2017 Roccolo Grassi Recioto della Valpolicella 375ml

Brother and sister Marco and Francesca Sartoli took over Roccolo Grassi from their father in 1986, farming organically in the eastern hills of Valpolicella and focusing on quality over quantity. Every wine is single vineyard. The precision shows.

Recioto della Valpolicella — the sweet, ancestral wine of the region — has been made here since ancient times, long before Amarone existed. This is the original: half fresh grapes, half dried, creating a wine with massive complexity and none of the cloying weight that kills lesser examples. Marco Sartoli's light hand with dried fruit keeps the integrity of Valpolicella intact — texture and depth without losing freshness.

The 2017 shows lovely deep color, translucent cherry red with heavy legs. Aromas of ripe red fruit, sultana, and currant layer with meaty, chocolaty, truffle notes. Bright strawberry and boysenberry top notes with hints of coconutty vanilla. Full-bodied with silky tannins and a freshness that defies the richness. Wine Enthusiast calls out the savory-sweet swing: smoked jerky and teriyaki aromas turning sweet in the mouth, built for plum cake or chocolate pudding.

This is Recioto done right — huge depth, balsamic richness developing with age, and the structural backbone to age for years. Pull the cork tonight with dessert, or cellar it and watch the complexity build.