1 | Wine | Other Red, $100 and up

"The 2004 Amarone della Valpolicella is one of the most monumental young wines I have ever tasted. This is an especially silky, elegant Amarone from Dal Forno that avoids the heaviness of some previous vintages. Blackberry jam, crushed rocks, minerals, violets, new leather and bittersweet chocolate are some of the nuances that emerge over time. This is every bit as majestic as it was every time I tasted it from barrel over the last few years. The silky, exceptionally polished tannins make the 2004 approachable today, but the wine will be even better in a few years."

"This is a beautifully rich Chateau Latour boasting a dense ruby/purple color, a sweet, smoky, charcoal, cassis, graphite, and forest floor-scented nose, full body, an attractive freshness, and sweet, noble tannins. This layered Latour is one of the vintage's top dozen or so wines." Reviewed by Robert Parker.

"It has a very sensual, quite profound bouquet that is taciturn at first, but unfurls beautifully to reveal pure wild strawberry and raspberry aromas infused with espresso, minerals and liquorice. The palate is medium-bodied with a very composed entry. The tannins are neat and tidy, a crisp thread of acidity lending it linearity, almost conservatism. But I love the focus and symmetry here, a wine that is saving everything up for those who can resist its temptations and cellar it for 3-4 years. What an intellectual and sensorial wine."

"The 1997 Recioto della Valpolicella Classico is a gorgeous, refined wine with layers of sweet, perfumed fruit that flow gracefully from its medium-bodied frame. The 1997 Recioto isn’t quite as extroverted as the profound 1995, but it does offer impeccable balance in a relatively understated, slender style for this house. Sweet spices, licorice, leather and incense linger on the long and immensely satisfying finish. I tasted the 1997 Recioto from both 375ml and 750ml bottles and found the wine consistently superb."

"Highly complex aromas of raspberry, red cherries macerated in alcohol, violet, balsamic vinegar, rose, and milk and bitter chocolate. Amazingly rich, superconcentrated wine, with flavors of chocolate-covered raspberry, cherries macerated in alcohol and fig jam. Refreshing acidity and very silky tannins make this an elegant blockbuster, a feat only the greatest wines manage to achieve."