Vigna San Floriano Ripasso 2005

At its best, Valpolicella is an absolutely delicious wine. And like Chianti, it comes in several quality levels. The greatest Valpolicella is the pricey Amarone. Ripasso however, has much of Amarone's richness but at a far more affordable price.

San Floriano comes from the west of Verona and is made from the local 'Holy Trinity' of grapes - Corvina, Rondinella and Molinara. For the estate's intensely rich Amarone, winemaker Paolo Confente air dries these grapes to a phenomenal level of concentration so they produce only the smallest amount of liquid. The powerfully flavoured lees are then used to 'season' its lighter sibling Valpolicella, giving it more complex Ripasso flavours.

For extra depth the wine is barrel aged for 12 months. Intense ruby colour and a delicate nose of almond, spice and dried fruits. A rich mouthful of flavours - plums, black cherry and damsons - rounded out by gentle oak and velvety tannins. Richly concentrated and at its very best right now.