The 2005 Valpolicella Superiore Ripasso is another incredibly harmonious wine from Musella. The wine reveals a pretty core of ripe, dark fruit, leather, spices and licorice. A dash of French oak and the secondary fermentation on the Amarone lees (also known as the ripasso method) gives this wine an attractive fleshiness and inner sweetness that I find irresistible. This, too, is a great value. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2011. It's not too often I run across an estate in Veneto that delivers this level of quality at what are exceedingly fair prices in today's market. Readers will want to give these offerings serious consideration. Importer: Selected Estates of Europe, Mamaroneck, NY; tel. (914) 698-7202

Elegant, spicy-toned tropical fruit nose. Ripe and fleshy with oak-toned ripened character. Chewy, pretty structure.