The 2005 Valpolicella Classico Superiore is a pretty, refined wine laced with perfumed dark fruit. This mid-weight Valpolicella offers excellent balance and a long, polished close. Anticipated maturity: 2009-2012. My visit with Tommaso Bussola earlier this year was thrilling, as we tasted through a number of wines from cask and bottle, culminating with extraordinary bottles of the 1999 and 2000 Amarone Vigneto Alto, both of which were drop-dead gorgeous. Importer: The Rare Wine Co., Sonoma, CA; tel. (707) 996-4484

This elegant wine offers light tannins and vibrant acidity swathed in a silky sheath, delivering dark, juicy red fruit flavors, with lots of kirsch and ripe cherry. Accents of sanguine, mineral, chocolate shavings and creamy espresso add complexity and linger on the finish. Drink now through 2018. 2,500 cases made.??–AN??Region: Italy / Valpolicella Classico Select to Add