Brett happens

IGT Veneto 2008, Campo Massimo, Albino Piona ($19.05, 12132035)
100% Corvina from 10- to 15-year-old vines. Manually harvested. Destemmed and pressed. Fermented and macerated in temperature-controlled tanks with pumping over and rack-and-returns. Aged ten months in stainelss steel tanks. 13% ABV.
Intriguing aromatic nose: floral, strawberry jam, leather, earth, lipstick. Fresh and lively in the mouth with the weight and structure of a Beaujolais cru. Tart berries and cherry sing while bell pepper and chervil hit a savoury note. Fair length. Very throwbackable, especially when lightly chilled. How do you say vin plaisir in Italian? (Buy again? Yes.)

Valpolicella Superiore Ripasso 2012, Morandina, Prà ($21.65, 12131964)
A blend of organically farmed Corvina, Corvinone, Rondinella and Oselata. Destemmed, pressed and transferred to tall vats for 15 days’ fermentation and maceration with rack-and-returns. Transferred to 20-hectolitre oak barrels for malolactic fermentation. The resulting wine in then macerated on the skins of grapes used to make Amarone for five days at 25 to 30°C, during which time a second fermentation takes place (this step is what makes it a ripasso). Lastly, the wine is transferred to large barrels and a few French oak casks for a further 18 months’ maturation. 13.5% ABV.
Morello cherry, blackberry, bell pepper, fresh herbs and spice, in particular white pepper and licorice. Medium-bodied, tart and juicy, balanced. The fruit is clean, the tannins supple, the acidity fresh. Dark minerals and a bitter thread add depth. Exits as suavely as it enters. Not a vin de contemplation but perfect in its way. Great QPR. (Buy again? Yes.)