Time has only been a friend to the 2004 Recioto della Valpolicella Classico. Soaring and vivid in its beauty, the 2004 is simply stunning today. Bittersweet chocolate, cloves, menthol, leather and sweet dark cherry are front and center, but it is the wine's poise and overall nuance that truly elevate it into the stratosphere of wine elixirs. Don't make the same mistake I have made in the past. Avoid the half bottles. The 2004 is a wine to buy in the 750s. This is as good as Recioto gets.

The 2004 Recioto della Valpolicella Classico (375-milliliter) opens to slightly musky aromas of moist earth and button mushroom with dried cherry and blackberry preserves at the back. This is a long and silky expression. Winemaking reflects the same process used to make Amarone, only the fermentation is blocked to preserve some of that bitter-sweetness. The name Recioto comes from the local dialect word for "ears" (reccie) because the wine is made with the shoulders of the grape clusters that tend to ripen first and have more residual sugar as a result. The finish imparts tarry licorice, dried fruit and bitter chocolate. The drinking window here is wide open for sure.