2009 Amarone

I recently returned from northeast Italy where I tasted all the 2009 Amarone that are just being released into the market. Although way to early and almost impossible to tell what these wines will be like as they need lots of time to evolve, here are my first impressions. The fruit structure is good with lots of richness. There are plenty of typical balsamic notes in the wines. There seemed to be less variability between sub-regions. Alcohol levels seemed to be a little higher. I would have liked the wines to possess a little more acid to help elevate the fruit, which makes me wonder about longevity. Overall, I feel they will be powerful, but easier drinking than the ‘08s. It will certainly be interesting to see how the ‘09s pan out