2016 Amarone della Valpolicella Classico

The Zenato winery is located in Sant'Ambrogio at their Costalunga estate within the Valpolicella Classica zone, where they sustainably tend to 35 hectares. Zenato uses natural air drying for the grapes, indigenous yeasts and their own design of oval-shaped Slavonian oak casks, from 300 to 750 liters, for refinement of their Amarone, Amarone Riserva and Ripasso. These are traditionally styled wines that aren’t shy yet remain amazingly balanced and refined. Residual sugar levels range from 4 to 6.5 grams per liter, with alcohols around 16.5 - 17% for the Amarones. All of that said, there’s an inner harmony that must be experienced to be believed, along with zesty acidity that makes it very easy to forget just how powerful they really are. This year's tasting included the 2013 Riserva, which I hadn’t tasted previously. It’s a spectacular interpretation of the vintage. Also, the 2015 Lugana Riserva is a wine that ranks at the top in its category. I also had a chance to revisit the 2018 Amarone and 2017 Riserva; both were stunning.

There’s something about the Zenato style that has always kept me gravitating toward the portfolio. The bigger wines are spicy and vibrant yet unmistakably Amarone, and the Ripasso (or as they call it, “Ripassa”) is almost always a standout and great value in its category. The Zenato winery is located in Sant'Ambrogio at their Costalunga estate within the Valpolicella Classica zone, where they sustainably tend to 35 hectares. Overall, the portfolio is traditional in style yet open-minded. Zenato uses natural air drying for the grapes (unless the vintage conditions threaten the health of the fruit), indigenous yeasts (unless alcohol levels begin to rise too high) and their own design of oval-shaped Slavonian oak casks, from 300 to 750 liters, for refinement of their Amarone, Amarone Riserva and Ripasso. This is a well-delineated portfolio that offers a little something for everyone and plays from strength to strength. Just as I mentioned the spicy vibrancy of the Amarone, the Riserva (an old-vines selection that spends an extra year in oak) communicates a darker, richer, softer, and, dare I say, old-school yet wonderfully enjoyable expression. As for the Ripassa, the term “Baby Amarone'' fits it very well. Nadia Zenato and her enologist, Silvano Tempesta, spoke enthusiastically about their new project, the cru-designated Cresasso, a 100% Corvina that they have high hopes for, and which I look forward to tasting in the future.

Zenato is one of the great names in Amarone. Over the years, this family-run estate has built a brilliant track record with rich, luscious Amarones that develop beautifully in bottle. This recent vertical tasting takes an in-depth look at the Zenato Amarones going all the way back to 1980.

2005 Cresasso Corvina Veronese Rosso.

Zenato is one of the historic names in Valpolicella. The estate makes a wide range of wines, but truly excels with Amarone. A recent vertical tasting of Zenato's Amarone Riserva Sergio Zenato going back to 1980 was eye-opening for many reasons, not the least of which was seeing just how well the wines age.

Zenato is one of the historic names in Valpolicella. The estate makes a wide range of wines, but truly excels with Amarone. A recent vertical tasting of Zenato's Amarone Riserva Sergio Zenato going back to 1980 was eye-opening for many reasons, not the least of which was seeing just how well the wines age. Readers will find notes from that tasting on this site.

I remember my dad telling me when I was a kid that Amarone was one of the world's great wines. Just behind Barolo, in his view. Ever since then, these wines have been a source of endless fascination. In the mid and late 1990s, when Italy's top restaurants still kept well-stocked cellars of older wines, it was possible to find aged Amarone for extremely reasonable prices, making it quite fun and relatively easy to learn about the wines. Sadly, those days are long gone. Still, Amarone remains one of my favorite Italian wines. Like many consumers, I sometimes have a hard time finding the right occasion to open a bottle. When I do, I always wonder why I don't drink Amarone more often. As delicious as Amarone can be when young, the best wines also age exceptionally well. This vertical was fascinating for many reasons. The ability to chart the development of an estate is of course highly educational, but following the arc of these wines over several decades was more than once a truly emotional experience. Zenato is one of Veneto's most storied family-run estates. Sergio Zenato founded the winery in 1960. The first Amarone followed a few years later, in 1967. Sadly, Zenato passed away in 2008. Today Zenato's children Alberto and Nadia are doing terrific work across the entire range of wines. Zenato makes two Amarones, a Classico and a Riserva. Both Amarones are aged predominantly in cask. The Classico spends about three years in oak and also sees some French oak tonneaux, while the Riserva emerges from the estate's older vineyards and spends four full years in Slavonian oak casks. One of the most fascinating aspects of a tasting such as this one is having the ability to follow the evolution of a wine over several decades, which is illuminating, to say the least. Over the years, the Zenato Amarones have become bigger and richer, with higher dry extracts, but there is also a distinct house signature that runs through all the wines.

I remember my dad telling me when I was a kid that Amarone was one of the world's great wines. Just behind Barolo, in his view. Ever since then, these wines have been a source of endless fascination. In the mid and late 1990s, when Italy's top restaurants still kept well-stocked cellars of older wines, it was possible to find aged Amarone for extremely reasonable prices, making it quite fun and relatively easy to learn about the wines. Sadly, those days are long gone. Still, Amarone remains one of my favorite Italian wines. Like many consumers, I sometimes have a hard time finding the right occasion to open a bottle. When I do, I always wonder why I don't drink Amarone more often. As delicious as Amarone can be when young, the best wines also age exceptionally well. This vertical was fascinating for many reasons. The ability to chart the development of an estate is of course highly educational, but following the arc of these wines over several decades was more than once a truly emotional experience. Zenato is one of Veneto's most storied family-run estates. Sergio Zenato founded the winery in 1960. The first Amarone followed a few years later, in 1967. Sadly, Zenato passed away in 2008. Today Zenato's children Alberto and Nadia are doing terrific work across the entire range of wines. Zenato makes two Amarones, a Classico and a Riserva. Both Amarones are aged predominantly in cask. The Classico spends about three years in oak and also sees some French oak tonneaux, while the Riserva emerges from the estate's older vineyards and spends four full years in Slavonian oak casks. One of the most fascinating aspects of a tasting such as this one is having the ability to follow the evolution of a wine over several decades, which is illuminating, to say the least. Over the years, the Zenato Amarones have become bigger and richer, with higher dry extracts, but there is also a distinct house signature that runs through all the wines.

I remember my dad telling me when I was a kid that Amarone was one of the world's great wines. Just behind Barolo, in his view. Ever since then, these wines have been a source of endless fascination. In the mid and late 1990s, when Italy's top restaurants still kept well-stocked cellars of older wines, it was possible to find aged Amarone for extremely reasonable prices, making it quite fun and relatively easy to learn about the wines. Sadly, those days are long gone. Still, Amarone remains one of my favorite Italian wines. Like many consumers, I sometimes have a hard time finding the right occasion to open a bottle. When I do, I always wonder why I don't drink Amarone more often. As delicious as Amarone can be when young, the best wines also age exceptionally well. This vertical was fascinating for many reasons. The ability to chart the development of an estate is of course highly educational, but following the arc of these wines over several decades was more than once a truly emotional experience. Zenato is one of Veneto's most storied family-run estates. Sergio Zenato founded the winery in 1960. The first Amarone followed a few years later, in 1967. Sadly, Zenato passed away in 2008. Today Zenato's children Alberto and Nadia are doing terrific work across the entire range of wines. Zenato makes two Amarones, a Classico and a Riserva. Both Amarones are aged predominantly in cask. The Classico spends about three years in oak and also sees some French oak tonneaux, while the Riserva emerges from the estate's older vineyards and spends four full years in Slavonian oak casks. One of the most fascinating aspects of a tasting such as this one is having the ability to follow the evolution of a wine over several decades, which is illuminating, to say the least. Over the years, the Zenato Amarones have become bigger and richer, with higher dry extracts, but there is also a distinct house signature that runs through all the wines.

I remember my dad telling me when I was a kid that Amarone was one of the world's great wines. Just behind Barolo, in his view. Ever since then, these wines have been a source of endless fascination. In the mid and late 1990s, when Italy's top restaurants still kept well-stocked cellars of older wines, it was possible to find aged Amarone for extremely reasonable prices, making it quite fun and relatively easy to learn about the wines. Sadly, those days are long gone. Still, Amarone remains one of my favorite Italian wines. Like many consumers, I sometimes have a hard time finding the right occasion to open a bottle. When I do, I always wonder why I don't drink Amarone more often. As delicious as Amarone can be when young, the best wines also age exceptionally well. This vertical was fascinating for many reasons. The ability to chart the development of an estate is of course highly educational, but following the arc of these wines over several decades was more than once a truly emotional experience. Zenato is one of Veneto's most storied family-run estates. Sergio Zenato founded the winery in 1960. The first Amarone followed a few years later, in 1967. Sadly, Zenato passed away in 2008. Today Zenato's children Alberto and Nadia are doing terrific work across the entire range of wines. Zenato makes two Amarones, a Classico and a Riserva. Both Amarones are aged predominantly in cask. The Classico spends about three years in oak and also sees some French oak tonneaux, while the Riserva emerges from the estate's older vineyards and spends four full years in Slavonian oak casks. One of the most fascinating aspects of a tasting such as this one is having the ability to follow the evolution of a wine over several decades, which is illuminating, to say the least. Over the years, the Zenato Amarones have become bigger and richer, with higher dry extracts, but there is also a distinct house signature that runs through all the wines.

I remember my dad telling me when I was a kid that Amarone was one of the world's great wines. Just behind Barolo, in his view. Ever since then, these wines have been a source of endless fascination. In the mid and late 1990s, when Italy's top restaurants still kept well-stocked cellars of older wines, it was possible to find aged Amarone for extremely reasonable prices, making it quite fun and relatively easy to learn about the wines. Sadly, those days are long gone. Still, Amarone remains one of my favorite Italian wines. Like many consumers, I sometimes have a hard time finding the right occasion to open a bottle. When I do, I always wonder why I don't drink Amarone more often. As delicious as Amarone can be when young, the best wines also age exceptionally well. This vertical was fascinating for many reasons. The ability to chart the development of an estate is of course highly educational, but following the arc of these wines over several decades was more than once a truly emotional experience. Zenato is one of Veneto's most storied family-run estates. Sergio Zenato founded the winery in 1960. The first Amarone followed a few years later, in 1967. Sadly, Zenato passed away in 2008. Today Zenato's children Alberto and Nadia are doing terrific work across the entire range of wines. Zenato makes two Amarones, a Classico and a Riserva. Both Amarones are aged predominantly in cask. The Classico spends about three years in oak and also sees some French oak tonneaux, while the Riserva emerges from the estate's older vineyards and spends four full years in Slavonian oak casks. One of the most fascinating aspects of a tasting such as this one is having the ability to follow the evolution of a wine over several decades, which is illuminating, to say the least. Over the years, the Zenato Amarones have become bigger and richer, with higher dry extracts, but there is also a distinct house signature that runs through all the wines.

I remember my dad telling me when I was a kid that Amarone was one of the world's great wines. Just behind Barolo, in his view. Ever since then, these wines have been a source of endless fascination. In the mid and late 1990s, when Italy's top restaurants still kept well-stocked cellars of older wines, it was possible to find aged Amarone for extremely reasonable prices, making it quite fun and relatively easy to learn about the wines. Sadly, those days are long gone. Still, Amarone remains one of my favorite Italian wines. Like many consumers, I sometimes have a hard time finding the right occasion to open a bottle. When I do, I always wonder why I don't drink Amarone more often. As delicious as Amarone can be when young, the best wines also age exceptionally well. This vertical was fascinating for many reasons. The ability to chart the development of an estate is of course highly educational, but following the arc of these wines over several decades was more than once a truly emotional experience. Zenato is one of Veneto's most storied family-run estates. Sergio Zenato founded the winery in 1960. The first Amarone followed a few years later, in 1967. Sadly, Zenato passed away in 2008. Today Zenato's children Alberto and Nadia are doing terrific work across the entire range of wines. Zenato makes two Amarones, a Classico and a Riserva. Both Amarones are aged predominantly in cask. The Classico spends about three years in oak and also sees some French oak tonneaux, while the Riserva emerges from the estate's older vineyards and spends four full years in Slavonian oak casks. One of the most fascinating aspects of a tasting such as this one is having the ability to follow the evolution of a wine over several decades, which is illuminating, to say the least. Over the years, the Zenato Amarones have become bigger and richer, with higher dry extracts, but there is also a distinct house signature that runs through all the wines.