1985 Bertani Amarone Recioto della Valpolicella Classico Superiore DOCG [93pts]

Ratings & Tasting Notes: 93 points CellarTracker (Community Consensus) Remarkably lithe and beautifully preserved for its advanced age, this library bottle shows the immense structural lifespan of old-school winemaking. Following a 60-minute decant, a sweet raisin nose and high-toned aromatic framework emerge gracefully. The palate is deeply complex, showing “delicious savory notes of leather, tar and mushroom, with a hint of fruit hiding beneath the savory tones.” CellarTracker, February 2023 91 points Falstaff Bright, rich garnet red with distinctive orange and brick highlights along the rim. The nose opens up beautifully with somewhat restrained, savory nuances of dried porcini mushrooms, forest floor, and sun-dried tomatoes. The palate shows “firm, gripping tannins on the palate, but also slightly sandy, drying, quite brittle,” carrying a wonderfully focused, old-school Italian character. Falstaff, February 2022 90 points Wine Spectator Juicy, exceptionally well-rounded, and still displaying a surprising amount of youthful energy, this vintage delivers great texture from start to finish. The core is deeply layered with vibrant vanilla and dried cherry flavors, showing an excellent integration of wood and primary fruit. It concludes beautifully, structured to finish “on a nice leathery and gamey note.” Wine Spectator, June 1996 Cult Wines International Notes: Casa Vinicola Bertani stands as an absolute, towering monument in the history of Italian viticulture, originally founded in 1857 by brothers Giovanni Battista and Gaetano Bertani. The estate is globally revered for playing a defining role in the conceptualization and commercial birth of modern Amarone, crafting legendary, structural red wines engineered to endure for half a century. Important Label Clarification: Buyers should note that this historic 1985 release features the vintage-correct legal designation “Recioto della Valpolicella Classico Superiore” across the top of the label, with “Amarone” printed lower down. In 1985, Italian wine laws did not yet recognize Amarone as a standalone category, forcing it to be labeled under the official “Recioto” umbrella of the era. Despite the word Recioto on the label, this wine is completely bone-dry. Unlike a sweet Recioto dessert wine, this cuvée underwent a total fermentation where all natural sugars were completely converted, resulting in a classic, savory, and powerfully dry Amarone. The 1985 growing season in the Valpolicella Classica zone was an exceptionally dry, high-heat, and ultra-abundant triumph. Aside from a rainy period in March that provided deep soil hydration, the rest of the season saw minimal precipitation, culminating in a pristine September with only a single day of rain. Under these highly favorable conditions, the estate’s blocks reached a magnificent, concentrated phenolic maturity. Following a precise manual harvest of 80% Corvina and 20% Rondinella from the Tenuta Novare estate, the healthy clusters rested in natural drying lofts for 120 days on traditional bamboo racks (arele). The raisined grapes were crushed and destemmed in mid-January 1986, undergoing a slow fermentation in concrete vats before embarkation on a monumental seven-year maturation regime in massive 60-hectoliter Slavonian oak barrels. Finally bottled in October 1994, this 1985 expression has evolved into a spellbinding historical time capsule. While the expressive nose offers deceptive, rich aromas of sweet raisins, black cherry marmalade, and walnut skin, the full-bodied mouthfeel is decisively dry, savory, and upright. It expertly marries tertiary dimensions of leather, licorice, pipe tobacco, and cocoa beans with a firm, mineral core and a pleasantly bitter almond finish. Bottle Size: 750 mL Storage History: Always stored on its side in a climate-controlled cellar. Condition: Please note: The bottle shown is the exact bottle being sold. Outstanding condition. https://cultwinesintl.com/wp-content/uploads/2099/03/CWI-LISTING-VID.mp4