2008 Villa Spinosa Anteprima Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 750 ml

Italy’s Singularly Hedonistic Red

In the western Veneto, the tiny hamlet of Negrar is the spiritual center of one of Italy’s most singular, opulent and impressive wines — Amarone. The late master Giuseppe Quintarelli’s cellars are here, and for insiders, there’s a special intensity and finesse from the wines of Negrar, unmatched by any other village in Valpolicella. While the late Quintarelli’s Amarones are deep into three-figure territory, today’s massively concentrated, dazzling complex 2008 Villa Spinosa “Anteprima” Amarone Classico, captures all of the magic and intensity Negrar has to offer. Great Amarones like this make even hot-vintage Bordeaux or Ribera del Duero look like child’s play when it comes to raw power. At just $57.99, just 150 show-stopping bottles up for grabs.

Brunello and Barolo may get all the hype, but for lovers of big reds, Amarone should really be your first stop in Italy. The process of creating the wine takes sacrifice, patience, and intense know-how. The results, especially in Negrar, can be mind-boggling.

Unfortunately, a great producer like Villa Spinosa has to work just as hard in the vineyard and ends up with 40% less wine, so Amarone usually comes with an attendant high price-tag. Amarone this affordable is rare, to say nothing of one with a decade of cellaring, one from the star commune of Negrar. If you’ve never had great Amarone, or if you’re well-acquainted and looking for something to drink while your Quintarellis and Dal Fornos come around in the cellar, the 2008 Villa Spinosa “Anteprima” is the wine for you.

At Villa Spinosa, after a regular September harvest, the local specialties Corvina and Corvinone are dried for approximately 90 days in specialized lofts, requiring constant humidity maintenance to avoid rot. In January, after the grapes have lost between 30-40% of their water volume, the winemaking begins. The drying concentrates everything: sugars, aromas and flavors, and — crucially, to maintain balance — acids.The results are a singularly majestic level of concentration, unrivaled in Europe.