2009 Amarone della Valpolicella Riserva La Mattonara
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Available in a heavy glass bottle with a label design of a human fingerprint inside a grape leaf, the Zýmè 2009 Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Riserva della Mattonara does indeed prove to be a fitting joint venture between vintner and vineyard. The blend of fruit used sees air-dried Corvina, Corvinone, Rondinella, Molinara, Oseleta and Croatina, and the wine starts off in cement and stainless steel only to be transferred into Slavonian oak for an ambitious nine-year aging period. This Riserva (with 5,000 bottles made) hits the market more than 10 years after the harvest. It shows an evolved character with concentrated black fruit, savory tobacco, cured meat and sweet spice. The mouthfeel is dense and almost syrupy. It offers a powerful 16% alcohol content. This is surely one of the most distinctive and original wines to come from northeast Italy, and it will appeal to those who love vinous excess and richness.
Critic scores
Average Score
Monica Larner, Wine Advocate
Eric Guido, Vinous
More reviews and scores
For all of its intensity and depth, the 2009 Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Riserva La Mattonara is remarkably fresh. It mixes medicinal cherry and crushed blackberry with sweet balsam herbs and hints of cocoa. This is opulence personified, impossibly rich and velvety, mixing both savory and sweet while saturating the senses with wild berry preserves contrasted by sour citrus. A wall of tannin grips the palate through the finale; yet throughout, this remains fresh, leaving lavender and clove to linger. The 2009 is a caged beast, as well as a total beauty.