Amarone: Panel tasting results

The Le Ragose estate sits high above the frazione of Arbizzano at Montericco, close to the southern tip of the Negrar valley. The Galli family has been producing Amarone here since the 1950s in a determinedly traditional style. Fermented in stainless steel tanks using indigenous yests, their Riserva 2013 spent no fewer than eight years in classic large, old Slavonian oak barrels. The result is well worth waiting for. Michael Garner: Leafy and woody nose. Ripe, round and chocolately, hints of mushroom and marron glacé, good definition of mature fruit flavours. A long, nuanced finish. Mature but could go on. Sara Bachiorri: Dried herbs and sweet cherry fruit. Rounded mouthfeel, a little spirity. Long finish, notes of raisin and dark chocolate with liquorice. Richard Baudains: A complex, evolved nose. Great intensity and balance with a long, deep finish. Bittersweet.

Aided by talented oenologist Gianmaria Ciman – an acolyte of the late, great Professor Roberto Ferrarini – Enrico Cascella Spinosa compares his wines to photographs, designed to capture the spirit of a particular place at a particular time. Here, we’re looking at Alabasini, a farmstead in the Figari area of Marano’s Masua hillside in the excellent 2016 vintage. A selection of the finest fruit from the estate vineyards, the wine is aged for a year in 500L French oak tonneaux, four years in Slavonian botti and a further 12 months in bottle before release. Michael Garner: Balanced and fragrant, with evolved fruit aromas, notes of liquorice and tobacco. A plush, seductive palate, full, lovely balance and impressive length. Sara Bachiorri: Smoky and meaty nose, baked red fruits and oak on the palate. Grainy tannins. Sweetness lingers on the finish. Richard Baudains: Complex, floral, herby nose. Firm palate, dry, with tight tannins and a long finish. Racy.

The Spada family has been farming 10ha of land at San Pietro in Cariano, in the south of the Classico zone, for four generations and the production process is kept entirely ‘in house’, even down to the appassimento at the family cellars. This grape-drying process takes about two and a half months and includes a proportion of Molinara grapes to boost freshness and drinkability in Firmus, the family’s ‘regular’ Amarone, which is aged for three years in mostly French oak casks of 10hl and 20hl. Michael Garner: Fresh and clean, macerated fruit nose, hints of pomander; impressive freshness. Lush and balanced palate with lilting fruits. Really well put together. Sara Bachiorri: Mint and dark fruit. Slightly medicinal with plum tart fruit and balsamic notes, grippy tannins and high acidity. Quite lifted with a long, savoury finish. Richard Baudains: Complex and spontaneous on the nose. Dense, dry and long on the palate. Very young.

Potpourri and tomato paste with intense fruit flavours of prunes, baked plums, and Morello cherry. Dark chocolate and raisins with alcohol and well-integrated tannin, balanced, and long. Mature, raisiny fruit with fig and mandarin. Great depth, and a long finish.

Blackberry and cherry jam with grippy tannins and a dense, rich mouthfeel. Notes of chocolate and vanilla, glossy and bright. Concentrated prune and cocoa. Plum, candied fruits and sweet spice, with a lovely, poised palate, lush texture, good acidity, and firm tannins. Good example, though alcohol is evident.

Dried herbs and toast with sweet red berries, dried and baked, and sweet spices. Tobacco adds complexity, with mature blackberry, round and ripe with sugarplum and moss. Plush, balanced, with a seductive mouthfeel and length.

Toast and coffee aromas. The palate shows dense red and dark fruit, prunes, and dried cherries. Complex, fruity and herby, with an energetic palate, less weight, more length, and delicately salty. Bright plum, dark fruit, woodsmoke, spice, balanced, ripe palate, charming finish.

Cured meat notes, cherries, and alcohol. Cedar and tobacco, with sweet, complex fruit, youthful ruby plum, dark chocolate, and burnt toast. Fair freshness with a lingering finish.

Smoky aromas with dried red berries and herbs. Raisin, sweet spices, cherry jam and vanilla pods. Rich texture with balanced acidity. Youthful plum-ruby, sweet fruit, toasty spice, and smooth ripe tannins. Long, complex finish.

Oxidative aromas, coffee, and dark chocolate. Oak, coffee, chocolate, and raisin. Round, soft, and deep, with great aromatic complexity. Dense mature plum, full and completely ready. High alcohol, good acidity, ripe tannins, long finish.

Smoke, toast, and coffee beans. Cherry and cherry jam. Fine-grained, grippy tannins. Smoky, incense, roasted chestnut, compact, deep, hot, and intense palate. Ripe cordial fruits and sugar plums, round and ripe, fully mature flavours.

Smoke, charcoal, and ripe red fruit aromas. Flavours of ripe red fruit with a meaty note, dark chocolate, liquorice, spices, and high alcohol. Almost vermouth-like, with a burning alcohol and sweetness on the finish.

Plums, prunes, dark cherry, and liquorice stick. High acidity, dense fruit, high alcohol, long finish. Youthful. Chocolate and almonds with delicate tannins, ripe, toasty spice, full, juicy, rich, balanced fruit flavours. Very good.

Aromas of forest floor, dark fruit compote, and shortbread. Chocolate and hazelnut on the airy palate, with a rich hint of bitter Corvina nuance. Dense dark plum, dried black fruit, oak, full, round, juicy with evident tannins.

Bittersweet with grippy, fine-grained tannins. Flavours of chocolate, raisins and prunes. Savoury fruit, dense tannins and toasty spice, lush, soft palate, fully mature.

Mature plum, fresh and dried fruits, toasty spice and woodsmoke. Tar and prunes and precise wild herbs. Dark chocolate, grippy tannins, and maraschino cherries. Brisk acidity. Impressive with a long finish.

Dense plums, cherries, and dark berries with chocolate and smoke notes. Bright floral fruit, well-made with youthful plum ruby, fresh leafy, spicy chocolate. Round and juicy, with ripe tannins, smooth finish.

Smoke and plums with sweet, showy fruit on the palate with considerable residual sugar. Well-integrated alcohol, balanced tannins, and acidity. Amarone character with fair oak integration. Rich, textural, and crowd-pleasing.

Juicy, sweet red fruit, ripe with refined, floral notes and tight tannins. Juicy palate, well-balanced, with a volatile cherry menthol consistency, bright ripe style.

Berries and flowers with a cinnamon dusting. Baked berries, sweet spices, prunes and molasses. Dense youthful blackberry, fresh hedgerow fruit, impressive intensity with lively acidity. Rich, and round with a spirited, jammy finish. Needs time.

Potpourri and fresh herbs on the nose. Palate shows alcohol-soaked Morello cherry, leafy, tobacco, dark chocolate, and coffee. Dense and lush with evolving spice and a hint of woodsmoke. Good typicity.