I opened this 6 hours before consuming. No decanting. Holy %$@&! This is the second time I've had this wine and, boy! has it improved. Having this after the Walter Hansel showed the difference between an excellent wine, and a "great" wine -- one for the history books. I didn't even have to taste it to know that this was going to be a singular wine-drinking experience. On the first whiff, I got the immensely powerful nose of chocolate, coal, cassis, super-black cherries, other black/red berries, brown spice, and cigar spice (and associated tobacco leaf and smoke). I would say the wine exploded on the palate, but that isn't even true, because there was a seamless transition from nose to palate. This was one of the most massive wines I have ever encountered and yet it never felt heavy at all. Somehow, while being one of the most intense dry reds I've ever had, this was also able to not overpower grouper(!). The notes on the palate were the same as on the nose and the finish lasted so long I'm still tasting it. Only the 2000 Allegrini Recioto has surpassed this in my red wine drinking enjoyment this year. And only the nearly-impossible-to-find $185 1995 Quintarelli Amarone has surpassed this in my Amarone -- heck, dry red, Italian -- drinking experience. I will be having dreams of this wine. I wish I had more, and I'm going to do all that I can to acquire more as soon as the store I bought this at opens today. 95(+?)

Whiner... what's the REAL vintage on this? 1999? 1998? 19998?

19998

Whiner:

I've got a couple of these in my cellar. (Although the ones in my cellar don't have as many numbers in the vintage.) Thanks for the notes. Do you think it really needed 6 hours of air? If so, maybe it just needs a little cellar time. I was wondering as I was thinking of bringing it to an offline tonight and I don't think I'll get to it in enough time for 6 hours of air.

OK Whiner - I bought one of these based on your TN.

Winetex... did you use your Tardis to travel to 19998 and return?

Stupid question:

Is the TB the bottle that runs in the $45-$50 range? Or is this the amarone bottling that runs about $100?

All:

1) This was a 1998, I couldn't edit the date, sorry.

2) I don't think this NEEDED 6 hours of air, but given how absolutely fantastic it was with 6 hours of air, I can't imagine planning on less. This deffinitely isn't going anywhere if you chose to cellar it, but I cannot stress how good this is now.

3) The bg is the one that tends to run $45-$55. The bg is, IMO, the qualitative equivelant of Zenato -- maybe a touch better or worse, depending upon the vintage. The TB is the one that tends to run just shy of $100. To me (and L) it is light years better than Allegrini. The only Amarone I can compare it in quality to is Quintarelli and, in certain ways, it is actually better.

a

I ended up with the BG (the one about $50). It was quite good but not as good as Whiner's original review.

winetex,

I actually had a bottle of the bg last night (2000) I've been buying the bg as my reference point $50 Amarone for the past 3 vintages but this was my first experience with the 2000. But I digress...FWIW, I love the bg at $50, but, if you can get your hands on the TB, it really is worth twice the price, at least for a splurge if you love Amarone (which I do).

a

It was my first bottle of Amarone. Your note and one of Davidn's inspired me to buy a couple. I'll buy the TB if I see it!

WineTex,

Find the Allegrini. I had the 1998 tonight and it has a good chance of being my wine-of-the-year!

We'll pour one when you are here if you can't find it.

Davidn - I already bought an Allegrini based on your rolling socks comment. Maybe it's tonight's wine.

Winetex,

Give the wine some air to open up if you're popping the cork.

Yes, this note is still on the 1998.

I had this as part of my birthday celebration tonight. WOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOW!!!

The last time I had this it was a bit off (part of jaimetown's curse of not getting a good bottle of Amarone).

Not tonight. Tonight this was everything it was last year. Tasted right after the outstanding 2001 Peter Michael Le Moulin Rouge Pinot Noir, this was clearly in a seperate category. The nose of black fruits, blacker than black fruits, and reddish black fruits mixed with anise cedar, raisin and brown spice just soars from the glass. I sat there swirling this for 5 minutes. Future Mrs. Whiner suggested we bottle the smell and turn it into a ladies' perfume. WOW! The attack suggests an ultra-rich, flabby wine, but 2 milliseconds after the wine hits the palate the relatively high acidity kicks in and gives this wine remarkable deliniation and structure. When RMP talks about the ability of a wine to be incredibly full bodied and intense, yet light on its feet, this is the wine he is talking about. The finish is immeasurably long -- well over a minute. There is slight residual sugar here, but not much. This wine, despite its immensity and darkness is a terrific food wine. It can easily pair with anything from pancetta to a ribeye to virtually any cheese. It is also the quintessence of Amarone. On a night with 4 rediculously good bottles, this was the easy WOTN for me. 95+

a

LOL, you are lucky that I wasn't there.

Happy birthday whiner.