Tommasi Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 2016
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James
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Winemaker Notes
Tommasi Amarone is a wine which one can proudly serve on special occasions, particularly with red meats, game and ripe cheeses. But it can also be sipped an ideal companion to enjoyable conversation.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
A rich, layered Amarone with lots of fruit. Bright, sliced dried citrus to the ripe and juicy fruit. It’s full-bodied and compact with a beautiful finish and transparency. Drink or hold.
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Wine & Spirits
Slatey undertones combine with moderate alcohol and lively acidity to create an elegant, understated wine that will appeal to people who think they don’t like Amarone. The flavors include both fresh and dried cherries, laced with subtle spice and framed by polished tannins.
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Wine Enthusiast
This has a shy nose that eventually reveals whiffs of stewed prune, leather and tilled earth. The solid palate offers baked plum, candied raisin and a dollop of vanilla alongside polished, rather relaxed tannins before a bitter almond finish. Drink through 2026.
Other Vintages
2019- Vinous
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James
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James
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James
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Robert
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James
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Robert
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Tommasi Viticoltori (Tommasi Vintners) is a family viticultural company founded in 1902. Tommasi is located in Pedemonte village in the heart of Valpolicella Classico region, on a small piece of land in the northwest part of Verona, between the Lessini mountains and their plains near Lake Garda.
From grandfather Giacomo's tiny vineyard, the Tommasi estate has grown steadily over the course of years and today extends over 135 hectares of vineyards blessed by mother nature not only by a magnificent landscape, but more importantly, by its perfect suitability for grapes. The estate is run by the 4th generation of the Tommasi family, 6 members working together in complete harmony
With hundreds of red grape varieties to choose from, winemakers have the freedom to create a virtually endless assortment of blended red wines. In many European regions, strict laws are in place determining the set of varieties that may be used, but in the New World, experimentation is permitted and encouraged resulting in a wide variety of red wine styles. Blending can be utilized to enhance balance or create complexity, lending different layers of flavors and aromas. For example, a red wine blend variety that creates a fruity and full-bodied wine would do well combined with one that is naturally high in acidity and tannins. Sometimes small amounts of a particular variety are added to boost color or aromatics. Blending can take place before or after fermentation, with the latter, more popular option giving more control to the winemaker over the final qualities of the wine.
How to Serve Red Wine
A common piece of advice is to serve red wine at “room temperature,” but this suggestion is imprecise. After all, room temperature in January is likely to be quite different than in August, even considering the possible effect of central heating and air conditioning systems. The proper temperature to aim for is 55° F to 60° F for lighter-bodied reds and 60° F to 65° F for fuller-bodied wines.
How Long Does Red Wine Last?
Once opened and re-corked, a bottle stored in a cool, dark environment (like your fridge) will stay fresh and nicely drinkable for a day or two. There are products available that can extend that period by a couple of days. As for unopened bottles, optimal storage means keeping them on their sides in a moderately humid environment at about 57° F. Red wines stored in this manner will stay good – and possibly improve – for anywhere from one year to multiple decades. Assessing how long to hold on to a bottle is a complicated science. If you are planning long-term storage of your reds, seek the advice of a wine professional.
Producing every style of wine and with great success, the Veneto is one of the most multi-faceted wine regions of Italy.
Veneto's appellation called Valpolicella (meaning “valley of cellars” in Italian) is a series of north to south valleys and is the source of the region’s best red wine with the same name. Valpolicella—the wine—is juicy, spicy, tart and packed full of red cherry flavors. Corvina makes up the backbone of the blend with Rondinella, Molinara, Croatina and others playing supporting roles. Amarone, a dry red, and Recioto, a sweet wine, follow the same blending patterns but are made from grapes left to dry for a few months before pressing. The drying process results in intense, full-bodied, heady and often, quite cerebral wines.
Soave, based on the indigenous Garganega grape, is the famous white here—made ultra popular in the 1970s at a time when quantity was more important than quality. Today one can find great values on whites from Soave, making it a perfect choice as an everyday sipper! But the more recent local, increased focus on low yields and high quality winemaking in the original Soave zone, now called Soave Classico, gives the real gems of the area. A fine Soave Classico will exhibit a round palate full of flavors such as ripe pear, yellow peach, melon or orange zest and have smoky and floral aromas and a sapid, fresh, mineral-driven finish.
Much of Italy’s Pinot grigio hails from the Veneto, where the crisp and refreshing style is easy to maintain; the ultra-popular sparkling wine, Prosecco, comes from here as well.