Last night I had my first glass of Amarone! Wow I am hooked. It was fantastic. For those who know this wine it was a 2004 Castellini Colle Cristi Amarone Della Valpolicella Classico. I do not know anything about the maker but it was so good. I am going to order a kit from George right now. So sad I will have to wait 2 years to enjoy it!
My first Amarone
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The Italian Brunello is also very good. Experts say you shouldn't drink it for 10 years.
A friend gave me a glass of a one-year old Brunello he made. It was very young but was very good already.
I wonder if the kits are "Brunello style" or true Brunello?
A friend gave me a glass of a one-year old Brunello he made. It was very young but was very good already.
I wonder if the kits are "Brunello style" or true Brunello?
The amarone kit will be worth the wait. Which kit did you order?
Winexpert has a L/E kit out pretty soon that is an Italian Brunello. I made this this first time around and its still bulk aging in a keg. Since only 5 gallons would fit we had to bottle some and then there was a bit extra to taste - outstanding wine. I am patiently waiting for this to mature.
You would need to call George to ask about the RJ Spag. kits or to see if he'll have any extra of the other if you are interested.
Winexpert has a L/E kit out pretty soon that is an Italian Brunello. I made this this first time around and its still bulk aging in a keg. Since only 5 gallons would fit we had to bottle some and then there was a bit extra to taste - outstanding wine. I am patiently waiting for this to mature.
You would need to call George to ask about the RJ Spag. kits or to see if he'll have any extra of the other if you are interested.
Dean
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Kits are Brunello Style. Actual Brunello has to come from...you guessed it Brunello di Montalcino. It's a DOC zone and is made from 100% Sangiovese from the surrounding area.
Actual Brunello has the structure to easily last 10 years or more. Kit style Brunello will have a hard time lasting past 5 years. Kits just do not have the structure to age for long periods of time.
Scott, Amarone is such an excellent wine! The Cellar Craft showcase collection kit is great! I still have quite a few bottles from 2004/2005 and the kit is just peaking now.
Actual Brunello has the structure to easily last 10 years or more. Kit style Brunello will have a hard time lasting past 5 years. Kits just do not have the structure to age for long periods of time.
Scott, Amarone is such an excellent wine! The Cellar Craft showcase collection kit is great! I still have quite a few bottles from 2004/2005 and the kit is just peaking now.
peterCooper
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Which comment really ought to provoke a discussion about why kit wines don't have the structure and what can be done about it?
Dean
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peterCooper said:
It's very simple really. There is a reason that Brunello di Montalcino should be in storage for 10+ years. It has so many tannins and other harsh things going on, that it takes that long for things to fully integrate. Same with good Bordeaux, Burgundy, Amarone, Cabernet, etc.
Now, picture selling a kit that has that same structure. Here you go sir! Ferment this for 30 to 60 days and age for 10 years before you can enjoy it. would you buy it? Kits are made to be fast to the bottle and fast to the lips. To do this, alcohol levels, tannins, and TDS (total dissolved solids), have to be reduced so it can be enjoyed much earlier. 2 to 3 months for an enjoyable early taste vs 2 to 3 years for the same.
VCASEY -I ordered the MM Renaissance kit. It was on sale and I have made severial Renais. Cab kits and loved them. It is alsoquicker to drink.
Dean - The same night I had my first taste of a Amarone I also had my First taste of a Brunello. It was a 2004 Castello Banfi Brunello di Montalcino. It was great. We also had a taste of a2005 Henry's Drive Reserve Shiras that was great too. It was my Wifes B-Day and we were splurging!
Dean - The same night I had my first taste of a Amarone I also had my First taste of a Brunello. It was a 2004 Castello Banfi Brunello di Montalcino. It was great. We also had a taste of a2005 Henry's Drive Reserve Shiras that was great too. It was my Wifes B-Day and we were splurging!
I have the MM Ren. Amarone bulk aging right now. I intend to start drinking it at 6 months, because it was recommended to me as a wine one can drink young, even though it will keep getting better and better after that.
I'll likely save most of it back for longer aging. I have stolen a few tastes here and there and I know it is going to be good. In six months, if I still like it, I will start another amarone kit, but this time I will do the CC Showcase Amarone and plan on at least a 2 year aging. The main reason I'll switch to CC is more for comparison than anything else. I want to see how well it comes out with a grape pack, versus the raisin pack.
I'll likely save most of it back for longer aging. I have stolen a few tastes here and there and I know it is going to be good. In six months, if I still like it, I will start another amarone kit, but this time I will do the CC Showcase Amarone and plan on at least a 2 year aging. The main reason I'll switch to CC is more for comparison than anything else. I want to see how well it comes out with a grape pack, versus the raisin pack.
MaineGal, we had wanted to try a bottle first as well, It ended up being easier and cheaper to just make a kit, especially since the kit was on sale.
Richard, I managed to bulk age my MMR Amarone for 6 months before I bottled and then hid it from hubby. We opened a bottle 6 months later and have been savoring it. I also picked up the CC Showcase Amarone and bulkaged it for a year. I just bottled that one and put it away for tasting next year. We were able to enjoy a glass of each just prior to bottling and both were very good.
Richard, I managed to bulk age my MMR Amarone for 6 months before I bottled and then hid it from hubby. We opened a bottle 6 months later and have been savoring it. I also picked up the CC Showcase Amarone and bulkaged it for a year. I just bottled that one and put it away for tasting next year. We were able to enjoy a glass of each just prior to bottling and both were very good.
Scott B said:MaineGal & Richard,
My wife and I found a wine bar that we could get a 1 oz taste of the Amarone. It was $6.50 per OZ!!!!But it was GOOOOOOOOD!!!!!
Ohhh...that's a good idea. I know sometimes when we go to the Olive Garden, they offer tastings of specific wines.... Maybe I can try it there if they have it.
OMG!
That works out roughly to $165 a bottle at that rate!
Not a bad markup on a ~$65 bottle of wine!
That works out roughly to $165 a bottle at that rate!
Not a bad markup on a ~$65 bottle of wine!
Scott B said:MaineGal & Richard,
My wife and I found a wine bar that we could get a 1 oz taste of the Amarone. It was $6.50 per OZ!!!!But it was GOOOOOOOOD!!!!!
Dean
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DancerMan said:
Brunello di Montalcino is a regional style of wine. It is made from 100% Sangiovese grapes. They do grow Sangiovese in california, and they grow it quite well too! The amount of oak, color extraction, tannins, etc, make Brunello the style that it is. Remember that juice and concentrate come from global sources for kits, unless they are designated to come from a certain region (ie: Delu Woodbridge Cabernet or Wahaipo Valley Sauvignon Blanc).
Remember that in most of Europe, varietal means nothing but regional style means everything. Red wine is simply "red wine" as is white wine. It's more marketing to us here in North America that demand varietal knowledge. If you lived in Tuscany, you would drink "red wine" from the region and usually end up with either a supertuscan or a chianti, depending on what you were eating.
