2008 Speri "Vigneto La Roverina" VALPOLICELLA (Veneto, Italy)

Another textbook, flavorful, light-ish, food-friendly Valpo.

Medium dark ruby garnet. Nice nose of almond paste and ripe, winey cherries, along with crushed stones. High-toned, bright flavors of crisp cherries and minerals. Medium light bodied, with refreshing acids. Bone dry, minerally finish. B+/A-. I think this was around $16 at Central market, but I can't find the receipt. Imported by Empson USA.

2006 Masi "Brolo di Campofiorin" RIPASSO (Veneto, Italy)

An example of what would have been -- if not for the use of small oak instead of the typical large casks -- an excellent wine. The influence of the small barrels made it too oaky for its own good.

Sultry, black ruby/crimson color. Rich but intensely oaky nose, with ripe, sappy black cherry and smoky earth underneath. Dark, chocolatey, and intense, with good balancing acidity. Unfortunately, the taste of oak overshadows the fruit, detracting from what otherwise were obviously good raw materials. 84. Was $16 at Nundini's Deli -- a great Italian import store on North Shepherd.

2008 La Salette VALPOLICELLA CLASSICO (Veneto, Italy)

A classic Valpo. Crisp, focused, flavorful, refreshing, with a touch of pleasant bitterness in the finish. A terrific summertime red that is best served cool.

Dark ruby garnet color. Lively nose of crunchy, crisp cherries and berries, with pungent crushed stone scents. Bone dry, yet brightly-fruited in the mouth, with crisp flavors of cherry, and a cleansing minerality. Good flavor persistence and excellent acidity. Light bodied. Lots of character in a totally refreshing style. 88. Was $16.99 at Houston Wine Merchant on South Shephard.

2006 Tenuta San Antonio VALPOLICELLA SUPERIORE RIPASSO "Monte Garbi" (Veneto, Italy)

A very well-done, full mature Ripasso.

Mature color. Dark garnet with rust highlights. Closed nose at first, but run through a Vinturi it displayed a complex bouquet of roasted meat, macerated dried cherries, licorice, and smoky pecan wood. Rich, low-toned, peppery flavors initially, with brandy-soaked plums; then lightening into earthy cherry/licorice flavors. Long, dry finish. At its apogee right now despite substantial tannin. Very distinctive and nice. Drink before 2010 is up. 89. Was $18 at Spec's on Smith.

2004 Corte Campagnola AMARONE DELLA VALPOLICELLA (Veneto, Italy)

A really good, really rich Amarone. Pretty close to textbook.

Deep, mature black ruby/garnet. Rich, almost port-like nose of blackberry and cherry compote with warm, earthy baking spices, together with a hint of prune. Extraordinarily full-bodied, with warm flavors of tarry, dense, roasted black berries and dried cherry jam. Long, powerful finish. Very soft, and fully mature. Drink over the next year or two. 90.

Got this for $29.99 (pretty unheard-of for a high quality Amarone) on-line at Wines Til Sold Out -- a unique online wine close-out service that I subscribe to. They send daily (and sometimes 2 or 3 times daily) emails containing their offerings, which frequently are well below market prices. I recommend this service, with the caveat that if you live in Texas, ordering wines to be shipped in the summer months is a no-no.

Imported by Monarchia Matt International.

2006 Remo Farina "RIPASSO" Valpolicella Classico Superiore (Veneto, Italy)

The best old-school Ripasso-method* Valpo I've had in years.

Very dark blackish ruby-garnet. Utterly classic Ripasso nose of earthy, brandy-macerated fresh and dried cherries, with a hint of tar and eucalyptus. Dense, full-bodied, yet with lively, almost prickly acidity. Intensely "winey" and dry flavors of dried chokecherries with a hint of prune (in a good way!). Lengthy, minerally finish. Very very nice. 90. Imported by Banville & Jones Wine Merchants (NJ). Was $18.95 at Central Market, making it a very good value for a Ripasso.

* Ripasso refers to the dual fermentation this wine gets. In Valpolicella, they make both straight Valpo and Amarone di Valpolicella. Straight Valpo is usually fairly light and refreshing. Amarone is made from grapes left to dry for a few weeks before crushing. It makes a rich, high-alcohol wine with deep, dark, dried fruit and tar flavors. Ripasso Valpos are regular Valpos to which the crushed, used skins of the grapes used for Amarone are added just after the Valpo has fully fermented. This triggers additional fermentation and extraction of some of the flavors of the Amarone style wine.

2007 Brigaldara VALPOLICELLA (Veneto, Italy)

A good, solid Valpo from this reliable producer.

Dark ruby/garnet color. The nose needed lots of time to open up, but then gave up pretty, medium intensity scents of sweet cherries and red berries, along with a touch of cinnamon and crushed stone. Medium-to-full bodied, with macerated, sweet/tart cherry flavors that pounce on the palate along with some slightly bitter, stony minerals. Some tannin perceptible, which is kind of unusual for basic entry-level Valpolicella. Decent finish. More of a palate-cleansing style that would counter highly-flavored rustic dishes. Drink over the next year. 86. Imported by Vinifera Imports. Was $19 at Spec's.

2004 Zenato VALPOLICELLA (Veneto, Italy)

This was a good value, food-friendly Valpo.

Eye: Dark black ruby. Good color saturation for a regular Valpolicella, which usually don't have deep color saturation.

Nose: Distinctive nose of scorched earth, milk, and tangy boysenberries.

Mouth: Medium full, with a good, tight core of concentrated fruit accented with brambly undertones. Good balance, and a dry, clean, long finish.

Cellar or drink? Drink over the next year for its vibrant fruit.

Score: 87.

Price/store: Widely available at around $14 at all the Spec's stores, as well as some Richard's stores.

2003 vs. 2004 in Tuscany (and Valpolicella)

I've drunk my last 2003 Tuscan wine. I've concluded that this vintage is a loser.

If you recall the news reports, this was the year that Europe sweltered under unprecedented, record-breaking heat. I've read some reports about how this affected the grapes' ripening, but the main thing I've noticed about every single bottle I've had from anywhere in Central Italy -- regardless of producer or appellation -- is the short, lean, drying and astringent finish. Some of the wines actually had nice noses; the noses of others were astringent and lacking fruit. Regardless of how they smelled and how they tasted on entry, however, they all finished lean and mean.

I had the same observations about several Valpolicellas (and other wines from the Veneto region ) I've had from that vintage too.

Now 2004, at least in Tuscany (I haven't had enough '04 Valpos to draw any tentative conclusions), seems to be a whole 'nuther story. Every '04 I've tasted has been bursting with fruit, concentrated and ripe from entry through the finish. But they've also had superb balance. They've not been New World fruit bombs, but quintessential, European-styled dinner wines. I've got a bunch more in the closet and I am looking forward to trying them.

2004 Luigi Righetti "Campolieti" VALPOLICELLA Classico Superiore (Veneto, Italy)

This wine isn't bad, but it doesn't taste like Valpolicella -- whether Ripasso style or regular style.

Crystalline dark ruby color. Boisterous nose of very tightly-wound fruit (berries, cherries, and plums) and pungent minerally scents (almost verging into acetate). Tight, simple, and crisp in the mouth, , with focused fruit on entry, fading quickly into a metallic/minerally finish. 81. Was $10.65 at Spec's on Smith.

2004 Brigaldara VALPOLICELLA CLASSICO (Veneto, Italy)

Not very Valpolicella-like and disappointing. I haven't been impressed with a regular Valpo from this producer since the outstanding 2001.

Mostly crystalline black with ruby highlights. Pungent nose of tar, scorched earth, burnt gingerbread, prunes, and blackberries. Dark, mostly bass-note flavors of prunes, old oak, and scorched earth, with a fairly long, although somewhat hot, minerally finish. 83. Too big-boned for its own good. Was $16 and change at Spec's on Smith.

2004 Zenato VALPOLICELLA RIPASSA (Veneto, Italy)

My brother told me this was good, and he was right. This was big, soft, ripe, and rich.

Deep, rich black ruby color. Really fruity nose -- overripe raspberries, sweet cream, lemon juice, and smoky earth. Extraordinarily soft-textured and full in the mouth. Lush with ripe fruit, and minerals dancing quietly in the background. Long, full finish. 89. Was about $25 at Spec's on Smith.

2003 Tommasi "Vigneto Rafael" VALPOLICELLA Classico Superiore (Veneto, Italy)

Textbook Valpo! Medium ruby color. Pretty nose of cherry candy, sweet lemons, and stones. Bright, light-bodied flavors of cherry-berry fruit, and smoky, high-toned minerals. A very food-friendly wine -- refreshing, flavorful, and balanced. 88. Easily the best 2003 I've had from the region. This is not a rich, blockbuster of a wine (which I like too), but is a wine that makes a perfect, restrained complement to a simple Italian meal (we had it with a great pasta dish*). Was about $12 at Spec's on Smith.

* The pasta was "Zita with Tomatoes, Capocollo, and Diced Mozzarella," from one of my favorite cookbooks, "The Italian Country Table," by Lynne Rossetto Kasper. Fortuitously, someone re-printed the recipe on the Internet -- in violation of copyright law! -- here.

2000 Brigaldara AMARONE della VALPOLICELLA (Veneto, Italy)

A very distinctive wine from one of my favorite, non-stratospherically-priced Valpolicella producers. Dark ruby color with some brick at the rim. Unique nose of sweet, pruney fruit, gingerbread, and warm earth. Soft, intense and mouthfilling flavors of blackberries, choke cherries, and old barrels. LOTS of body, with some heat showing through. Some tannins remain but are relatively unobtrusive. Very long in the mouth. Essentially like a very good dry Port. Had this one with a unique and intensely flavored pot roast from Novara (braised in red wine vinegar with guanciale, anchovies, and garlic). Could age and round out a few more years because of the fruit density, but not too many years, what, with all that heat already peeking through. 89. Was $64 at Spec's on Smith -- cheap! compared to producers like Quintarelli and Romano dal Forno.

2003 Remo Farina VALPOLICELLA Classico Superiore "Ripasso" (Italy)

Disappointing. Either cooked in storage or aging way too fast.

Ruby garnet color with some amber at the rim. Spicy, winey, somewhat astringent nose. Some fruit in the mouth, but little concentration and a clipped finish. If you've got this, drink up, because it's on the way out. If this wine wasn't cooked in storage, then I'm not sure whether its mediocrity was the result of the torrid '03 vintage or just poor winemaking. 73. Was about $15 at Spec's on Smith.

2003 Brigaldara Valpolicella Classico (Veneto, Italy)

Yet another wine displaying the problems with the historic heat of 2003 in central Europe. Color good -- dense black ruby color, with purple highlights. But nose not as "friendly" as Valpolicellas should be: angular, with scorched earth and crunchy cherry, almond and chalky spice scents. Full-bodied, but somewhat angular in the mouth too, with sharp flavors of scorched earth and cherries. Sharp tannin and some astringency in the finish. (Gee, I used the term "sharp" a lot. Guess this was a sharp wine.) 82. Was $15.53 at Spec's on Smith. Not nearly as good as the 2001 edition, which I reviewed here.

2003 Allegrini Valpolicella Classico

Intense but simple nose of crunchy cherries and almond extract. Angular and vibrant in the mouth. Needs lots of exposure to air to calm down. Not bad, but not my style of Valpo. 84. About $10 or $11, I think, at Spec's (all stores).

Excellent wines from Jonathan and Marge's visit

Our old friends Jonathan and Marge Levine from NY visited this weekend. Jonathan is an old friend who helped me get started in the wine business in New York. I've had some of the most memorable wines of my life at dinners at his house. At least I think I have. My memories of the dinners are not inexplicably spotty. Ahem. Anyway, here are the wines we had with truncated, scoreless tasting notes from memory.

2002 Domaine Vincent Girardin Meursault Narvaux -- a classic Meursault nose of smoky hazelnuts and straw. Great balance and richness, and a long finish. Very nice.

2001 Ansgar Clusserath Trittenheimer Apotheke Riesling Kabinett -- slightly corked, but you could still taste the vibrant, minerally flavors underneath the corkiness. Unfortunately, corkiness quickly gets worse with air, so we had to toss this one after the first glass.

2002 Domaine Ehrhart Gewurztraminer "Raisins Egrappes" (Alsace) -- Classic gewurz nose of spicy lychee nuts and fruit. A tad richer, lower in acidity, and sweeter than I would have expected from a 2002, but very good nonetheless.

1998 Eric Ross Old Vine Zinfandel Occidental Vineyard (Russian River Valley) -- Jonathan brought this one, and it was INTENSE. Really a prototypical Zin from old vines but grown in a cool climate region. Intensely ripe, peppery nose, but with acidity you could smell. The acidity helped buoy up what otherwise could have been ponderously heavily extracted fruit. At its peak and a real mouthful.

1998 Silvio Grasso Barolo Ciabot Manzoni -- A really good example of a well made modern style Barolo. Too bad I'm not a fan of modern style Barolo. To me, modern style Barolos taste like intense Merlots. They're soft, rich, have sedately rich fruit and even chocolatey flavors. But none of the piercing, dried rose petal, chokecherry, tarry fruit and mouthwatering acidity that made real Barolo so special. What I wouldn't give to drink some real Barolo again.

1997 Tommasi Amarone della Valpolicella "Ca' Florian" -- An extremely elegant and deep rendition of Amarone. Not pruney or raisiney at all. Soft, intoxicatingly rich, ripe nose of macerated plums, blackberries, and spices. Rich, deep, yet soft and not overextracted on the palate like some Amarones. An Amarone you can drink with a rich main course, rather than wait for the cheese.

R.L. Buller & Sons Premium Fine Muscat (Victoria, Australia) -- a superb nonvintage Solera method dessert Muscat from down under. Rich, syrupy in texture, yet with excellent balancing acidity. Flavors of maple syrup, dates, and ripe grapes. Long finish. Outstanding and reasonably priced (about $15 per half bottle at Spec's).

A great array of wines, just like the good ol' days in NYC. Thanks for a nice visit, J & M!

2001 Brigaldara Valpolicella Classico

90. One of the best straight Valpo's I've had in years. Unusually dark ruby color. Intense nose that runs the gamut from dark chocolate and prunes to flowers, exotic spice and chokecherries. Medium-full body, with deep, still youthful flavors of earth, cherries, and bitter chocolate. There's a substantial amount of soft tannin remaining, which, together with the still youthful color and vibrant fruit, says that this wine still has a couple of goods years left -- very unusual for a straight Valpo DOC. I wonder if this is made via the ripasso technique? -- it says 13.5% alcohol -- which would explain its intensity and vigor. Whatever the reason, this is plain excellent. If I were to taste this blind, I think I'd place it as a Brunello or Morellino di Scansano rather than a Valpolicella. I think I paid about $12 at Spec's on Smith for this.