Beautiful nose with impressive concentration and clarity, offering red berries, mulberries, exotic spices, crushed hazelnuts and hints of iodine, wet undergrowth and chocolate. Compact, focused and balanced, with a medium to full... Read More

The 2019 Barolo Riserva Rocche dell'Annunziata is a wine of pure and total sensuality, as the best vintages are here. Ripe, silky tannins frame a core of red-toned Rocche fruit. Floral and citrus inflections emerge later to... Read More

The 2021 Barolo Ravera is captures all the signatures of this site. Iron, white pepper, sage, mint, chalk and red-toned fruit all grace this sculpted, vibrant young Barolo. I especialy admire its energy and tension. Clean mineral... Read More

The 2021 Barolo Prapò is fabulous. It offers up an exotic mix of dark fruit, lavender, graphite, plum and scorched earth, with firm, muscular Serralunga tannins to back it all up. Readers will have to be patient with the... Read More

A dusting of cedary spice, dried roses, cloves and red currants wafts up from the darkly alluring 2019 Brunello di Montalcino Ciliegio. This is profoundly textural and bassy, with a core of mineral-laden red berry fruit and orange... Read More

Moody and intense, the 2019 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva opens in the glass with an earthy bouquet that blends medicinal cherries with cedar shavings and confectionary rose. It's silken and pliant with a polished wave of... Read More

A wonderfully fresh cascade of dried strawberries, cherries, rose petals and sweet spices make the 2015 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Diecianni a total pleasure to the senses. This is round and soft-textured with depths of juicy... Read More

The 2022 Chianti Classico Riserva is terrific. Dark and enveloping, the 2022 offers great depth in a fairly plush style that can be enjoyed with minimal cellaring. Succulent dark cherry, plum, new leather, liquorice and incense... Read More

The 2020 Chianti Classico Riserva Ser Lapo is bright, vibrant and full of energy. Crushed flowers, red-toned fruit, chalk and white pepper abound. As is so often the case, the Ser Lapo is one of the hidden gems in the Mazzei range.... Read More

This is a long-celebrated blend of 85% Sangioveto (another name for Sangiovese) and 15% Malvasia Nera from one of the headline estates of Castellina in Chianti. The Castellare di Castellina 2019 I Sodi di S. Niccolò (with... Read More

The aromas of raspberries, plums and violets are very enticing. Medium-bodied with fine tannins and a creamy and refined texture that is long and beautiful. A blend of merlot parcels. Juicy and delicious. Drink now.

So perfumed with violets and lavender with some currants. Medium- to full-bodied with polish and finesse. Racy and fine. Finesse with drive. Very elegant and straightforward with a racy texture. Very long and lightly edgy. 92%... Read More

This is one of only a handful of wines made on the Tuscan Coast that has managed to interpret the vintage in such an excellent manner. The Fattoria le Pupille 2022 Saffredi (a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot and 5%... Read More

Showing a lifted note of cherry cough drop or vapor rub, the Salicutti 2019 Brunello di Montalcino starts on a high note but then slides smoothly into aromas of purple fruit and wild blackcurrant. Those initial balsamic notes... Read More

Because the Vecchie Vigne was not made in 2022, fruit from the old vines was directed to this wine instead. The Paitin 2022 Barbaresco Serraboella Sorì Paitin is a beautiful wine with dark elements of graphite, dusty root,... Read More

I was able to taste the 2019 Brunello Di Montalcino three times for this report, and it’s one of the great wines of the vintage. It takes on a bit more muscular style for the Poggio di Sotto estate, but it retains the DNA... Read More

Wow. The ripe yet fresh aromas are so alluring and compelling, showing plums, cedar, rose petals and hints of leather. Full-bodied yet framed and tensioned with fantastic length and intensity. Polished tannins are powerful but... Read More

The 2019 Barolo Sperss is rich with dark mineral earth, black cherry, and Earl Grey tea. Long and mouthwatering, it has a powerful structure while retaining finesse. It is fantastically balanced, with gripping tannins, fresh acidity,... Read More

One of three separate cru bottlings, Poggio al Granchio hails from Montalcino’s southeastern flank. The steep site sits on schisty Galestro soil and is surrounded by holm oak trees. Powerfully fragrant, the 2020 expands... Read More

Depths of black cherry, plum sauce, sage and clove are grounded by animal musk as the 2019 NeroBaronj smolders up from the glass. It flows across the palate like pure silk, refined and seamless in feel, with ripe wild berry fruits... Read More

A blend of crushed plums, rose petals, lavender and Violette pastille creates a deeply seductive bouquet as the 2019 NeroSanloré blossoms in the glass. This is a model of grace and elegance with silky textures, vividly... Read More

Dark and earthy in the glass, the 2019 NeroBufaleffj opens with a burst of crushed ashen stones and earth tones before giving way to dusty black currants and blood orange. It's deeply textural, with silken waves of ripe red... Read More

A firm and beautiful Barolo with dark strawberry, blueberry, raspberry and stone. Medium body. Fine and chewy tannins that show tension and give focus. A little chewy but it has great energy. Best after 2028.

The finesse and beauty of this wine are rather breathtaking, with currant, mint, spearmint, sandalwood and blackberry aromas that follow through engagingly to the palate. It starts off medium-bodied, but then grows on the palate... Read More

The Brancaia 2021 Ilatraia is an organic blend of Petit Verdot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. I like the restyled front label design presented with this vintage. This is a bold and generous wine with sweet fruit, blackberry... Read More

The 2019 Brunello di Montalcino bursts from the glass with an intense array of black raspberries, lavender, sage, wet stone and crushed rocks. This is elegant and velvety on the palate. A rich wave of ripe red and black fruits... Read More

I Custodi Aetneus Etna Rosso is a ruby red color. Ethereal, intense, ripe fruit, and tobacco aromas. Elegant, harmonious, remarkably persistent on the palate, and rightly tannic.

The 2020 Cepparello is a total stunner, just as it was last year. Deeply colored, layered and explosive in the glass, the 2020 possesses striking textural richness and overall intensity. Black cherry, graphite, plum, spice and... Read More

The wine is tightly coiled and concentrated. It feels almost cinched at the waist, with a fascinating tension between the weight of raspberry, blackberry and strawberry coulis fruit and the wine's verticality, as if it's... Read More

Released in numbered bottles (which could explain the high price tag), the Michele Satta 2021 Bolgheri Superiore Marianova is a blend of equal parts Syrah and Sangiovese (aged in barrique and amphorae). It delivers medium-plus... Read More

The 2019 Brunello di Montalcino Bacia is deep and complex, mixing black cherries with cedar box, autumnal spice, mentholated herbs and a dusting of cocoa. This speaks in bass tones, with dark, saturating red fruit and minerals... Read More

This is both deep in color and on the nose with plenty of wood spices, dark walnuts, black cherries, peppercorn, licorice, bark and dark mushrooms. Supple entry, but the oak tannins and the intense, juicy fruit quickly take over,... Read More

The 2020 Barolo Bric Del Fiasc is jeweled red in color and has a great nose of cherry liqueur, violets, lavender, a touch of blueberry, sweet herbs, sweet earth, and balsamic, but it’s pure and fresh. Medium to full-bodied,... Read More

The 2021 Rosso Di Montalcino was bottled in 2023 and is going to be released in May or June of 2025. Taking on a bit more pigment in this vintage and pouring a ruby/red color, it opens to aromas of darker berries, ripe black cherries,... Read More

Bottled in late-March 2024, Biondi Santi’s latest Brunello is built solidly on classic lines. Captivatingly austere, it hints at pomegranate and tea leaf to begin, with balsamic rosemary and sage blossom taking hold as it... Read More

This wine represents a blend of fruit from various sites, and 15,000 bottles were created. Showing a classical profile, the E. Pira e Figli - Chiara Boschis 2021 Barolo Via Nuova delivers a firm sense of inner fiber and richness... Read More

With a slightly deeper jeweled ruby hue, the 2021 Barolo Mosconi is more contemplative, offering layered notes of cedar, cherry cordial, Asian spices, sweet herbs, and pressed flowers. It reveals broader polished depth on the... Read More

An exquisite mix of elegant aromas dominates the nose, with notes of Parma violets, orange peel, Earl Grey tea, dried cherries, smoky woodland and earthy minerality. Full-bodied, it shows significant tannins, but it’s velvety,... Read More

Mineral and savory nose with lots of crushed stones, iron, seaweed, spiced blood orange and cranberries. Structured and vertical on the palate but nothing fleshy here. It shows more mineral tension and tautness than fruit. A pure,... Read More

Brooding and balsamic, the 2019 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Vigna Paganelli is a dark stallion of a wine with a bouquet to meditate to, wafting up exotic spices, flint, incense, dried roses, black cherries and hints of ashen... Read More

This is a blend of two native Piedmont grapes, and fruit comes from Ginestra (Vigna Sopra in Ciabot Mentin). The Domenico Clerico 2022 Langhe Arte is Barbera and Nebbiolo, and in this vintage, each grape represents 50% of the... Read More

The Domenico Clerico 2020 Barolo Ginestra Pajana (with 5,000 bottles made) shows great balance between dark fruit and integrated spice from increasingly hands-off oak aging. The results are impeccably smooth, and the fruit remains... Read More

The 2020 Barolo Aeroplan Servaj offers a bright and elegant fruit profile with tart fruit, blackcurrant, spice, cola, licorice and candied orange peel. It feels ironed out and smooth, folding softly over the palate initially yet... Read More

Wildly spicy, the 2022 Bianco MunJebel bursts from the glass with an array of fermented ginger, fennel, crushed stones and dried apricots. More like nectar than wine, this smooths over the palate then finds a beautiful lift through... Read More

This is at a different level, with blackcurrants, blueberries and Mediterranean herbs, such as rosemary and sage. Also tobacco and coffee bean. Medium-bodied with fine tannins and a persistent finish. Sophisticated and thought-provoking.... Read More

Bright jeweled ruby in color, the 2020 Brunello Di Montalcino is flush with pure aromas of candied flowers, cherry lozenge, pine needles, and blood orange. Medium-framed, it's ripe and pure on the palate, with refreshing energy,... Read More

Intense aromas of black cherries, lavender and spice, such as nutmeg. Some sandalwood and bark, too. Full-bodied with a solid core of fruit and tannins for the vintage. Rather chewy, suggesting that additional bottle age is needed.... Read More

The Domenico Clerico 2020 Barolo Ginestra Ciabot Mentin shows really great balance in terms of the oak integration. For the first time, the estate has decided to use large oak casks (removing the barrique entirely), and the results... Read More

The 2020 Brunello di Montalcino Vigna Montosoli is dreamy, with a darkly floral bouquet that blends dried rose and violet with hints of sour cherry, blackberry and Tuscan dust. This is silky-smooth and round in feel, with fresh... Read More

The 2020 L'Apparita will soon take its place among the great Apparitas. Unctuous and layered in the glass, the 2020 possesses exceptional balance and tons of character right out of the gate. Exotic scents of blackberry jam,... Read More

Made in stainless steel only with 100% Garganega from a 1.5-hectare site with basalt volcanic soils, the Inama 2021 Soave Classico Carbonare is delightfully fresh, zesty and electric in personality. The bouquet showcases grapefruit,... Read More

The 2020 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Castello di Ama San Lorenzo is fabulous. It offers up a compelling mix of blackberry, graphite, crushed rocks, spice, lavender and black pepper, showing striking inner sweetness, gorgeous... Read More

Aromatic intensity characterizes the 2022 Etna Rosso Calderara Sottana as crushed ashen stone and grilled herb aromas blow off to reveal spiced orange peels, dried black cherries and cloves. A captivating lift from vibrant acidity... Read More

The 2019 Nobile di Montepulciano Costa Grande is deep and intense yet youthfully coy, lifting up with an understated blend of black cherries, stone dust and Christmas spice. It impresses with its purity and energetic character.... Read More

Coming to market this fall, the Bartolo Mascarello 2019 Barolo represents a classic vintage in between two challenging growing seasons. Both 2018 and 2020 were hotter than 2019, resulting in higher alcohol levels. With fruit harvested... Read More

So perfumed and dreamy with flowers, citrus and hints of stone. Medium-bodied, this has fine tannins and lovely fruit in the caressing center-palate. The fresh, vivid finish ends with a bit of muscle. Drink or hold.

This has aromas of fresh black truffles, sour cherries, plums and smoked paprika. Full-bodied with weighty, ripe fruit and creamy tannins. Try from 2024.

While the summer was hot and dry, with three months of drought, the vines' roots were able to tap water reserves which had been topped up by rainfall the previous winter and spring. Despite the warm growing season, Ornellaia... Read More

The entrancing 2019 Munjebel Rosso FM (Feudo di Mezzo Sottana) blossoms in the glass, with a dusty mix of sweet minty herbs and bright cherry complemented by a hint of cinnamon sugar. Its textures are like pure silk slowly draped... Read More

From a single plot in Rocche dell'Annunziata, this Barolo ages for 18 months in big oak vessels. On the nose there's a smoky-graphite character with intoxicating mint and violet scents, some milkiness in depth and a lot... Read More

The 2018 Taurasi Vigna Quintodecimo is a deep purple in the glass. It wafts up with a sweetly enticing blend of medicinal black cherries, cloves and dusty roses. It washes across the palate, more lifted and finessed than expected,... Read More

Aromas and flavors of amarena cherries and plums with some vanilla from the oak. Medium- to full-bodied, this Taurasi riserva is almost fleet of foot, though not lacking either tannin structure or fruit weight. A lovely example... Read More

Complex aromas of rock melon and peach together with floral and lightly honeyed notes, following through to a medium-bodied palate with very good concentration and focus. There’s a lightly phenolic element adding structure... Read More

This has a very fresh and polished character with sliced pears, white nectarines, crushed stones and citrus leaf. Lots of floral undertones, too. Medium- to full-bodied. Sleek textural mouthfeel and steady acidity gives freshness... Read More

Giuseppe Rinaldi's recent vintages have the potential to become cult wines. The 2015 is extremely pale and lively, focused on fresh citrusy notes of orange peel and cedar wood with a rhubarb candy core accompanied by star... Read More

Concentrated, vivid fruit to this, with an intense nose of morello cherries, cassis, baked strawberries, grilled herbs, licorice and semi-dried tomatoes. Lemon zest, too. Medium-to full-bodied with ripe, integrated tannins. Long... Read More

The 2020 Campo di Magnacosta is a wine of depth and gravitas. Dark cherry, lavender, spice, sage and leather fill out the layers. There's terrific breadth and volume here, but also a good bit of tannin that needs time to soften.... Read More

The 2016 Brunello has delicate savory aromas of rosemary, dried raspberry, and floral forest floor. There is freshness and pure ripe fruit that fills the palate, with blood orange, dried red cherry, and fresh tomato leaf as well... Read More

Mount Etna’s astronomic rise in hipness over the last decade or so has created a sort of gold rush (or oil rush, to use the metaphor used on this wine's label), with producers from all over Sicily, mainland Italy, and... Read More