Amarone Bertani 2015 Achieves Perfect Score from Renowned Critic James Suckling
The Amarone della Valpolicella Classico DOCG Bertani, specifically its 2015 vintage, has achieved a perfect score of 100 points from American critic James Suckling, a rare feat in the wine world. This exceptional wine was also named Best Wine of 2024 by Suckling, who described it as a remarkable Amarone ready for immediate enjoyment but also built for long-term aging. The wine is available in Brazil through importers Porto a Porto and Casa Flora, with direct-to-consumer sales via the Grande Adega e-commerce platform.
Produced by the historic Bertani winery in the Veneto region, this Amarone exemplifies a philosophy that defies time. Its grapes undergo the traditional 'appassimento' process, concentrating aromas and flavors, while extensive aging contributes significant complexity. Suckling noted delicate aromas of licorice, oak bark, smoke, wood, cigar box, leather, dark chocolate, macerated violets, and dried plums, with a palate characterized by freshness and subtlety. The wine is described as full-bodied and elegant, with refined tannins, persistent acidity, and a savory finish featuring toasted notes.
Crafted from Corvina and Rondinella grapes, this sophisticated wine matured for seven years in oak barrels and an additional eight months in the bottle before release. Bertani, founded in 1857 near Verona, is a historic Italian winery known for its consistent stylistic philosophy and its role in popularizing Amarone, with its first vintage dating back to 1958. The production method utilizes the natural drying of grapes, influenced by winds from Lake Garda and temperature shifts from the Italian Alps.
The recognition of the Amarone della Valpolicella Classico DOCG Bertani 2015 with a perfect score highlights the enduring value of traditional winemaking techniques, such as 'appassimento' and extended barrel aging. This event underscores the market's appreciation for wines that offer both immediate sensory pleasure and long-term aging potential, a duality that commands premium pricing and collector interest. The critical acclaim for a product with such a long and complex production cycle, spanning seven years in barrels and additional bottle aging, invites consideration of the economic models that support such labor- and time-intensive craftsmanship. In an era increasingly focused on efficiency and rapid turnaround, the success of wines like this suggests a persistent consumer desire for heritage, complexity, and provenance, challenging purely data-driven or accelerated production paradigms. The system's capacity to reward such dedication to traditional methods, while also acknowledging the role of expert critics in shaping consumer perception, offers a valuable case study in the interplay of artisanal production, market validation, and the cultivation of enduring value.
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