The 2005 Valpolicella Superiore Terre di San Colombano is a dark, concentrated offering bursting with black fruits, melted road tar and licorice. This imposing, brooding Valpolicella is a very serious wine at this level. Ideally the San Colombano needs a bit of air to find its focus and is best paired with similarly hardy dishes. This is not for the faint of heart. Anticipated maturity: 2009-2012. Trabucchi makes intense, fruit-forward wines from biologically-certified vineyards in Illasi, one of the valleys that emerges on the eastern side of the Valpolicella zone. Importer: Selected Estates of Europe, Mamaroneck, NY; tel. (914) 698-7202

Trabucchi’s 2004 Valpolicella Superiore Terre di San Colombano is a deeply-colored, intense wine loaded with sweet dark fruit, chocolate and licorice. Made in a soft-textured, sumptuous style, this brooding fruit bomb of a Valpolicella may not be the most elegant wine out there, but it does offer plenty of up-front appeal. Anticipated maturity: 2007-2009. Importer: Selected Estates of Europe, Mamaroneck, NY; tel. (914) 698-7202