We’ve been waiting almost 10 years to open this bottle of wine. My in-house wine expert, Jeremy and I picked up the bottle of 1994 Bertani Amarone della Valpolicella Classico in 2000 or 2001. The Valpolicella vino comes in at 15% ABV. The grapes used in the production are desiccated – or dried – on cane mats in barn rafters, where, sheltered from the sun do not turn into raisins. Rather, the removal of moisture requires more grapes to be used per barrel, intensifying the flavor. The wine ages in oaken barrels for several years before bottling. After bottling, the wine ages well in the bottle for another 8 to 10 years before reaching its flavor peak and is ready to consume.
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