More like a spiced herbal tea than wine, the 2018 Amarone della Valpolicella Classico wafts up with exotic spices, sweet herbs, cedar shavings and dried black cherries. It washes across the palate with silky textures, taking on a more tactile feel as masses of intense wild berry fruits saturate. Notes of mocha and rum-soak black currant are left lingering as the 2018 finishes lightly structured and buzzing with residual tension. This young Amarone is geared up for a long and steady evolution. Nicely done.

A balanced Amarone in an easy-drinking style, with crisp tannins and plush texture framing aromas and flavors of soft cherry, cigar box, herbs and spices, orange peel and date. Corvina, Rondinella, Corvinone and Oseleta. Drink now through 2026. Tasted twice, with consistent notes. 25,000 cases made, 7,000 cases imported.