Okay, it’s the twenty-second of the month, and I realized I hadn’t shared my “Pick Of The Month.” Shame on me. However, as late as it is, I need to let you know about this wine!
For those of you who have discovered the wine known as Amarone, produced in northeast Italy, this wine is for you, or anyone else who likes rich, balanced reds with well-integrated acidity. I would call this wine a poor man’s Amarone. The base grape is Corvina, which is used in the production of Amarone. The only difference is in the production of the wine. When producing Amarone, the grapes are dried on racks for up to three months before being pressed, making for a very concentrated wine. With this wine, the grapes are dried on the vine before harvesting. The concentration is not quite as intense, but you still get some of that richness. Going this route is not as costly either, meaning the retail price is far less. The bottom line is that you get a great wine for a fraction of the price.
Aromas of blackberries, cherries, red flowers, licorice, and hints of vanilla and chocolate. Dried cherries on the palate, joined by notes of fig, red flowers, and a kiss of bittersweet chocolate. Sweet tannins, balanced by nicely integrated acidity. Baking spices come out on the finish, mingling with the dried cherry and fig notes, with just a pinch of tobacco joining the palate party. This is a lot of wine for the money!
B+/A-
Also, they recently changed the name of the wine to Amicale, but it is the same juice (kind of weird if you ask me).
Cheers!
Stan The Wine Man
