2015 Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Riserva Sergio Zenato
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Packaged in a pretty brown label, the Zenato 2015 Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Riserva Sergio Zenato is very ripe and open with aged aromas of tarry smoke and baked fruit. This inky dark wine feels evolved and further down its evolutionary track than it should be. The 2015 vintage was hot and dry leading up to the appassimento process. That oxidative heaviness is pushed forward by a 16.5% alcohol content. The blend is 80% Corvina, 10% Rondinella and the rest is Oseleta and Croatina. Production is 9,000 bottles.
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Average Score
Jancis Robinson MW
James Suckling
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The 2015 Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Riserva Sergio Zenato is a massive and towering expression that straddles both savory and sweet with a heady display of plum sauce and crushed raspberries complemented by mentholated herbs, licorice and balsamic spice. There are depths of fresh red and black fruits that gain a polished feel as they coast across velvety textures, while vibrant acidity adds verve, further contrasted by a bitter twang of baker’s chocolate. There’s so much going on here that you hardly notice the 2015’s formidable structure up until the very end, where hints of cumin and ginger linger under an air of violet florals. I believe this opulent beauty deserves an official “Wow.” Drink the 2015 now for its primal intensity and extroverted fruit, or put it away for upwards of a decade. It’s a gorgeous Amarone Riserva.
An Amarone for the future with terrific richness and tannin power, offering dried fruit, figs, blackberries, bark, mushrooms and hints of wood. Full-bodied and very structured with a powerful finish. It needs a lot of time to come around. Try it after 2024.