Amarone della Valpolicella Classico, Bertani 2015 75cl

Bertani only released the 2015 Classico in 2024, after roughly a decade of patience — and that tells you everything about how this Amarone is built. It sat seven to eight years in big Slavonian oak casks before it ever saw a cork.

The fruit comes from the Tenuta Novare estate at Arbizzano di Negrar, the historic heart of Valpolicella Classica. Corvina and Rondinella are dried on racks in the fruttai for the best part of three months, concentrating everything before fermentation. This is Amarone made the old way, at a producer who has been doing it since 1857 and sees no reason to hurry.

Decanter gave it 97 points and called it a masterclass in harmony. You'll find dried red fruits, dark chocolate and a dusty, cigar-box quality on the nose, with a floral lift underneath. The palate is concentrated but airy rather than heavy — crunchy berries, liquorice, a savoury edge and a faint salinity that keeps it lively. Fine, filigree tannins and a long acid line carry a finish that turns toasty and savoury.

At £129.99 this is a serious bottle for a serious occasion, and it drinks beautifully now while having the structure to hold for another decade or more. If you have the cellar space, a few years will only add to the tertiary complexity.

How to Serve

Serve at 16–18°C in a large-bowled glass. Decant an hour or two ahead — both to let the aromatics unfurl and to leave any sediment behind.

Where to Drink It

Bottle service for a special dinner at Scott's in Mayfair. Or take it to Wiltons on Jermyn Street, where the game menu was made for wines like this. Bibendum in South Kensington is another fine home for it.

Food Pairings

Braised beef cheek or osso buco is the obvious call — the richness meets its match. Aged Monte Veronese or a hunk of Parmigiano works just as well after dinner.