Masi Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Serègo Alighieri Vaio Armaron 2008

At this family-owned winery in northern Italy’s Veneto region, Sandro Boscaini works alongside his children—daughter Alessandra and sons Bruno and Raffaele—who represent the seventh generation. Corvina, Rondinella and Molinara grapes are sourced from the terraced Vaio Armaron vineyard, located on the Serègo Alighieri estate managed by Masi, and undergo Amarone’s traditional appassimento process. The grapes are dried for three months before a gentle pressing, then vinified and aged in large Slavonian oak barrels for almost five years; a brief stint in cherry casks precedes bottling.

Tasting Note

An elegant, impeccably balanced red, layering sculpted tannins with finely knit flavors of plumped black cherry, plum sauce, cured tobacco, dark chocolate and woodsy spice. A rich vein of smoky minerality sings on the lasting finish. Drink now through 2035.—Alison Napjus