Wine: Amarone's big flavor commands big bucks

When the weather turns cold, I like to make robust Italian food and drink with it a big Italian wine - amarone della Valpolicella - because the raisin and sweet ripe fruit flavors offset the acids of tomato sauces.

 Legend has it that a wine maker was preparing a sweet wine known as recioto from three grapes - mostly corvina plus rondinella and molinara - when he accidentally left the wine in the barrel too long. Instead of a sweet wine, he got a very dry wine with lots of alcohol. It was named after the Italian word "amaro," meaning "bitter," because the wine can have a tart or slightly astringent edge to it.

Valpolicella, made from the same grapes, is one of the most popular wines in northeastern Italy, but it is much lighter bodied and younger than the amarone, which is typically aged five years before it is released.

My wine-tasting group compared amarone from four producers, none of which was inexpensive but all of which were delicious. The results follow.

» 2001 Nicolis Ambrosan Amarone, $74.99. The
nose offered scents of baked apples, raisins, licorice, smoked meats, prunes, figs and sherry. We found more baked fruit and licorice on the tongue plus mint and briny notes. A chalky texture that we all liked helped this wine to the top ranking.

» 2001 Cesari Il Bosco Amarone, $79.99.
The aroma reminded us of black licorice, anise, basil and wintergreen. The flavors on the palate mirrored the nose, along with sour plums, sourdough and caraway seeds. The wine had a dusty texture. The alcohol content stood out in this wine more than the others, but it still ranked second in our tasting.

» 2000 Bertani Amarone, $99.99.
The Bertani has less intense aromatics than the others, with scents of cherries, strawberries, basil, fennel and minerals. A young-tasting wine, it had flavors of raspberries, red fruit, tobacco and balsamic vinegar. The fruit was brighter than the others, more resembling a Valpolicella wine.

» 2004 Sartori Amarone della Valpolicella, $51.99.
The bouquet contained raisins, figs, licorice and a hint of tobacco. In the mouth, we tasted intense flavors of plums, raisins and dark fruit. This wine was rich and round on the tongue, with a smooth finish.

SURFING THE SHELVES

» 2005 Kono Baru Cabernet Sauvignon, $13.
The upside-down label of this Chilean cab from the Colchagua Valley will make you notice it on the shelf. It had inviting aromas of dark berries and spices and lush, silky tastes of blueberries, blackberries, mint, eucalyptus and cloves. If you like a fruity wine with spicy notes, check out this one.

» 2007 Inniskillen Riesling Icewine and 2006 Inniskillen Vidal Gold Icewine, $75 each for 375 ml bottles.
Both of these Canadian products are extraordinary appetizer or dessert wines, with flavors of candied apricots, peaches and lemon-lime notes. The riesling offered more citrus flavors while the Vidal Gold emphasized a brilliant acidity that balanced much of the sweetness. Either is a treat, and a little goes a long way.