Home › Wine Notes › Masi Agricola
Masi, Costasera Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 2013
RedItaly2013
By Daniel Min · Tasted 2020-02-09 · Published 2026-09-20 · Updated 2026-09-20
At a glance
3 critic scores on Vivino — 94 (Mar 2019), 93 (Jan 2014), 92 (Apr 2019).
Market note: Costasera is Masi's flagship Amarone within its classic lineup, sourced from west-facing slopes overlooking Lake Garda and made through the appassimento drying process.
What this wine is
In the late 18th century, the Boscaini family of Gargagnago and the Bonaldi family of Torbe formed a partnership that grew into today's Masi. That history, dated to 1772, has centered on the Vaio dei Masi valley in Valpolicella Classica — the very valley the house takes its name from — ever since.
The turning point came in 1964 with the launch of Campofiorin, an early form of what's now called "ripasso": Valpolicella re-fermented on the leftover pressed skins (the marc) of finished Amarone. Its commercial success supercharged Masi's R&D capacity, which was formalized in the 1980s as the Masi Technical Group — the body that fine-tuned the botrytis-assisted appassimento process behind Masi Amarone's signature bitter-almond perfume.
The name "Costasera" refers to the west-facing slope in Valpolicella Classica that overlooks Lake Garda — literally "the slope of the evening sun." The lake's reflected light and moderating climate let the grapes catch sun late into the afternoon. Corvina, Rondinella and Molinara grown on that slope are harvested and then dried on bamboo racks through the winter to concentrate sugar and aroma — the appassimento process — which is how Costasera is made; Masi positions it alongside Barolo and Brunello as one of "the aristocracy of Italian reds." The colorful legend of how Amarone itself was born, and the recent archival research that disputes it, is already covered on this site's Tommasi, Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 2015 page — rather than repeat it here, I'd point you there instead.
What the world says
This 2013 vintage has been rated by 9,751 people on Vivino, averaging 4.4 — slightly above the 4.3 average for the Costasera label overall (115,205 ratings). 3 critic scores are on file: 94 (Mar 2019), 93 (Jan 2014) and 92 (Apr 2019).
The flavor keywords lead decisively with the chocolate-oak-tobacco-vanilla-coffee group (4,559 mentions), followed by plum and blackberry (3,006), and leather and cocoa (1,991). Structure: intensity is very high at 4.8/5, while acidity, at 2.2, is among the lowest of any red covered in this magazine, and tannin, at 2.3, is on the soft side too — powerful but not sharp-edged.
"Amarone, Amarone, Amarone — my favorite Amarone. Very dark ruby red, plums and cherries on the nose, very well balanced fruity tastes." — Vivino review, Jul 2019, 4.5 stars
"Big, complex and slightly funky. Starting to show nice mature aromas but would benefit from a couple more years. Decant at least an hour!" — Vivino review, Apr 2022, 4.5 stars (93 points)
The drinking window runs 2018–2028, and I drank mine in February 2020, near the start of that window.
How I drank it
9 February 2020, 4.5 stars. "Raisin, coffee, leather, dark fruit, blackberry, berry jam, dried fruit. Before breathing it's all fruit, but after some time it takes on the feel of a heavily made-up, fully ripened woman." That same night I scored Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon 2017 at 4.0 — this Amarone came out higher of the two.
The structure of the note itself is interesting. It opens with a flat list of raisin and berry-jam fruit, then jumps, after decanting, into a completely different register with that one image of "a heavily made-up, fully ripened woman." Given Vivino's own structure data — low acidity (2.2) and low tannin (2.3) against very high intensity (4.8) — it likely came across as weight and concentration rolling in without any sharp acid or grip. That image of "heavy make-up" lines up precisely with that impression.
This site already carries a note on Tommasi's Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 2015 (also 4.5 from me). I gave both wines the same score, though the community average slightly favors this Masi 2013 (4.4) over the Tommasi 2015. The fact that the impression completely changed before and after decanting — and that I caught and recorded that shift — reads as the real basis for the 4.5.
Vivino community data
2013 vintage rating distribution (9751 ratings, average 4.4)
| 5★ | 2596 (27%) | |
| 4★ | 6259 (64%) | |
| 3★ | 777 (8%) | |
| 2★ | 67 (1%) | |
| 1★ | 52 (1%) |
Most-mentioned aromas
| Family | Mentions | Top keywords |
|---|---|---|
| Oak | 4559 | chocolate 1262 · oak 1053 · tobacco 621 · vanilla 518 · coffee 372 |
| Black fruit | 3006 | plum 1161 · blackberry 469 · dark fruit 350 · black cherry 256 · black fruit 190 |
| Earth | 1991 | leather 707 · earthy 360 · cocoa 230 · smoke 215 · mushroom 74 |
| Red fruit | 1936 | cherry 1283 · red fruit 217 · raspberry 150 · strawberry 106 · red cherry 62 |
| Dried fruit | 1507 | raisin 922 · prune 261 · fig 148 · dried fruit 137 · dried cranberry 15 |
| Spices | 768 | pepper 227 · licorice 162 · cinnamon 131 · anise 44 · mint 43 |
| Yeast & cream | 231 | cheese 159 · cream 49 · oil 11 · banana 3 · parmesan 3 |
Structure: Acidity 2.2/5 · Intensity 4.8/5 · Tannin 2.3/5 · Sweetness 3.2/5
Average by vintage (all vintages: 115205 ratings, average 4.3)
| Vintage | Average | Ratings |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 4.3 | 218 |
| 2020 | 4.3 | 1956 |
| 2019 | 4.3 | 3480 |
| 2018 | 4.4 | 5832 |
| 2017 | 4.3 | 4775 |
| 2016 | 4.4 | 8307 |
| 2015 | 4.4 | 14535 |
| 2014 | 4.2 | 123 |
| 2013 | 4.4 | 9751 |
| 2012 | 4.4 | 16957 |
| 2011 | 4.3 | 11622 |
| 2010 | 4.3 | 7516 |
| 2009 | 4.3 | 5568 |
| 2008 | 4.3 | 6279 |
| 2007 | 4.3 | 4517 |
My original note (Vivino, 2020-02-09)
“raisin coffee leather dark fruit blackberry berry jam dried fruit. 브리딩하기전엔 과실향만 그득하지만 시간이 지난 후 화장진한 농익은 여인의 느낌.”
See other wines Daniel scored 4.5 →
Read next
Swipe for more →
Caymus Vineyards, Cabernet Sauvignon 2017
United States · Napa★★★★☆
Similar styleSan Marzano, Talò Primitivo di Manduria 2017
Italy · Puglia★★★★☆
Similar styleAntinori, Tenuta Tignanello 'Solaia' 2012
Italy · Tuscany★★★★★
Similar styleTorre Raone, San Zopito Terre dei Vestini Montepulciano d'Abruzzo 2012
Italy · Abruzzo★★★★☆
Similar styleTommasi, Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 2015
Italy · Veneto★★★★½
Highly rated by DanielChâteau Cheval Blanc, Le Petit Cheval 2004
France · Bordeaux★★★★★
Highly rated by DanielKrug, Grande Cuvée (NV)
France · Champagne★★★★★
Highly rated by DanielDom Pérignon Vintage 2008
France · Champagne★★★★★
Highly rated by DanielWilliam Hill Central Coast Chardonnay 2015
United States · Central Coast★★★★★
Highly rated by DanielAntinori, Castello della Sala 'Cervaro della Sala' 2016
Italy★★★★½
Highly rated by DanielMartelet de Cherisey, Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru 'Hameau de Blagny' 2016
France · Burgundy★★★★½
Highly rated by DanielDelamotte, Brut Champagne Grand Cru 'Le Mesnil-sur-Oger' (NV)
France · Champagne★★★★½More from Veneto, Italy
Swipe for more →
Explore
Daniel's 5-star wines
Only the wines Daniel scored a perfect 5
→
Wines in manga, film and history
Bottles that show up in manga, film and history
→
Wines you can buy at the supermarket
Wines actually bought at the supermarket
→Frequently asked questions
What kind of wine is Masi Costasera Amarone 2013?
An appassimento red from Masi Agricola in Valpolicella Classica, Veneto, blending Corvina, Rondinella and Molinara at 15% ABV. Vivino: 9,751 ratings averaging 4.4; listed critic scores run 92–94.
How much does it cost?
US$78 per 750ml ex-tax (Wine-Searcher, Sept 2026) (Wine-Searcher).
What food pairs well with it?
Vivino users suggest beef, lamb, game and blue cheese. With intensity at 4.8/5, it also stands up well to aged cheese or a rich stew.
What does "Costasera" mean?
Italian for "the slope of the evening sun." It refers to the west-facing slope in Valpolicella Classica that overlooks Lake Garda, where the lake's reflected light lets the grapes catch sun well into the late afternoon.
Links & sources
View on Vivino · Prices on Wine-Searcher
- Vivino — wine page and community data
- Masi official — The history of the Boscaini family
- Club Oenologique — Masi and the evolution of Amarone
- Enoteca Masi official — Costasera
- This magazine — Tommasi, Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 2015 (the Amarone origin legend and its rebuttal)
Read next
Swipe for more →
Caymus Vineyards, Cabernet Sauvignon 2017
United States · Napa★★★★☆Similar styleSan Marzano, Talò Primitivo di Manduria 2017
Italy · Puglia★★★★☆Similar styleAntinori, Tenuta Tignanello 'Solaia' 2012
Italy · Tuscany★★★★★Same grapeTommasi, Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 2015
Italy · Veneto★★★★½Highly rated by DanielChâteau Cheval Blanc, Le Petit Cheval 2004
France · Bordeaux★★★★★Highly rated by Daniel