Review by Kyle Philips
There's no getting around it, Amarone is going places: The
Valpolicella appellation was declared 2009's Winemaking Region of the
Year by Wine Enthusiast (beating out, among others, Champagne), while
the world's counterfeiters recently paid it a backhanded complement of
sorts, by trying to slip more than a million bottles of fake Amarone
into the world markets. Considering that the total production of
Amarone is under 10 million bottles, one has an idea of how highly the
criminals valued Amarone.
Barrel sample Marchesi Fumanelli Amarone 2006
Deep black cherry with black reflections and cherry
rim. The bouquet is powerful, with quite a bit of alcohol mingled with
bitter graphite and brown sugar; there are hints of red berry fruit and
brandied cherries, but they are in the background now. On the palate
it's ample, with fairly rich dusky berry fruit supported by graphite
shaving bitterness with pleasant savory accents and some brambly
acidity that flow into a clean savory finish. It's deft, in an ample
alcoholic key, and though it is quite young, it promises well, and will
age nicely. I found it growing upon me, and think it will age nicely,
becoming lacy with time.
2 stars
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