Expect dried cherry, fig, raisin, dark chocolate, leather, tobacco, dried herb, and refined oak with full body, structured ripe tannins, and a long finish. Amarone is one of Italy's most powerful dry reds, with alcohol typically 15–16%. The 2017 Veneto vintage was warm.
- Varietal
- Corvina-dominant Amarone della Valpolicella blend (typically with Rondinella, Corvinone, and small percentages of other indigenous Veneto varieties)
- Region
- Italy / Veneto / Valpolicella Classico
- Body
- Full
- Style
- dry red, structured, age-worthy, traditional Amarone, oak-aged
The producer
Speri is one of the most respected family-owned producers in Valpolicella, with seven generations of winemaking history dating to 1874. The Sant'Urbano is the estate's flagship single-vineyard Amarone, sourced from a hillside cru. Amarone is made by drying grapes for several months before pressing, concentrating sugars and producing the wine's signature richness and high alcohol.
What critics say
Speri's Sant'Urbano consistently receives strong reviews and is regarded as one of the benchmark traditional Amarones, often scoring in the mid- to high-90s.
Pairing
Slow-braised short rib, lamb shank with rosemary, hard aged cheeses, mushroom-forward dishes