The 2011 Valpolicella Classico Superiore saw seven months of slow and careful aging in botte grande before being deemed ready for the market. The wine takes a little coaxing before it fully opens, and it requires a few extra vigorous swirls of the glass before it begins to reveal earthy tones of baked brick and potting soil. However, the core of the wine is definitely packed tight with blackberry and ripe plum. The hot vintage has shaped a wine with extra volume and textural richness (with 15% alcohol). - Monica Larner