allowing the underlying bourbon character to hold its ground alongside the fruit and spice infusion

and herbal spice develop as the wine opens in the glass

but Girard tends to lean into darker fruit and mocha-driven richness with its 45% new French oak program

with its second distillation taking place in pot stills — a method more commonly associated with Scottish single malts than North American rye whisky

Warm-weather patio drinking where a lighter

Bertani Amarone della Valpolicella Collezione Proximo allowing the underlying bourbon characterBertani Amarone della Valpolicella Collezione is a benchmark Italian red wine from one of Valpolicella's oldest estates, bottled at 14. 1% ABV in a standard 750ml format. The 2015 vintage earned a perfect 100 points from James Suckling, who named it the #1 wine on his Top 100 Wines of 2024 list a rare distinction for any Amarone. Quick Facts: ABV: 14. 1% Origin: Valpolicella Classica, Veneto, Italy Aged 7 Years in Slavonian Oak Distillery: Bertani