Amarone della Valpolicella DOCG Classico “Costasera” 2012
Wine Advocate 92Wine Spectator 91
Wine Description
Costasera is Masi's signature Amarone, named for the slopes above the Classico valleys that face the evening sun and Lake Garda, a position the house credits for the extra ripeness of its fruit. It is built on the classic Veronese trio of Corvina, Rondinella and Molinara, dried through the winter in the appassimento method Masi has studied more systematically than anyone in the region.
With over a decade behind it, the 2012 is in a beautiful place: the baked cherry and plum of youth have moved toward dried fig, licorice, coffee and cocoa, the tannins have softened, and the wine drinks with the warmth and gentle sweetness of mature Amarone, around 15% alcohol carried without effort. This is the bottle for someone who wants to taste what age does to Amarone without waiting years themselves. Open it an hour ahead, serve at 18 °C, and pair it with braised meats, aged cheeses or a risotto all'Amarone made with a glass of the same wine.
Winery
Masi Agricola, run by the Boscaini family for seven generations, is the producer most responsible for carrying Amarone to the world. From its base in the Valpolicella Classica the house farms and vinifies across the Venetian regions, and its technical group has published decades of research on appassimento, the grape drying method at the heart of Amarone and Recioto. Scale has not blurred identity: the top wines, Costasera among them, remain benchmarks people use to understand the appellation.
