I am fond of the Recioto method of winemaking which concentrates flavours by drying the grapes before fermentation. Amarones are excellent stand-ins for Ports at the end of a dinner, with cheese.
This review is of a similar wine that may have slid by under the notice of many, as it came into the board in small numbers and unless you happened across it, you'd be unlikely to bother searching it out.
I've previously mentioned the Grandarella, a 'Super-Venetian', due to the addition of non-traditional grapes (carmenere in that case), vinified like an Amarone.
The Brolo (equivalent of the Burgundian 'clos') is a selection of Campofiorin, which is made from the traditional corvina and rondinella, but done in a different way. They do a primary fermentation, then add some lightly dried whole grapes for refermentation (rigoverno).
The result shares some of the characteristics of an Amarone but is in general lighter and always has lower alcohol.
This one was medium dark with a typical ripe sweet nose, and on palate it is like a junior Amarone, full and with a slightly bitter long finish. I found it quite a bit more complex than the regular Campofiorin, as it should be at a 50% higher price.
I usually share a bottle with SWMBO on the body weight theory of allocation (hey - seems fair to me) but on this occasion she had been into another wine I had open which I shall mention but not review - 2001 Fabiano 'Argillaia', from Lugana, a crisp little trebbiano/chardonnay blend - and so her appetites for the red were uncharacteristically blunted.
I was therefor duty bound to finish the bottle - a waste to allow decent wine to wait and fight another day, for with the single exception of Barolos, I can't think of anything that benefits from that sort of extensive airing. I found that by the time I got to the bottom of the bottle, it was almost too much of a good thing. I think a single glass taken with cheese would be ideal. Anyone that routinely emulates Dr. Johnson by imbibing a bottle of Port at a sitting can feel free to disregard that last comment.