Here's an exciting discovery. This is a very precious production, with only 1,966 750-milliliter numbered bottles released. The Masi 2013 Recioto della Valpolicella Classico Amandorlato Mezzanella is not especially expressive in terms of aromas, and indeed, I found the wine to be shut down and closed on initial inspection. It pours from the bottle with an inky black and impenetrable appearance. It does, however, put on a bigger performance in the mouth, where contrasting flavors of cherry sweetness, hearty textual richness and some mild tannic bite all come into play. In terms of Recioto—one of Italy's most powerful dessert wines—the Mezzanella is surprisingly mild and understated. The name "Amandorlate" denotes this unique bitter-sweet style of wine.