Here's an ambitious wine from the Pasqua family, who have a long commercial winemaking tradition in this part of Italy. The 2010 Amarone della Valpolicella Riserva Famiglia Pasqua sees fruit sourced primarily from an eight-hectare parcel with a mix of limestone and basalt soils. This wine was only produced in the 2003, 2006 and now the 2010 vintages. This is a full-bodied Amarone that opens to generous layers of dark fruit, spice and dried cherry. The best fruit was selected in this rather cold and damp year. The results reveal evident sweetness and 16.5% alcohol. Only 3,044 bottles were made.

The 2006 Amarone della Valpolicella Riserva Famiglia Pasqua celebrates the 90th anniversary of this family-run winery (1925-2015). This is a monumental effort that shows enormous power and determination on all the senses, from the nose to the mouth. The bouquet opens to evolved notes of barbecue spice, dried blackberry, espresso bean and saddle leather. This is a dark and sophisticated expression that would pair with sharp cheese or succulent cuts of red meat. This aged Amarone should hold forward for the next ten years. Quantities are limited with just 1925 bottles produced.