When Italians use the term
vino da meditazione (“meditation wine”), it usually refers to a sweet wine of some sort—something to be sipped slowly and contemplatively. But that description could apply to any wine, really, provided the depth and complexity is there—and today’s Amarone della Valpolicella from Rubinelli Vajol more than qualifies.
In terms of how it is produced, it shares kindred qualities with certain late-harvest (or otherwise concentrated) nectars, but Amarone is, famously, a dry red. If you are a fan of the richly layered, supercharged “cult” reds of the modern era, this one is right up your alley, although it will take you down a different, somewhat quirkier path. From a technical standpoint, today’s wine has no more alcohol or extract than a high-end Napa Cabernet or Australian Shiraz, but it presents a little differently. Amarone fans recognize it instantly—an extra layer of glycerol creating nearly unparalleled viscosity and the richly concentrated fruit layered with notes of chocolate and hazelnut. And while it has proved to be one of the longest-lived reds in the world, its tannin-masking extract lends it drinkability in its youth. Rubinelli Vajol achieved a great balance of power and elegance in their 2012, one that will be familiar to lovers of classics like Quintarelli—and a marvel to anyone who has yet to experience this inimitable Italian creation.
Let’s start with where it’s from: the Valpolicella hills, north of the city of Verona, in Italy’s Veneto region (yes, that’s a lot of “V’s”). Whereas many Italian wines contain both their grape and place names on their labels—recognizable by a “di,” or “della,” meaning “of,” or “from,” as in Brunello (Sangiovese) di (from) Montalcino (in the region in Tuscany)—the word “Amarone” refers to a style, not a grape name. Many believe Amarone to have been discovered by accident, when a wine originally destined to be sweet continued to ferment to dryness. Although the practice of drying grapes (to concentrate their sugars) dates to Roman times, Amarone was only first commercialized in the 1960s; its precursor/sibling was the sweet Recioto della Valpolicella, which is an iconic dessert red with a slight resemblance to Port.
Put plainly, Amarone is the dry version of Recioto. Producers in Valpolicella long ago developed yeast strains that could survive even as the fermenting wine climbed past 15% alcohol, and compared to grapes destined for Recioto, the grapes used for Amarone are dried for a slightly shorter time (meaning they’re slightly less concentrated). This drying was once carried out in the attics of barns with the windows open, but these days, producers have temperature- and humidity-controlled rooms for this now; the grapes are typically stacked in cassettes and lose close to half of their original volume (most of it water) as they shrivel. The process is called appassimento, and one of its many unique aspects is that the grapes are harvested at a “normal” time in the fall, when they are perfectly—not overly—ripe. When they are dried, their sugars increase but their acidity is maintained, which helps preserve freshness and combat alcohol “heat” in the finished wine.
Rubinelli Vajol is named for the Rubinelli family and the hamlet of Vajol, which is part of the larger Valpolicella municipality of San Pietro in Cariano, right in the heart of the Valpolicella Classico zone. Soils here are a mix of limestone-infused clay/marl with pockets of basalt rock from ancient volcanic activity, with vineyards planted to the traditional grape varieties of the zone: Corvina, Rondinella, Molinara, Corvinone, and Oseleta. The Rubinelli Vajol property was originally acquired as a ‘country retreat’ by Gaetano Rubinelli, an engineer who helped build the Chievo Dam, a hydroelectric plant on the Adige River, in the 1920s. The current generation of Rubinellis make just five classic Valpolicella wines, with this one the flagship: Comprised of 40% Corvina, 40% Corvinone, 10% Rondinella, and 5% each Molinara/Oseleta, which were dried until the January after harvest before crush/fermentation, today’s 2012 spent 36 months in large oak vats of 30-hectoliter capacity before bottling.
It is a big, voluptuous red to be sure, but as Amarone goes, it’s also quite elegant and finely textured. In the glass, it’s an opaque ruby-garnet with the slightest hint of brick orange creeping in as it takes on bottle age. The aromas are heady and complex: dark berry preserves, dates, kirsch liqueur, licorice, toasted hazelnuts, dark chocolate, humus, and baking spices. It is full-bodied and glycerol-rich on the palate, with a good amount of freshness counterbalancing the 16% percent alcohol—which the wine reaches naturally (it is not fortified like Port). Although it is a fantastic cheese-course wine for obvious reasons, here’s how I’d enjoy this wine: Decant it an hour before service and keep it at a cool 60 degrees. Make a red wine risotto (I’d recommend using this wine but that’s a rather expensive proposition) and drop in a touch of gorgonzola at the end. That’s some classic Veronese dining right there, likely necessitating a loosening of the belt but well worth it. Attached is a recipe stolen from another great Amarone producer, to which you can add in some gorgonzola if you like. It’s a showstopper!
