Tasting Report: 2007, 2006 Amarone – 2004 Dal Forno, 2000 Quintarelli

A few months back I did a blind tasting in my house in Italy of about 40 currently released Amarone della Valpolicella Classicos, mostly 2007 and 2006, and I scored a little more than half of them as outstanding quality, or 90 points or more.

My favorite wines were from the masters of Amarone: Romano Dal Forno and Giuseppe Quintarelli. (But they were 2004 and 2000, respectively.) It’s no wonder that Dal Forno learned his incredible winemaking talent at Quintarelli. The two producers make such fabulous fruit-driven wines with stunning focus on purity of fruit. Both are so outrageously ready to drink. The two wines are in meal themselves. They are so delicious and voluptuous.

My tasting was not comprehensive but it did give me an idea of the 2007 and 2006 vintage. I have to say that I have a slight preference for the later. The 2006s I tasted seem to have slightly more complexity and firmness with a better backbone of tannins. The 2007 are so forward and delicious already. They are almost too easy. But they certainly are crowd-pleasers.

I tend to like cleaner, more precise Amarones even though some other people may like theirs funkier and earthier. The wines I gave the highest score – besides the explosive Dal Forno and Quintarelli – showed wonderful focus and balance. I really value harmony and beauty in a red, even in a powerful and dense wine like Amarone.

I tasted the wines listed below but scored them less than 90-points.

Bertani Amarone della Valpolicella Valpantena Villa Arvedi 2007

Bolla Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Le Origini 2007

Ca' Rugate Amarone della Valpolicella 2007

Ca' Rugate Amarone della Valpolicella 2006

Giacomo Montresor Amarone della Valpolicella Fondatore 2006

Michele Castellani Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Campo Casalin 2006

Monte del Frà Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Tenuta Lena di Mezzo 2007

Monte del Frà Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Tenuta Lena di Mezzo 2006

Pasqua Amarone della Valpolicella 2007

Pasqua Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Villa Borghetti 2006

Santi Amarone della Valpolicella Proemio 2007

Tedeschi Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 2007

Tedeschi Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Capitel Monte Olmi 2006

Tommasi Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Il Sestante Vigneto Monte Masua 2007

Tommasi Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 2007

Villa Monteleone Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 2007