1986 Bertani Amarone Recioto della Valpolicella Classico Superiore DOCG [JS-98pts]

Ratings & Tasting Notes: 98 points James Suckling Displaying an evolution that is absolutely stunning for its precision, this rare library release leaps from the glass with a deeply complex aromatic profile. Piercing notes of tamarind, coffee grounds, rhubarb, and fine worn leather seamlessly layer over prunes and black licorice. The full-bodied palate is silky, texturally complex, and completely condensed, driving into a beautifully savory, zesty finish that remains vibrant at forty years of age. Tasted April 2025 95 points Falstaff A clear, rich garnet red with bright brick-orange highlights framing the rim. The nose is highly intense, fresh, and inviting, packed with lively aromas of cranberry, ripe cherry fruit, and a subtle touch of cardamom spice. It spreads beautifully across the palate with a round, supple, and velvety fullness, opening up to reveal impeccably integrated tannins and a long, juicy, acid-driven finish. Tasted February 2022 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 1986 release features the vintage-correct legal designation “Recioto della Valpolicella Classico Superiore” across the top of the label, with “Amarone” printed lower down. In 1986, 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 1986 growing season in the Valcollicella Classica zone was a highly unique, water-rich vintage that demanded precise vineyard management. The summer months of June and July brought heavy, unseasonable rainstorms, which provided the vines with intense hydration. Fortunately, the seasonal temperatures remained perfectly moderate and stable throughout August and September, paving the way for a slow, uniform, and excellent completion of phenolic ripeness. Following a meticulous selection of the top 30% of the estate’s fruit (80% Corvina and 20% Rondinella from the Tenuta Novare estate), the clusters underwent a traditional 120-day appassimento (air-drying) phase to concentrate the juices. The raisined grapes were gently pressed and subjected to a slow fermentation in concrete vats before embarking on Bertani’s iconic, uncompromising aging program: a full seven years in massive 60-hectoliter Slavonian oak casks, followed by extensive post-bottling rest before its commercial release in November 1995. Today, the 1986 bottling is a masterclass in structural longevity and tertiary evolution. While the withered grapes lend a deceptive aromatic impression of sweet, jammy plum fruit and warm spices on the nose, the actual experience on the palate is robustly dry, earthy, and vinous. Seductive waves of dark cocoa, black tea leaf, tobacco, and dried cherries are held upright by a brilliant spine of classic acidity, culminating in a pristine, savory finish that serves as a benchmark example of aged Italian excellence. 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