Opening this bottle was a great experience, from nose to finish – and with dinner, too. There’s a lovely fruit component gained by this wine’s special production technique: the grapes are fermented, then that young wine is re-fermented with partially dried grapes of the same types. The Bertaini’s – the owners of Masi — are famous for inventing this technique in 1964 in the Valpolicella region; this wine is from the hills around Verona. It is aged in oak a minimum of 18 months; 2/3 in in Slavonian oak botti, 1/3 in new Allier and Slavonian barrels, and then it rests for at least 3 months in bottle before being released.
When just opened, the wine starts with spicy and earthy notes in the aroma. In the mouth there are nice, soft tannins and the wine has a hearty mouthfeel, with flavors of spicy cherry and other deep red fruits, cedar, coffee. A note of leather, too. Pair this with braised dishes like lamb shanks. Highly recommended — BSE
WHO: Masi Agricola
WHAT: 70% Corvina, 25% Rondinella, 5% Molinara
WHERE: Rosso del Veronese IGT
HOW MUCH: around $16 (media sample)