2018 Guerrieri Rizzardi 3Cru Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 750 ml

Italian red wine doesn’t get more robust and satisfying than Amarone, and the 2018 Guerrieri Rizzardi  3Cru shows the dense concentration, savory depth, and dried-fruit complexity that we hope to find—but rarely do—in every Amarone we taste. The winery crafted the first-ever Amarone to secure Best Red Wine of Italy honors from Gambero Rosso, and they haven’t looked back since. Given the affordability, it’s no wonder this wine is a perennial sell-out.

This Amarone comes from three different crus in Negrar di Valpolicella, including Rizzardi’s best site, Calcarole, whose single-vineyard bottles go for $70+ (on the exceptionally slim chance they appear in the US at all). 

Negrar is one of Valpolicella’s only municipalities to bear the classico denomination, and it’s 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 has stricter production standards than most of the region and puts out wines that Vinous calls “consistently among the best from each vintage.” 

The Amarone winemaking process results in powerful, concentrated reds with incredible longevity and complexity. The Corvina, Rondinella, Corvinone, Barbera, and Barbera 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, coaxing complex notes of exotic spices and dried herbs and flowers to accompany the luscious red- and black-cherry fruit. Fermentation takes an entire month, allowing an incredible depth of flavor to develop alongside a rich texture. After 36 months in oak, the 3Cru has developed extraordinary polish while maintaining its acidity and energy.