The oak-aged Roccolo Grassi 2016 Valpolicella Superiore is a sharp and tight red wine with candied aromas of cherry and plum. The wine is dark and rich at its core with big fruit weight that wraps over the palate. Mild tannins and balanced acidity give the wine immediate drinking appeal. There is some dusty spice on the close. Production is 33,000 bottles.

The Roccolo Grassi 2015 Valpolicella Superiore is aged in equal parts botte grande and French barrique and is a classic blend of 65% Corvina, 15% Corvinone, 10% Rondinella and 5% parts each of Croatina and Oseleta. The oak aging offers softness and some pleasantly spicy flavors, but the warm-vintage fruit is center stage. The wine shows lots of dark prune and blackberry in a production of 27,000 bottles.

A fragrant overtone of underbrush and loamy earth is a richly savory thread winding through flavors of dried currant, fig cake and a hint of espresso grounds in this sleek, medium-bodied red. It's fresh and well-knit, with dusty tannins firming the finish. Drink now through 2026. 2,500 cases made, 500 cases imported.??–AN??Region: Italy / Valpolicella Select to Add

The 2014 Valpolicella Superiore aspires to be a more important wine (compared to many of its peers), but the intensity of its performance is clipped in this wet, soggy and overall difficult vintage. The blend is 60% Corvina, 15% Corvinone, 15% Rondinella with 10% Croatina and Oseleta. Only half the grape mass is dehydrated for just 20 days. The other half is fermented as fresh grapes instead. Dark currant and blackberry aromas rise to the top with light licorice and exotic spice in tow. Some 27,000 bottles were made.

An appealing, medium-bodied red, showing light, dusty tannins layered with the baked black cherry, licorice and Earl Grey tea flavors, ending with a lingering finish. Drink now through 2023. 2,633 cases made, 1,230 cases imported.??–AN??Region: Italy / Valpolicella Select to Add