1997 Bolla Amarone

1997 Bolla Amarone della Valpolicella

This past week I had the pleasure of trying the 1997 Bolla Amarone della Valpolicella.  Amarone is made mostly of Corvina grapes, blended with Rondinella and Molinara, which are harvested and let to dry on straw mats, and only then are the grapes crushed.

Suspicious there might be a bit of sediment, I stood the wine up two days before the day I planned to enjoy it, in order to let any sediment settle to the bottom.  I opened the wine about two hours before dinner, and poured it into the decanter, which was necessary as there was quite a bit of sediment but since I was careful in decanting, the sediment posed no problem.

Amarone with Parmigiano-Reggiano and walnuts

The wine was a deep rich color, neither red nor purple but somewhere in between with a slightly lighter rim.  The characteristics were those of dark fruit, leather, earth, chocolate, and raisin, with a velvety texture indicating the wine had aged nicely, and the finish was long and so smooth.  I would say this was one of the best balanced wines I’ve tasted in quite some time.

Since this is a special wine, the menu was planned carefully.  Ribeye steak with sauteed portobello mushrooms and crusty Italian bread were the main course, followed by perfectly aged Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and organic walnuts.  The pairing was excellent, especially with the cheese and walnuts.

This was a very special wine and while Amarone is a bit on the pricey side, it’s well worth it.