Michele Castellani, Amarone della Valplolicella Classico, Monte Cristi, 1999 (Apr. 28, 2008)

When I first tasted this wine a few years ago in an Amarone tasting, Amarone was still within my scope of interest and the Monte Cristi seemed like one of the most elegant of the lot. My problem with Amarone these days is not that it's too sweet (which it is, but you can work around that with the right food match, you know, blue cheese), but rather the same problem I have with any ripe, highly extracted wine. Those wines that are appealing, impressive, perhaps flattering but with very little mystery in them. It's like playing a guitar through a giant amp: you get a big sound but it doesn't guarantee that you'll rock.

Anyway. This is still dark-colored, but browning, with a raisen-y, chocolate-y nose. Full and fruity, with that Amarone sweetness that just brakes just in time and actually gains grip in glass. If you enjoy Amarone, go for it, it's quite good. (Apr. 28, 2008)

Shaked imported Castellani and sold this wine for about 180-200 NIS, some 3-4 years ago. They've stopped carrying the winery, presumably because it didn't garner enough Parker points.

Comments

Joe said…
Hi Chaim: That first sentence is exactly what I am going through these days with a bunch of wines - funny how the "scope of interest" changes as you dive deeper into the subject. I have 550 btls in my cellar, just one Amarone. I can appreciate the good ones, but I have no interest in buying them, especially at the current prices - who's bidding those up?
2GrandCru said…
Out of curiousity, what other styles have you tired of? The obvious suspects for people like us (or is it just me?) are the flagrantly extracted/oaked but do you have a more inetresting style of wine you've tired of?
Joe said…
I am impressed how you read my mind - you knew I had more than Amarone on my mind. I have to say I started my wine tour in Australia, as many people do, sipping fruity RP rated wines. I can still appreciate those if someone is serving, but I just don't seek them out any more - too many in the cellar, not enough going out. CDP also comes to mind - used to LOVE those, but I am drinking the CDP and replacing them with Burgs. I don't have a problem with oak per se - Spanish wines come to mind - but the over-extraction and over-ripe issues are a problem for me now. I just prefer a crisp, focused, mouthfeel - don't like the soft and flabby (which my wife likes...) that much anymore...