Very aromatic, pushing out aromas of dried red and black fruit, including dried blueberries and dates, together with a nice, spicy layer of nutmeg and pressed flowers. Full-bodied with an amazingly harmonious texture to the palate, thanks to the dense, very fine tannins that also provide super length. There’s a bright, saline mineral note that kicks in and pushes the finish even further. Exquisite Amarone.

Bright garnet red with wide brightening rim. Baroque bouquet on the nose of raisins, sour cherry and varnish. Massive on the palate, slightly warming, with fine-grained tannin structure, mouth-filling and extremely long on the tongue.

The 2018 Amarone della Valpolicella Classico is exotic in the glass, with blood orange and mint nuances giving way to macerated cherries and clove. Supple and round upon entry, this impresses with its core of vibrant acidity and vividly ripe red fruits that create an interplay of sweet and sour on the palate. This tapers off with depth and concentration but is also unexpectedly fresh, leaving notes of plum and autumnal spice to linger on and on. This is a wildly successful effort for the vintage. My hat is off to Zernato.

The aromas of this wine—pomegranate syrup, blackstrap molasses and macerated plums with bay leaf and star anise—bring you deeper into the glass with each sniff. The wine unfolds onto the palate with a silky texture and is currently focused on lush fruit flavors. Rich and mouthfilling, the wine finishes with a touch of acidity that helps perk it up.