Santa Maria 15 Amarone

Santa Maria 15 Amarone is a red wine from Esplanda, filed under Italian reds, with Massachusetts listed as its appellation. This is a wine, not a liqueur or cordial, so it is poured and served like a red and has no place in a cocktail. Amarone is a style built on partially dried grapes, and wines in it tend to be dense and high in alcohol. The details here don't give a grape blend, vintage, or alcohol percentage, so the notes below describe what the style usually delivers, not a measured profile of this bottle. Expect a full-bodied red with a dark ruby to garnet color. Typical aromas are dried cherry, fig, plum, and raisin, with cocoa, tobacco, and baking spice behind them. Because the fruit is concentrated before fermentation, these wines have a rich, weighty texture. The finish is often dry to just off-dry, with a bittersweet edge, and the fruit can taste ripe without being sugary. The "15" in the name may point to the strength, but the listing doesn't say so, so check the label for the stated alcohol. Give it air before serving. Decanting for an hour or two usually softens the heat and opens the fruit, and a wide-bowled red wine glass lets the aromas collect. Serve it slightly below room temperature, around 60 to 65°F. A warm room makes a wine this strong taste hot and flat, so a short rest in a cool spot helps. It suits rich, slow-cooked food. Braised short rib, venison, lamb shoulder, and mushroom risotto all have the fat and savoriness to match the wine's weight. At the end of a meal it works with aged hard cheeses such as Parmigiano-Reggiano or aged Gouda, or with dark chocolate. It can also be sipped by itself after dinner, in small pours, as you would a fortified wine. Reseal and store any leftover wine upright in a cool place, and it should hold for a day or two.