2012 Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Riserva

When planning these trips, you have to make hard decisions about which producers you can and cannot visit. Originally, one of those hard choices was to skip Brigaldara on this trip, a producer that I’ve come to respect a great deal. However, after tasting through a small selection of new releases at a large format tasting and being reminded of just how special these wines are, I found myself reaching out to Antonio Cesari, the current managing generation of the family, for an after-hours visit; and, boy, am I glad I did. Brigaldara has a lot going for them, starting with the forward-thinking and passionate Antonio Cesari, who is constantly working toward more purity and savoriness in Valpolicella. Also part of his team is Enrico Nicolis, the Oenological Production Manager, a student of Prof. Ferrarini, who has become one of the most sought-after consultants in the region (Including at Quintarelli). Then there are the diverse vineyard locations, three of them to be exact, and each with the ability to communicate the uniqueness of their terroir. The house Amarone hails from the stone-terraced Brigaldara cru within Valpolicella Classico at around 250 meters with volcanic soils, while the Amarone Cavolo is sourced from a warmer location in a small valley with an eastern exposure, lower elevations at around 150 meters and poor, stony soils. Then there’s the Case Vecie line of Amarone and Valpolicella, which comes from the high hills (up to 450 meters) of Grezzana in Valpantena and a much cooler exposition, so much so that the grapes ripen 20 to 25 days later than the rest of Valpolicella. The climate here is extreme and packs these grapes full of character. In the end, readers can find something to like about each of these wines, from the balance of the Amarone Classico to the softer contours of the Cavolo, and, finally, the dark, structured and near-salty savoriness of the Case Vecie. Also worth noting is the ability that the wines of Brigaldara have to mature over decades, which the family is always happy to prove by pulling out older vintages. If you’re not already buying the wines of Brigaldara, make sure to keep them high on your watchlist because this is one of the producers in the region that continues to move forward by leaps and bounds.