The 2011 Valpolicella Ripasso Classico Superiore Podere Bertarole is 65% Corvina, 25% Rondinella, 5% Molinara and 5% other native grapes. It delivers on the easy promises made by Ripasso with dark fruit tones woven into spice, cured meat and licorice. The wine is relatively lean and compressed on the palate.

The 2010 Valpolicella Ripasso Classico Superiore Podere Bertarole is a charming wine that transmits ease and honest simplicity. It sees up to eight months of oak aging for extra softness and spicy intensity. Despite the brief barrel aging, Ripasso Podere Bertarole remains a refreshingly fruit-forward wine with jammy tones of ripe raspberry and cherry. The Bertarole vineyard with tufa, chalky-limestone soil is considered one of the best performing sites in the Valpolicella Classico zone. Drink 2014-2020. Corteforte is a beautiful castle built in the 1400s with crenulated watchtowers that soar above Pergola-trained vines. It’s a tiny, boutique estate run by Carlo Maria Cerutti who farms a mere three hectares of vine. As they say, “good things come in small packages,” and Corteforte has delivered quite a few gems this year. Importer: The Wine Company, www.thewinecompany.net

This wine is all about sweetness, cinnamon and chocolate. From the nose to the finish, there’s a creamy woodiness that mixes with exotic baking spices. The texture is thick, and you will have to favor oak to enjoy it to its fullest.——W.E.(5/1/2003)—— 87