2012 Valpolicella Classico Superiore

The 2012 Valpolicella Classico Superiore opens up with dusty dried flowers, black cherries and exotic spices. It gains volume and richness the longer it sits in the glass. Its textures are silky, coasting along a medium-bodied frame with mineral-tinged red fruits energized by brisk acids. The 2012 becomes quite floral toward the close, and incredibly pretty as well, with hints of fine tannin under an air of geranium, violets and sweet lavender. I expect this will flesh out a bit more and excel with another year or two of cellaring. It was made from half fresh-harvested and half air-dried fruit which is matured for six years in cask prior to release. Primarily, the blend is all traditional Venetian red grapes, but it also contains a small amount of other indigenous Italian varieties. Very nice.