2017 Guerrieri Rizzardi 3Cru Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 750 ml

Our Guerrieri Rizzardi offers have a habit of selling out in well under 24 hours—the record is four, the average is a touch over six—and earning stunning reviews from our members. However, we had to wait months for a new allocation of their sumptuous 2017 3Cru Amarone because there’s just so little of it out there. 

Italian red wine doesn’t get more robust and satisfying than Amarone, and the 2017 Guerrieri Rizzardi 3Cru shows the dense concentration, savory depth, and dried-fruit complexity that we hope to find—but rarely do—in every Amarone we taste. 

Guerrieri Rizzardi crafted the first-ever Amarone to secure Best Red Wine of Italy honors from Gambero Rosso, and they haven’t looked back since. 

This Amarone comes from three different crus in Negrar di Valpolicella, including Rizzardi’s best site, Calcarole, whose single-vineyard bottles go for $70+ (on the exceptionally slim chance they appear in the US at all). 

The Amarone winemaking process results in powerful, concentrated reds with incredible longevity and complexity. The Corvina, Rondinella, Corvinone, Barbera, and Barbera in this wine are painstakingly dried, bunch by bunch, over the course of three to five months. As the grapes’ water content evaporates, their flavors intensify, coaxing complex notes of exotic spices and dried herbs and flowers to accompany the luscious red- and black-cherry fruit. Fermentation takes an entire month, allowing an incredible depth of flavor to develop alongside a rich texture. After 36 months in oak, the 3Cru has developed extraordinary polish while maintaining its acidity and energy.

With every sip, you’ll find yourself beguiled by yet another delicious aroma or flavor—and if you’re new to Amarone, there’s no better introduction to this Italian classic.