2019 L'Arco "Pario" Rosso

At the young age of 17, Luca Fedrigo began his winemaking career under the tutelage of legendary producer, Guiseppe Quintarelli. Giuseppe offered him an apprenticeship at his prestigious winery. In 1998, after 11 years of diligent practice, and with the support of Quintarelli, Luca decided to form his own winery, L’Arco. Luca is an uncompromising perfectionist. His wines are of the highest quality - and cost a mere FRACTION of his former mentor's wines. These are very special wines and not widely available in the US. 50% Corvina and Corvinone, 35% Rondinella, 15% Molinara and Croatina. This wine is made from 50% Amarone (grapes are picked and laid out to dry on straw mats for 2-3 weeks so that the gapes raisin) juice and 50% Ripasso juice that are blended together and then aged for 36 months in 1000L and 2000L Slovenian oak barrels. Very deep, saturated ruby. Fresh, piercing aromas of black cherry, violet, lavender and sweet spices on the nose. Then super smooth but dense, with wonderful poise and balance to the ripe red cherry, dark berry, aromatic herb and mineral flavors. Finishes long with youthfully chewy tannins and lingering floral nuances. Concentrated but tastes much lighter and vibrant than the majority of other similar wines.

94 points, Vinous. "The 2019 Pario is darkly alluring, showing a powerful display of dried black cherries complicated by notes of cedar, clove and leather, all lifted by a hint of camphor. It's surprisingly fresh and lively within despite its imposing bouquet, mixing tart wild berry fruits with violet inner florals and a bitter tinge of balsamic spice. Lightly tannic, the 2019 finishes long and staining, with a crunchy sensation that keeps the taster looking back to the glass for more. If opening the Pario today, make sure to give it a good amount of air. This is a blend of half fresh and half appassimento Corvina, Rondinella and Molinara. Drinking window: 2025-2032." -Eric Guido