2019 Roccolo Grassi Amarone della Valpolicella
The 2019 Roccolo Grassi Amarone is a phenomenal wine and a perfect example of why this estate is considered one
Producer
Roccolo Grassi
I have reviewed one wine from Roccolo Grassi: the 2019 Roccolo Grassi Amarone della Valpolicella (97 points).
Roccolo Grassi is a modern icon of Valpolicella. Run by Marco Sartori, a master of his craft, the estate focuses on single-vineyard wines of great concentration and depth. Its Amarone and Valpolicella Superiore are dense, dark and spicy, yet they keep a surprising freshness from the volcanic basalt soils of the vineyards, and they are built to evolve for decades.
Roccolo Grassi is considered a benchmark for modern, elegant Amarone that challenges the stereotype of the style as simply big and heavy. Sartori is meticulous about achieving perfect ripeness during appassimento, then ferments the wine almost completely dry, with residual sugar of only about four grams.
The 2019 Amarone della Valpolicella is defined by aromatic complexity and structure rather than sweetness. Full-bodied and concentrated, it has powerful yet polished tannins and a vibrant acidity that carries deep, savory fruit to an exceptionally long finish, lifted and energetic, an Amarone that can win over those who think they don’t like the style.