Gini Monte Serea Amarone della Valpolicella 2015

The cedar riffs of French oak segue to bitter cherry, raspberry bon bon, alpine herb and Pastis, marking the finish. This is a slick, contemporary Amarone on one hand, without pushing any buttons of winemaking intrusiveness, on the other. Another red here that reminds me of a ripe, chunkier Pinot. Beautifully transparent, deft of touch with chiffon-like of structure. I like the style. The oak, used to beautiful effect. ‘Medium drying’ of the fruit (2 mths), in a highly ventilated mountainous setting, is the key. This mitigates any malevolent botrytic development. The end result is floral, lifted, juicy, sappy and while concentrated, so very fresh. Drink or hold. Score – 96. (Ned Goodwin, MW, jamessuckling.com, May 9, 2023)