I’m surprised that your comparison was to a Pinot, Amarone is, for me, a deep, dark, brooding, full bodied, viscous wine with loads of dark fruit, plum, prune, sometimes raisiny tastes, but we all have different tastes.
As to your question about the kits, I’ve oft wondered the same, but always concluded that it’s probably not from dried grapes. Perhaps more concentrated juice, higher sugar content and chap. packets, many have raisin packs to add. I’ve made several and find them pretty good, CC Showcse and MM Meglioli have been two of the better, and are nearing 3 years of age.
Edit: Just for a reference point, I looked the 2000 up on Cellar Tracker (which has user ratings), it was rated at 83.5, which could indicate that it’s not a great example of an Amarone. In my observation, the CT reviews are, at times, a bit stingy when compared to the pro reviews.