Allegrini's benchmark Amarone, from Corvina dried three to four months until it sheds nearly half its weight. Concentrated black cherry, fig and cocoa, 16% alcohol kept dry and savoury, aged in new barriques. For braised meat, game and aged cheese.
A dried-grape red from Corvina Veronese, Corvinone, Rondinella and Oseleta, aged 18 months in new barriques. Here is how Allegrini's benchmark Amarone smells and tastes.
The aromas open on Allegrini's signature appassimento concentration: black cherry and plum macerated to a near-liqueur depth, then fig and raisin from grapes dried three to four months in the fruttaio until they have shed 40 to 45 percent of their weight. Eighteen months in new barriques layers in cocoa, cinnamon and noble wood, with leather and dried tobacco edging in with bottle age.
Black cherry
Fig
Plum
Raisin
Tobacco
Leather
Cinnamon
Liquorice
CocoaFull and warm, the 2021 carries 16.27% alcohol yet stays composed: the dried-grape richness of the fruit is balanced by 6.2 g/l total acidity and a residual sugar of just 3.4 g/l, so it reads dry rather than jammy. Corvina Veronese and Corvinone supply the structure, Rondinella the lift, and a fine, dusty tannin from the new oak frames a rich, enveloping mid-palate.
Long and savoury, closing on garnet-edged dark fruit, liquorice and a warm, spirit-soaked spice carried by the new-barrique frame.
This is the wine that made Allegrini a benchmark for Amarone, and drinkers agree: Vivino ratings sit around 4.2 to 4.4 across vintages, with the 2020 and 2021 both holding 4.2 from hundreds of reviews. A serious, age-worthy Classico for braised meat, game and aged cheese, drinking well now but built to evolve for a decade or more.
The 2020 and 2021 are the vintages available now, both around £63 a bottle from UK retailers.
A 16% DOCG built on appassimento: where Allegrini's Amarone earns its place across food, cellar and occasion.
A benchmark DOCG Amarone at a celebratory price: a natural choice for a special dinner or a gift.
DOCG appassimento red with firm structure and 18 months of new oak; the 2021 will reward a decade or more in the cellar.
Powerful, fine-tannined and savoury: superb with braised meat, game and aged cheese, though too big for light or spicy plates.
No price_aggregate category row; derived from price band and critics: around £63 for a Gambero Rosso Tre Bicchieri benchmark Amarone is fair and undercuts many peers.
Scoring is rule-based and deterministic. The model and weightings are documented in our editorial methodology.
A compact view of what the Amarone della Valpolicella denomination actually requires, and how this bottle sits inside it. Pulled from the official Italian disciplinare.
Compare tracked offers from verified retailers at a glance. Stock is shown only where the retailer exposes it. Logos, sale pricing, and the strongest offer are surfaced first.
Two current releases sit side by side: a warm, generous 2020 and a more structured 2021 that the estate bottled at 16.27% alcohol.
A cooler, well-balanced 2021 gave Allegrini a more structured Amarone, bottled at 16.27% alcohol with 6.2 g/l total acidity; built for the long haul.
A warm, generous 2020 made a rich, approachable Amarone that drinks well young while holding comfortably for a decade.
Drink-now / hold guidance reflects general style cues for this wine, not a forecast for a specific bottle. Where vintage-level editorial notes exist, they appear above.
Allegrini farms upper-hillside vineyards over 30 years old in the Valpolicella Classico zone and has taken Gambero Rosso's Tre Bicchieri 28 times for its Amarone.
Italian wine law sorts bottles into a pyramid. DOCG sits at the top: tightly drawn boundaries, prescribed grapes, mandatory ageing, government tasting before release. DOC is the same idea with looser thresholds. IGT (Indicazione Geografica Tipica) is broader still, requiring only that 85% of the grapes come from the named territory.
Amarone della Valpolicella is in the DOCG tier. That is not a quality verdict, it is a description of how much freedom the producer has at vinification and ageing.
Amarone della Valpolicella falls within Veneto , covering Veneto. The denomination is further divided into 2 sub-zones.
Allegrini dries the grapes three to four months in the fruttaio until they shed 40 to 45 percent of their weight, so it takes close to twice the fruit to fill a bottle. That concentration is the biggest reason Amarone costs multiples of a fresh Valpolicella.
Only the healthiest bunches are hand-picked in late September from upper-hillside plots over 30 years old; low old-vine yields and manual selection cost far more than machine-picked flatland fruit.
The wine spends 18 months in new barriques, 7 more in large barrels and about 14 in bottle before sale; new French oak and roughly three years of tied-up stock both land in the price.
Amarone della Valpolicella is a DOCG, and Allegrini's 28 Gambero Rosso Tre Bicchieri awards make it a benchmark label that commands a brand premium over lesser-known Amarone.
At 16.27% ABV the 2021 is above the 15% still-wine threshold, so UK excise duty falls in a higher band than a typical 13% red, and 20% VAT then applies on top of duty and the roughly £63 shelf price.
Because Allegrini is imported at scale and stocked across UK merchants, competition keeps the 2020 and 2021 near £63 rather than the £70-plus that allocation-only Amarone can command.
Dishes that complement this wine
With 16% alcohol, fine tannin and dried-grape concentration, this Amarone was built for braised beef, game and aged cheese.
Amarone's full body and 16% alcohol carry the weight of long-braised meat, while the dried-grape concentration mirrors a reduced, glossy sauce instead of fighting it. Fine tannin keeps the richness from turning heavy.
Try with: Brasato al Barolo · Ossobuco alla Milanese · Agnello Ragu Lucano · More pairings →
Eighteen months in new barriques build a fine, dusty tannic frame that wants the charred fat of a thick grilled steak. The fat coats the palate and softens the grip, so the wine tastes plusher.
Try with: Fiorentina steak · Ribeye steak · Sirloin steak · More pairings →
The wine's leather, dried-fig and spice notes bridge the deep, gamey savour of venison and duck. Its appassimento sweetness echoes the fruit glazes and reductions that often accompany game.
Try with: Venison Stew · Roast Duck · Duck breast · More pairings →
The raisin-and-fig sweetness from appassimento balances the salt and umami bite of long-aged and blue cheese, while 16% alcohol stands up to the fat. A regional match in Valpolicella for decades.
Try with: Pecorino sardo e pan carasau · Gorgonzola, pear, and walnut risotto · Blue cheese · More pairings →
Roast lamb's rendered fat needs the wine's tannin and 6.2 g/l acidity to scrub the palate clean between bites, and the dried-fruit depth flatters the caramelised, herb-rubbed crust.
Try with: Lamb shank · Leg of lamb · Rack of lamb · More pairings →
At 16.27% alcohol this Amarone amplifies chilli burn and bulldozes light, delicate dishes. Keep it away from fiery curries, Sichuan heat and raw or poached white fish, which it simply overwhelms.
Skip with: vindaloo · Szechuan beef · sushi · poached sole · Pairing guide →
This Classico drinks well now but evolves for a decade or more; the 2021's acidity and tannin underpin the longest hold.
Peak around 2031. Best in the years above; holds without falling over either side.
A short splash decant softens the first-pour edge and opens the aromatics.
DOCG appassimento red with firm structure and 18 months of new oak; the 2021 will reward a decade or more in the cellar.
£62.70 is the lowest tracked offer for the current vintage and we have no signal of further discounting.
Read directly from each retailer’s public product page once a day. Last refresh: 7 Jun 2026, 14:33 BST. We do not hold stock and we do not accept payment for placement.
Confidence · HighDrawn from what drinkers consistently report on Vivino and Wine-Searcher, summarised in our own words. A crowd read across many tasters, not a single critic.
Confidence · MediumFrom the official Italian disciplinare for this denomination, cross-checked against the Ministry of Agriculture register.
Confidence · HighOur reading of the price, drawn from the disciplinare, public UK duty rates, and typical landed-cost benchmarks. Not a quote from the producer or a retailer.
Confidence · MediumStyle guidance for this kind of wine at this price point. Treat it as advice, not a forecast for the bottle in your hand.
Confidence · MediumIt blends the traditional Valpolicella varieties Corvina Veronese, Corvinone, Rondinella and Oseleta, dried for three to four months before pressing.
Drying the grapes concentrates their sugar, which then ferments to a higher alcohol; Allegrini's 2021 reaches 16.27% by volume while staying dry.
Full-bodied and warm, with concentrated black cherry, fig and raisin, cocoa and spice from 18 months in new barriques, and a long, savoury, fine-tannined finish.
Braised beef and veal, game such as venison, and aged or blue cheeses; its power and dried-fruit depth match rich, slow-cooked dishes.
It drinks well on release but evolves for ten years or more; the structured 2021 has the acidity and tannin for the longest cellaring.
The current 2020 and 2021 vintages sell for around £63 a bottle from UK retailers.
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