The Corte Adami 2017 Amarone della Valpolicella (made with a classic bend of Corvina, Corvinone and Rondinella and aged in oak for two years) was born in an infamously hot vintage, but the fruit is actually more streamlined than expected. The wine shows dried cherry, spice and earth over a mid-weight mouthfeel. The alcohol content measures 15.5%, which is low on the modern Amarone scale. It seems as if the intensity has been intentionally scaled back in this 10,000-bottle release.

A 10,000-bottle offering carrying a 15.5% alcohol punch, the Corte Adami 2016 Amarone della Valpolicella is dark and brooding, with a hearty and generous quality of smoky dark fruit. It would pair well with a meal of pulled pork or spicy beef and fried potatoes. The fruit is very well intact, despite the moderate age of the wine. You taste cherry skin, a hint of dried apricot, dark spice and mahogany. The finish is smooth, with soft tannins and the right amount of acidity to keep this vintage from feeling heavy or too thick. This is a solid Amarone with a realistic price tag.

This mix of 45% Corvina, 45% Corvinone and 10% Rondinella grapes dries in the fruttaia for 90 days before going into wood fermenters. The 2015 Amarone della Valpolicella offers good intensity and power and is considerably balanced when you compare it to other Amarones, which are always heavy on concentration and muscle to begin with. All the same, this is a full-bodied wine, and with its 16% alcohol, you'll want to accompany it with a meaty casserole. Production stands at 10,000 bottles.