Tommaso Bussola Bussola Ca' del Laito Valpolicella Ripasso Classico Superiore 2019 750ml

For such a capacious wine laden with mocha oak, camphor, cherries and brooding, dank undergrowth, this manages to keep everything within a whiff of poise and drinkability. An Amarone in all but name. The alcohol is sky high due to the vintage and style. For the fan base. Drink or hold.

A well-meshed red, with taut, lightly chalky tannins framing notes of black cherry, boysenberry paste, wild sage, cocoa powder and fresh earth through the creamy, spiced finish. Corvina, Corvinone and Rondinella. Drink now through 2029. 3,000 cases made. (Alison Napjus)

A well-meshed red, with taut, lightly chalky tannins framing notes of black cherry, boysenberry paste, wild sage, cocoa powder and fresh earth through the creamy, spiced finish. Corvina, Corvinone and Rondinella. Drink now through 2029. 3,000 cases made.

A dark, rich Valpolicella, exuding steeped blackberry, date, ashy smoke and fragrant accents of violet, wild sage and warm brown bread. Medium-bodied and creamy, with supple tannins and a touch of coffee liqueur on the finish. Distinctive. Drink now through 2028. 2,000 cases made. (Alison Napjus)

The 2018 Valpolicella Superiore Classico Ripasso Ca’ del Laito shows a bit of volatility on the nose as masses of spiced cherry give way to cloves and licorice. This washes across the palate, deeply textural and spicy, with ripe mineral-drench red and black fruits that saturate. Balsam herbs and exotic spices are left to linger, as the 2018 finishes with impressive length and lightly structured. (Eric Guido)