Masi : Costasera 2004

Tasting Notes and Characteristics of Masi's Costasera 2004

Tasting Notes

Appearance
This wine reveals a deep ruby red hue, enhanced by delicate violet highlights.

Nose
Powerful and remarkably complex, the aromatic bouquet opens with intense notes of dried prunes and raisins.

Palate
Full-bodied and generous, the palate offers a texture that is both dry and velvety, supported by wonderfully smooth tannins. It reveals delicious hints of cooked cherry, cocoa and cinnamon, extending into a remarkably persistent finish.

Food and Wine Pairing
This vintage pairs beautifully with roasted or grilled red meats, as well as game dishes. It also enhances well-aged, characterful cheeses such as Parmesan. Finally, it is thoroughly enjoyable on its own at the end of a meal, as a meditation wine.

Serving and Ageing
To fully enjoy the Costasera 2004, it is recommended to serve it at 20°C. With an exceptional ageing potential estimated at 30 to 35 years, this vintage can be kept and enjoyed until around 2039.

A precise and complex Amarone della Valpolicella Classico

The Estate
While the Boscaini family's winemaking history began in 1772 in Veneto, the modern company Masi Agricola S.p.A. was founded in the 1970s. Now led by current owner Sandro Boscaini, this internationally renowned brand is a true benchmark for wines made using the appassimento method. The estate, which exports to more than 140 countries, stands out for its commitment to environmental sustainability while carefully preserving its family heritage.

The Vineyard
The grapes come from hillside vineyards located at the heart of the Amarone della Valpolicella Classico appellation, spread across the communes of Marano, Negrar, Sant'Ambrogio and San Pietro in Cariano. The vines benefit from a favourable west and southwest-facing exposure, facing the setting sun. This ideal setting provides extended sunshine, a milder climate and beautiful light reflected off Lake Garda. The vines thrive on soils made up of friable red limestone and Cretaceous marl, promoting optimal ripening of the berries.

The Vintage
The growing cycle began in a typical fashion during the first months of the year. Although some June rainfall slightly delayed ripening, a hot and dry July, along with a mild August, allowed the berries to ripen in excellent conditions. The mild weather continued right up until harvest, which began in early October. The harvested bunches were perfectly healthy and well-aerated, showing a fine balance between sugar levels, acidity and colour. Yields were 10 to 15% above average, and weather conditions proved ideal for the drying process.

Winemaking and Ageing
The Costasera 2004 is crafted using the traditional appassimento method. Following manual harvesting in late September or early October, the finest bunches are laid out on bamboo racks in dedicated drying rooms until the end of January, losing around 35% of their original weight in the process. This is followed by gentle pressing and partial destemming. Fermentation takes place over nearly 45 days in large Slavonian oak casks or stainless steel tanks, at naturally low temperatures. The wine then continues its alcoholic fermentation in 30 to 40 hectolitre barrels, before undergoing malolactic fermentation. Ageing lasts a total of 24 months: 80% of the volume rests in large Slavonian oak casks, while the remaining 20% ages in small oak barrels from Allier and Slavonia (40% new, 30% having held one previous vintage and 30% two previous vintages). Finally, the wine is refined in bottle for at least four months before release.

Grape Varieties
70% Corvina, 25% Rondinella, 5% Molinara.