Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Vigneto Alto 2003

TOMMASO BUSSOLA

Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Vigneto Alto
2003

Country
Italy
Regulated designation
Denominazione di origine controllata e garantita (DOCG)
Region
Veneto
Appellation
Amarone della Valpolicella
Classification
Classico
Varietal(s)
Corvina 75 %
Rondinella 25 %
Alcohol percentage
16,5%
Colour
Red
Sugar content
40 g/l
Aging vessel type
Stainless steel tanks and French, Eastern Europe oak
Length of aging
36 months
Producer's website
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About this winery

For Tommaso Bussola, it all started in 1977, the year he began working in the small wine estate of his uncle Giuseppe in the Valpolicella region. In the first years of his activity, Tommaso faithfully followed the footsteps of the traditionalists, respecting the time-honoured practices of barrel aging – barrels which, in those times, were used and re-used many times over the years. The wines of this style of production carry the logo "bg", the initials of his uncle, Bussola Giuseppe. But in...

See the TOMMASO BUSSOLA detail page for more information on this brand

Product notes

The grapes are picked and selected from the small vineyard located next to the cellar. The must is left to ferment around 55 days with their pomace with frequent pumping over. Is drawn off place in stainless steel vats for another ten days. Racked, is put into new French oak barrels and Eastern Europe, with a residual sugar of 40 g / l. Here it will stay for thirty months on its lees, where the fermentation continues very slowly. Racked and assembled it is bottled. It remains to mature for another four months before the sale.

Tasting notes

Dried dark cherry notes meld into cloves, pipe tobacco and worn-in leather in a striking, beautifully delineated Amarone loaded with complexity. The flavors are a touch developed, making the 2003 an excellent choice for drinking now and over the next decade or so.

Press reviews

Vinous

- 96 points -

Eric Guido, (Vintage 2012)

It was incredibly sad driving past the location that once hosted the vines that made up the Vigneto Alto vineyard. As mentioned in a previous article, the Bussola family decided to tear up these vines in 2022 for future replanting. Later, tasting the 2012 Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Vigneto Alto put things into perspective. It’s amazing to think that drinking wine really is like experiencing a piece of history. However, the good news is that Tommaso Bussola has been working hard to ensure that their fans will have plenty of other wines in the portfolio to enjoy. With the 2019 vintage, we will see the first wine from the limestone-rich soils of the high-elevation Trapola vineyard. This is a gorgeous location with pergola-trained vines, some as old as ninety years, that overlooks Lake Garda. I’m looking forward to tasting this on my next visit. As for the current releases, the Bussola style shines through in spades. Traditional, rich, complex, and energetic; sometimes savory and sometimes sweet, these wines exist within a category that isn’t easily defined. I find them soulful and utterly captivating.

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James Suckling

- 95 points -

Ned Goodwin, (Vintage 2012)

Another fine Amarone showing prodigious complexity, refinement and scintillating length. Oak-derived coffee bean aromas nestle amid camphor, cloves, licorice, menthol and alpine amaro liqueur. This feels sweeter, richer and more primary than its 2012 Riserva sibling, yet with no less capacity to develop beautifully over time. I look forward to greater complexity, sure to come with further bottle development. Drinkable now, but best from 2029.

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Vinous

- 95 points -

Ian D'Agata, (Vintage 2009)

Fully saturated inky ruby. Superb nuance and lift to the aromas of raspberry, kirsch, violet, licorice pastille and sweet spices. Wonderfully sappy and energetic in the mouth, with outstanding energy and lift to its red and darker fruit, floral and mineral flavors. This powerful wine showcases an exhilarating balance of sweetness and acidity, not to mention noble tannins that provide backbone to the fleshy ripe fruit on the building, violet aftertaste. Despite the lesser vintage, this is deeper and more concentrated more than Bussola’s memorable 2009 TB Amarone. (16.5% alcohol)

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Vinous

- 94 points -

Antonio Galloni, March 2014 (Vintage 2003)

I remember tasting the 2003 Amarone della Valpolicella Classico TB Vigneto Alto when it was in barrel and the fermentations were very slow. Today, it is has emerged from that awkward state and developed into a very beautiful Amarone. Dried dark cherry notes meld into cloves, pipe tobacco and worn-in leather in a striking, beautifully delineated Amarone loaded with complexity. The flavors are a touch developed, making the 2003 an excellent choice for drinking now and over the next decade or so. The 2003 doesn't quite reach the level of the very best years - which would have been nearly impossible in this vintage - but it comes very close. There is a lot to like here, especially for readers looking for a near-term fix of Amarone.

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Wine Spectator

- 94 points -

2014 (Vintage 2003)

Rich and concentrated, this silky red shows impressive balance and integration, with a bright and tangy vibrancy to the flavors of steeped cherry and mocha, herbes de Provence, date and fig bread. A streak of tarry minerality underscores the flavor range and echoes on the grippy finish. Drink now through 2028.

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Wine Spectator

- 94 points -

(Vintage 2009)

A mouthwatering red, with a sense of finesse to the integrated layers of juicy baked cherry and plum fruit, fig paste, wild herb and tarry mineral, all set on a refined and supple tannic frame. Complex and long, this harmonious red is hard to stop sipping but should do well in the cellar. Drink now through 2029.

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James Suckling

- 94 points -

(Vintage 2009)

Beautiful aromas of blueberries, minerals and dried flowers. Medium to full body with super integrated tannins and a refined tannic structure. It’s refined and very pretty.

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Wine Advocate

- 93 points -

Monica Larner, September 2015 (Vintage 2003)

The 2003 Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Vigneto Alto TB is an explosive wine that shows an impressive level of territorial and varietal tipicity. There is a spot of volatility that is in line with grapes that see the appassimento drying process. You can't really describe this as a traditional expression of Amarone, nor is it a modern rendition. The wine's thick extraction, deep aromatic layering and wide scale intensity put it somewhere in the middle on this continuum. Sweet plum, tobacco and baking spice wrap thickly over the palate. It is extra rich and warm with 16.5% alcohol. No matter what, it is built to last.

 

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Wine Advocate

- 92 points -

Monica Larner, (Vintage 2009)

Tommaso Bussola's 2009 Amarone della Valpolicella Classico opens to warm tones of baking spice, ripe fruit, prune, cherry liqueur and cigar box. This is a very well made Amarone that boasts high levels of aromatic intensity and bold flavor extraction. There's nothing subtle about this big red wine made with air-dried grapes. Soft tannins are followed by rich layers of oak-driven spice and vanilla.

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