Although it carries an IGT designation, the 2009 Campofiorin is one of the first commercially successful examples of Ripasso (a second fermentation occurs on the skins of Amarone) produced in Valpolicella. The folks at Masi take enormous credit for perfecting this innovative technique over the years. Campofiorin opens with pretty, dark extraction and bright aromas of ripe blackberry and creme de cassis. There’s a touch of jammy fruit, raisin and prune, but they fit squarely within the Ripasso guidelines. The finish is velvety rich and slightly sweet. I found that this wine drank even better two or three days after the bottle was opened. Drink 2014-2019. Winemaking excellence should be consistent, but it must never be static. This is a lesson I learned at a recent tasting spanning five decades of Masi’s wines including the 1967, 1973, 1979, 1983, 1988, 1990, 1995, 1997, 2003 and 2007 Amarones Classico, Riserva, Vaio, Campolongo and Mazzano. Sandro Boscaini and his team of technicians have been tinkering with their signature style for many decades. Like a New York cab swerving between traffic lanes, they’ve veered into more oak, less oak, more extraction and less extraction. Despite the manic maneuvering, they never venture far from the centerline. Importer: Kobrand Corporation, www.kobrandwineandspirits.com

Smudgy ruby. Ripe, bright cherry fruit with a tangy note of dried cranberry. More sweet/sour cherry on the palate and some oak sweetness/vanilla on the finish. Classic Veneto flavours with attractively dry tannins on the long finish. Probably needs food. Alcohol remarkably restrained. Still very youthful.