Brigaldara’s 2008 Valpolicella is an uneven effort. The wine needs to be opened several hours in advance for some of the rough edges to soften. Wild cherries, herbs, spices and licorice emerge over time, but the tannins remain dusty and rather coarse. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2013. Importer: Vinifera Imports, Ronkonkoma, NY; tel. (631) 467-5907

A refined Recioto, with a creamy note of chocolate-covered cherry mixing with juicy acidity and silky texture. A balsamic hint adds a pleasant tang to the wine, along with notes of fig paste, spice and plum that show a touch of coffee liqueur. The finish is long and polished. Drink now through 2018. 400 cases made.

Accessible and well-balanced, this spice-driven red offers flavors of dried cherry, smoked almond, prune and dried herb. A push of graphite-tinged minerality shows on the finish. Drink now through 2023. 9,000 cases made, 2,500 cases imported.??–AN??Region: Italy / Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Select to Add

Here's a sumptuous Amarone, with scents of blackberry, graphite and licorice. The palate is densely concentrated, with ripe black fruit flavors and intense peppery notes. This is powerfully structured, with brooding tannins and practically blazing alcohol that takes over on the close. Drink after 2016.