WineAlign

Dr. Sandro Boscaini is a man smitten by wine – in particular the Veronese wines of his homeland in north eastern Italy.  The word passion is over-worked in winedom these days, but this gentleman has it bad.  He is also inquiring, restless, worldly and very intelligent – all of which has led to one innovation after another, and a great ability to educate and inspire and promote.

He recently presented a media tasting in the cavernous, temple-cellar of Aaron Barberian’s Steakhouse on Elm St in Toronto, focusing on Masi’s five star vintages, of which there have only been seven with the last in 1997.  It is not an official DOC vintage classification but detailed study of growing conditions, the appassimento process (see below) and the taste of the wine results in a dependable grading that many neighbours use.

Masi Costasera Amarone 2006

Masi Campofiorin 2006

Given the quality of his “basic” 2006 Costasera  Amarone and 2006 Campofiorin now available on Ontario’s general list, the classification seems to have nailed it.  Earlier this year when tasting for the Toronto Life Eating and Drinking Guide I noted that the 2006 Campofiorin “ was much improved over the previous vintage” with an 89 rating compared to 86 for the 2005.  Not bad for a $17 wine (see review here).

In tasting the Costesera 2006 in Barberians cellar I was moved by the elegance, depth and latent complexity to score it 91 (see review here).  Given the track record of the 1997 and 1995 vintages tasted alongside  the young’uns  are very much worth laying down for ten years or more, but they don’t need to be aged to enjoy them. The 1990 Costasera is a minor masterpiece with another decade to live.

Both the Costasera Amarone and Campofiorin are results of Boscaini’s innovative spirit.  Although he did not invent the appassimento technique of drying grapes to create amarone, he perfected it by regulating the environment as much as possible to prevent mould while the berries dry and shrivel for up to three weeks after harvest, concentrating sugar and flavour. He also makes seven different amarones including the expensive single vineyard labels like Massano, Vaio Armaron, and Camplolongo di Torbe.

Sandro Boscaini is currently very concerned about a dilution of the image of amarone, with which I concur.  In tasting amarone over the past couple of years at Vintages lab I have often been disappointed.  From under 20 amarone producers a generation ago there are now over 250, and Boscaini and others are so concerned about the lowering of the quality that they have formed a new association of family producers with standards that far surpass those of the DOC.

His greatest innovation however is Campfiorin, created in 1964. It was the prototype of the ripasso style, that beefs up and rounds off basic Valpolicella by re-fermenting the wine on the dried skins remaining after pressing amarone. It too has become incredibly popular and prevalent in the marketplace, with some of the same dilution of quality present.  (Ripasso and Amarone are  separate categories on WineAlign so you can isolate all those currently in the market.)

In other achievements he has rescued and promoted indigenous, virtually extinct Veronese grape varieties and  he has combined native and French varietals in wines like Masianco, a delicious white. He has lead Verona in modernizing basic table wines like the charming Modello white and red.

His work also extends beyond Italy, including the delicious Masi Passo Doble of Argentina, a ripasso blend of corvina and malbec.  And he is sharing his expertise in many other countries.  He provided advice and research material to Len Crispino of Niagara, who using appassimento techniques on a wide variety of white and red grapes at a new winery called A Foreign Affair.