In the summer of 1993, the Buglioni family, originally a long-established family of restaurateurs, fulfilled a long-held dream and acquired an old farmhouse along with five hectares of vineyards and olive groves. Today, the size of the estate has likely increased many times over, but all the vineyards owned by the Buglionis are located in the original Valpolicella Classico region, the hilly area east of Lake Garda, with the best sites on the Sant'Ambrogio plateau and in the San Pietro valley. The Superiore '44 Verticale' is essentially a small Amarone. It was produced in a very limited quantity from the finest organic grapes. The Verticale matured for ten months in tonneaux, followed by a further 15 months of bottle aging. Only 3,333 bottles were produced. Color: dark blackish-red. Aroma: ripe fruit, plum, spices, and hints of tobacco. Taste: strong, concentrated fruit, mouth-filling, elegant tannins.