This Week's Must-Try Wines from Vinous

Welcome to this week's Vinous Top Ten! Each week we compile a list of top ten wines from the Vinous database that you need to add to your wine wish list. With all the various regions, producers, and grapes, no week will be the same! All of the wines listed in this feature are available for purchase on Banquet . This week's must-try wines are from Eric Guido’s article Valpolicella & Soave: The Times, They Are A Changin’ . Enjoy an excerpt from his article and his notes for this week's top ten below! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ “Veneto is home to a number of oenological riches, from the whites of Soave to the reds of the Valpolicella district, including the renowned Amarone, one of Italy’s most important wines. The region’s most dynamic, passionate producers are determined to show that their wines stand in stark contrast to the at times indifferent wines that once penalized the image of these appellations in the mind of the consumer.” --Eric Guido, Valpolicella & Soave: The Times, They Are A Changin’, February 2021 1. Brigaldara 2015 Amarone della Valpolicella Case Vecie 2. Buglioni 2017 Valpolicella Classico Superiore Ripasso Il Bugiardo 3. Famiglia Pasqua 2015 Amarone della Valpolicella 4. Farina 2017 Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 5. Gini 2016 Soave Classico La Froscà 6. Masi 2011 Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Campolongo di Torbe 7. Ottella 2019 Lugana Le Creete 8. Tommaso Bussola 2016 Ripasso Valpolicella Classico Superiore Ca'del Laito 9. Zenato 2016 Ripassa Valpolicella Superiore 10. Zenato 2015 Amarone della Valpolicella Classico

Zenato

Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Corvina Blend 2015

Delectable Wine
9.3

Dark, floral, elegant and surprisingly savory, the 2015 Amarone della Valpolicella Classico makes itself known as crushed stone gives way to a dusting of confectioner’s sugar, dried flowers, black cherries, plums and hints of licorice. This is velvety yet cool-toned and spry, with a staining mix of red and black fruits contrasted by sweet spices, as bitter hints of espresso bean and round tannins collect toward the close. A twang of balsamic-tinged blackberry and violets echoes through the long-drawn-out finale. Youthfully structured and still a bit reserved, but there are layers of primary complexities to keep the experience highly enjoyable today. That said, the best is yet to come. (Eric Guido, Vinous, February 2021)
— 3 years ago

Masi

Campolongo di Torbe Amarone della Valpolicella Corvina Blend 2011

Delectable Wine
9.4

The 2011 Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Campolongo di Torbe holds your attention firm, with a deeply alluring bouquet of rum-soaked raisins, cinnamon, cherry liquor, minty herbs and a dusting of cocoa. It’s silky in texture and more feminine and lifted than expected, with a tart display of red and black fruits further complicated by notes of bitter coffee and dark, dark chocolate. The balance here is on point, as the 2011 comes across as more savory and sweet, and tapers off to notes of blackberry, sour citrus and inner rose tones. While you can enjoy this today, the Campolongo di Torbe will benefit from another five to ten years of cellaring.(Eric Guido, Vinous, February 2021)
— 3 years ago

Cantine Buglioni

Il Bugiardo Ripasso Valpolicella Classico Superiore 2017

Delectable Wine
9.2

The 2017 Valpolicella Classico Superiore Ripasso Il Bugiardo displays an inviting mix of blackberries, sage, roses, chalk dust and hints of camphor. This is full-bodied with depths of silky textures and a dense core of dark fruits and minerals that are not quite ready to reveal all of their charms. The 2017 has a bit of a monolithic feel today, yet it’s also perfectly balanced, with a structure that can carry it for many years in the cellar – which would be advisable to allow it to unwind a bit. (Eric Guido, Vinous, February 2021)
— 3 years ago

Zenato

Ripassa Valpolicella Ripasso Superiore Corvina Blend 2016

Delectable Wine
9.1

Black raspberries, sweet violets, tobacco and hints of licorice form a dazzling bouquet on the 2016 Valpolicella Superiore Ripassa. This is silky-smooth with a dark fruit persona that’s beautifully lifted by salty acids and minerals, which create a juicy expression. It’s persistent and balanced, leaving the palate aching for more, as hints of nuanced tannins and tart wild berries create a slightly grippy finale. What a beautiful wine and - dare I use the term? - “Baby Amarone.” (Eric Guido, Vinous, February 2021)
— 3 years ago

Ottella

Le Creete Lugana Trebbiano 2019

Delectable Wine
9.1

The single-vineyard 2019 Lugana Le Creete is an understated and feminine beauty, blending subtle hints of candied citrus with wild herbs, nectarine and flowery undergrowth. It’s silky, almost oily in texture, contrasted by brisk acids and lime-infused orchard fruits. This tapers off cheek-puckering, tart and almost salty, yet it leaves a lasting, almost tropical impression that I find quite pleasurable. (Eric Guido, Vinous, February 2021)
— 3 years ago

Farina

Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Corvina Blend 2017

Delectable Wine
9.1

The 2017 Amarone della Valpolicella Classico opens up with an inviting yet somewhat understated mix of peppery florals, cherry liquor, plums and sage. Here I’m finding silky textures offset by tart wild berry fruits, salty minerals and brisk acids in an expression that is much more savory than sweet. A coating of fine tannins lingers, along with a note of baker’s chocolate. I have to give Farina credit for creating such a versatile and balanced expression of Amarone. (Eric Guido, Vinous, February 2021)
— 3 years ago

Brigaldara

Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Corvina Blend 2015

Delectable Wine
9.3

The 2015 Amarone della Valpolicella Classico is perfumed and amazingly fresh, showing bright cherry complemented by autumnal spice and dusty rose. It’s on the palate where the warmth of the vintage comes through, with waves of creamy, glycerol-like textures ushering in ripe balsamic-tinged blackberries, contrasted by peppery herbs and bitter dark chocolate. A thick coating of berry concentrate and fine tannins persists throughout the long finale, yet balance is maintained. This needs some time to soften, but it should be amazing in a few years’ time. (Eric Guido, Vinous, February 2021)
— 3 years ago

Tommaso Bussola

Ca' del Laito Valpolicella Ripasso Superiore Corvina Blend 2016

Delectable Wine
9.1

The 2016 Valpolicella Classico Superiore Ripasso Ca'del Laito boasts a seductive and perfumed bouquet, with notes of brown spice and tobacco blossoming further to show raspberry coulis and a lifting hint of fresh mint. This is quite savory, with silky textures ushering in cool-toned red and black berries and inner herbal tones. Sweet tannins come forward through the long finale, balanced by a concentration of primary fruits, promising years of positive evolution in the cellar. The Ca'del Laito is matured in a combination of 50% third-pass tonneaux and 50% large, 25-hectoliter barrels for 23 months. There’s beautiful symmetry in this gorgeous Ripasso, but don’t expect it to perform like a baby Amarone. (Eric Guido, Vinous, February 2021)
— 3 years ago

Gini

La Froscà Soave Classico Garganega 2016

Delectable Wine
9.3

The 2016 Soave Classico La Froscà is rich and alluring with notes of dried peach, sweet white flowers and honeyed almonds. It displays wonderful clarity and poise while stimulating the senses with bright acids and minerals before settling on ripe orchard fruits. A twang of sour citrus and apricot resonates throughout the long and almost salty finish. I tasted the 2016 over the course of two days and it only got better each time I revisited it. The La Froscà matures in a combination of 80% steel tanks and 20% barriques, yet there’s not a hint of wood here. (Eric Guido, Vinous February 2021)
— 3 years ago

Famiglia Pasqua

Amarone della Valpolicella Corvina Blend 2015

Delectable Wine
9.2

The 2015 Amarone della Valpolicella balances savory and sweet to create a beautiful display of contrasts. Black cherries, sage, dried citrus, hints of vanilla and animal musk create a beguiling display. The textures are creamy and enveloping, offset by mineral-laden blue and black berries, followed by a note of bitter herbs and mocha. For all its power, the 2015 maintains a fresh and lifted feel, finishing long with a coating of round tannins and hints of spice.(Eric Guido, Vinous, February 2021)
— 3 years ago