Amarone, people!

Not a Ripasso, but the real deal, pure opulence on display here!!

Some of you have not tried Amarone, and that is a BIG mistake if you like rich, powerful reds. At nearly HALF off, with 93 points, you’re getting a one-way ticket to vinous paradise.

Amarone rarely comes through our doors, so when one like this floats by the sample table we JUMP on the opportunity. This unique wine from the Veneto region of Italy is made by drying grapes until they shrivel to resemble raisins before fermentation. The sugars, acids, tannins and flavors concentrate as this happens. The resulting wine is dry, but ultra-extracted with lush, sweet and soul-warming ripe flavors. All this extra time and attention, combined with a less fermentable juice has one drawback - the price often soars up and over $100 for a bottle. But THIS sultry little gem can be yours for a LOT less. They also age incredibly well, and this 2012 is just peaking, entering a beautiful drinking window for years to come. If you can resist…

Before you dive into this one… we must warn you about the overflowing basket of generous fruit. Not a wine for those who want a delicate, dainty sipper. Nope. Think beefed up late picked Zinfandel with added complexity and refinement. Strap in and prepare for wave after wave of blackberry, blueberry and plum, all seeped in an exotic liqueur like Grand Marnier come flooding across your tongue with a soft, velvety mouthfeel and spicy intrigue. There’s chocolate coated cherries, licorice, tobacco, fig jam, raisin, leather, and a smooth, sultry vanilla note too, over delicious herbal undertones. So, SO good…super heady stuff, for sure!

Treat yourself to an experience of one of Italy’s greatest wines for much less than the usual entry price. Don’t sleep on this one.

93 Points – Wine Enthusiast

“Cedar, ground pepper, cassis, scorched earth and tobacco aromas lead the way on this powerfully structured red. The chewy full-bodied palate doles out dried black cherry, black currant, fig, licorice and dark bitter chocolate set against a backbone of ripe and solid tannins.”

91 Points – Wine Spectator

“A pure note of ripe crushed cherry heralds this medium- to full-bodied red, layered with an aromatic array of coffee liqueur, bergamot and exotic spice, showing a smoke-tinged, minerally underpinning. Sleek and well-knit, with a grippy finish. Drink now through 2025.”