A quasi-Valpolicella but including a small quantity of grapes vinified appassimento, meaning they are left to raisin for a few weeks before being crushed and added to the wine before it undergoes a second fermentation.
From a dark warren of dried cherry, raisin, old leather, and rich earth aromas that rest on a full bodied mocha-laced palate, a bright, tart wine emerges as it evolves in the mouth. Mordant in the beginning and lively and structured by the end, it features medium grain, persistent tannins that induce a medium length, textured finish, on which the characteristic bitter herb notes appear reminding you of its origins.
This wine gives you the crisp vivacity of Valpolicella with a rich, luxurious midpalate more like Amarone—the best of both worlds at a great price.
Aged for 15 months in second-use barriques.
Score: 90
Price: $18
Alc: 13.5%
Opulent yet angst-ridden but ultimately uplifting, an emotionally complex wine like Jan Garbarek’s Scene from Afar
Exploring the Philosophy of Food and Wine 