Big, bold, and Italian all the way…
This Amarone from Remo Farina, a bold, brazen, and charismatic red blend, lived up to its billing and did justice to Amarone’s Appassimento wine-making style. The alcohol content, a whopping 15.5%, which is probably an under-estimate, paralleled the robust flavours in terms of presence.
Made from a combination of Corvina, Rondinella, Molinara, and “some other grapes” (according to the bottle label), all of which are dried for 4 months, this full-bodied Amarone is aged for 3 years in Slavonian oak.
As one would expect, dry and jammy fruits, such as prunes and raisins, dominate the nose, as do black pepper, mocha, cigar box, and garrigue (a green taste, possibly from the oak), not to mention alcohol. On the palate, this blend comes across as off-dry, with more jammy fruit and kirsch notes, as well as more spices, wood, earth. Interestingly, the fruit endures in the long finish.
If you’re looking for a sipping wine, we suggest you look elsewhere. If, on the other hand, you’re looking for something more robust to serve with flavourful dishes, such as steak, hearty stews, and strong cheeses, this is your ticket. We poured it with gnocchi smothered in a rosé sauce with garlic, Italian sausages and sundried tomatoes, which tempered some of the sweetness in the wine.
At $34.95 CAD, we’d consider it good value.
Rating (from 70 to 100): 89/100
Value: 3.5/5
The Bottle Details…
The Bottle Details…Name: Remo Farina Le Pezze Amarone
Vintage: 2010
Producer: Azienda Vinicola Farina Srl
Region/Country: D.O.C. Veneto, Italy
Grape Varietals: Corvina, Rondinella, Molinara, and other local varietals
Alcohol content: 15.5%
Consumed: At home on a chilly spring evening.
Recommended By: Received it as a gift from a friend.
Cost: $34.95.
Bottle Presentation: A big-A… Amarone, at least according to the prominent “A” on the subdued, basic label. It kind of reminded us of a child’s nursery rhyme book cover.
The Tasting Details…
Appearance: Medium garnet.
Nose: A pronounced nose with noticeable, bordering on aggressive, alcohol. Prominent aromas included dry and jammy prunes and raisins, black pepper, mocha, cigar box, leather, and garrigue.
Taste: A dry-to-off-dry, full-bodied red blend, with high acidity and pronounced, drying tannins. Similar to the nose, prominent flavours included jammy prunes and raisins, as well as kirsch, spices, wood, and earth.
Finish: A long earth and jammy fruit finish.