Monte Del Fra Amarone Della Valpolicella Classico Tenuta Lena Di Mezzo 2019

A prestigious and powerful Venetian red, the 2019 Tenuta Lena di Mezzo Amarone is produced from grapes hand-harvested from the estate’s unique terraced vineyards in San Pietro in Cariano. Following a traditional "appassimento" drying process of over 100 days, the wine exhibits a deep, concentrated ruby red color with garnet highlights. The nose is incredibly rich, offering an expansive bouquet of dried cherries, plums, and wild berries, interwoven with sophisticated notes of licorice, tobacco, dark chocolate, and elegant balsamic hints. On the palate, it is full-bodied, opulent, and velvety, showcasing remarkable structure with ripe, supple tannins and a surprising freshness that balances its significant alcohol. The finish is exceptionally long and persistent, marked by spicy undertones and a characteristic touch of bitter almond.

93 Points - James Suckling

This has notes of sage, tobacco, dark chocolate, hazelnuts and dried cherries. Olives and gravy, too. It’s rich, intensely flavorful and full-bodied, with firm and fleshy tannins. Savory feel. Firm and long. Drink from 2024.

90 Points - Wine Spectator

This supple red shows restraint up front but gains momentum on the palate, offering a skein of milled pepper and paprika that winds through flavors of baked cherry and wild strawberry, singed orange peel and dried sage. Fine-grained tannins firm the finish. Corvina, Corvinone and Rondinella. Drink now through 2030.