Masi Costasera Amarone 2004

Valpolicella / Italy
$44 to $60 / 92 pts


I have always loved Amarone. As a full fledged carnivore, there is no better wine to complement a juicy steak or leg of lamb. When the dollar was strong, I could buy a good Amarone for around $30 and often did. Well, the dollar is now in the gutter, and the great names in Amarone are approaching $100 or more a bottle. Amarone is now a rare treat.

I found the Masi on-line for just under $50. The wine got 95 points by a prominent wine publication and 90 points from Wine Advocate. With that level of positive feedback I felt it was worth spending the money to try it. I picked up a thick steak, fed the kids early and opened the bottle an hour before eating. Grill got lit, steaks got cooked and wine got poured. (Are you hungry yet?)

The Masi poured a very dark ruby color. The nose was dark fruit, cherry, raisin and prune. The wine was medium bodied with baked cherry, cacao, spice and nice balance. The finish was long and smooth with the tannins lingering on the finish. This was especially nice with the fatty rib eye. It offset the tannins and made this wine a pleasure to drink.

Overall, this is a delicious wine. It is big, rich, balanced and is best paired with food. When you are spending $50 on a bottle of wine, take the time to investigate what foods will complement your selection. The time you invest in educating yourself with exponentially improve you entire wine and food experience.

I drank this wine as part of a virtual tasting on-line. MustLoveWine.com is a social net working site for wine lovers. Picture "FaceBook" for winos. We select a premium wine each month, taste it, and report our findings. It is a great way to interact with other wine lovers and learn an awful lot about wine.

Check out the site MustLoveWine.com. It is free to join, and a great tool to augment your wine education. When you go to the site, take some time to explore. There is something there for everyone, from neophyte to wine professionsl. If you become a member, tell them WineGent sent you!