The 2015 Valpolicella Classico Superiore TB is an intense and powerful effort that blends crushed cherry cordials with balsamic and autumnal spices to create a dramatic display that will remind you more of Amarone than Valpolicella. It’s silky-smooth in texture and much more savory than you’d expect following its extroverted bouquet. Within I’m finding tart red berries and salty minerals as well as a bitter twang of pure cocoa. There’s amazing persistence, too, as this finishes incredibly long, spicy and with a buildup of chewy concentration. It’s hard to compare this large-scale wine within its own category, yet there’s plenty of pleasure to be found. This is made using 50% fresh and 50% dried grapes, all aged in new 700-liter barrels, and it shows.

Eric Guido - Vinous Media (90)