Tommaso Bussola Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Vigneto Alto TB 2010 (750ML)

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.--Eric Guido, Vinous Media

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