Riondo Amarone Della Valpolicella 2015

A classic Amarone, in terms of colour, nose and palate, with elegance. The fruit is still bold, giving aromas of Morello cherry, plums, prunes, raisins and plump blackberry followed by light spicy notes of cinnamon and clove, as well as lightish licorice. There are soft tannins with an alluring nose of other spices on the finish. The body seems light by Amarone standard, but it is 'full-bodied' as a glass of red wine, and it tastes severe too. With not so much depth, it is displaying nonetheless a more elegant feel that can broaden the appeal of this iconic wine in the red-wine biased Hong Kong market. The wine aged in oak for 24 months.

Tasting based on 1 hour full-decanting

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Cantine Riondo is an Italian wine producer based in the northeastern region of Veneto, formed from over 2400 winegrowers that cultivate more than 6000 hectares (15,000 acres) of vineyards. While 'Cantine' may not sound as prestigious as the other single vineyards, it is one of the most valued Amarone. In the classic style, this 2015 has been crafted for centuries by hand-harvesting and drying the grapes for months to concentrate the flavours before fermentation, known as the appassimento process. It is amongst Italy's most notable and boldest red wines, with opulent, densely packed flavours of cherry, plum, raisin, and spice that are capable of decades of ageing, which produces unmatched depth.

Grow from Corvina, Rondinella and Corvinone grapes, with small amounts of other local grape varieties, the wine follows the traditional Amarone production method; the grapes are dried in Riondo's temperature-controlled warehouse until the January following the harvest.

The score is impressive(from a local writer, not from the general wine at large); prizes are significant(not form local, paegent shows; and Golds only), such as:

98 Points, Luca Maroni

Gold Medal, Berliner Wein Trophy 2019

Gold Medal, Mundus Vini 2019