Why it matters
The producer
Masi is a family-owned producer whose history starts with Giobatta Boscaini and his brothers tending the Bonaldi vineyards in Vaio dei Masi, then carrying the grapes to the family winery in Gargagnago. That first vintage in 1772 still supplies the name and the geographical centre of the business. Masi makes wines connected to Venetian culture, with Amarone at the heart of the range.
The company also operates at substantial scale. Decanter reported annual production of 12 million bottles, 1,300 hectares in production and 40 long-term contract growers in 2022. That scale sits beside named single-vineyard wines such as Mazzano and Campolongo di Torbe, so the range moves from broadly distributed bottles to cru Amarone from specific vineyards.
Place and vineyards
Where the wines begin
Masi's historic headquarters lies in Valpolicella Classica, in the hills between Lake Garda and Verona. This is the home of Corvina, Rondinella and Molinara, the traditional grapes used for Amarone and Recioto della Valpolicella Classico DOCG. The label therefore carries both a place and a method: the grapes come from the Valpolicella area, then spend winter drying before they become wine.
Tenuta La Arboleda places the same Venetian approach in Mendoza province. At Tupungato, Masi planted Corvina and Pinot Grigio for two original blends with Malbec and Torrontès. The Argentine wines are consequently built from a conversation between Venetian varieties, Argentine grapes and local climatic conditions.
In the cellar
Vineyards and cellar
At the historic headquarters, freshly picked bunches are laid on bamboo racks called arele in traditional drying lofts, or fruttai, during the winter months. Masi prefers the traditional bamboo-cane supports for appassimento. The grapes shrink as they dry, so the fruit enters fermentation after a period of natural concentration instead of going straight from harvest to press.
That cellar choice shapes the range. Amarone uses the drying method for a dry red wine, while Recioto retains sweetness. Masi also adapted appassimento at La Arboleda, where the technique is adjusted to Argentine climatic conditions. The method travels, but the estate does not pretend that Mendoza and Valpolicella are the same place.
Wines to know
The range in view
Amarone forms the dry red centre of the Valpolicella range. Mazzano is a cru Amarone from Corvina, Rondinella and Molinara grown in the Mazzano vineyard. Campolongo di Torbe uses the same three grapes from its named vineyard and brings baked fruit, cinnamon, ripe cherry, baked plum and bitter almond into the range, with a rich, full-bodied palate.
Recioto supplies the sweet red counterpart. Angelorum is a Recioto della Valpolicella Classico DOCG made from Corvina, Rondinella and Molinara, with cooked cherry, fruit preserved in spirit, sweetness, acidity and a long finish. Its ageing path moves from a sweet, fruity style toward mature spicy aromas.
A useful way in
A bottle to begin with
Mazzano Amarone della Valpolicella Classico DOCG is the first bottle to open. It comes from the named Mazzano vineyard and uses Corvina, Rondinella and Molinara, with the grapes laid out in traditional drying lofts during the cold winter months.