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Tommaso Bussola Amarone

Just arrived from the hills of Valpolicella

Up to 97 points

Wines of contemplation that will make you say “wow”!

2010 Tommaso Bussola Amarone della Valpolicella

Classico Vigneto Alto TB

97 Vinous Media

$199.89 (750ML) In Stock - Buy Now

2011 Tommaso Bussola Amarone della Valpolicella

Classico Riserva TB

95 Vinous Media

$132.89 (750ML) In Stock - Buy Now

The favorite wines of the ancient Romans were sweet. That continued through the Middle Ages, the height of Venetian power, and up until the middle of the last century. Winemakers had long known that drying the grapes on straw mats (hence, straw wine) up in the attic where the winds were controlled with shutters, would concentrate the sugars and give them the elixir their customers wanted. Valpolicella translates to “valleys of many cellars”, the valleys between the hills where the grapes grow, or legend says that it meant “the valleys of many brothels” in a local dialect. In these hills outside the city of Verona, where wealthy merchants built summer palaces to escape the heat of Rome or Venice, the sweet wine called Recioto was made. The main grapes, Corvina and Rondinella, are named after birds, the blackbird and a pigeon with black head, wings and tails, that like to snack on the grapes when they are ripe.

Often a barrel would accidentally ferment totally dry, a disaster for the winemaker. This amaro (bitter) wine was sold off cheap, given to servants to drink, or used for cooking (leading to dishes like the famous Risotto all'Amarone). In 1936 Adelino Lucchese found that one of his forgotten barrels was fermented dry, but not bitter and was not “Amaro, but Amarone!” (the good kind of dry). Amarone was first marketed in 1953, and was raised to DOCG status in 2010.

Modern winemaking ensures the Amarone of today is not an accident in the cellar, but a wine for which the region is now famous. Locals call it a “Wine of Contemplation”. I call it delicious, maybe not a summertime drinker, but so deep and enticing for those cooler nights ahead.

Tommaso Bussola started working with his uncle, Giuseppe, back in the 1980s. He eventually took over the estate, which he now runs with his wife and two sons. Their certified sustainable vineyards sit at 280-479 meters ASL, with volcanic and basalt stone, and other sections with clay and limestone, or limestone sediment with other stones and high mineral content.

The “TB” wines are produced with the oldest vines, from 65-90 years old. The best, healthy grapes undergo the appassimento (drying) process for 4 months on traditional “arele” drying racks made of bamboo and wood. The results are dense, powerful wines that show the heights to which their appellation can climb. The Vigneta Alto vineyard was recently replanted, and while there are a few upcoming vintages still to be released, there will be a time where you cannot get this bottling for a number of years.

2010 Tommaso Bussola Amarone della Valpolicella

Classico Vigneto Alto TB

$199.89 (750ML) In Stock- Buy Now

97 VM / 93 WA / 93 WS

A dark display of musky black cherries, mocha, brown sugar, cinnamon and sweet violet florals wafts up effortlessly from the 2010 Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Vigneto Alto TB. There is a viscosity here that is more like molten chocolate than wine, as this contrasts savory, bitter and sweet, creamy yet full of energy, and it washes across the palate with ease. Its ripe red fruits and exotic spices are penetrating and persistent, yet zesty acids maintain vibrancy and leave you completely refreshed for another indulgent sip. The word "wow” does not do this justice, as it goes down way too easy. This is a rock-star wine already, yet it has the potential to evolve for many years in the cellar.

The Vigneto Alto is sourced from 80-year-old vines. The wine is matured for 36 months in new barriques, after which only the best 11 barrels are picked and blended together into a 25-hectoliter barrel, where it refines for another 40 months. -Eric Guido, Vinous Media

The Bussola 2010 Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Vigneto Alto TB opens to dark and thickly concentrated appearance with a deep garnet color and hints of amber or unpolished copper at the rims. The bouquet is powerful and impactful, hitting the senses with rather blunt and dramatic notes of kirsch, blackberry preserves, candied plum, rum cake and marron glacé. The blend is 45% Corvina, 30% Corvinone and 25% Rondinella fermented in oak for 60 days and aged in new and neutral oak for a very long 90 months. The wine is texturally thick, carrying plenty of fruit weight and a powerful 17% alcohol content, which I find a little hard to affront. I tasted bottle number 215 of only 3,825 produced. Monica Larner, The Wine Advocate

Offers flavors of date, kirsch, dark chocolate and spice box, enlivened by bright, almost tangy acidity, while silky tannins form a supple frame. Aromatic herb and smoky mineral notes linger on the chewy finish. Best from 2022 through 2032. 300 cases made. — Alison Napjus, Wine Spectator

2011 Tommaso Bussola Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Riserva TB

$132.89 (750ML) In Stock- Buy Now

95 VM / 94 WS / 93 WA

The 2011 Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Riserva TB tokes its time opening up in the gloss, emerging with rich black cherries offset by sour citrus Over time, its fruit evolves more toward tart raspberry with holiday spices, brown sugar and incense. The textures are like weighty crushed velvet, slowly draped across the palate, leaving ripe black fruits and notes of chocolate, with sweet violet pastille and hints of roasted almond that lost well into the finish Round tannins linger but don't get in the way of this deeply seductive and perfectly balanced expression. A few years of cellaring should unveil further aromatic depths that will heighten the experience, yet this is already pure pleasure in a glass. Eric Guido, Vinous Media

Rich, with saturated fruit notes of baked boysenberry and blackberry coulis and accents of medicinal herb and espresso cream, this velvety, full-bodied red is a full-throttle expression of Amarone, set in a harmonious frame. Creamy tannins firm the long, well-spiced finish. Drink now through 2035. 780 cases made. — Alison Napjus, Wine Spectator

This is an oversized wine. The Bussola 2011 Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Riserva TB is showing some pretty evolution with dusty spicy notes, tarry smoke and licorice. The 2011 vintage will be remembered for the hot and dry winds that blew north from Africa throughout much of the summer. This blend of 45% Corvina, 30% Corvinone and 25% Rondinella (which is fermented for 50 days in steel and aged in oak for 66 months with new and neural oak) continues to show intact fruit despite the wine's advanced age. You get plenty of alcoholic punch, measuring 17%, which proves impossible to ignore and surely difficult to manage unless a robust food-pairing partner is found. I tasted bottle number 1,020 of 9,356 released. Monica Larner, The Wine Advocate