Allegrini La Grola 2004

The Allegrini family wines date back to the 16th century in the Valpolicella region of northeast Italy. They have been best known for their Amarone wines. I still have one bottle of the 1999 Allegrini Amarone Classico left in the cellar from a case I bought a few years ago. A fantastic wine! This past weekend, we had a bottle of the La Grola 2004, which has some similarities as the Amarone. This big-bodied wine is a mix of 70% Corvina Veronese, 15% Rondinella, 10% Syrah and 5% Sangiovese. It has a complex aroma of crushed blackberries along with some plum from the syrah, some cherry from the the Sangiovese and a hint of chocolate. The flavors are bold, like the Amarone, with mixed berries, sweet red licorice, nice earthy Italian soil, raisins, figs and herbal spices. This was aged in French oak for 16 months and the oak is so well balanced along with nice round tannins. It ends with a nice long finish. You could hold this for another 5-10 years and it will be fantastic. This was rated 90 points by both Robert Parker and the Wine Spectator. It retails for $23 and is a steal at this price. The La Grola will pair well with most red meats, stews and goulashes. A must buy!!