“Amarone Opera Prima” 2025 in the wine glass: the special vintage 2020 in the best tastings WineNews

Wine vintage of 2020, in Valpolicella, has been a sequence of unpredictable events which gave a very variable result in the vineyard testing, but, in the end, it awarded wine producers. Spring 2020 was marked by a mild and dry climate which accelerated the recovery of the vineyard anticipating the phases up to the flourishing of May; on the contrary, from June to August, hot and dry phases alternated with rainy and fresh phases which brought to slightly anticipated harvest times, but very irregular on the territory due to the variability of maturation of grapes bunch in the vineyard. But, once taken the measures, the grapes with a perfect maturation demonstrated to have intact aromas, and more than sufficient sugar concentrations to cope with the subsequent drying for the production of Amarone della Valpolicella. This, in sum, the harvest analysis by the Consorzio dei Vini della Valpolicella, which presented in preview harvest 2020 at “Amarone Opera Prima” 2025, which closed, yesterday, at Palazzo della Gran Guardia, in Verona. An edition which saw the number of companies participating at the event raise to 78 (figure reached for the first time), and increasing the new subscriptions to the Consortium in 2024 by 51: a significant result if connected to the anniversary of the 100 years that Consorzio della Valpolicella celebrates this year, referring to the foundation of the first association of wine producers within Verona Province, forerunner of the current Consortium which followed at the recognition of Controlled Designation of Origin in 1968. The growth of participants made also samples 2020 to taste at the preview increase: 77 overall (presented by 73 companies), including 9 Riserve, and 29 already on trade. In terms of provenience, 33 from classic zone, 39 by extended zone, and 5 declared by Valpantena. Also these last in slight but gradual increase compared to the previous years, timid adhesion to the intention of the Consortium to develop a subdivision into subzones-valleys. The project is actually supported by many members, who are already moving autonomously and in a localized way to find a characterizing and recognizable identity of the valley, also supported by independent studies (wine producers of Valle di Mezzane, Valle di Squaranto, or Marcellise are an example of it). Necessary steps to increasingly more collocate Valpolicella in a dynamics, and in a narration of the territory (and less of method, as Andrea Lonardi, vicepresident of the Consortium, and Master of Wine hoped for), and to bring Amarone to be definitively recognized as a prestigious wine at an international level, as the wine lists of many Italian and foreign starred restaurants already demonstrate (theme of the masterclass by JC Viens). The growth in value of the last years for the denomination brings towards that direction, also to represent the appreciation for the denomination by the market: “a wellbeing for the whole community – says the president of the Consortium , Christian Marchesini – if we think that in the last quarter of century, the only land value of vineyard grounds grew by 133% in front of an extension of vineyards by 65%. If winery asset is added to vineyard one, the current value of our denomination arrives at circa 6 billion euros”. Values supported also by the last figures presented in the analysis by Observatory Uiv (Unione Italiana Vini): the “king” of Valpolicella, in 2024, closes at -2% compared to the previous year, but with a recovery of 9% in the second semester. A significant bounce if the difficulties of almost all the main red denominations of the planet are considered, but still slight to go out from the complexity of the period. In terms of production – according to the data by Agenzia Veneta per i Pagamenti della Regione Veneto - Avepa - Valpolicella (2,400 companies, and 360 bottlers) saw the vineyard hectares increase again to 8,621 (they were 8,617 in 2023, and 7,435 ten years before, in 2014), which, however, correspond to a drop in total production to 900,160,000 kilograms compared to the previous year (when they were 934,525, fluctuating in the last 15 years, fluctuating between the maximum of 971,267,000 kilograms in 2018 to the minimum of 772,579 in 2020). Of which, 328,347,000 kilograms were dedicated in 2024 to the production of Amarone and Recioto of Valpolicella (438,254 in 2023, maximum peak of production always fluctuating in the last 15 years, touching the minimum of 228,078,000 kilograms in 2014). On the contrary, the bottling – according to Italian Society for Quality and the Tracking of Food - Siquria - regarded almost 17 million of bottles of Valpolicella (in slight increase compared to 2023 with 16,146,400 bottles, but in drop compared to the peaks of 2021 with 19,951,733 bottles, and of 2017 with 19,612,933 bottles); almost 28.5 million of bottles for Valpolicella Ripasso (at this point, in line with the years preceding Covid-19 pandemic, during which, it experienced a favored growth until touching 34,856,267 bottles in 2021; and, in the end, 13,926,000 bottles of Amarone and Recioto della Valpolicella (in drop compared to 2023 with 14,236,667 bottles, but also compared to the previous years up to 2016 included, period in which it touched the maximum peak of 18,819,867 in 2021). Therefore, dropping figures for Amarone reflect also vintage 2020 tasted in preview. As anticipated, it has been very variable from a climatic point of view despite spring promised well. Budding occurred between April, 6th-7th, in perfect harmony with the historical average, but the temperatures over the seasonal average accelerated the recovery of the vineyard. Blossoming, on May, 25th-29th, occurred earlier compared to other years, but it developed in a linear way, thanks to the temperatures in average, and scarce rainfalls which allowed it to develop in a linear way without water and thermal stress. In the month of June, with the fruit set, at this point, concluded, the frequent rain events, and the temperatures below the seasonal average, constrained farmers to manage the main pathogens of the vine. Starting from the first days of August, 3rd-7th, when ripening started, season underwent a turning point: climate, which, with July, was hot and dry, saw the arrival of abundant and intense rainfalls. The contrast between the initial summer hot, and the fresh return of the rain created a favorable environment to maturation. Temperatures then slowed down bringing a little bit of relief to vegetative cycle, but also the necessity of a constant monitoring to prevent eventual pathologies linked to humidity. The contrast between a dry and hot beginning, and a second part of the season characterized by abundant rainfalls characterized the season in an unusual way. If, from January to May, with the exception of March, rainfalls were scarce, the real challenge arrived in the following months. The flow of rainfalls, accompanied by some sudden hailstorms, made the summer less predictable, interrupting a growth cycle which seemed to be destined to follow familiar rhythms: it brought to a strong variability in the grapes maturation, from valley floor to highest altitudes, and made the harvest of grapes very irregular. Overall, harvest began in mid September, some days earlier compared to the average, with fresh and windy days, which favored a healthy maturation of grapes (also thanks to water supply of June and August). The analytic values measured in the different sampling stations highlighted a maturation, which, even if it would be delayed compared to hotter and more rapid years, benefited from favorable climatic conditions starting from mid September which registered a more stable climatic ongoing. The combination of fresh temperatures and summer rainfalls made the grapes develop a good quality without sanitary defects with optimal sugar concentrations, and intact aromatic endowment. According to the Consortium, a complex vintage reflecting on equally varied labels of Amarone della Valpolicella with an optimal acid and typicality endowment, and a well balanced aromatic supply among the varietal notes, those daughters of drying, and those deriving from the sharpening. These characteristics are supported by sensory analysis detecting structural endowment, and balanced alcoholic contents with points of colors of great intensity and depth. In the glass, the editorial staff of WineNews (who will explain past, present, and future of Amarone, and Valpolicella in an online video in the next days, ed) has recognized the increasingly more contemporary style that Valpolicella wines are supporting, at this point, since some years, again: with an important alcoholic content (this year, with more or less accentuated vinegary points, but indirectly widespread) where primary aromas remain mostly intact, supported by more accentuated freshness and sapidity. And, by samples to be tasted, here is the selection of the best of the preview 2025.