Let’s be brutally honest: the Ripasso category is an absolute minefield. Far too much of what makes it to the US is just thin, commercial Valpolicella masked with a heavy dose of residual sugar to fake the richness of an Amarone. It's lazy, it's cloying, and it completely lacks spine. Buglioni’s "Il Bugiardo" (The Liar) is the undisputed exception of the underwhelming sea of Ripasso floading the market. It earned its name because it famously fooled seasoned experts into thinking it was a top-tier Amarone, and the 2020 vintage shows exactly why. This wine completely bypasses the sticky, jammy traps of the appellation. The nose doesn't hit you with cheap, sweet fruit. On the palate, it delivers massive depth and dry extract from its time on the Amarone skins, but here is the crucial difference: it absolutely refuses to be fat. It is propelled by a vertical, electric spine of acidity that keeps all that density perfectly in check. At 50% off retail price this is a wine to buy by the case. Best deal around!