I Saltari, Valpolicella Superiore (Veneto, Italy) Le Vigne di Turáno 2010

($18, Banfi Vintners):  Sartori, one of the Veneto’s top producers, owns the I Saltari estate, which helps explain why the wines are so stunning.  Andrea Sartori attributes the exceptional quality of this single-vineyard wine to careful viticulture coupled with low yields.  Whatever the explanation, it shows that Valpolicella can produce wines with great complexity.  It has unusual depth and concentration for Valpolicella, an area more often associated with lightweight wines of no particular stature.   Despite its concentration, there’s no heaviness to the wine; it floats across your palate.  A polished wine, you can drink it now with a rich pasta dish or a roasted chicken and mushroom sauce.  It delivers far more than the price suggests.  This is definitely not your father’s Valpolicella. 92 Michael Apstein Jun 10, 2014