2017 Begali Lorenzo Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Monte Ca’ Bianca 750ML

2017 Begali Lorenzo Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Monte Ca’ Bianca 750ML

2017 Begali Lorenzo Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Monte Ca’ Bianca 750ML This is an extraordinarily rich Amarone that exudes blackness and dense aromas of cola, raisins, dried prunes, leather, tobacco, spice and cherry wood. It’s a big wine for big meals of succulent grilled meats or heavy winter stews. Vanilla and soft oak flavors come though and the mouthfeel is round and velvety.

A beautiful wine that shows ample ripeness, with balance. It shows elegant restraint, but it is also exuberant and fully loaded. Its opulent character is very much in line with the hot vintage and the basic promise of Amarone that always prioritizes big intensity and lots of brooding fruit.

The 2017 Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Riserva Monte Cà Bianca is a beast, wafting up with a heady mix of crushed plums and black currants complemented by balsamic spice, dark chocolate and menthol. This is deeply textural, with masses of dark red fruit offset by a bitter twang of cocoa and a core of brisk acidity that maintains energy throughout. The 2017 leaves a lasting concentration and web of fine tannins to linger on, finishing youthfully structured and tense with a flourish of salted licorice that punctuates the wine quite nicely. Vinous

This Amarone flipped my lid. Exquisitely opulent with massive concentration but with balance, poise and grace. This superb Amarone come from the Begali Winery, a third generation family run house, in the town of Cengia located in the heart of the Valpolicella Classica in San Pietro in Cariano, halfway between the city of Verona and Garda Lake. Parker’s WA commented, “If you can name but two producers in Valpolicella (I’m betting they are Dal Forno and Quintarelli), it’s now time to add a third: Lorenzo Begali.” These guys make killer Amarone, high elevation calcareous soils, they hand pick specific grape bunches to be wind dried it open wooden boxes for 6 weeks to 2 months, typical of the Amarone process. They then again hand select after drying which bunches will used for their top Amarone which we bring you today the 2017 Begali Lorenzo Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Monte Ca’ Bianca. The 2017 won the much heralded ‘Tre Bicchieri’ or “Thee Glass” award by Gambero Rosso. Italy’s leading wine publication and a massive honor for an Italian wine. This is the top award and it is an honor for an Italian winery to just be tasted for Gambero Rosso. Over 20 000 wine are tasted and less that ha one half of 1% get the top award. Also you are competing against your peers. It is a huge honor to win Tre Bicchieri and there is a tremendous tasting that’s held in the US where you can go and taste Tre Bicchieri winner and meet their owners and wine makers.

This wine is a great example of what Amarone, huge richness, yet retains in elegance, spectacular concentrated fruit, perfect amount of oak. This wine is released 4 years vintage and is just starting to hit its stride. Reasonable for what’s in the bottle. A must for Amarone lovers and lovers of big rich red wine.