The 2009 Amarone della Valpolicella Torre del Falasco (70-30 Corvina and Rondinella, aged up to 18 months in oak) shows spicy layers of clove and nutmeg from the outset. Give the wine a little time and interesting aromas of prune, leather and black pepper come into focus. The mouthfeel is lighter and milder compared to most Amarones, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Drink 2013-2018. Founded in 1958, Cantina Valpantena is a cooperative winery with 300 members who farm 600 hectares of vineyard. The group includes 150 olive growers and produces excellent olive oil from the Grignano and Favarol cultivars that are native to the Verona area. Importer: Omniwines Distribution, www.omniwines.com

Amarone Torre del Falasco delivers a series of unexpected surprises in terms of its overall elegance and complexity. The wine is redolent of leather, tobacco, barbecue smoke, cherry and sweet cinnamon spice.——M.L.(12/1/2011)—— 90