Masi Campolongo di Torbe Amarone 2009
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Winemaker Notes
Ideally drunk on its own after dinner. Also very good with red meats and other tasty dishes. Excellent with mature cheeses such as parmesan and pecorino. The softness of the wine apparent in some years makes it a good match with gorgonzola.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2009 Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Campolongo di Torbe is an irresistible wine that delivers the very best of Valpolicella in body and spirit. This is an enormously rich and generous red wine that offers a compelling sense of balance and integrity. I am blown away: This is no doubt one of the finest wines made by Masi. It delivers a seamless array of aromas with dark fruit, blackberry confit, baking spice and barbecue smoke that leave a lasting impression. The mouthfeel is robust and richly concentrated. In theory, the 16% alcohol should be very evident, but in fact it is expertly woven deep within the enormous textural richness of the wine. This is a bold expression no doubt, but it delivers its exuberance and power with an impeccable sense of grace.
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James Suckling
So fresh and powerful with loads of blackberries and walnuts. Full, very rich and long. A great wine
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Wine Spectator
A full-bodied red, with rich flavors of fig cake, dried apricot, smoky mineral and espresso, enlivened by bright, mouthwatering acidity and wrapped around a block of chewy tannins. Expressive hints of bergamot and dried lavender show on the lasting finish. Drink now through 2029.
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Wine Enthusiast
Baked plum, baking spice, blue flower and pipe tobacco meld together with earthy aromas of new leather and a whiff of underbrush on this impressive wine. The firmly structured palate offers dried black cherry, blackberry jam, dark chocolate and star anise. Firm velvety tannins envelope the palate. Drink 2019–2029.
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Wine & Spirits
Masi made the best of the warm 2009 vintage, turning out a number of exceptional single-vineyard Amarones. This one comes from Campolongo di Torbe, with its deep red limestone soils, and shows bold flavors of red cherry and dark chocolate spice with anise and black pepper. The texture feels chewy and dense, tempered by vibrant acidity that leaves a rosy glow on the finish. Cellar it for a decade to soften the wine’s firm tannins, or decant for braised duck.
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Masi's production strategy aims to emphasize the personality of each single product, while maintaining a recognizable Venetian style. In 1958, Masi was in the forefront of the work to identify the historic "cru" vineyard sites for Amarone. In 1964, Campofiorin was the first in a new category of wines, reinventing the technique of double fermentation and continually updating it. Masi has also updated the style of Amarone, using new appassimento and vinification technologies.
Masi wines are modern, attractive, well-balanced and easily identifiable; characteristics which have earned Masi recognition for having "revolutionized the art of wine-making in the Venetian region." Hugh Johnson defines Masi as "a touchstone for Veronese wines."
With hundreds of red grape varieties to choose from, winemakers have the freedom to create a virtually endless assortment of blended red wines. In many European regions, strict laws are in place determining the set of varieties that may be used, but in the New World, experimentation is permitted and encouraged resulting in a wide variety of red wine styles. Blending can be utilized to enhance balance or create complexity, lending different layers of flavors and aromas. For example, a red wine blend variety that creates a fruity and full-bodied wine would do well combined with one that is naturally high in acidity and tannins. Sometimes small amounts of a particular variety are added to boost color or aromatics. Blending can take place before or after fermentation, with the latter, more popular option giving more control to the winemaker over the final qualities of the wine.
How to Serve Red Wine
A common piece of advice is to serve red wine at “room temperature,” but this suggestion is imprecise. After all, room temperature in January is likely to be quite different than in August, even considering the possible effect of central heating and air conditioning systems. The proper temperature to aim for is 55° F to 60° F for lighter-bodied reds and 60° F to 65° F for fuller-bodied wines.
How Long Does Red Wine Last?
Once opened and re-corked, a bottle stored in a cool, dark environment (like your fridge) will stay fresh and nicely drinkable for a day or two. There are products available that can extend that period by a couple of days. As for unopened bottles, optimal storage means keeping them on their sides in a moderately humid environment at about 57° F. Red wines stored in this manner will stay good – and possibly improve – for anywhere from one year to multiple decades. Assessing how long to hold on to a bottle is a complicated science. If you are planning long-term storage of your reds, seek the advice of a wine professional.
Producing every style of wine and with great success, the Veneto is one of the most multi-faceted wine regions of Italy.
Veneto's appellation called Valpolicella (meaning “valley of cellars” in Italian) is a series of north to south valleys and is the source of the region’s best red wine with the same name. Valpolicella—the wine—is juicy, spicy, tart and packed full of red cherry flavors. Corvina makes up the backbone of the blend with Rondinella, Molinara, Croatina and others playing supporting roles. Amarone, a dry red, and Recioto, a sweet wine, follow the same blending patterns but are made from grapes left to dry for a few months before pressing. The drying process results in intense, full-bodied, heady and often, quite cerebral wines.
Soave, based on the indigenous Garganega grape, is the famous white here—made ultra popular in the 1970s at a time when quantity was more important than quality. Today one can find great values on whites from Soave, making it a perfect choice as an everyday sipper! But the more recent local, increased focus on low yields and high quality winemaking in the original Soave zone, now called Soave Classico, gives the real gems of the area. A fine Soave Classico will exhibit a round palate full of flavors such as ripe pear, yellow peach, melon or orange zest and have smoky and floral aromas and a sapid, fresh, mineral-driven finish.
Much of Italy’s Pinot grigio hails from the Veneto, where the crisp and refreshing style is easy to maintain; the ultra-popular sparkling wine, Prosecco, comes from here as well.