2012 Masi Costasera Amarone Della Valpolicella, Veneto

Proud, majestic, complex and exuberant: this is Masi's gentle giant. A benchmark for the Amarone category, which, together with Barolo and Brunello, makes up the aristocracy of the Italian wine world.

The product of Masi's unrivalled expertise in the appassimento technique, whereby traditional grapes for the Valpolicella Classica area - Corvina, Rondinella and Molinara - are laid out on bamboo racks to concentrate their aromas during the winter months. A classic interpretation, the 2012 Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Costasera offers power and personality. The bouquet shows your standard Amarone aromas of sweet spice and overripe fruit. Costasera adds class and finesse thanks to the slow way in which the wine evolves in the glass. The mouthfeel also treads with a delicate pace. Its silky texture never feels too heavy or overburdened.

 Lots of complexity comes through from the outset on the nose, borne out in terms of smoky black cherries, dried rose stems, asphalt, tar and licorice. Full, structured body that dives through layers of dark fruit, driven along by active acidity all the way to the long but not cloying finish.

94 points James Suckling jamessuckling.com