The Brigaldara 2012 Amarone della Valpolicella Case Vecie (a traditional blend of 55% Corvina, 25% Corvinone and 20% Rondinella) comes from a warm vintage that saw hot, drying winds for most of the summer season. Those scorching weather conditions have further contributed to the richness and concentration of the fruit you get here. After harvest, the grapes are laid out to dry for 120 days, and during that process, they lose up to one-third of their water mass, tightening and further concentrating that distinctive richness. After the grapes are destemmed, pressed and fermented, the wine goes into French barrique for two years, followed by an additional two years to refine in large oak casks. Dried blackberry and plum segue to spice, smoke and tar. The wine is soft in terms of mouthfeel, with impressive textural richness. Some 15,000 bottles were released.
94 points, Monica Larner, Wine Advocate (Sep 2019)
Bright and elegant, this lightly fleshy, medium- to full-bodied red offers flavors of candied cherry and dried strawberry fruit, with accents of woodsy spice, dried thyme and black licorice. Delivers a long, supple finish. Drink now through 2027. 1,100 cases made, 300 cases imported.
92 points, Alison Napjus, Wine Spectator (May 2018)