Roccolo Grassi, Amarone della Valpolicella 2016

Roccolo Grassi works the eastern hills of the Valpolicella with obsessive precision, drying its grapes for months before a long, slow fermentation. The 2016 Amarone comes from a celebrated Veneto vintage, a Corvina-led blend that channels the appassimento tradition into something polished, structured and built for the very long haul.

Deep, opaque garnet. The nose is profound and brooding: dried black cherry, fig, raisin, cocoa, sweet pipe tobacco and a balsamic, almost camphor-like depth. The palate is full and velvety yet dry, immense ripe fruit balanced by firm tannins and a vein of acidity that keeps the weight aloft. Bitter chocolate and dried herb mark the finish, which is long, warming and majestic.