Michael Garner, Sara Bachiorri and Richard Baudains tasted 88 wines, with 3 Outstanding and 38 Highly Recommended.
Amarone: Panel tasting scores
40 wines tasted
Exceptional 0
Outstanding 3
Highly recommended 38
Recommended 36
Commended 9
Fair 2
Entry criteria: producers and UK agents were invited to submit their latest-release vintage wines classified as Amarone della Valpolicella, Amarone della Valpolicella Classico, or Amarone della Valpolicella Valpantena
Amarone has a clearly established identity as a round, full, soft and deeply coloured red, high in alcohol with a sensation of sweetness. Nonetheless, across the 88 wines on show, the panel found plenty of variables in terms of style and quality.
One of the most notable was just how much vintage matters. This tasting covered 10 different years: 2019 and 2018 accounted for almost 40% of the entries, with fewer from 2021 (six wines), 2020 (eight), 2017 (seven), 2016 (10), 2015 (seven), 2013 (three), and one wine each from 2011 and 2007.
Both 2019, a promising vintage that combines richness and freshness, and 2018 – more difficult, but with good levels of acidity – fared well, as, on the whole, did the highly touted 2016s and 2015s.
Scroll down to see the top results from the Amarone panel tasting
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Amarone panel tasting scores
Wines were tasted blind
{}
{"wineId":"88719","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"88720","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"88721","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"88722","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"88724","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"88725","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"88726","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"88723","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"88727","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"88728","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"88729","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"88730","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"88731","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"88732","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"88733","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"88734","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"88735","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"88736","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"88737","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"88740","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"88739","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"88738","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{}
The judges
Michael Garner is co-owner of Italian specialist Tria Wines and DWWA Regional Chair for Northern Italy. He is author of Amarone and the Fine Wines of Verona (£35 Académie du Vin Library, 2017)
Sara Bachiorri is in the buying team at merchant WoodWinters. A DWWA judge for Northern Italy, she was formerly head sommelier at The Glasshouse in Kew then Chez Bruce in London, followed by a stint at Italian specialist merchant FortyFive10°
Richard Baudains is the DWWA Regional Chair for Veneto and a regular contributor to Decanter. He lives in northeast Italy, is on the Slow Wine Guide team for Friuli Venezia Giulia, and is a university wine journalism teacher
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