The Wine Guys : Ripassos offer intense flavors

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By Tom Marquardt and Patrick Darr | Wednesday, December 13, 2006 1:16 AM CST | () comments

Over the years, we have found that even the most finicky consumers will enjoy a good amarone.

Made in Italy, the amarone is a unique wine because it uses grapes that have dried on a shelf for weeks.

The process concentrates the flavors — and also increases the cost. But the flavors are intense and the texture is supple.

Recently, we came across a couple of ripassos, a wine made in a similar style but costing less. Known as a “baby amarone,” the ripasso allows the must to rest on the lees of an amarone. So, it benefits from the intense flavors of the amarone but uses different grapes that haven’t dried as long as the amarone’s grapes.

Here are two we recently discovered:

* Masi Campofiorin Ripasso 2003 ($18). Using valiploicella grapes, this has cherries, spice and dried fruit flavors.

* Secco-Bertani Valpolicella 2002 ($25). Produced in Veneto, this is a blend of corvina veronese, rondinella and molina grape varieties. These are unique wines to serve with beef dishes.

Here are a couple of other Italian discoveries we recently made:

* Casa Barbi Orvieto Classico Arche 2004 ($18). Blended with chardonnay, this interesting orvieto has more dimension with tropical fruit flavors.

* Masi Masianco 2005 ($17). This is a blend of about 75 percent pinot grigio and 25 percent verduzzo, which is picked late in the season and then allowed to dry for three weeks on racks. The result is a sturdy pinot grigio with ripe pear and tropical fruit flavors.

* Col d’Orcia Rosso di Montalcino 2004 ($20). Fresh cherry fruit flavors with supple tannins and a hint of spice.

* Le Volte 2004 ($40). Made by the famous house of Tenuta dell’Ornellaia, this blend of sangiovese, merlot and cabernet sauvignon has lush, forward fruit, excellent balance and dense dark berry flavors. A very big wine.

Wine of the week

Rosenblum Cellars Syrah Salano County England /Shaw Vineyard 2004 ($40). Nose of berries, bacon and herbs. A full-blown mouthful of black cherries and herbs. There are some nice tannins hidden under the huge fruit to allow some aging, but delicious now. Awesome!