Le Ragose Riserva Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 2012

From around 16 hectares of vineyards above Arbizzano on the ridge which defines the eastern boundary of Valpolicella Classico, the Galli family produces classically styled wines following traditional winemaking methods. Their Amarone Riserva from the difficult 2012 vintage is a heroic effort: lustrous garnet-ruby in colour, it’s plummy, ripe and scented against a background of gentle tertiary aromas. Round ripe and soft with impressive velvety texture, this is a silk cushion of a wine with balanced flavours and lovely understated structure; its power comes through on the finish. Drinking window: 2023-2030. Score – 96. (Michael Garner, decanter.com, Aug. 23, 2023)