Masi : Costasera 2004

Characteristics and Tasting Notes for 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 cuvée pairs beautifully with roasted or grilled red meats, as well as game-based dishes. It also enhances flavourful, well-matured cheeses such as Parmesan. Finally, it can be fully enjoyed 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 a temperature of 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 its current owner, Sandro Boscaini, this internationally renowned brand stands as a true benchmark for wines made using the appassimento method. The estate, which exports to more than 140 countries, is distinguished by 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 south-west exposure, facing the setting sun. This ideal setting provides extended sunlight, a milder climate and beautiful light reflected off Lake Garda. The vines thrive on soils composed of friable red limestone and Cretaceous marl, promoting optimal ripening of the berries.

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

Winemaking and Ageing
The Costasera 2004 is crafted using the traditional appassimento method. Following hand-harvesting in late September or early October, the best 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 lasts 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 casks, 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 the Allier and Slavonia (40% new, 30% having held one wine, and 30% having held two wines). Finally, the wine is refined in bottle for a minimum of four months before release.

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