Amarone 2020: A vintage defined by finesse and fresh energy

The 2020 vintage is shaping up to be a modern benchmark for Amarone, combining aromatic precision with refined, integrated tannins, vibrant natural acidity, and a distinctive sense of balance and harmony. These wines offer concentrated yet elegant profiles, carrying expressive red and dark fruit, mineral tension, spice, and balsamic lift, all culminating in long, clean finishes.

For collectors and those who gravitate toward classical, terroir-driven Amarone, 2020 holds enormous promise.

Despite the climatic fluctuations and global challenges of 2020, the resulting Amarone wines display remarkable poise and purity. They lean firmly toward finesse and aromatic clarity rather than sheer power. While they may not possess the muscular density of the warmest, most opulent vintages, their fine-grained tannins, linear drive, and vibrant acidity point to excellent longevity.

Following the exceptional five-star 2019 vintage (read my report here), 2020 continues Valpolicella’s evolution toward wines defined by elegance, transparency, and a clear sense of place. In the early 2000s, Amarone was often made in a heavily extracted, powerful style designed to make an immediate impression. Today, more producers, especially those who never abandoned their traditional, site-driven philosophies, are embracing a more terroir-focused approach, allowing the vineyards themselves to shape the wine rather than chasing trends or points.

Standout Amarone wines from 2020

Below are the standout wines from my tastings. Seventeen bottles that distinguished themselves through precision, personality, and potential. As they become available in markets around the world over the coming months and years, keep an eye out; they will make outstanding additions to any serious cellar.

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Fasoli Gino “Alteo” Amarone della Valpolicella DOCG 2020

Founded in 1925 and known for its commitment to organic and artisanal production, Fasoli Gino is one of Valpolicella’s most respected family wineries. Their flagship Amarone, Alteo, is crafted exclusively from vineyards planted on the highest slopes of Valpolicella, where a mix of clay and limestone soils contributes natural minerality, tension, and structural depth. These elevated, well-ventilated sites allow the grapes to ripen gradually, developing intense concentration while preserving freshness.

The fruit for Alteo is manually harvested in early fall, then undergoes approximately four months of appassimento—the traditional withering process that intensifies sugars, aromatics, and structure.

After a slow, patient fermentation, the wine matures in barriques for a minimum of three years before an additional year of bottle aging, ensuring complexity, integration, and longevity. This meticulous, time-honored approach yields a powerful yet detailed Amarone of great character and aging potential.

The 2020 Alteo Amarone immediately captured my attention for its rich, rustic, and layered personality. The nose is expressive and evocative, delivering savoury dark fruit, dried fruit, fig, potpourri, and forest floor, all unfolding in beautifully interwoven layers. On the palate, the wine is deep, concentrated, and texturally impressive, with flavours of cassis, dried cherry, spice, and warm, earthy undertones. The length is exceptional, carrying its richness with confidence and balance.

Despite its power (17.5% ABV), the wine remains poised, driven by the minerality and structure imparted by its high-elevation clay-limestone vineyards. This is a robust, complex, and beautifully crafted Amarone—showing wonderfully now, with the depth and stamina to evolve gracefully over the next two decades.

Fattori Col de la Bastia Amarone della Valpolicella 2020

A blend of corvina and rondinella sourced from vineyards on the ridge between the valleys of Alpone and Illasi at an elevation of ~450 m above sea level. Grapes were harvested in September and allowed to wither until early December when the dehydrated grapes were pressed. The nose reveals savoury, rustic character, with leather, herbs, cherry, and fig. The palate is refreshing with fig, balsamic, leather notes persisting on the long finish. Enjoy over the next 10-15 years.

Corte Figaretto Musa delle Figaretto Amarone della Valpolicella DOCG 2020

From the Valpolicella Valpantena region, Musa del Figaretto is sourced from a selection of the best grapes from Corte Figaretto’s vineyards in Valpantena where the winemaking team of Mauro (father) and Sofia (daughter) produce their impressive Musa delle Figaretto Amarone. This blend of corvina, corvinone, and rondinella was harvested in early fall then the grapes were allowed to wither for ~120 days to achieve a weight loss of ~55% before pressing. The nose reveals red and dark fruits, fresh and dried, with hints of spice. The palate highlights the wine’s great texture, silky with fine integrated tannins, the dried dark fruit persisting on the long finish. Enjoy now or over the next two decades.

Ca’ La Bionda Amarone della Valpolicella Classico DOCG ‘Ravazzol’ 2020

From the heart of Valpolicella Classico, Ca’ La Bionda stands as one of the region’s highly respected family estates. Founded in 1902 in the historic commune of Marano di Valpolicella, the winery is now led by the fourth generation of the Castellani family, who farm organically and champion a pure, terroir-first expression of Valpolicella’s hillside vineyards. Their approach is patient and traditional—high-elevation terraces, careful bunch selection, and long natural fermentations—resulting in wines that balance depth with finesse.

The estate’s crown jewel is the legendary Ravazzol cru, one of the most prized sites in all of Valpolicella. With its ancient marly-limestone soils, dramatic slopes, and excellent exposure, Ravazzol yields fruit that lends itself beautifully to Amarone’s appassimento technique. Ca’ La Bionda translates this into an Amarone style that is structured, savoury, and elegant—never heavy—making their wines among the finest, age-worthy expressions in the denomination.

A stunningly elegant Amarone from one of Valpolicella’s great historic crus. The 2020 Ravazzol opens with a deep and complex aromatic profile: dried dark fruit, warm spice, flint, leather, balsamic lift, and a subtle salty mineral note that speaks clearly of its hillside limestone origins. On the palate, this is all about tension and refinement—chalky, savoury, and beautifully balanced. Waves of dark dried fruit mingle with spice and saline minerality, supported by youthful, tightly knit tannins that promise tremendous evolution. The structure is exceptional, and while it’s already expressive, the 2020 Ravazzol will be in a prime drinking window in about five years, with decades of graceful life ahead.

Contrada Palui Amarone della Valpolicella DOCG 2020

This lightly coloured Amarone impressed last year when it made its debut at Anteprima Amarone given its surprisingly faint colour yet big and layered taste profile. The 2020 vintage brings a similar light ruby colour and all the elegance you would expect along with great structure and texture revealing red and dark fruits, dried fruits, fig, plum, and sweet spices with crushed rock minerality from the white limestone, black basalt and flint stone found in their high elevation vineyards overlooking Verona.

This Amarone represents so clearly the terroir from where it was born. With their high elevation vineyards and careful winemaking they’re able to reflect a profound sense of place so well. Contrada Palui is changing how many may have perceived Amarone in the past. See for yourself. Put your fancy Burgundy down and try this wine! You’ll be impressed. Enjoy now and over the next 15 years.

Marion Amarone della Valpolicella 2020

Marion Winery is a family-run estate located in the Marcellise Valley, just east of Verona and just outside of the Valpolicella Classico region. Their Amarone generally show great concentration and structure with velvety-textured tannins and harmonious balance. They tend to be rich yet elegant, a welcome shift from the ultra-opulent Amarone that was more common amongst producers last decade.

Their 2020 Amarone is showing beautifully now. The nose shows dried cherry, fig, plum, balsamic notes, and warm spice. It’s ripe, robust, with those velvety tannins in perfect harmony. A wonderful choice for those looking to enjoy an expressive and ready-to-drink Amarone in the short term, but one that will benefit from medium-term cellaring too. Enjoy 2025-2035+.

Le Guaite di Noemi Amarone della Valpolicella DOCG 2020

Le Guaite di Noemi is one of Valpolicella’s most exciting new-generation wineries, led by the talented and visionary Noemi Pizzighella, who has quickly earned a reputation for crafting Amarone of precision, purity, and remarkable finesse. Working with high-altitude, terraced vineyards in the hills of Mezzane di Sotto, Noemi oversees every stage of production with an artisanal touch—from meticulous bunch selection to long, natural fermentations and careful élevage. Her wines are admired for their tension, aromatic lift, and quiet power, delivering both complexity and elegance without excess.

The 2020 Amarone from Le Guaite di Noemi may be the finest vintage expression I’ve tasted from this talented up-and-coming winemaker. Still years away from bottling and release, it already shows exceptional promise as a top-of-class interpretation of Amarone. The nose opens with a fresh breeze of fig trees, dried figs, plum, dark cherries, and layered dried dark fruit. Complex accents of cypress, graphite minerality, and a touch of orange rind add remarkable depth and sophistication.

On the palate, the wine is harmonious, soft, and beautifully textured, with tannins that are already finely integrated despite its youth. The structure is outstanding—firm yet elegant—and the complexity unfolding at this early stage speaks to Noemi’s craftsmanship and the strength of the 2020 vintage. This is an extraordinary early showing of what will undoubtedly become a profound, age-worthy Amarone.

Corte Cavedini Amarone della Valpolicella DOCG 2020

Corte Cavedini is a small, family-run estate tucked away in the Marcellise Valley, an under-the-radar part of Valpolicella just east of Verona where the rolling hills and calcareous soils yield wines of natural tension and elegance. Here, the Cavedini family crafts their terroir-driven Amarone della Valpolicella DOCG that favours balance over sheer power—beautifully ripened corvina, corvinone, rondinella (with a small portion of merlot, croatina, and oseleta) grapes are gently air-dried for close to two months then vinified, aged in French tonneaux for two years prior to bottling. The result, a lovely blend of dried fruit, red berries, pomegranate, and balsamic notes. The palate repeats with lovely dried red and dark fruit, fine tannins, harmonious texture on the long finish. Showing wonderfully now, this is a great go-to Amarone to enjoy now and over the next decade plus.

Tezza Viticoltori Amarone della Valpolicella DOCG 2020

Tezza Viticoltori, based in the Valpantena valley immediately northeast of Verona. Their 2020 Amarone della Valpolicella DOCG shows impressive intensity and depth, layering bold dark and red fruit with inviting notes of sweet spice, chocolate, clove, and dried fig. The calcareous, well-drained soils of Valpantena lend structure and lift, keeping the wine refined rather than heavy, while the Tezza family’s restrained approach and organic farming allows the fruit and terroir to shine. It’s a beautifully balanced Amarone, rich, warmly spiced, and poised to age gracefully while preserving its hallmark warm spice and refreshing dried-fruit complexity.

Torre di Terzolan Amarone della Valpolicella DOCG 2020

High in the upper Val Squaranto near Trezzolano, just north of Verona, Torre di Terzolan is one of Valpolicella’s most evocative small estates. Set in a restored 15th-century hunting lodge at 350 metres, it’s surrounded by vineyards, meadows, woodlands, and olive trees—a landscape rich in history and biodiversity. Winemaker-proprietor Roberta Previdi produced her first vintage in 2015 (with the first commercial release in 2016). The certified-organic estate farms 2.5 hectares across four plots—La Mezzaluna, La Pala, Il Binte, and Il Brolo—producing about 13,000 bottles a year of Amarone, Valpolicella Superiore, and Valpolicella from corvina, corvinone, rondinella, and croatina.

During my visit in winter 2025, the bond between land and legacy was unmistakable, from the refurbished cellar with oak and amphora to the towering tree planted in 1492 to mark Columbus’s voyage. Their 2020 Amarone builds beautifully on the impressive 2019: fragrant, complex, and elegant yet intense. The nose shows dark cherry, dried red and dark fruits, balsamic tones, subtle spice, and graphite, with floral and herbal nuances emerging over time. The palate is harmonious and refined, with dried dark fruit, plum, fine spice, and seamlessly integrated tannins. This is Amarone of restrained power, favouring finesse and purity over weight, with the structure to age gracefully for two decades. A standout expression of Torre di Terzolan’s historic single vineyards.

Lavagnoli Amarone della Valpolicella DOCG 2020

Cantina Lavagnoli, based in the heart of Valpolicella just north of Verona, is a family-run estate devoted to crafting expressive, terroir-driven Amarone. Their 2020 Amarone is a captivating example of the estate’s refined, artisanal approach — very inviting and fragrant, with rustic and balsamic highlights alongside layers of red and dark dried fruit, savoury spice, leather, and forest floor. The palate reveals sweet dark fruit and warm spice, with notes of leather and balsamic character persisting on a long, beautifully textured finish. It’s a wonderfully balanced and authentic expression of Amarone — drinking beautifully now and built to evolve gracefully over the next two decades.

Domìni Veneti Amarone della Valpolicella DOCG Classico 2020

Domìni Veneti represents the premium line of Cantina Valpolicella Negrar, a historic cooperative founded in 1933 and now working with ~245 small growers across Valpolicella Classico. Since launching the Domìni Veneti label in 1989, the co-op has focused on sourcing only the finest hillside fruit from the Classico zone—much of it organically farmed and hand-harvested—to craft wines that showcase the region’s best terroirs. Amarone is their flagship, famously tied to the cooperative’s own history, where legend credits founder Gaetano Dall’Ora with the accidental discovery of Amarone when a barrel of Recioto fermented dry. Today, their team, led by General Manager Daniele Accordini continues to refine this legacy, emphasizing purity, site expression, and the craftsmanship of their growers.

The 2020 Amarone della Valpolicella Classico is fragrant and inviting, offering dried figs, warm spices, sweet dark fruit, and savoury earthiness. On the palate, expressive dark fruit and spice unfold with a soul-warming sweetness that lingers beautifully. Rich yet balanced, it’s a delicious and versatile Amarone—perfect with braised dishes, BBQ, or hearty après-ski meals.

Sartori ‘Corte Brà’ Amarone della Valpolicella DOCG Classico Riserva 2020

Founded in 1898, Sartori di Verona is one of the region’s most historic and influential family wineries, with over a century of experience crafting wines that express the character and tradition of Valpolicella. Their flagship Amarone, Corte Brà, comes from select hillside vineyards in the Valpolicella Classico zone, where the combination of old vines, limestone-rich soils, and cooling breezes promotes depth, concentration, and longevity. Produced only in the best vintages, Corte Brà Amarone Riserva is Sartori’s top expression—crafted with meticulous grape selection and long aging to reveal the estate’s signature elegance and power.

2020 Corte Brà Riserva opens with concentrated dark fruit, warm spice, cracked pepper, orange peel, and lifted balsamic tones, all melding beautifully in a deep and expressive bouquet. Initial impression is simply delicious! On the palate, it’s richly textured and layered, showing generous dark fruit and spice supported by youthful, firm tannins that promise decades of graceful evolution. The structure is impressive, the balance refined, and the overall expression unmistakably that of a top-tier Amarone from this storied family estate. A fantastic effort with a long life ahead, and a shining example of the depth and sophistication that define Sartori’s most prestigious bottling.

Sabaini Amarone della Valpolicella DOCG 2020

Sabaini is a quality-driven family winery crafting expressive, terroir-focused wines from the Val d’Illasi, a celebrated valley northeast of Verona known for its limestone-rich hillsides and excellent natural ventilation ideal for appassimento. The estate sources its Amarone grapes from the Monte Castello d’Illasi and Monte Tomelon vineyards in the Val d’Illas, two elevated, well-exposed sites that provide fruit with freshness, depth, and signature balsamic-herbal lift. Working with careful bunch selection and traditional drying methods, Sabaini aims for balance and purity, producing Amarone that is both richly layered and elegantly structured.

The 2020 Amarone is inviting and delicious. Opening with plum, fig, mocha, dark chocolate, and sweet spices, all supported by the fresh, mineral-driven character of its hillside Val d’Illasi vineyards. Subtle balsamic and herbal notes add regional complexity and lift. The palate is textural and refined, with firm, well-built tannins that make it an excellent pairing for braised dishes or charcoal fire-grilled beef. Rich yet balanced, this is a beautifully crafted Amarone that will evolve gracefully over the next twenty years.

Roccolo Grassi Amarone della Valpolicella DOCG 2020

Roccolo Grassi is located just outside the Valpolicella Classico zone in Mezzane di Sotto, an eastern valley known for producing some of the region’s most refined wines. Founded in 1996 by Bruno Sartori, the estate is named after its most important vineyard, the source of fruit for their flagship Amarone and Valpolicella.

The family farms 16 hectares across Val di Mezzane at 200–300 metres elevation. Volcanic basalt and stony red and black clays provide mineral tension and depth, while the valley’s cool mesoclimate—shaped by mountain air and lower rainfall—supports slow, even ripening.

The Roccolo Grassi Amarone 2020 is beautifully expressive and impeccably composed, showing meaty, graphite, fig, plum, and spice notes with balsamic lift. Deep, savoury, and elegant aromatics lead to a palate of plush dark fruit, subtle savoury nuances, and a refined mineral backbone. Exceptionally balanced and powerfully polished, it reflects the precision and character of the estate’s style. A complex and deeply satisfying Amarone—one of the standout wines of the 2020 vintage, built to age gracefully for decades.

Tenuta Santa Maria Valverde Amarone della Valpolicella DOCG Classico 2020

Tenuta Santa Maria Valverde is a small, boutique estate producing just 4,000 individually numbered bottles of Amarone each vintage. They’re located high in the hills above Marano di Valpolicella, in the heart of the Valpolicella Classico zone northwest of Verona. Their vineyards sit at roughly 500 metres elevation, making them some of the highest in the entire appellation. These steep, terraced slopes—rich in limestone and ancient volcanic soils—benefit from excellent drainage and cool mountain breezes flowing down from the Lessinia plateau. This elevated setting naturally enhances freshness, aromatic definition, and long aging potential, giving the estate’s Amarone its hallmark elegance and finely textured structure.

The 2020 Amarone Classico is a beautifully expressive and refined wine, opening with an elegant, rustic bouquet of dark cherry, dried fruit, potpourri, graphite, plum, and cherry Danish. The nose is layered and perfumed, offering both delicacy and depth. On the palate, it’s incredibly graceful—spicy dried fruit, fine light-textured tannins, and a whisper-soft, ballet-like elegance that glides effortlessly. This is an Amarone that speaks softly yet confidently, showcasing purity, aromatic complexity, and impeccable balance. Structured for longevity, the 2020 can be cellared for 25 years or more, evolving in nuance and finesse as it ages.

Masi Costasera Amarone Classico DOCG 2020

Founded in 1772 and now guided by the seventh generation of the Boscaini family, Masi has spent nearly 250 years shaping the voice of Amarone—rooted in heritage, guided by innovation, and always deeply connected to the land.

Their flagship, Costasera Amarone, is grown on hillside vineyards spanning the historic communes of Marano, Negrar, Sant’Ambrogio, and San Pietro in Cariano—the very cradle of the Valpolicella Classico zone, where many of the region’s finest Amarone wines are produced each year. These west and southwest-facing slopes soak up the final warmth of the day, while Lake Garda’s cooling breezes preserve the wine’s natural lift and finesse—a hallmark of Classico Amarone, which tends to show more vibrancy and freshness compared to its warmer eastern counterparts.

The soils here contain red limestone and cretaceous marl, rich in calcium carbonate, which add a mineral tension and elegance that complements the naturally rich dried fruit character found in many Amarone wines. From these noble slopes, Masi cultivates Corvina, Rondinella, and Molinara, grapes that are slowly dried after harvest using the traditional appassimento method. The result is a wine style that balances intensity with elegance, approachable in its youth, yet structured for cellaring.

Now widely available at LCBO stores across Ontario, just in time for the holidays, when Amarone becomes one of the season’s most sought-after wines for both gifting and fireside enjoyment. In the glass, it’s deep, dense, and inviting, with expressive aromas of dark cherry, wild berries, and dried plum, layered with dark chocolate, balsamic herbs, graphite, and a subtle earthiness that nods to its hillside origins. The palate delivers a full-bodied, plush mouthfeel, lifted by bright acidity and fine, integrated tannins. Flavours of dried fruit, cocoa-dusted raisins, and gentle warm spice carry through a long, mouthwatering finish. While it’s drinking beautifully now, this wine will evolve gracefully over the next 10 to 15 years. It’s approachable, classically styled, and offers excellent value, making it a great introduction to Amarone for those just discovering the style, and a solid, reliable bottle for seasoned enthusiasts alike.

 

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Matt Steeves is a Canadian Wine Writer, On-Air Sommelier (TV, radio), Valpolicella Wine Specialist, and former Director with the National Capital Sommelier Guild – follow Matt on Instagram @Quercusvino  & www.quercusvino.ca & www.topwines.ca.