Allegrini Palazzo Della Torre

By Chris and Sherry Hardie

Amarone is a very expensive Italian wine that is made from partially drying grapes, producing a strong wine with prominent raisin-like quality.

This is not amarone, but it is made partially in that style, with about 30 percent of the corvina and rondinella grapes used in the wine partially dried. It has been a favorite selection of Wine Spectator, making the magazine’s top 100 list last year and recently named a best buy.

The wine is also made in the ripasso fashion, where the wine is re-passed over casks holding grapes leftover from amarone.

The wine is much sweeter than traditional Italian reds and has some complex texture and flavors.

Sherry: “Very dry with strong tannins, lime and black cherry.” 3 stars

Chris: “A bouquet of raisin and prunes, with flavors of raspberry and black cherry.” 3 stars

Available locally for about $20.

Coming next week: Greg Norman Shiraz

Root 1 Sauvignon Blanc

By Chris and Sherry Hardie

It’s always a bit surprising when we see last year’s vintages hit the shelves so soon into 2013, but in South America this year’s harvest nears while we settle in to survive the last six weeks of winter.

Root 1 is a Chilean winery whose name reflects its original, ungrafted root systems that were untouched by the phylloxera infestation that nearly destroyed Europe’s vineyards, which survived when they grafted vines to American rootstock. The vines in South America also were spared.

This wine is fermented in stainless steel and displays the acidity and citrus flavors you would expect from a sauvignon blanc.

Sherry: “Light-bodied, but dry with grapefruit and lime.” 2-1/2 stars

Chris: “Tropical fruit bouquet with tart and dry grapefruit and lemon.” 3 stars

Available locally for about $10.

Coming next week: Allegrini Palazzo Della Torre

Noval Black Porto

By Chris and Sherry Hardie

Bitterly cold winter nights are a perfect time to gather around a fireplace and sip port.

Port is a naturally sweet wine fortified with brandy, which stops the fermentation process and increases the alcohol content. (This one is 19.5 percent.)

This non-vintage port — which is actually classified as a younger ruby port despite being called black — comes from the traditional home of port in the Douro Valley in Portugal. It’s a blend of three grapes and is cask-aged for two years before bottling.

Big and spicy with dark fruit flavors, the alcoholic heat is tempered by letting it sit a few days (with the cork on) after opening. This pairs well with mild cheese.

Sherry: “Warming black cherry with brown sugar and clove.” 3-1/2 stars

Chris: “Plum, blackberry and prunes wrapped in licorice.” 3 stars

Available locally for about $19.

Coming next week: Root 1 Sauvignon Blanc

Georges Duboeuf Moulin-a-Vent 2011

By Chris and Sherry Hardie

The Beaujolais region is in eastern France, south of Burgundy, and is famous for its fruity red wines made from the gamay grape. This wine comes from the Moulin-a-Vent area, which features a 15th century windmill on a hill overlooking the vineyards.

Many Beaujolais wines are fresh and fruity, particularly the nouveau. But Moulin-A-Vent wines are grown where the manganese in the soil stunts the harvest, which provides more intense and concentrated flavor in the grapes.

The wine has body much more similar to a pinot noir, with red fruit and berry flavors and enough tannins that it would hold up to several years of cellaring.

Sherry: “Light-bodied with light tannins and soft cherry and strawberry flavors.” 3 stars

Chris: “A floral and spice bouquet with flavors of blackberry and cherry.” 3-1/2 stars

Available locally for about $16.

Coming next week: Noval Black Port