A beautiful valpo with delicious berry, light sandalwood and chocolate. Flavor throughout. Such balance, intensity and length and a creamy texture. A wine you want to drink. Lovely now.

The 2021 Valpolicella Classico Superiore Rafael is wonderfully fresh, with a perfumed blend of dried roses, violets and chalk dust giving way to wild blueberries. This sweeps across the palate, lifted and refined, with silky textures and juicy red berry fruits that swirl throughout. It tapers off classically dry, with a gently staining of tannins and a bump of acidity that keeps the taster looking back to the glass for more.

This expressive red partners a savory base note of fresh loamy earth and an overtone of balsamico herbs and spices with a sweeter profile of juicy plumped black cherry, red licorice, violet and dark chocolate. Fresh and harmonious, with lightly chewy tannins firming the finish. Corvina, Rondinella and Molinara. Drink now through 2028. 12,000 cases made, 5,000 cases imported.