2012 Tommaso Bussola Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Riserva TB, 3-bottle Lot

Bussola is a 37-acre estate in the Veneto. It was founded and is still owned and operated by Tommaso Bussola, who started working on his uncle’s small family wine estate in 1977. By 1983 Bussola was making his own wines and in 1992 he built a new winery. The estate makes Valpolicella and Amarone. Gambero Rosso has often awarded its highest rating of 3 glasses to the estate’s Recioto della Valpolicella. Tommaso Bussola added his first name to his wines in the 1990s, after completing a makeover of his estate.

Amarone della Valpolicella DOCG, usually called simply Amarone, was awarded its prestigious DOCG appellation status in 2009. Though lush, high alcohol content red wines have been made in the Veneto since the ancient Greeks settled there, the popularity of Amarone over the last few decades has resulted in international demand for the wine. Amarone is typically made from 45% to 95% Corvina, blended with Rondinella and other indigenous grapes. The blend is essentially the same as for Valpolicella, but Amarone is made from dried grapes, which gives it a rich, viscous quality and an alcohol content between 14% and 20%. Though Amarone is a dry wine, there is a sweet version called Recioto della Valpolicella. The recioto style wines are included in the DOCG, and the word “ripasso” on label usually indicates the sweeter style.