{"product_id":"michele-castellani-amarone-della-valpolicella-riserva-cinque-stelle-docg-750ml","title":"Michele Castellani 2020 Amarone della Valpolicella Riserva Cinque Stelle DOCG 750ml","description":"\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eCinque Stelle represents the top tier of Michele Castellani's Amarone program — a genuinely powerful wine produced exclusively from the family's best upper-slope vines, grown right in their own backyard vineyards in Marano di Valpolicella. The 2020 vintage carries the Riserva designation, and the extra care shows throughout: grapes are carefully selected and air-dried for three to four months using the traditional appassimento method, before undergoing soft pressing and a genuinely patient, slow fermentation lasting over 40 days at controlled temperatures with the skins. The finished wine then ages three full years in cask — 80% in large, traditional 5,000-liter Slavonian oak, with the remaining 20% in smaller French oak barriques, a combination that balances gentle, slow oxidative development against a touch of more direct French oak influence.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eSaratogaWine's official tasting notes describe a bouquet \"of black cherries, blackberry and plum jam, spices, tobacco, and black pepper,\" with the palate \"velvety, full-bodied, and elegant, with soft tannins and the total recall of fruity notes.\" Vine Connections' extended tasting adds real nuance: \"a little reticent on the nose for the moment, but immediately expansive on the palate, showing dried red berries and flowers, together with toasted Indian spice and a light toffee note,\" describing the wine as \"full-bodied with a compact palate of fruit and spice that envelops the fine-grained tannins, turning more and more savory as the long finish progresses,\" concluding it's \"tightly packed and needs a bit of time to unravel and show the full extent of its complexity\" — and adding, genuinely: \"will be great in years to come if you can withstand holding onto it that long!\"\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eFor house-style context, the 2017 vintage of Cinque Stelle earned an impressive sweep of scores — 93 points from James Suckling, 93 from Wine Spectator, 91 from Vinous, and 90 from Wine Advocate — confirming this bottling's consistent, multi-critic pedigree across vintages. This is genuinely serious, patient Amarone from a family estate's very best vineyard sites — built for real cellaring, and best paired, per Vine Connections' own recommendation, with \"roasts, game, grilled meat and seasoned cheeses.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003ch3 dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOrigins \u0026amp; Craftsmanship\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eMichele Castellani is a family-owned winery based in Marano della Valpolicella, in Italy's Veneto region, farming 17 hectares of estate vineyard. Cinque Stelle is produced from the family's best upper-slope vines, grown in their own backyard vineyards on the beautiful slopes of the Valpolicella Classico zone, northwest of Verona, in the western corner of the Veneto region — a mild-to-cool continental climate shaped by proximity to Lake Garda to the west and the Adriatic Sea to the southeast, on clay and limestone soils.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eMade from Corvina, Rondinella, and Molinara, the grapes are carefully selected and air-dried for three to four months using the traditional appassimento method, then gently pressed and fermented slowly — over 40 days — at controlled temperatures with the skins. The 2020 vintage carries the Riserva designation, aged three years in cask: 80% in traditional 5,000-liter Slavonian oak barrels, with the remaining 20% in new French oak barriques.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003ch3 dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCritics Reviews\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eJames Suckling 94 Points, \u003c\/strong\u003e\"Quite delicate aromas of currants, raisins, dark spices and pressed flowers, which open up nicely on the full-bodied palate and expand further in tandem with the lightly firm tannins. I like the progression here, and this will age very nicely. Nice to drink even now, but this is one you can confidently cellar at will.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNatalie Maclean, 94 points: \u003c\/strong\u003e\"Meet the Michele Castellani Cinque Stelle Amarone: austere yet invitingly generous, with dense black cherry, cassis and plum folded into anise spice and white-pepper heat. A smoky seam of flinty mineral and bittersweet chocolate underscores velvet-rich tannins. Crafted from sun-dried Corvina, Corvinone, Rondinella \u0026amp; Molinara, each berry rests in Slavonian cask and French barrique for three years, then another year in bottle. A sublime lesson in Valpolicella’s raisined power. Perfect alongside some osso buco with saffron risotto.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eVine Connections (extended tasting note, 2020 vintage):\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"A powerful Amarone produced from the families' best upper slope vines in their backyard vineyards and aged 3 years in cask. A little reticent on the nose for the moment, but immediately expansive on the palate, showing dried red berries and flowers, together with toasted Indian spice and a light toffee note. Full-bodied with a compact palate of fruit and spice that envelops the fine-grained tannins, turning more and more savory as the long finish progresses. This is tightly packed and needs a bit of time to unravel and show the full extent of its complexity. Will be great in years to come if you can withstand holding onto it that long!\"\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003ch3 dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTasting Profile\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNose\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA little reticent initially, developing black cherry, blackberry, and plum jam, joined by spices, tobacco, and black pepper, alongside dried red berries and florals.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePalate\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eImmediately expansive, velvety, and full-bodied, with a compact core of fruit and spice — toasted Indian spice and a light toffee note — enveloping fine-grained tannins.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFinish\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eLong, turning increasingly savory as it progresses, closing tightly packed with genuine potential to unravel and reveal further complexity with additional bottle age.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003ch3 dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eQuick Overview\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cdiv dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\n\u003ctable\u003e\n\u003cthead\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth scope=\"col\"\u003eCategory\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003cth scope=\"col\"\u003eDetails\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/thead\u003e\n\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAppellation\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eAmarone della Valpolicella DOCG (Riserva), Veneto, Italy\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eVariety\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eCorvina · Rondinella · Molinara\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eVintage\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e2020\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eProducer\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eMichele Castellani\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEstate\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eMarano di Valpolicella — 17 hectares, family-owned\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eVineyard Source\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eBest upper-slope estate vines\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eProduction\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eAppassimento drying (3-4 months), 40+ day slow fermentation\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAging\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e3 years — 80% Slavonian oak (5,000L), 20% French oak barriques\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCritics\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eWine Spectator reviewed; 2017 vintage: 93 JS, 93 WS, 91 Vinous, 90 WA\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eStyle \/ Identity\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eThe top tier of Castellani's Amarone program — powerful, patient, built for real cellaring\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAromas \u0026amp; Flavors\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eBlack cherry, blackberry, plum jam, tobacco, black pepper, dried red berries, toffee\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBottle Size\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e750ml\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/tbody\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003ch3 dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFood Pairings\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRoasts and game\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGrilled meat\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSeasoned, aged cheeses\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRich, savory braises\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Breakthru","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45159864533058,"sku":null,"price":60.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0363\/8621\/files\/3A97A9EE-E055-459C-9F83-7A4F069ED7DC_1_201_a.jpg?v=1788624031","url":"https:\/\/www.blackwellswines.com\/products\/michele-castellani-amarone-della-valpolicella-riserva-cinque-stelle-docg-750ml","provider":"Blackwell's Wines \u0026 Spirits","version":"1.0","type":"link"}