Amarone wine comes specifically from a part of northern Italy just south of the the Dolomite Mountains called Valpolicella meaning "the valley of many cellars". Frequently you will see Amarone della'Valpolicella on the labels.
Some winemakers will only use grapes from the center of the bunch while others will use the entire harvest; the former clearly being a more expensive variety. The grapes are harvested in October and dried until late December or early January.
In some cellars a mold is allowed to grow on the grapes. This acts as a drying "clock" in that the vintner knows the drying is completed when all grapes are completely covered with the mold. Also, the winemakers claim this reduces tannin content and gives the wine even more "leg".
It is consistently the best wine that I have tried with the best and longest of finishes. Note that some finishes are long and not so good. Thomas Harris, the author of the Hannibal Lecter novels, writes that it is a favorite of Lector's and presumably his.