Hints of spice and graphite accent this creamy red and its flavors of black cherry coulis, grilled plum and sweet bread, with light tannins on the finish. Drink now through 2016. 12,500 cases made.??–AN??Region: Italy / Valpolicella Select to Add

The 2007 Valpolicella Ripasso offers up dark plums, chocolate and spices in a soft-textured style with a nice sense of inner sweetness. The wine is already somewhat forward in its aromas and flavors, so ideally it is best enjoyed over the near term. Anticipated maturity: 2009-2011 Corte Giara is a label owned by the Allegrini family. The wines are made from vineyards under long-term lease.A Leonardo Lo Cascio Selection, Winebow, Montvale, NJ; tel. (201) 445-0620

Corte Giara’s 2006 Valpolicella Ripasso is made in the traditional ripasso style. After the alcoholic fermentation is completed in the fall, the wine is allowed to rest for a few months before it is fermented again, this time on the lees of the winery’s Amarone, which gives the wine greater depth of color, and above all else, concentration of the aromas and flavors. Hints of new leather, spices and toasted coffee beans emerge from the glass, adding complexity to the wine’s attractive super-ripe dark fruit. Drink this tasty red over the next few years. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2010.Corte Giara is the negociant label of the Allegrini family, one of Veneto’s best-known estates.A Leonardo Lo Cascio Selection, Winebow, Montvale, NJ; tel. (201) 445-0620