Amarone della Valpolicella Classico DOCG 2017 Tommasi

From a very hot and dry vintage, the Tommasi 2017 Amarone della Valpolicella Classico is supple and round with plenty of soft fruit at its core. The vintage is less complex, with less depth, but it does deliver sweet tones of cherry, ripe plum and crème de cassis. Light shadings of spice and tobacco help to flesh it out. Tommasi's classic Amarone is a blend of 50% Corvina, 30% Corvinone, 15% Rondinella and 5% Oseleta. The grapes are sourced from the Le Groletta and Conca d'Oro vineyards, which have medium-rich limestone soils and lots of fossils.

Needs air to bring out the intense, bright red berries with some dates and spicy, meaty notes. Full-bodied with a tight but forward-driven palate, spurred along by clean acidity and firm, fine tannins. It’s all there, but needs time to mellow out. Try from 2023.

The 2017 Amarone della Valpolicella Classico opens with a minty freshness, as bright red berries and dusty dried flowers form in the glass. This is silky and saline in character, with depths of dark red fruits and spices all energized by saline-infused acidity, making for a highly drinkable expression as it develops inner rose tones toward the close. It's structured and staining with a bitter twang of dark fruits and savory herbs. While you can still drink this today, the best is yet to come. A strapping and deep Amarone.