Tedeschi Capitel Monte Olmi Riserva Amarone della Valpolicella 2015

Dried-cherry, fruit-peel, leather and walnut aromas on the nose with some bark, too. It’s full-bodied and powerful with lingering, bittersweet chocolate, walnut and peppercorn notes. Fluid and attractive. Drink or hold.

This single-vineyard bottling opens with multifaceted aromas of new leather, forest floor, fragrant purple flowers and spice. The bold, densely concentrated palate doles out baked plum, stewed prune, nutmeg and licorice framed in tightly knit, velvety tannins. You'll also notice the heat of evident alcohol on the close, but the fleshy fruit flavors don't let it dominate. Drink 2022–2030. 

The Tedeschi 2015 Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Riserva Capitel Monte Olmi is brawnier, heavier and shows even more tarry spice than we saw in the 2013 vintage that I tasted at the same time. Aged in oak casks for four years, the blend is 30% Corvina, 30% Corvinone, 30% Rondinella and 10% complementary grapes from a 2.5-hectare vineyard with calcareous marl soils with streaks of yellow. This Riserva also shows more ripeness and ultimately more sweetness with cherry cola on the close. Production is 8,000 bottles.