Wines Tasted, May 12, 2010

Masi - Serego Aligherieri - 650th Anniversary - Valpolicella - Veneto - Italy - 1999 - (Classic, Classic, Classic, Ager, Food Wine) - $110/Magnum - (This was an auction lot wine and it's real price remains a matter of extended research) Tasted from a magnum this wine was a clear, pale ruby with a slight orange rim, some sediment thrown.  A stellar example of Corvina and Molinara at their peak of maturity.  A wine crying out for food, we drank it all by itself (sadly).  Leather, nuttyness, clove spice, and a raisinated tertiary note underly the dusted red cherry, and red plum fruit.  This wine surely saw some Recioto lees during a Ripasso process, and at 14% alcohol represents that fact.  I kept being drawn into its subtle "over ripe" nuance, but could not put aside it's dry earth notes and apparent oak spice which balanced this wine between modern and classic.  An eye opener for those of you not impressed with "regular Valpolicella" but not yet into Amarone(what are you waiting for?).