2014 Guerrieri Rizzardi 3Cru Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Veneto 750 ml

Red wine doesn’t get more rich, robust, and satisfying than Amarone—and Amarone doesn’t get more classic than this. From some of Valpolicella’s best terroir and one of its standard-bearing estates, the 2014 Guerrieri Rizzardi 3Cru shows the dense concentration, savory depth, and dried-fruit complexity that we hope to find in every Amarone we taste.

Guerrieri Rizzardi crafted the first Amarone to secure Best Red Wine of Italy honors from Gambero Rosso, and they haven’t looked back since. The 2014 3Cru follows in the footsteps of its esteemed older sibling as a delicious example of Amarone and an intense mélange of red fruit and spice.

Negrar is one of Valpolicella’s only municipalities to bear the Classico denomination—an area that Wine Enthusiast says contains some of the region’s best vineyards. Guerrieri Rizzardi is one of the 13 members of Amarone’s Le Famiglie Storiche (Historical Families) association, which puts out wines that Vinous calls “consistently among the best from each vintage.”

That process results in intense, concentrated reds with incredible longevity and complexity. The Corvina, Rondinella, and Molinara in this wine are painstakingly dried—bunch by bunch—over the course of three to five months. As the grapes’ water content evaporates, their flavors intensify, transforming simple red-berry fruits into notes of dried marjoram, exotic spices, smoke, and pepper. Fermentation takes an entire month, allowing an incredible depth of flavor to develop along with a rich texture. After 36 months in oak, the 3Cru has developed extraordinary polish while maintaining its acidity and energy.

With every sip of Rizzardi’s 3Cru, you’ll find yourself beguiled by yet another delicious aroma or flavor—and if you’re new to Amarone, there’s no better introduction to this Italian classic.