Amarone della Valpolicella Classico (2016)

About this wine

This Amarone is a blend dominated by Corvina with Corvinone and Rondinella, produced in the Valpolicella Classica zone. The wine shows ripe black cherry and plum on the nose, with notes of dark chocolate, dried fig and a touch of black truffle and licorice. The palate is full bodied and concentrated yet balanced, with velvety tannins and a long savory finish, and the alcohol sits around fifteen percent. The grapes undergo the traditional appassimento drying for roughly three months before fermentation, which concentrates sugars and flavors. The wine sees extended oak ageing, including time in French barriques and larger Slavonian casks, and is released after significant bottle ageing to integrate the structure.

About the grape

Corvina Veronese is the backbone of this Amarone, an old Veneto variety prized for its thick skin and sour cherry character, it provides structure and ageability and at Cesari it is grown in Classico sites trained in pergola Veronese and selected for good ripeness before the appassimento drying period. Rondinella plays a supporting but essential role, it is a local, disease resistant vine that brings color and softness and tolerates the drying process well so producers like Cesari include it to stabilize yields and ensure even raisining. Molinara appears in a small percentage in this bottling to lend bright acidity and freshness, a traditional Valpolicella component that has declined in plantings but is still used sparingly to balance concentrated Amarone wines.

Quick facts

• 🏔️ Bosan is a single‑vineyard Amarone from Marano di Valpolicella grown at about 500 meters, making it one of Cesari’s high‑altitude, terroir‑specific bottlings.
• 🌿 The vines are trained in the traditional pergola veronese on steep terraces, so the wine literally comes from sun‑bathed steps carved into the hillside.
• 🍇 Before fermentation the 2016 grapes undergo a long appassimento in Cesari’s fruttaio, losing roughly 30% of their weight over about 90 days to concentrate flavors.
• 🏆 The 2016 Bosan Riserva collected major critical buzz and was awarded Gambero Rosso’s Tre Bicchieri recognition in the 2026 guide, a career highlight for the cuvée.
• 🌍 Cesari began in 1936 with the explicit goal of crafting an Amarone that could travel the world, and the house still emphasizes export‑grade Amarone today.

Palate profile

Producer

Cesari was founded in 1936 by Gerardo Cesari in the Veneto region of Italy, with the ambition to produce Amarone wines that could rival the world's finest reds. In the 1970s, under the leadership of his son Franco, Cesari's Amarone became one of the first Italian wines to be exported globally, reaching all five continents. The winery manages over 100 hectares of vineyards in Valpolicella and Lugana, including notable sites like Bosan and Il Bosco. Cesari has embraced environmentally sustainable practices and extensively ages their wines beyond DOCG regulations to ensure superior quality.