dried cherry, black plum and fig lead into cedar, cocoa and leather, with clove, dark chocolate and balsamic nuances emerging with air. The palate is rich and enveloping, with concentrated dark fruit, spice and mocha framed by firm, mature tannins and a long, warming finish.

Structure: Full-bodied and concentrated, with 16.5% alcohol and substantial tannins balanced by unusually assertive acidity for a wine of this scale. Twenty-four months in new French oak contributes further breadth, spice and structure, now increasingly integrated after more than a decade in bottle.

Drink Window: Now–2033. The 2013 is fully within its drinking window, with its primary richness increasingly joined by mature savory, balsamic and leathery complexity; well-stored bottles should continue to develop over the medium term.

Decanting: Stand the bottle upright beforehand to settle any sediment, then decant gently for approximately 30–45 minutes. Serve around 60–64°F; with a mature, high-alcohol Amarone, excessive warmth or prolonged aeration can diminish its balance.

Mai Dire Mai offers a distinctly powerful interpretation of Amarone, but the 2013’s acidity and mature savory character keep its richness from becoming one-dimensional. It is best suited to a substantial dinner or contemplative after-dinner service, particularly alongside braised beef, venison, aged Parmigiano-Reggiano or other intensely flavored mature cheeses.