Showing a lot more intensity and elegance, the 2009 Amarone della Valpolicella Classico delivers pretty mineral tones of crushed granite and polished river stone that give the wine a bright and focused personality. It’s a little weak on the mid-palate, but it does a good job of contrasting its smoky-spicy side with the sweetness of the air-dried fruit. I’d be curious to taste it again in four or five years. Drink 2015-2022. Founded in 1818, Le Bignele is an under-the-radar estate with 13 hectares in the Classico subzone of Marano di Valpolicella. Today, its run by family members Luigi, Angelo and Nicola Aldrighetti who follow a relatively straightforward winemaking philosophy that incorporates the use of French barrique and botte grande. No American importer.