The classic Tommasi Amarone della Valpolicella Classico is probably a label that may be familiar to many who have often taken a walk among the wine shelves of their local grocer for casual browsing. A classic Amarone DOCG that’s accessible to anyone – what’s not to love?

Italy’s Iconic and Historic Valpolicella Winemaking Region

Italy’s Valpolicella region is an iconic winemaking zone in the country renowned for the red wines that originate from its wineries. Located within the Verona province and east of Lake Garda, Valpolicella is made up of hilly agricultural areas littered with marble quarries. Some of the most well-known red wines come from this regions, and perhaps most famous of them all is the internationally beloved Amarone wine.

The winemaking tradition from this area has a history that can be traced back to the era of the ancient Greeks. In fact, at one point of the Valpolicella’s winemaking history, the tradition of using dried grapes to make wine (a method used to produce Amarone, which we’ll get to in a bit) was understood as the “Greek style” of wine production! Today, we can view the Valpolicella region in three distinct geographical winemaking zones – Classica and Valpantena on the west of Lake Garda, as well as Eastern Valpolicella located closer towards the Po River and Soave zone. A variety of styles have emerged from this area, including the Valpolicella Classico and Superiore, the Recioto della Valpolicella DOCG, the Ripasso di Valpolicella DOC, and of course one of the Italy’s most premium red wine styles – the Amarone della Valpolicella DOCG.

Valpolicella’s climate is largely ranges from mild to cool continental, attributable to the region being surrounded by the presence of the large Lake Garda in the west and the Adriatic Sea towards the southeast. The soils of its vineyards are a combination of gravel from the moraines around Lake Garda as well as more alluvial soils in the more fertile central areas. The Corvina grape is the most prominent grape from Valpolicella, as well as the Rondinella and Corvinone grapes.

The Tradition of Amarone della Valpolicella

The robust Amarone red wine is probably the most premiere expression of the Valpolicella region and is among one of the most internationally renowned and sought-after Italian wine styles. What makes Amarone unique is its distinct appassimento production method, intended to bring out the full flavour and character the grapes, giving the wines a substantial body and robustness. The Italian word appassimento means “to dry”, referencing the technique of partially drying the wine grapes to become somewhat raisin-like – grapes used to be dried on straw mats traditionally, and today they are typically kept and dried in warm, low-humidity drying rooms to raisinate. This process of drying the grapes helps to concentrate the sugars and acids in the grapes. These partially dried grapes are then fermented to produce the alcohol, which is typically stronger in their alcohol content of around 15 to 16 percent due to higher concentration of sugars. The alcohol is then aged in barrels for a minimum of two years, before being commercially released to market.

Valpolicella’s Amarones saw a burst of international recognition and popularity in 1980s and 1990s and is today one of the most widely recognized and beloved wine styles in the world, after being assigned its DOCG status in December 1990. For a wine to be classified as an Amarone DOCG, it needs to be produced within the DOCG zoned Valpolicella region and is required to be made from a minimum of 45% Corvina grapes, while Rondinella grapes are allowed to make up 5 to 30% of any Amarone. The Amarone wine is also required to be aged for a minimum of two years to earn the DOCG classification, and a minimum of four years to be labelled as an Amarone “Riserva”.

With its unique production method concentrating the flavours and sugars of the grapes, Amarone wines are well-known to be incredibly robust and full-bodied, with a relatively high alcohol content of at least 14 percent (as per the DOCG regulations), that can even go up to as high as 17 percent. With its bold and distinct flavour profile, it’s not hard to see why this style of wine has become an international favourite over the last few decades.

Tommasi Estate’s Journey from Belle Époque to Modern Era

The journey of the Tommasi Family’s winemaking business begins in 1902 during the Belle Époque era, a period of that celebrated the spirit of joie de vivre after a period of hardships throughout the 19^th century marked by the end of the Franco-Prussian war in 1871. This was an era marked by immense scientific and technological advancement across Europe with the burgeoning of automobiles, telephones, and electricity, accompanied with a widespread cultural penchant for optimism and love of entertainment. It was against the backdrop of this cultural setting across Europe that the Tommasi Family wine estate was born in Verona’s Valpolicella region.

Like other traditional winemaking families in Italy, the Tommasi estate started with the marriage between Giacomo Battista and his wife Augusta in 1902, after which Giacomo began to live with her family on their land within the Valpolicellan hills, cultivating the land while thinking of ways to elevate the wines produced from its vineyards to beyond a simple thirst-quenching drink to a product worthy of celebrating and bringing people together.

The Tommasi winemaking estate is currently run and managed by the family’s fourth generation – Sergio, Franco, Ezio, and Dario – who took the helm in 1997, and has since expanded to more vineyards and estates throughout the Verona province. Today, the Tommasi family wine business covers around 800 hectares of land across their various estates in Italy. 10 hectares of vineyards in Valpolicella Classica – the historic home of the winery as seen on the Amarone labels – were purchased by Giacomo in 1920. The first vintage of the estate’s hallmark Amarone della Valpolicella was introduced in 1959, propelling the estate’s business into the global spotlight. Since then, the Tommasi Family has been a journey of expanding their winemaking estates, export markets, and even offering hospitality services within their vineyards in Valpolicella.

The Tommasi viticultural area is located within the Verona province across over 242 hectares of vineyards with diverse geographical regions. The heart of the estate’s Amarone wines comes from the cherished vineyards in the Valpolicella Classica, which includes La Groletta, Conca d’Oro and Ca’Florian. The La Groletta vineyard is the most prized vineyards of the region and is situated on a natural terrace with a southwestern view facing Lake Garda’s waters and is also surrounded by the Lessini Mountains towards the northern area. The soils of the vineyards are calcareous and fossil-rich, owing the icy glacial geological history of the location. The vineyards also receive plentiful sunshine and frequent natural breezes from the lake, providing optimal conditions for the Corvina, Corvinone, Rondinella and Oselata grape varieties planted here to produce Amarone.

The Philosophy of the Tommasi Family

The Tommasi winery is designed to be structurally dynamic to produce wines that are of optimal quality. The winery has placed an increasing emphasis on sustainable winemaking practices over the last decade, while taking immense pride in the cellar that their Valpolicella red wines are aged in, ensuring that the wines are given sufficient time for ageing to ensure their quality. Tommasi’s historic cellar was built in the 1970s, which today still showcases the original first three casks purchased by the winery’s founder, Giacomo Tommasi in 1902, when the winery was first established.

Tommasi has opted for premium, large Slavonian oak barrels for ageing for its quality, as well as to limit the wine’s contact with the wood and slowing the contact with oxygen. The barrels are medium toasted to produce fruity and floral notes in the wines. Tommasi also focuses on an extended ageing of the wines in the oak while ensuring that the unique flavours and aromas of the wines are not overpowered by the wood to produce the distinct and classic style of the winery – which the estate coins as “elegant and immensely drinkable”.

Wine Review: 2015 Tommasi Amarone della Valpolicella Classico DOCG

We’re finally giving Tommasi’s iconic Amarone della Valpolicella Classico DOCG a go – the classic wine of the Tommasi family that the estate prides itself on not overwhelming its drinker and being an elegant accompaniment to a meal.

The Amarone della Valpolicella Classico DOCG has an ABV of 15 percent and is made from a blend of Corvina, Corvinone, Rondinella, and Oseleta grapes, which were dried for around three months as per the appassimento tradition in a large open room with the winery’s ventilation system that maintains a constant airflow. Juices from the grapes then undergo fermentation in stainless steel for around 25 days at 25 to 30 degrees Celsius, before being aged for three years in their Slavonian oak casks. 

Tasting Notes

Colour: Dark Garnet, Brown Rim

Aroma: It opens with moderate richness, filled in with dried raisins, prunes, plums, dates, along with an aromatic musty earthiness of black truffle freshly dug out, forest floors and freshly tilled soil, with a little bit of that barnyard of animal hide.

Taste: Much richer here, it’s spiced with cloves and anise, with more of cooked down fruits of plum and prune reduction and dried figs, along with some dried rose petals. It’s also a little herbaceous and savoury, with some dried oregano. It’s got a gentle sweetness, really supple body, medium-plus bodied without being weighty. More on minerality of spring water, lightly drying with firm yet not immediately apparent tannins. Persistent on dried dates.

Finish: It takes a saltier and more savoury angle here, more on charcuterie oils, dried plums and lingering dried herbs. It still carries that moderate richness with those clove spices. The tannins are fine and matted, with just a moderate sweetness here. Some perfumed roses here, almost potpourri like, before a lasting dryness and savouriness through the finish.

My Thoughts

An impressively balanced and drinkable Amarone that doesn’t cut back on flavour. Given the style, it can often come off a little too opulent and rich, as well as heavy, and Tommasi’s steers clear of all of that. This is medium-plus bodied, holds back on the sweetness, with just a moderate amount of sweetness, which it combines with other dimensions of spices, perfumed florals and savoury herbaceousness that only becomes more pronounced into the finish. It’s got great complexity, and commands a good presence, yet isn’t distracting or requiring of so much attention.

I also find it rather gourmet with that salty, savoury herbaceous element that immediately makes me think that this would go with a rotisserie chicken, roast turkey or pork - roasted white meats basically. It’s such a perfect pairing and is much easier and approachable than most Amarone, which is itself quite the elegant showing!

Till next time, happy sipping!

@ChopstickPride