Across the Padano Plain from Verona there is a tiny appellation that, like Valpolicella, finds its pinnacle in deliciously rustic appassimento wines. With only 17 hectares planted, and recently awarded status DOCG (until 2010, it had been a sottozona of Piave), the Malanotte del Piave DOCG remains rare. Where you can find it, I find the wine's use of Raboso rather than Amarone's Corvina blend to be a true difference maker in style. Where Corvina is rather plush and tanninless, needing the appassimento method to achieve any body or structure, Malanotte's star grape (Raboso del Piave from the same root as rabid) carries all the tannic intensity you could want before rasination. 

Antonio Facchin's tiny production "Unno" has been the most impressive example of Malanotte that we've come across. Facchin rasinates about 30% of his grapes (enough to add decadent cocoa and fig notes without overdoing it) and treats the wine to extensive aging to soften Raboso's jagged tannins before it hits the market. This 2011 has seen two years in tank, three years in large old oak, and another five in bottle. In the glass it's densely packed with morello cherry, dark chocolate shavings, and savory notes of peppered game. It sings all of the same high notes as Amarone with a little more balance and charm for the money. It's truly opulent, delicious wine with major old world cool factor. - WP