Allegrini, Fieramonte - Amarone Valpolicella Riserva Docg 2016

Wine Advocate

96 / 100

byMonica Larnerthe10/25/2023

The Allegrini 2016 Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Riserva Fieramonte is skewed tight and buttoned up in terms of its intensity and its consistency. This balance is quite an achievement, and of course, we have the fabulous 2016 vintage to celebrate here. A year with classic weather patterns and no major challenges, the wine offers black cherry, plum, spice, leather and cured tobacco. The results are modern and contemporary with smooth tannins and a generous, full-weight finish. I love the seamless quality of this cellar-worthy wine.

The Drink Business

99 / 100

byColin Haythe9/10/2023

(Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Riserva DOCG; 45% Corvina Veronese; 45% Corvinone; 5% Rondinella; 5% Oseleta; from a single-vineyard site at 415 metres of altitude with a south-eastern exposure). From an excellent vintage that saw a little more spring rainfall, no excessive summer temperature spikes, a good diurnal temperature range and perfect ripening conditions. A wine of outstanding balance. Incense. Cordite. Struck match. Confit fruits and the sweet shop of my childhood memories. Minerality in doses. Leather – the old armchair. But also great freshness and verticality. The is gloriously opulent. An explosive wine with fabulous potential but revealed as if in slow motion. At this stage it really needs a decanter and a spare day or two! Sumptuous and opulent, gracious and rolling and rippling. And so sapid and fresh with undercurrents of fresh cool juiciness welling up from below. Fabulous on the finish. Richer and even fuller than the 2015 (re-tasted alongside) and the tannins are more plump and somewhat less grainy. Very, very fresh. So dynamic over the palate. An exceptional wine with so much complexity and layering.

Decanter.com

100 / 100

byGeorgina Hindlethe8/1/2023

Another astounding wine from Allegrini, if you didn't buy Fiermonte last year here's a chance to buy something just as good. The most gorgeous nose; full of flowers, chocolate truffles, red fruits and dried berries - fragranced and just so inviting, also so pure. The texture and mouthfeel are just perfect - round, enveloping, the perfect weight to give structure and body with intensity and fleshiness yet nothing is over the top or too much. Delicious crunchy and fleshy fruit, wonderful minty freshness with accents of incense fragrance, wood spice and exotic spices before a lingering chalky finish with an underlying saltiness. Pure, precise, clearly defined, juicy, totally moreish. What more can you ask for? A little less friendly and overtly charming than the 2015 at the same time last year, this carries more muscle, opulence, power and boldness but it has exceptional forward motion and freshness. It delights and enthralls in equal measure from the first sip! Just wow! A blend of 45% Corvina, 45% Corvinone, 5% Rondinella and 5% Oseleta.

Jamessuckling.com

95 / 100

byNed Goodwinthe5/9/2023

A cooler year in a recent context. This cuvee (single vineyard) was made from 1965 to 1985, before the vineyard was infected with esca. The vineyard was then rejuvenated and the Fieramonte was revived from 2011. A rich, avuncular, throaty wine after four-years in 225L barriques. The grapes are dried for 130-140 days which is very long, even in the context of the region. Loads of residual sugar at the initial, spontaneous fermentation, before inoculation drags it to a palate-staining dryness. A big wine loaded with extract, dark fruits, menthol and anise. Very impressive. Drink or hold.