VALPOLICELLA: ITALY

Giuseppe Lonardi Valpolicella Classico
Italia: Veneto (foothills of the Italian Alps, just west of Verona)
A Blend: 75% Corvina Veronese, 20% Rondinella, 5% Molinara (red)
2009
86 pts
$15.99
On our trip to Italy for Thanksgiving 2011, we visited Verona in the region of Veneto, near the area in which Valpolicella is produced--and the wine I tasted there--a light-hearted, smooth, easy drinking red--was so beautiful. It was delicate, and yet flavorful at the same time. So upon our return to Chicago, I picked up a bottle of Valpolicella Classico to enjoy on New Year's Day 2012. Turns out, though, that the Lonardi Valpolicella Classico is a decent but overall unremarkable wine...at least to me. The nose offers abundant cherries, and the taste follows suit, along with a bit of cocoa. There may also be some light spice on the very back end. But with this particular Valpolicella, the lightness--characteristic of this region's wine, which is supposed to be consumed within just a few years of production--seemed more annoying to me than enhancing...not delicate, but lacking. Somehow the weight and body and flavors just don't work in harmony here for my palette. It's certainly not a lousy wine, but at sixteen dollars a bottle I believe one can find a better Valpolicella (such as the Buglioni, rated 89 points below). This one's not swill, but it's also not one to seek out.

+MUST TRY+
Buglioni Valpolicella Classico (by Buglioni Winery)
Italia: Veneto (foothills of the Italian Alps, just west of Verona)
A Blend: Corvina Veronese, Rondinella, Molinara (red)
2008
89 pts
$15.99

Earlier this week wandered into Dunlay's on Clark with Dana, and saw this Italian red on the D.O.C. wine list for the first time, and so I ordered a glass--wow! While I didn't find the nose appealing at first--had a candy-sweet scent to it that seemed artificial, reminding me of plastic somehow, or pre-sweetened Kool-Aid as a kid, with way too much powder added--I found the taste of this wine to be very satisfying, with a rich dark cherry flavor that lingered with a wonderful finish (especially in the lower part of the mouth), and nice tannins, too. The hint of acid provided, at least for me, more balance than I expected. I highly recommend this wine, especially if you enjoy cherries. Knew nothing about Valpolicella, and so did some research when I got home. Seems that this Italian blend is native to the north, west of Verona, near the mountains, and that its reputation has been damaged severely over the years due to poor production methods and little attention to quality. This is a light, everyday kind of wine--not really a special occasion wine--although like I said, it tasted really good in my mouth, and what more can one ask from a wine? Adam at Dunlay's told me it's meant to be drunk young, within about 2-3 years of the vintage. The light red color toward the top is common for its age. One thing that surprised me about this wine is that while it's fruity and young, I found the tannins (the pucker quality) very nice, just the same. $10.00 a glass at Dunlay's or, if you can find it, just over fifteen bucks a bottle. Available on the Internet. I say give this one a try!