Alberelli di Giodo

94 - Nerello Mascalese DOC 2016

From celebrated winemaker Carlo Ferrini, the Alberelli di Giodo 2016 Sicilia Nerello Mascalese marks a beautiful inaugural performance for what promises to be a name to watch on Etna. This wine shows power and depth with radiant fruit tones. Wild raspberry and cassis segue to tar, smoke and crushed volcanic stone. The wine shows some of the leanness that is characteristic of this vintage, yet it also delivers enough drive and power to maintain high and exciting momentum. Congratulations, Carlo.

Alberelli di Giodo is the new estate founded by Tuscan consulting enologist Carlo Ferrini. He purchased a few hectares of land to grow grapes on the volcano, and he makes his wine at the Pietradolce winery. This represents my first tasting of this exciting new red.

Bartolomeo

92 - Barolo Altenasso 2015

From Castiglione Falletto, the Cavalier Bartolomeo 2015 Barolo Altenasso is a real beauty that hits the senses from many directions, thus building the wine's intensity and momentum. This Barolo exudes power and depth, and despite that extra muscle, the wine remains well-balanced and harmonious, especially in terms of the bouquet. The heat of the vintage tends to peek through the curtains when it comes to mouthfeel. You'll recognize it in the loose textural knitting and the dark cherry, plum and blackberry flavors.

93 - Barolo Altenasso 2016

Here's a dark and brooding wine from a classic vintage. The Cavalier Bartolomeo 2016 Barolo Altenasso (with fruit from Castiglione Falletto) delivers a tighter tannic structure and more firmness next to the 2015 vintage that I tasted at the same time. This vintage demands a later drinking date and needs more time to soften and flesh out. In the wine's youth, it already shows budding aromas of dark fruit, spice, pressed violet and licorice. Again, those aromas are tightly wound at the present time, but you can expect them to blossom in the future. Give the wine another five to 10 years before checking back.

93 - Barolo San Lorenzo 2015

The Cavalier Bartolomeo 2015 Barolo San Lorenzo sees fruit sourced directly from the comune of Barolo at heart of the appellation. This wine pours from the bottle showing a dark, saturated color. The bouquet is light and almost floral, offering the elegance of minerality and limestone-rich soils. You get wild berry, cherry liqueur and broad aromas of smoke, tar and licorice. The Barolo San Lorenzo shows a lot of detail and nuance. You also feel the structure and firmness of those young, warm-vintage tannins.

94 - Barolo San Lorenzo 2016

Cavalier Bartolomeo delivers a very pure and compelling expression of Nebbiolo in this bottle. Starting off with a deep and darkly saturated color, the 2016 Barolo San Lorenzo is both powerful and elegant. This is one of the hallmarks of this classic 2016 vintage. The wine is austere and still closed at this young stage, but you sense the energy and electricity brimming just under the surface. That energy is ultimately what will carry this wine through its long life cycle, forcing the evolution of primary fruit aromas into ethereal aged nuances. This wine brings Cavalier Bartolomeo to an exciting new level.

Benanti

90 - Contrada Cavaliere Bianco 2017

Here is a new wine from the Benanti estate headquartered in Viagrande, or the side of Etna just north of Catania. Brothers Antonio and Salvino Benanti have recently revisited their holdings on Etna, selling some parcels and gaining access to fruit from other areas. The idea is to create a Benanti portfolio that represents multiple single-vineyard expressions from a larger range of vineyards located on the northern side of Etna (in Castiglione di Sicilia), the eastern flank of the volcano in Milo, and now in both the southwest and southeast quadrants of Etna.

Officially unveiled just a few months ago, the 2017 Etna Bianco Contrada Cavaliere is the latest single-vineyard wine to join the portfolio. The Contrada Cavaliere is located in Santa Maria di Licodia, on the less-traveled southwest side of the volcano. Compared to Carricante from the northern side (that tends to get less rain and more diurnal temperature shifts), this wine is slightly more relaxed and horizontal in terms of its aromatic delivery. The wine offers a clean but also somewhat subdued expression of a grape that is fundamentally neutral but also extremely precise in terms of its aromatic offerings. This hot vintage feels very smooth and silky ultimately, delivering preserved lemon, apricot and tangy tropical fruit. You feel that natural structure at the back. Some 5,300 bottles were made.

93 - Contrada Monte Serra Rosso 2017

"In its second year now, the 2017 Etna Rosso Contrada Monte Serra is a slightly more fragile and subdued wine compared to its cousin from the Contrada Cavaliere. The floral impact of this wine leaves a lasting impression, and the quality of fruit veers toward wild berries and cranberries. There is a note of plush or succulent sweetness that seems very specific to this wine. The tannins are silky, and the wine is mid-weight in texture but noticeably long in persistence. This pure expression of Nerello Mascalese would pair nicely with fresh tuna and capers served with tomato sauce on pasta. Some 6,000 bottles were made." ROBERT PARKER

90 - Etna Bianco DOC 2016

Although I am a longstanding fan of Benanti's wines, I have never previously reviewed this wine for publication (despite the fact it has been in production since 1994). The 2014 Etna Bianco is a pure expression of Carricante, with fruit from the East flank of the volcano in Milo. Vineyards here are located 700 to 800 meters above sea level. A second portion of fruit comes from Santa Maria di Licodia (at 950 meters above the Mediterranean). The wine opens to pretty and soft layers of stone fruit and pear. It boasts a very immediate, refreshing and drinkable style.

Giuseppe Benanti's sons Antonio and Salvino have increasingly taken on managerial roles at the family winery and have done so with a powerful sense of charge and purpose. The generational shift at Benanti is impressive and I was very happy to visit with both father and sons during my last trip to Etna. They have streamlined production, removing some lesser-performing wines. At the same time, they restructured their vineyard holdings, selling off property and buying two hectares of Nerello Mascalese in Rovittello, 2.5 hectares of Carricante in Milo and possibly two more hectares of Carricante in Viagrande.

91 - Etna Rosso DOC 2017

The 2017 Etna Rosso (made with 80% Nerello Mascalese and 20% Nerello Cappuccio) offers a very smoky and ashy bouquet that tells you, without any doubt, that this is a wine from the mighty Etna volcano. Rose petal and light berry aromas blur and soften the lines of those pretty mineral notes that are so strong at the beginning. Blue violets and blueberries are delicate accents that fill out the close. This vintage really pulls it all together nicely, a great pairing for pappardelle with wild chanterelle mushrooms. With 70,000 bottles made, this is an accessible wine offered at a great value.

91 - Nerello Mascalese DOC 2014

The Benanti 2014 Etna Rosso Nerello Mascalese is a tight and elegantly streamlined wine with a firm tannic structure that is followed by dehydrated tones of wild cherry, forest fruit, grilled herb and balsam herb. Flint, mineral and licorice are also thrown into the aromatic presentation. Fruit is sourced from both the northern and the southern flank of the Etna volcanic cone.

Giuseppe Benanti's sons Antonio and Salvino have increasingly taken on managerial roles at the family winery and have done so with a powerful sense of charge and purpose. The generational shift at Benanti is impressive and I was very happy to visit with both father and sons during my last trip to Etna. They have streamlined production, removing some lesser-performing wines. At the same time, they restructured their vineyard holdings, selling off property and buying two hectares of Nerello Mascalese in Rovittello, 2.5 hectares of Carricante in Milo and possibly two more hectares of Carricante in Viagrande.

93 - Pietramarina Bianco Superiore DOC 2015

The 2015 Etna Bianco Superiore Pietra Marina (100% Carricante) is just so lovely. The wine is ethereal, light and delicate. On first nose, you get precise aromas of white peach, zesty pear and blanched almond. As the wine fleshes out and takes on more volume in the glass, it displays a beautiful array of mineral nuances. Those salty flinty notes will continue to evolve over the next ten years. It ages on the fine lees for 24 months in steel vats. Some 9,000 bottles were produced.

93 - Rovittello Etna Rosso DOC 2013

The 2013 Etna Rosso Rovittello is 90% Nerello Mascalese and 10% Nerello Cappuccio from vineyards in the Contrade Dafara and Galluzzo in the Rovittello subzone of Castiglione di Sicilia. This is a beautiful wine from the Benanti family and one of my favorite wines of the bunch. The finish is silky and long, and this vintage exhibits a very concise and clear sense of aromatic and tannic precision. Elegant mineral tones appear on the long, silky finish. This was a difficult vintage, and the wine is more streamlined and sharp as a result. But it should hold well in your cellar.

92 - Serra Della Contessa DOC 2013

The 2013 Etna Rosso Serra della Contessa is a unique wine from a unique vineyard site located 500 meters above sea level on the southern Viagrande flank of the volcano. It does not fit squarely into the Etna Rosso mold. It flaunts those differences with pride. This wine is based on Nerello Mascalese, with a smaller part Nerello Cappuccio. There is a pronounced balsam element with some spice and dark herb that add an almost savory or meaty quality that you don't get from wines made on the north side of the volcano.

Bonavita

91 - Faro DOC 2013

The 2013 Faro Superiore comes as a very pleasant surprise. Compared to the previous vintage, this wine shows a lot more precision and focus. It delivers crisp acidity with a clean and compact approach. More importantly, it feels very authentic and opens a pretty window onto the indigenous grapes (Nerello Mascalese, Nerello Cappuccio and Nocera) used in this tiny Sicilian appellation. The results are delicate and streamlined.

92 - Bonavita, Faro DOC 2015

A blend of 70% Nerello Mascalese, 20% Nerello Cappuccio and 10% Nocera, the 2015 Faro Superiore is a mid-weight red with a beautifully polished and immediate personality. This streamlined wine offers an almost Burgundian approach with delicate layers of red currant, cherry and rose petal. However, those distinctively Sicilian aromas of scorched earth and black olive also appear. The wine is lively and fresh. It is aged in both oak and stainless steel. Some 8,000 bottles were released.

Giovanni Scarfone upgraded to a new winery this past year. The last time I visited this estate, wine was made in the family garage. Bonavita has also planted an additional half-hectare of vines.

Borgo del Tiglio

94 - Collio Chardonnay DOC 2016

The green label 2016 Collio Chardonnay Selezione leads a charge of excellent Friuli whites from this classic vintage. Fruit comes from the Ca' della Vallade hill that Borgo del Tiglio has earmarked for its excellent results with this creamy French grape. The bouquet is fragrant and forthcoming with peach, tropical notes, lightly toasted almond and passion fruit. The wine is fermented in oak (with a part of new oak) and later aged in French barrel for up to 10 months.

93 - Chardonnay Selezione DOC 2015

Like the other wines from Borgo del Tiglio, you really taste the grape variety in the 2015 Collio Chardonnay Selezione. There is a fullness of fruit with honeysuckle and white peach that makes this Selezione distinguishable from other labels. You do, however, get that wealth of minerals and that extreme freshness and zestiness that has come to define their recent Chardonnay offerings. This wine is soft and beautifully intense, and it's as salty and stone- driven as you can expect. It's a beautiful pairing with any ocean fish.

94 - Collio Chardonnay Selezione DOC 2016 - GREEN LABEL

The green label 2016 Collio Chardonnay Selezione leads a charge of excellent Friuli whites from this classic vintage. Fruit comes from the Ca' della Vallade hill that Borgo del Tiglio has earmarked for its excellent results with this creamy French grape. The bouquet is fragrant and forthcoming with peach, tropical notes, lightly toasted almond and passion fruit. The wine is fermented in oak (with a part of new oak) and later aged in French barrel for up to 10 months.

93 - Collio Malvasia Selezione DOC 2015

Marked by the dark green label to denote a special "selection" wine by Borgo del Tiglio, the 2015 Collio Malvasia Selezione reveals more spice, thick fruit and concentration than the other vintages of this wine included this set of reviews. It shows some pecorino cheese rind along with notes of white pepper. Even saltier than its siblings and more austere, the wine brings a big intensity and some exuberant menthol notes on the close. This wine shows interesting new sides to this versatile white grape.

94 - Collio Malvasia Selezione DOC 2016 - GREEN LABEL

Also packaged with the estate's dark or green label, the 2016 Collio Malvasia Italo & Bruno is a beautiful wine, so fresh and light-footed, like the pitter- pattering of kitten paws on a wooden floor. It is absolutely brimming with those salty, ashen and flinty notes that really tingle in the mouth. This pure expression of Malvasia Istriana also has very good structure to it, and the wine sits firm on the palate. This wine was previously named Malvasia Selezione, but today this single-vineyard wine carries the names of the two brothers, Italo and Bruno, who first planted these vines. It is fermented in oak and aged in neutral barrique for nine months. Only 1,200 bottles were made.

94 - Collio Ronco della Chiesa DOC 2013

Borgo del Tiglio has delivered a spectacular wine. The 2013 Collio Ronco della Chiesa is an unpredictable and ever engaging expression of the native Friulano grape that is aged in barrique for ten months. The bouquet is flirtatious and fluid with a steady stream of aromas that keeps you guessing. I picked up tones of white peach, green olive, caper, lemon custard, poached pear and cinnamon-infused apple. To say that the aromas are complex is an understatement. That's why I like the word "unpredictable" instead. The house style favors creamy consistency and smooth richness. You definitely get all that here.

95 - Collio Ronco della Chiesa DOC 2015

This green-labeled wine is gorgeous. Calm and sunny in character, the 2015 Collio Ronco della Chiesa was an ideal vintage for Friulano, with the perfect maturity of grape and very skilled production. The fruit is hand-picked from 65-year-old vines. I tasted from two bottles: one opened now, at noon, and another opened earlier this morning, at 9 a.m. The bottle opened just now has a fresher herbal side that pops out immediately. It is silky and full, with a tight texture. The bottle that had a few hours to breathe showed more minerals shining through. That one also teased out softened and pronounced floral notes, with white rose perfume, especially. Both of them were special and beautiful in their own right (with 14.5% alcohol). This is a spectacular vintage. Only 1,200 bottles were made

92 - Collio Rosso Riserva 2008

Blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2008 Collio Rosso Riserva is an intense and compelling red wine that boasts a distinct personality. The bouquet peels back to reveal black cherry, olive and spice. Indeed, those lavish tones of cardamom and curry leaf give the wine an exotic or East-looking disposition. Church perfume and incense also appear, and add to the sophistication of the tertiary aromas that are on full and beautiful display. The wine is aged in barrique for two years.

94 - Collio Sauvignon Selezione DOC 2015

The 2015 Collio Sauvignon Selezione (with the dark green label) shows more distinct varietal intensity. This warm and sunny vintage has concentrated and thus strengthened the wine's aromas, giving them a more prominent role compared to the more subdued and elegant 2016 vintage for example. "Exuberant" is a word I have repeatedly used to describe Italian wines made in 2015, and it applies perfectly here as well. The bouquet offers peach and stone fruit with a subtle pinch of spice or smoke. The acidity plays a beautiful role in giving this wine a fresh and zesty finish. Sea breeze or salty notes appear as a final thought. Only 2,000 bottles were released.

94 - Collio Sauvignon Selezione DOC 2016 - GREEN LABEL

The 2016 Collio Sauvignon Selezione (in the dark green able) is a beautifully expressive and delicately fragrant white wine. Instead of those pungent New World aromas of passion fruit and tomato leaf, this wine shows much softer, low key aromas that prize elegance and finesse. The clone used here is a phenotype that shows specific characteristics of the Friuli area, and the roots of this grape are traced to the first half of the 1800s, meaning that it somehow survived the devastating Phylloxera outbreak. This wine presents beautiful nuances of white peach and honeydew melon backed by distinctively salty or mineral notes. I love the liveliness, the energy and the elegance of this stunning wine. Some 2,000 bottles were made.

95 - Collio Studio di Bianco DOC 2015

The 2015 Collio Studio di Bianco opens to a deep golden color with greenish highlights that shine from deep within. That luminosity is just beautiful. Three grapes are used in the blend—Sauvignon, Friulano and Riesling Renano, all planted in the estate's Ruttars vineyard. The grapes are harvested and processed together, thus creating a difficult balance in which the attributes of one variety are pitted against the other two. For example, the Sauvignon and the Riesling add the acidity necessary to balance out the Friulano that ends up being harvested later than normal. This is a robust and creamy expression that wraps thickly over the palate with stone fruit, white flowers and marine breeze aromas.

95 - Collio Studio di Bianco DOC 2016

The 2016 Collio Studio di Bianco is a carefully contemplated blend of 45% Friulano, 35% Sauvignon Blanc and 20% Riesling (with 2,300 bottles produced). The wine is packaged in the dark green label reserved for Borgo del Tiglio's top-shelf expressions. This wine sees fruit sourced from the Ruttars vineyard with light gray calcareous marl soils, and most of the vines were planted before 1989 when this parcel was purchased. The grapes are harvested on the same day and pressed together. The resulting bouquet is extremely smooth and seamless with pear and peach aromas that transition directly to anise seed and a touch of diesel fuel. What stands out most is the structure, firmness and power of the wine (at 15% alcohol) that gives you the possibility of pairing this white wine as if it were a red, with roast chicken or a fatty fish dish. 95

Bosco Agostino

93 - La Serra Barolo DOCG 2016

The Agostino Bosco 2016 Barolo La Serra draws its fruit from La Morra, a subzone known for its silky tannins and elegant Nebbiolo aromas. This wine shows those qualities very nicely, perhaps adding extra power and fruit definition that is characteristic of the 2016 growing season. I do notice that the tannic presence of the wine is well developed, suggesting that this vintage could use extra years in the cellar to better unwind and soften. Dark cherry fruit is followed by licorice, dried orange peel and pressed rose.

92 - Neirane Barolo DOCG 2016

With fruit from Verduno, the Agostino Bosco 2016 Barolo Neirane shows the silky, floral and elegant personality that is the signature of this Barolo subzone. The wine builds on the senses, starting off with delicate aromas that rise in intensity as the wine takes on air in the glass. Despite that careful aromatic build up, the wine delivers tannic firmness and sharpness to the palate. Those tannins are youthful and textured, and the wine will need more time to flesh out and soften with cellar aging.

Bovio

94 - Arborina Barolo DOCG 2016

The panoramic views from Arborina extend over most of the Barolo appellation with rolling hills and snowcapped Alps. The vines enjoy a sun-drenched position for most of the day. The Bovio 2016 Barolo Arborina draws its fruit from 45-year-old vines and shows extra intensity and definition that comes in part thanks to the advanced age of the plants. However, the wine also magically reflects the elegance of the site with delicate berry nuances followed by licorice, aniseed and crushed stone. Give this release of 3,300-bottles (at least) another five years of cellar aging.

93 - Barolo DOCG 2016

The Gianfranco Bovio 2016 Barolo is a wine of vivid energy and brightness. The fruit shows a crisp and pure quality with wild berry, dried violet, candied orange peel and crushed limestone. It shows a smooth and silky texture that holds firm to the palate. Winemaking is simple, with brief skin macerations. When fermentation is complete, the wine is racked over to botte grande for two years of aging, followed by six months in cement. The fruit comes from both La Morra and Castiglione Falletto. Some 12,000 bottles were released.

96 - De-Rieumes Barolo DOCG Riserva 2013

Here's a late-release Riserva from Bovio. The 2013 Barolo Riserva De-Rieumes is a blend of fruit from two crus in La Morra. Specifically, it is 80% Gattera and 20% Arborina. What a pretty wine. You are awarded primary fruit with vivid cherry and blackberry, but you also get evolved aromas of spice, camphor ash and spent ember. The aromatic ensemble is delicate and fine, reminding us of the magic that comes with aged Nebbiolo. This is a very small release with only 1,100 bottles made, but it is well worth seeking out, especially at this reasonable price.

94 - Gattera Barolo DOCG 2016

The Bovio 2016 Barolo Gattera (with just 3,400 bottles released) is a true beauty. The Gattera cru in La Morra is planted to 70-year-old vines. Half the vineyard was ripped out in 2019 and was replanted earlier this year, but this vintage is made entirely from old vines. There is a touch of ripeness here, you almost taste the grape skins, but you also get rich and enduring aromas of red cherry, plum, spice and iron-rich soil. The wine's balance is impressive, albeit on the powerful side. This bottle is a good candidate for cellar aging.

96 - Parussi Barolo DOCG 2016

Here's a blast from the past. This wine has not been produced since the 2004 vintage, so it's a real pleasure to rediscover it today. The Bovio 2016 Barolo Parussi draws its fruit from Castiglione Falletto in a site with southern exposures positioned 230 meters above sea level. This is a true treasure, a wine with beautiful balance and intensity. The aromas are precise and focused with wild berry, dried rose, crushed limestone and candied fruit. In the mouth, the wine is velvety and structured, with fine textural impact. A mere 1,900 bottles were released. Bovio's Barolo Parussi, the comeback kid, is another home run from Castiglione Falletto in the classic 2016 vintage.

92 - Rocchettevino Barolo DOCG 2016

With fruit from La Morra, the Bovio 2016 Barolo Rocchettevino shows a soft and silky disposition with an immediate, open-knit texture. Fruit comes from a small, half-hectare vineyard located 400 meters above sea level where nighttime temperatures are cool and breezy. This is the proverbial near-term Barolo that will appeal to those who don't have the patience to wait. Production is small at 2,600 bottles.

Braida

95 - Ai Suma Barbera D'Asti DOCG 2017

Here's a wine that seems to have absorbed the heat and bounty of the vintage with great success. The Braida 2017 Barbera d'Asti Ai Suma offers terrific balance and tension. There is a lot of black fruit here to be sure, and you taste pretty oak spice, tar and leather from the aging process. The wine finishes with a point of sweetness, like a candied cherry aroma, but the natural acidity of the grape kicks in to add a pinch of freshness on the close, making you seriously consider a risotto with porcini.

93 - Bigotta Barbera d'Asti DOCG 2017

The Braida 2017 Barbera d'Asti Bricco della Bigotta shows a lot of ripe fruit that is very much in line with this vintage that saw extra heat and drought. Across the region, vintners reported smaller berry sizes with dense and more-concentrated fruit. There is a lot to take in here, as the wine is rich, super concentrated and packed tight with plummy dark fruit flavor. It ends with some tannic bite that is also in line with the characteristics of the vintage.

95 - Bricco dell'Uccellone Barbera D'Asti DOCG 2016

Here's an Italian icon in all its glory. The Braida 2016 Barbera d'Asti Bricco dell'Uccellone is a layered and rich expression of Barbera. This wine has benefitted from a few extra years of bottle age to show elegant and integrated results. The bouquet reveals seamless transitions with dark fruit, spice and dried blackberry. It sits firmly on the palate, imparting ample textural richness and lasting fruit flavors. However, the main takeaway here is the bright acidity that is always at the top of any Barbera playlist. That freshness breaks apart the wine's texture and dark fruit, giving it the latitude to pair with a cream or butter-heavy dish.

94 - Bricco dell'Uccellone Barbera D'Asti DOCG 2017

One of the wines that changed the modern history of Italian wine, this expression from Braida is an evergreen favorite. The 2017 Barbera d'Asti Bricco dell'Uccellone is a dark and almost impenetrable expression with bold layers of thick, dark fruit. The wine is constructed like a little tower, layer upon layer, that rises tall with momentum and power. The intensity is beautiful, and that's always been the defining trait of Uccellone. It drinks
beautifully now, but it will hold its own in the cellar.

92 - Montebruna Barbera D'Asti DOCG 2017

Here's a wild, full-bodied expression of Barbera. This native grape of Piedmont loves the heat, and it got exactly that in this dry vintage. Barbera from Asti always holds its own in terms of acidity, and that quality is very important in a vintage like this. The Braida 2017 Barbera d'Asti Montebruna comes off as a very balanced wine. It shows loads of character, and that tart, acidic freshness tapers out and prolongs the mouthfeel. A pasta with cream, onion and sausage would be right in line here. This is a terrific value buy.

Bruno Rocca

92 - Barbaresco DOCG 2015

Bruno Rocca's beautiful 2015 Barbaresco sees fruit sourced from various parcels, including the lower part of the Currà cru and the Fausoni vineyard. The farming crew was especially careful not to pull too many leaves during this hot summer, thus safeguarding much of the wine's natural acidity. Those watchful farming procedures also did much to guarantee primary fruit freshness and purity. Those results include dark cherry and blackberry aromas with spicy herbal notes on the close. The wine's texture is silky, and the tannins show a mild point of dryness.

94 - Barbaresco DOCG 2016

The Bruno Rocca 2016 Barbaresco is a gorgeous wine that reveals impeccable balance, ongoing intensity and elegance, which accompany the wine from the start and continue straight through its long finish. The mouthfeel is buoyant and bright, yet there is a solid base of firm fruit and tannic backbone on the close. This is a buttoned-up and firmly etched expression of Nebbiolo from one of the most talented producers in Barbaresco. Great job, Bruno. He knocked out 15,426 of these beauties.

94 - Barbaresco DOCG 2017

The classic Bruno Rocca 2017 Barbaresco surprisingly reveals cool-vintage aromas from what was in fact a warm growing season. When given ample time to open, this pretty Nebbiolo offers a long list of aromatic characteristics, starting off with a dusty note of white calcium that spans out to broad aromas of purple fruits and spice. However, that delicate mineral note is the wine's distinguishing factor, and it adds grace and enormous elegance to the finished results. You usually don't get this level of detail or finesse in the hot years, but this wine pulls it off without a hitch.

92 - Barbera d’Alba DOC 2018

This is a cozy and genuine wine made with fruit from old vines. The Bruno Rocca 2018 Barbera d'Alba opens to a velvety and richly saturated appearance. The aromas are focused for the most part on dark fruit, blackberry, sweet cherry and spice. This elegantly concentrated Barbera delivers a powerful 15% alcoholic content, and the winemaking process gives it 12 months to age in French oak. The wine finishes on a slightly sweet note with more cherry or blackberry preserves.

91 - Barbera d'Asti DOCG 2018

The Bruno Rocca 2018 Barbera d'Asti shows a lot of character with a strongly developed side that shows ripe black fruit, contrasted against a savory side with tobacco and garden soil. These territory-driven themes give the wine a deep sense of authenticity, with the kind of immediate, food-friendly personality that makes it the perfect choice for hand-kneaded pasta or wood-oven pizza with sourdough crust. To the palate, the wine delivers a good amount of fruit weight and balanced freshness. These are two more important traits when serving the wine next to a regional Italian pasta dish. It ages in French oak for a brief 12 months for added spice and structure.

93 - Curra Barbaresco DOCG 2015

This wine will be released next September and represents a totally new product from Bruno Rocca and his children. The Rocca family owns five hectares in the Currà cru and has been buying small parcels over the years since 2001. Fruit from the lower-altitude parts of the cru go to the Langhe Nebbiolo. The best parts end up in the 2015 Barbaresco Currà. The soils in this cru are characterized by an important mineral component with sandy limestone. Winemaking was executed with as little racking as possible to avoid contact with oxygen. The wine is crisp, contained and very elegant as a result. Drying mineral tones of flint and campfire ash add to the polished intensity of the bouquet.

95 -Curra Barbaresco DOCG 2016

This is an impressive wine that beautifully captures the classic personality of this vintage. The Bruno Rocca 2016 Barbaresco Currà sees fruit from Neive, a subzone that is often characterized by the subtle power and structure of its wines. In this vintage, Currà shows balanced fruit intensity with delicate hints of toasted almond, iron rust and aniseed. There is depth and persistence for long cellar aging. What I like best about this wine is that it captures the essence of Barbaresco, a winemaking zone focused on Nebbiolo that often delivers a more open-knit and fragile interpretation when compared to neighboring Barolo. Currà is aged in small oak barrels for one year, with a second year in large oak casks, topped off with 10 months in bottle.

96 - Curra Barbaresco Riserva DOCG 2013

This represents the second edition of this new Riserva from Bruno Rocca. The 2013 Barbaresco Riserva Currà will hit the market this upcoming September. Years ago, back in 1981, Bruno Rocca made a wine with Currà fruit. He micro- vinified from tiny parcels patched together. This wine represents a second incarnation of that first experimental wine. That said, Bruno Rocca has extensive experience with this vineyard cru. Currà tends to produce softer, more velvety fruit compared to Rabajà, the vineyard most famously associated with this family-run estate. Currà has flinty and chalky soils that contribute to the tannic structure of the wine and its long-term aging potential. The wines are fermented in tank and aged in large oak casks. This beautifully fresh and crisp vintage delivers a lasting sense of strength, power and territory-specific character.

94 - Curra Barbaresco Riserva DOCG 2014

Bruno Rocca and his family have recently started a Riserva program that allows us to enjoy his wines six years after the harvest. The 2014 Barbaresco Riserva Currà has evolved over this time to show soft and silky tannins, with light fruit tones, spice, blue flower and grilled herbs that dance around the perimeter of the bouquet. This wine focuses on the smaller details of Nebbiolo, its streamlined texture and the fragile aromas of the grape. The wine has aged in oak for 30 months and comes out boasting beautiful clarity and integration as a result. This vintage shows an extremely fine and seamless side of the grape. A mere 2,200 750-milliliter bottles were made.

96+ - Maria Adelaide Barbaresco 2013

Packaged with the black label, the Bruno Rocca 2013 Barbaresco Maria Adelaide pours from the bottle with a medium garnet color and an elegantly compact appearance. The bouquet has moved away from primary intensity to embrace some beautiful tertiary definition; however, it appears lively and bright nonetheless. This special bottling (made with a selection of the estate's best fruit) shows lots of the proverbial red fruit energy (as opposed to dark fruit) that is so specific to Nebbiolo. Maria Adelaide undergoes a more drawn out oak regime with 18 months in barrique followed by another 12 months in oak casks. A mere 3,000 bottles exist.

96 - Rabaja Barbaresco DOCG 2016

Bruno Rocca is a protagonist of the Rabajà cru and has done much to bring this growing site to the world stage. The 2016 Barbaresco Rabajà is a determined wine that shows firm but measured power when given ample time to open. It just keeps going with energy, momentum and personality. The wine's aromas spill over to reveal wild berry, rose hip, crushed stone and powdered licorice. Rabajà gives the impression of being fresher in terms of mouthfeel, with pretty endnotes of aniseed and dried mint. Like the Currà, this wine ages in barrel, botte and bottle over the course of nearly three years before its commercial release.

96 - Rabaja Barbaresco Riserva DOCG 2013

Here is another first for Bruno Rocca: a Riserva expression from the family's most celebrated vineyard site. The 2013 Barbaresco Riserva Rabajà is a phenomenal achievement that flaunts an impeccable degree of focus and precision. We tasted this wine from two bottles, and this review is based on the second sample, which was superior to the first. The results here are articulate and coherent. Aromas of dark fruit, spice, tar and crushed mineral are tied tightly together with strength and harmony. This cooler vintage shows some tightness in terms of the wine's tannic structure, and I'm sure we will feel that tightness for years to come. This is a bottle that needs more time in the cellar.

95 - Rabaja Barbaresco Riserva DOCG 2014

The Bruno Rocca 2014 Barbaresco Riserva Rabajà is a subtle and soft expression that brings us a very elegant and ethereal side of Nebbiolo. This wine is part of the Rocca family's relatively new Riserva program, and it's so exciting to be able to taste this controversial vintage now, with some distance. The bouquet opens quietly and without much fanfare to reveal a slow succession of dried berries, smoke, camphor ash and crushed stone. These qualities all grow with time as the wine takes on air in the glass. Those pretty mineral accents are its most distinctive quality. A mere 1,880 bottles were made in addition to larger formats.

Capichera

92 - Assaje Carignano Isola dei Nuraghi IGT 2015

The 2015 Assajé is 95% Carignano blended with some Syrah, all aged in oak for 12 months. Fruit comes from the estate's properties in Olbia and Palau. This is a fragrant and delicate wine that offers lots of red rose, lavender, wild berry and myrtle berry aromas. There are background notes of bramble, scorched earth, spice and leather as well. The range of wild and complex aromas here, further enhanced by the agreeable conditions of the vintage, make this wine a nice match for a capretto alla sarda: goat baked with butter, juniper essence and rosemary. Some 40,000 bottles were made.

90 - Capichera Classico Vermentino Isola dei Nuraghi IGT 2016

Here is a high-end expression of Vermentino that conjures up visions of the jagged coastline and granite-strewn landscape of northern Sardinia. Still, the price indicated for the 2016 Capichera is very high for this type of wine, and honestly, I'm not sure why the folks at the estate thought this was a good marketing strategy. Some 80,000 bottles were made, so it's not like this is a limited release to begin with. The wine sees a brief four to six months in oak, depending on the vintage, and what you get in the 2016 is a very correct and pleasant rendition with varietal purity and sharp citrus aromas. These are followed by yellow rose and toasted almond. It would be a lovely accompaniment to a Catalan-style lobster. Fruit comes from the estate's historic vineyards in Arzachena, Gallura.

91 - Santigaini Vermentino Isola dei Nuraghi IGT 2011

The 2011 Santigaini (100% Vermentino aged in oak for 12 months) is Capichera's flagship wine. The wine shows special attention to detail especially in terms of low yields and fruit selection. Only 3,000 bottles are made and Santigaini is beautifully redolent of stone fruit, candied orange, almond marzipan, dried herb and honey. It also shows surprising richness in terms of texture. Drink this wine over the next 48 moths.

90 - VT Vendemmia Tardiva Vermentino IGT 2015

The Capichera 2015 VT is a pure expression of Vermentino that has aged in oak for up to eight months. This is a plush and rich white wine with pretty aromas of honey, apricot and tangerine zest. This mid-weight white wine would pair with sea bream cooked in a salt crust or spaghetti with fresh Mediterranean prawns. Some 20,000 bottles were produced.

Castelfeder

90 - Gewurztraminer DOC 2015

The 2015 Alto Adige Gewürztraminer Vom Lehm is true to the grape with fragrant layers of white flower, musky honeysuckle, preserved lemon and dried mountain herb. This white wine flaunts its big intensity and its opulent bouquet with charming confidence.

93 - Pinot Nero Burgum Novum Riserva 2016

Fragile and light on its feet, the 2016 Alto Adige Pinot Nero Riserva Burgum Novum takes this celebrated label up to the next level. The wine is enormously fragrant and fresh, with a full delivery of wild berry fruits, violets, peach and candied orange peel. The wine is compact and super streamlined, but its dense and tightly knit fiber gives it special momentum, power and persistence. It ages in barrique for 18 months. This is a great pairing for duck in orange sauce. Some 14,000 bottles were produced.

Castello Romitorio

95 - Brunello di Montalcino DOCG 2015

The Castello Romitorio 2015 Brunello di Montalcino is a suave and supple expression that shows a slightly more opulent texture compared to many of its peers. The Castello Romitorio vineyards tend to be cool, both in terms of exposure and soils, and the estate shows its best results in a warm and sunny vintage exactly like 2015. You taste the natural richness and exuberance of the fruit, with variety-speci!c elements of wild cherry, blue "owers and soft earth. The house style prizes more width and latitude in terms of mouthfeel. That attractive medium to full-bodied style is achieved thanks to 24 months of oak aging. At the end of the day, the quality of the fruit is really what shines brightest here. Some 60,569 bottles were made, and the wine was released to the market in January 2020.

95 - Brunello di Montalcino DOCG 2016

The Castello Romitorio 2016 Brunello di Montalcino is a classic expression of the vintage, showing lots of ripe fruit, crushed mineral, herbal nuances and varietal-driven purity. This wine nails that sweet spot between elegance and power that is not easily achieved. It o"ers an expanded array of Sangiovese #avors with wild cherry, forest #oor, crushed clove and medicinal herb, but it also shows plump density and a velvety texture. Filippo Chia and his team have created a sold wine for medium or long-term drinking. Production is exactly 58,874 bottles.

96 - Brunello di Montalcino DOCG riserva 2015

Showing richness, dark fruit, bold cherry and blackberry, the Castello Romitorio 2015 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva (with exactly 7,456 bottles made) embraces the exuberant character of the vintage, its warmth and its sunshine. If you seek a time capsule of 2015, I suggest that you put this bottle somewhere safe. The tannins are polished and chiseled, and at its core the wine is over#owing with blackberry preserves, cherry confit and plum.

94 - Filo di Seta Brunello di Montalcino DOCG 2013

Made with fruit from a slightly cooler site, the 2013 Brunello di Montalcino Filo di Seta takes a few minutes to open but is well worth the wait. Despite the tight and nervous character of Sangiovese, this wine is suddenly generous, opulent and exuberant all at once. It's like meeting a person for the first time who initially seems shy, but then who suddenly moves in for the big bear hug. Its disposition is as generous as it is genuine. The mouthfeel is textured, supple and warm.

96 - Filo di Seta Brunello di Montalcino DOCG 2015

We didn't see this wine in 2014, so it's nice to have it back. The Castello Romitorio 2015 Brunello di Montalcino Filo di Seta is born in a unique vineyard site that is characterized by a greater presence of schist or slate-like shards in the soils. These conditions contribute to the sharp and focused aromas you get here. Pencil shaving and granite rock come to mind. However, the wine is equally expressive when it comes to its ample fruit and !oral pro"le, and there's enough spice and soft leather or tobacco to hold it all neatly together in one happy package. It ages in oak for 30 months. This wine marks an ideal marriage between vintage and soil. The wine was released in January 2020, and 7,472 bottles were made.

95+ - Filo di Seta Brunello di Montalcino DOCG 2016

The Castello Romitorio 2016 Brunello di Montalcino Filo di Seta is beautiful in the way you would regard a contemporary painting awash in color, texture and broad brush strokes. It doesn't all line up at first glance, but then you are magically aware of the symmetry—between the lifted fruit aromas and the grounded spice and oak. The wine's various moving pieces come together in harmony. Thanks to its softly integrated tannins, it also shows great versatility in terms of its drinking window. You can enjoy it in the medium term or wait for later. Production is 6,900 bottles.

93 - RomiToro Toscana IGT 2018

The previous vintage of this wine carried the name Il Toro, but the wine has been renamed with this vintage. In archaic Italian, the name RomiTorò translates as Romitorio. The Castello Romitorio 2018 RomiTòro is made with equal parts Syrah and Petit Verdot, all aged in oak for 10 months. This edition opens to an inky dark appearance followed by a thick and succulent texture. It o!ers a certain "rmness to the tannins and a thinner spot on the mid-palate that thickens quickly as the wine hits the palate. Dark plum, prune and blackberry emerge at the top. Lighter notes of spice, smoke and tar also appear. Pair this wine with your favorite steak dinner. Some 44,437 bottles were made. The wine was bottled in December 2019 and hits the market in February 2020. RomiTòro is one of the great value wines to emerge from Tuscany.

95 - Il Toro Toscana Rosso IGT 2016

A blend of Petit Verdot and Syrah , the 2016Il Toro is a muscular animal that boldly exposes dark fruit, blackberry preserves, dried cherry, spice, leather and spicy cedar. The blend is unique because it pairs the volume and spicy intensity of Syrah with the density, darkness and structure of Petite Vedot. Softer aromas of sweet fruit cede quickly to tar, grilled herb and rich plum. Pair this wine with grilled T-bone steak. This a bold expressive wine that opens a new chapter for Filippo Chia and his talented team.

Concaentosa

91 - Shar Isola dei Nuraghi 2017

The Concaentosa 2017 Shar is packaged in a heavy glass bottle with a black wax closure. The grape used here is Vermentino, and the idea is to present a territory-specific expression with the sea salt, grapefruit, white flower and green tropical fruit aromas that are associated with this native variety. The result is a kind of maritime breeze that takes you right to the azure waters of La Maddalena, snorkeling above the many shipwrecks near the historic naval base. The winemaking process here is simple. The wine goes through both stainless steel and cement vats in stages. Like the other Sardinian whites I tasted from the 2017 vintage, the fruit is large in scope and intensity. Some 11,000 bottles were released.

Cerbaiona

96 - Brunello di Montalcino 2011

Cerbaiona's 2011 Brunello di Montalcino is one of the protagonists of the vintage. There is no denying the sheer beauty and focus of this wine. It makes a fabulous first impact with super sharp tones of wild berry, cola, balsam herb, flint and crushed oyster shell. Those drying mineral notes leave a lasting impression. In the mouth, this wine is super elegant, tight and delicately nuanced. Unfortunately, I have not had the best track record with aged Brunello from Cerbaiona (ten years or more) personally, but I am hopeful that a wine of this caliber and depth will restore my faith. No matter what the aging trajectory ultimately demonstrates, this wine certainly does taste fantastic at this young stage.

95 - Brunello di Montalcino 2012

Cerbaiona's 2012 Brunello di Montalcino is a nuanced and delicate wine that offers ample power, intensity and length. What the wine does best is paint a portrait of the grape in its most pure and naked state. It offers crisp outlines with loads of wild berry, blue flower and moist earth on the inside. That balanced ensemble of flavors adds to the long and polished persistence you feel in the mouth. Give this wine another 10 years of aging to best appreciate its slow evolution and budding complexity.

93+ - Rosso di Montalcino 2015 White Label

I've been having a hard time keeping up with samples from Cerbaiona. The management prefers to release the wines a bit later and shies away from the classic en primeur or critics' tasting events. Indeed, most years I just end up buying the bottles that I review, when I can find new vintages in retail. It's a true pleasure to return to a simple, honest, fresh and pretty wine such as the 2015 Rosso di Montalcino. It offers enormous purity and finesse, despite its rather simple and straightforward construction. What you get here is the purity of Sangiovese with some dark plum, crushed flower and tilled earth. The wine presents a glossy, silky quality of elegant tannin. This is one of the best Rossos I tasted this year. - ML

93 - Rosso VDT NV

The Cerbaiona NV Rosso V.D.T. is a real beauty. This mysterious blend of what appears to be about 90% Sangiovese and 10% Pinot Nero (with no vintage declared on the label) opens to a sultry, dark appearance with some deep ruby shine that shows from within. The bouquet has elements that remind me of a classic Tuscan Sangiovese (made in a hands-off and transparent manner) on the one hand, and fragrant, blue flower elements that do in fact recall a distant Pinot Nero on the other. It also has some carbonic-adjacent aromas and a whole lot of freshness, with mint and medicinal herb. Dusty earthenware or baked terracotta also appear. The wine is certainly beautiful, and I'm excited to recommend it. ML

Dettori

92 - Chimbanta Monica IGT 2016

The 2016 Chimbanta Badde Nigolosu is made from the native Monica grape that has been left to dry on the vines. This traditional approach nearly disappeared, but it has been kept alive thanks to the careful efforts of Tenute Dettori. The wine results in 15.5% alcohol, but you hardly feel it thanks to those very delicate aromas of pressed violets, candied orange skin, red currant and crushed stone. This wine is loaded with pure Sardinian character and lasting flavors of the myrtle berries that are native to this island. Celebrate this tradition with a pairing of lamb feet cooked with tomato, onion, garlic and olive oil.

93 - Dettori 2013

The Dettori family makes three Cannonau-based wines, and the 2013 Dettori Badde Nigolosu is the flagship. Fruit is sourced from old vines, and winemaking embraces a so-called natural approach that avoids sulfites and adopts a non-interventionist philosophy. Old vines are prized here for their precious clusters. This wine opens to a deep, dark concentration with prune, blackberry and spice cake. The 16.5% alcohol is well integrated, or at least as well as it can be. The wine is syrupy and rich in terms of mouthfeel, calling for a hardy beef or lamb pie.

91 - Dettori Bianco 2017 IGT

Tenute Dettori focuses on monovarietal wines each from its own cru, and this bottle is dedicated to their Vermentino. The 2017 Dettori Bianco Badde Nigolosu shows a saturated appearance and a sun-drenched personality that reflects the heat and drought of this growing season. Heavy and rich aromas of stone fruit, dried apricot and honey rise from the bouquet. With a hefty 16% alcoholic content, this wine could pair with Moroccan chicken cooked with preserved lemons and almonds and plenty of couscous.

93 - Moscadeddu 2015

The 2015 Moscadeddu Badde Nigolosu is a dessert wine made from Moscato grapes, although the wine's sweetness is contained and elegant. It is versatile and allows for a good range of dessert-pairing possibilities, but you can't go wrong with a pecorino, or a more exciting sheep's milk cheese from Sardinia, such as casizolu or fresa. The bouquet here opens to honey, apricot marmalade and candied orange peel. There is also a strong floral component of jasmine or white rose.

91 - Ottomarzo IGT 2016

The 2016 Ottomarzo Badde Nigolosu is a pure expression of the Pascale grape. Pascale is a synonym for Bovale, and it is often used as a blending element with Cannonau in local wines, but the Dettori family ferments it as a monovarietal wine instead (and is one of the very few to do so). There remains some confusion here, because some consider Pascale to be its own distinct variety that also goes by the name Pascale di Cagliari. This wine is immediately open and soft with dark fruit, dried cassis and black prune. There are touches of scorched earth and smoked spice as well. This is a rich, medium-bodied wine with soft tannins and good textural richness. The wine shows an integrated 15% alcoholic content, making it ideal for a matzamurru, a breaded Sardinian mutton casserole with tomato and pecorino.

90 - Renosu Vino Rosso NV

The NV Renosu Rosso came in a bottle that did not indicate a vintage or an appellation on the label. However, the contents show a lightweight wine with a ruby or garnet color and a bouquet redolent of wild berry, cherry, red rose, camphor, wet earth, white pepper and grilled herb. There are tart sensations of almond or candied orange peel on the close. This is a cheerful and immediate wine to enjoy now alongside a goat cheese and eggplant ravioli, or over the next few years while that primary fruit is freshest.

92 - tenores 2014

The 2014 Tenores Badde Nigolosu is a pure expression of Cannonau, and to my palate, this wine tastes most like the Grenache-based wines I love from both France and California. It takes a classic and linear approach with a mid-weight palate and delicately pure aromas of rose, wild strawberry, coffee and tangy green herb or bramble. The alcohol clocks in at 16.5%, and for that reason, I would recommend a food pairing with lots of cheese or fat, such as pizzoccheri, a Northern Italian precursor to mac and cheese.

Duemani

92 - Altrovino 2014

This wine shows an impeccably precise and detailed bouquet. The 2014 Merlot Cabernet Franc Altrovino represents the two grapes in equal parts. Starting with the 2015 vintage, this wine will be partially aged (15%) in large Tuscan clay amphora. This vintage, however, is refined in traditional cement vats and 3,000-liter oak casks. The results are beautiful and polished with bright aromas of wild berry, sour cherry, prune, spice and leather. I was very attracted to that subtle touch of fine mineral or talc powder that adds an even greater sense of finesse and elegance on the close.

91 - Altrovino 2015

This is among the wines I most admire from winemaking duo Luca D'Attoma and Elena Celli. The 2015 Merlot Cabernet Franc Altrovino is an austere red blend made without barrique. Instead, this vintage marks the first edition in which Tuscan clay amphorae plays a role as do large cement vats. Only a small percentage of the wine (15%) is aged in terra-cotta, but the wine's personality has been noticeably changed. This unique approach allows for more fruit expression and you certainly get that loud and clear in this wine. There is a wild, untamed and brambly element to the bouquet with forest floor, dark berry fruit, grilled herb and scorched earth. The wine shows a sharp and edgy personality that will soften with another year of bottle aging.

94 - Altrovino 2016

This is another great wine from Duemani. The spiciness from the wood is just right in the 2016 Merlot Cabernet Franc Altrovino, while the color and texture of the wine are both a bit gentler compared to other offerings from this producer. The wine has a slightly thinner mouthfeel and a more accessible style, but this is still a loyal and very enjoyable presentation of these two French varieties.

93 - Cifra 2015

Next to the 2014 vintage, the 2015 Cabernet Franc CiFRA is a very different wine. This is a more balanced and definitely more generous vintage in terms of the intensity of aromas and flavors on offer. Cabernet Franc is executed with Tuscan plumpness and ripeness that puts an emphasis on dark fruit and deeply vinous perfumes. Spice, leather and tobacco add heavier contouring at the back. The 2014 and the 2015 vintages are two very different beings. The first is streamlined and elegant, and the second is opulent, rich and more intense.

92 - Cifra 2016

Tasted from vat, the 2016 Cabernet Franc CiFRA is one of the best value wines you will find in this report. This is a brooding and thick expression of the hearty Cabernet Franc grape that is piled high with all kinds of Tuscan warmth and sunshine. The wine just oozes personality and power with inky dark fruit and thick extraction. CiFRA is made with organic and biodynamic fruit from the Tuscan Coast. Sweet plum and prune give momentum on the finish.

91 - Cifra 2017

The 2017 Cabernet Franc CiFRA is made with fruit picked from the part of the vineyard that ripens first. Winemaking is executed in glass-tiled cement vats, and this helps to keep the fruit tight, focused and precise. Indeed, this is a wine that embodies the ideals of precision, and winemaker Luca D'Attoma has managed to pull off that aspect with beautiful clarity despite the heat and dry conditions of this vintage.

91 - Cifra 2018

Bottled in July 2019, the 2018 Cabernet Franc CiFRA is an easy take on this Bordeaux grape that saw only cement. Without the wood, this is a tighter and spicier expression with lots of tension, freshness and energy. It's more vertical than horizontal and less impactful in the mouth. This is an entry-level Cabernet Franc to pair with a steak salad sprinkled with Gorgonzola.

97 - Duemani 2013

This is Luca D’Attoma and Elena Celli’s flagship wine. The 2013 Cabernet Franc Duemani is a proud achievement and represents one of the finest wines made so far by this prolific and studious team of vintners. The quality of fruit is succulent, crunchy and rich, but it also offers a deep sense of elegance and grace. Luca refers to it as a “dynamic” wine and it takes a while to understand what he means. It does, of course, represent the biodynamic growing philosophy (as do all of Luca’s wines), but extreme purity and precision really are its defining characteristics. It is dynamic because the fruit is allowed to express itself without filters or evident outside embellishments. This wine will age forward for 20 years.

97 - Duemani 2016

This vintage is profound and beautiful. The 2016 Cabernet Franc Duemani shows deep layers of fruit, with levels of crunchiness and complexity that make it memorable. The mouthfeel is silky, long and rich. The maturity of the fruit here is perfect. In terms of appearance, the wine is dark and impenetrable. All around, this Duemani is an extremely tight, focused and elegant expression of Cabernet Franc.

90 - Si Rose 2016

The Duemani 2016 Sì is a unique wine that merits its own introduction. This is a Syrah-based Rosé that is fermented in amphorae made with white clay from the mountainous north of Italy. The wine opens to an off-ruby pink color and delicate luminosity. The bouquet is redolent of bright raspberry, cranberry and bitter almond. The Syrah grape adds a noticeable sense of firmness and structure that comes through in this vintage. The wine has the fiber to pair with shellfish or white meat. In other words, it is a far step forward in terms of sophistication compared to other Tuscan Rosato wines. I tasted this wine from vat about two weeks before bottling.

92 - Si Rose 2018

The 2018 Sì (a pure expression of Syrah) has an elegant bouquet, with fresh pink grapefruit and vibrant, oral aromas and some sweet almond in there as well. There is a good freshness to the wine, a pleasant lightness and a little piquant or spicy taste on the nish, making this the go-to rosé for an octopus or seafood salad. About 4,000 bottles of it were made.

96 - Suisassi 2013

The 2013 Syrah Suisassi is faithful to the grape and shows abundant notes of blackberry, cured meat, exotic spice and grilled herb. Luca D’Attoma has been experimenting with increased stem inclusion. In the 2012 vintage, 30% of the mass saw stem inclusion, but that figure rises to 100% with the 2016 vintage. This wine was not produced in 2014. This Syrah is an extremely well integrated and smoothly textured. The oak still needs time to integrate, but past tasting experiences with Suisassi give excellent promise for its age-worthiness. Luca believes stem inclusion provokes a slightly reduced effect when the wine is young. For this reason, you should wait before popping the cork. The 2013 vintage in particular boasts an all-Rhône approach.

93 - Suisassi 2015

The 2015 Syrah Suisassi is a very ripe and opulent expression. If Syrah loves the summer heat, it has soaked it all up here. It is almost too much of a good thing, and the subtle nuances are buried deep within the considerable girth and width of the mouthfeel. Black fruit is followed by smoke, cured meat and spice. The wine's consistency is fleshy and thick. The oak also appears with unabashed and opulent intensity.

96 - Suisassi 2016

There is a lot of gorgeous spice in the 2016 Syrah Suisassi, along with candied fruit, cherry and notes of blackberry. The Syrah takes very well to 20 months in oak, retaining a freshness and fruity sweetness to accompany the spice. The mouthfeel is velvety and rich. In the end, this is a fine and elegant expression of Syrah that I could envision serving with a creamy steak au poivre.

Elena Fucci

91 - Titolo Aglianico del Vulture DOC 2014

Elena Fucci does a great job of turning the tables on this notoriously difficult vintage. The 2014 Aglianico del Vulture Titolo offers much more substance and power than I expected. Many wines from this growing season are considerably leaner and thinner, but this wine presents a level of intensity that is more intact than most. The nose is very clean and characterized by primary fruit aromas, which makes sense given the youthfulness of this new release. Only on the finish can you recognize some of the difficulties of the vintage. The mouthfeel shows less complexity and a more abrupt finish. Elena Fucci tells me she worked extra hard in this vintage and remains happy with the results achieved.

92 - Titolo Aglianico del Vulture DOC 2015

Here's another great vintage from Elena Fucci, the ascending star of a rising wine region in the deep south of Italy. The 2015 Aglianico del Vulture Titolo shows a dark garnet color and robust appearance. Very characteristic of this extreme territory, this is a dark and penetrating wine with etched mineral notes behind blackberry, plum and savory spice. This vintage presents an even darker quality of fruit. In the mouth, you get iron, blood and dark mineral nuances that are absolutely typical of these darkened volcanic soils. This wine needs more time to integrate in the bottle before you pop the cork.

94 - Titolo Aglianico del Vulture DOC 2016

Elena Fucci's 2016 Aglianico del Vulture Titolo is a wine built for the long haul. It should continue its steady evolution over the next 20 years if not more. Stitched together with enormous precision, the wine offers balanced intensity and a beautiful level of fruit purity that speaks both to the Aglianico grape and the extreme territory that shapes it. This vintage finishes on a dry note with fine texture and elegantly integrated tannins. The wine is aged in barrique for 12 months, of which half is new oak with various levels of toast. The vines range from 50 to 70 years old and are planted up to 650 meters above sea level. Some 28,000 bottles were produced.

92 - Titolo Aglianico del Vulture DOC 2017

Elena Fucci always comes out with some of my favorite wines from the Vulture volcano. Despite the heat of the vintage, the 2017 Aglianico del Vulture Titolo comes across as more closed and rigid at first. It takes a few moments to open in the glass and then becomes very generous and expressive. I can't help but recommend a few years in the cellar before you pop the cork. Black fruit is followed by inky tar, resin and asphalt. The Titolo is tightly rolled into one firmly textured and tightly knit expression that truly blossoms when it breathes. 92

Fattoria La Rivolta

91 - Falanghina DOC 2018

Here's a wonderfully fresh and tonic Falanghina from clay-rich soils in the Taburno region, a clean expression that sees only steel. The 2018 Taburno Falanghina del Sannio has that glossy, natural rubber or latex aroma that I really appreciate in a white like this, along with notes of yellow rose and a touch of cut grass. This is a terrific wine at a very attractive price point. Some 60,000 bottles were made.

Il Borro

91 - Bolle di Borro Rose Metodo Classico 2012

The 2012 Il Borro is a more austere expression that puts greater emphasis on structure and austerity. This was a warm vintage that saw rains in May and later in September with no precipitation in between. These dry conditions contributed to a hard edge that this wine displays on the palate. But it also offers succulence and thickness with vibrant layers of black cherry, dried blackberry and generous spice. This blended red is made not far from Arezzo, and it reveals some of the wild and unpredictable characteristics of this beautiful part of Tuscany.

95 - Il Borro Toscana Rosso IGT 2013

The 2013 Il Borro is a delicious wine that I have tasted several times over the past few months. It presents seamless aromatic integration with luscious dark fruit, proportioned doses of spice, tobacco and sweet blackberry flavors. This wine offers velvety softness and plumpness over a richly extracted mouthfeel and sweet oak tannins. The slightly cooler 2013 vintage reveals very long persistence with pretty nuances of moist earth, rum cake and cherry liqueur. This is a landmark wine from the Il Borro estate in Tuscany.

91 - Il Borro Toscana Rosso IGT 2014

Made with Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Petit Verdot, the 2014 Il Borro is a darkly saturated and hearty red wine. It opens to beautiful aromas of black fruit with licorice, campfire ash and sweet baking spice that all find impressive balance. Mineral notes of flint and lead pencil are also part of the aromatic embroidery. The bouquet delivers a firm and lasting impact but the mouthfeel is perhaps more delicate in nature. The wine shows medium body with tangy but ethereal flavors of cola and spice on the close. I would suggest a near or medium-term drinking window.

96 - Il Borro Toscana Rosso IGT 2015

This robust Tuscan blend of 50% Merlot, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Syrah is Il Borro's flagship wine. The 2015 Il Borro is an important and thickly enriched expression that shows ample power and muscle but remains elegantly modulated and contoured at the same time. The bouquet opens to dark fruit, blackberry, prune, spice, leather and tar. In the mouth, this wine is richly textured, velvety and concentrated, and it delivers balanced tannins and acidity. Il Borro has beautifully captured the warmth and exuberance of the terrific 2015 vintage.

96 - Il Borro Toscana Rosso IGT 2016

This is the estate's flagship wine and is a blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah. Petit Verdot once played a small supporting role in the blend, but that grape has since been removed because it left too strong a signature. The 2016 Il Borro is a seamless, full-bodied red wine that presents an A-list aromatic presentation with dark fruit and plum followed by savory spice, leather and tobacco. The quality of the fruit is sweet and bright, but there is also a distinct mineral note to the wine that contrasts the sweetness with
saltiness. The tannins are well integrated and there is enough acidity to lift the entire flavor profile of this beautiful wine. Some 32,000 bottles were made.

92 - Petruna Anfora Valdarno di Sopra DOC 2016

This is a new wine from Il Borro, and although the appellation is identified as Val d'Arno di Sopra in this vintage, the 2017 vintage seems to carry an IGT Toscana designation instead. The 2016 Val d'Arno di Sopra Sangiovese in Anfora Petruna represents the estate's first attempt at fermenting and aging organically grown fruit in terracotta amphorae. The wine remains in contact with the grape skins for 12 months in those clay vessels. This pretty wine
offers Sangiovese purity and elegance. Replacing oak with clay has not created oxidized flavors. Rather, this pretty wine is infused with wild cherry, blue flower and freshly tilled soil. There is great freshness here and the wine does not lack in structure. In fact, it held tightly together

91 - Pian Di Nova Toscana Rosso IGT 2013

The 2013 Pian di Nova is an approachable blend of three parts Syrah and one part Sangiovese. You get the opulent richness of the first grape and the bright, easydrinking acidity of the second. The wine is aged in barrique for 14 months. The Syrah is harvested and put into cold storage overnight before being de-stemmed and pressed. This excellent entry wine offers cherry, spice and grilled herb aromas. It is an absolutely perfect pasta pairing partner and that's saying a lot.

92 - Pian Di Nova Toscana Rosso IGT 2016

First produced in the early 2000s, Il Borro now has a very good track record with this entry-level red blend. The 2016 Pian di Nova is 75% Syrah and 25% Sangiovese that goes into mostly neutral barrique for 12 months. This happy vintage is particularly fresh and direct, with a real sense of brightness and energy in terms of its primary fruit. The wine is medium dark in appearance with a mid-weight feel and plenty of fresh fruit and soft tannins to follow. I can't imagine a better choice for your favorite pasta dish.

92 - Polissena Toscana Rosso IGT 2015

This is Il Borro's classic red wine for less formal drinking occasions. The 2015 Polissena is an IGT Toscana wine now, but I am told it will revert over to the Val d'Arno di Sopra appellation starting with the 2017 vintage. This wine is abundant and generous with ample layers of cherry and dark plum that peel back with pretty intensity. A pure expression of Sangiovese, the wine also offers elegant tones of wild rose, licorice, savory tobacco, rusty nail and a touch of dusty mineral. The ripeness of the fruit in this warm vintage is balanced out by the natural acidity of the grape.

94 - Polissena Toscana Rosso IGT 2016

Sangiovese grapes for this wine originate from the same vineyard that makes the amphorae-aged Petruna. However, the 2016 Polissena is a more conventional expression of the Tuscan grape, with fermentation in stainless steel and 12 months of barrel age in second and third year barrique. The wine is delicate yet firm, aromatic yet elegant. The bouquet offers wild berry aromas with black fruit, spice, tar and moist potting soil. There is a distinct unifying line that connects all the wines made at Il Borro, especially the Sangiovese-based bottles.

Le Marchesine

91 - Franciacorta Brut Rose Millesimato DOCG 2013

The 2013 Franciacorta Millesimato Brut Rosé (disgorged in 2018) is one of those pink sparkling wines that looks so beautiful when poured into the glass. The wine's luminous appearance is magnified by the shiny gleam of its soft perlage. This is a 50/50 blend of Pinot Nero and Chardonnay aged on the lees for 42 months. That's just enough yeast contact to build the wine's texture and those lasting flavors of stone fruit, wild berry and baked bread. Some 40,000 bottles were made.

Montalbera

90 - Laccento Ruche di Castagnole Monferrato DOCG 2018

The Montalbera 2018 Ruchè di Castagnole Monferrato Laccento offers an interesting combination of licorice, zesty fruit, red currant and balsam herb. This is a distinctive wine that veers from savory aromas to some sweet tones of candied almond and dried apricot. I could see this wine pairing with a delightful North African tajine in which meat is stewed with either preserved lemon or prunes. Production of this wine is 89,000 bottles. On the close, the wine is lean and crisp.

Monteleone

92 - Etna Rosso DOC 2017

The Monteleone 2017 Etna Rosso is a strongly territory-driven wine with bright berry aromas that are balanced by volcanic notes and grilled herb. This is a beautiful wine with a graceful and delicate personality that you don't always find in the wines made in this stark, dark and violent volcanic landscape. A blend of 90% Nerello Mascalese and 10% Nerello Cappuccio, this wine is mid-weight in style with a pretty garnet or ruby color. This is a great tasting from an estate that is new to me. Only 4,350 bottles were made.

92 - Qubba Etna Rosso DOC 2017

These wines from Giulia Monteleone show beautifully in the glass with a dark but brilliant ruby color. The 2017 Etna Rosso Cuba takes a little longer to unfold or stretch its legs, but ultimately, it shows an impressive depth and range of pure Etna-driven aromas. The bouquet releases wild berries, campfire ash, licorice and sweet cherry on the close. This is a lovely, mid-weight wine to serve with game hen or even your favorite chicken dish. The blend is 90% Nerello Mascalese and 10% Nerello Cappuccio, just like Monteleone's entry-level Etna Rosso. I actually preferred the linearity of that wine, by a tiny margin, to this more expensive expression. A mere 1,250 bottles were made.

Musso

93 - Barbaresco Pora Riserva DOCG 2015

The Musso 2015 Barbaresco Riserva Pora offers hints of dried cherry and dark fruit with dustings of sweet pipe tobacco. The wine is streamlined and elegant in terms of mouthfeel, although the bouquet is a notch richer and more concentrated in this warm vintage. One noticeable thing about this Riserva Pora is how soft and integrated the tannins are. The tannins are sweeter in this wine from 2015, compared to the dry tannins we saw in the 2017 (non-Riserva) edition of Pora.

92 - Barbaresco Rio Sordo DOCG 2017

This wine offers a pretty mineral profile with crushed aspirin, wild fruit and dried rose petal. Compared to the flatter and heavier Pora, the Musso 2017 Barbaresco Rio Sordo is a pointed and linear wine that you might pair with dark turkey meat or pheasant. I prefer this expression because there is a more concrete succession of Nebbiolo aromas that lead the bouquet as the wine evolves and changes in the glass. The finish is delicate and streamlined.

90- Roero Arneis DOCG 2016

Here's an excellent recommendation if you are looking for a great-value white from Italy. The 2016 Roero Arneis is a fresh and zesty white wine with lean-bodied appeal. The bouquet offers zesty and green tones of lime, tropical fruit and peach. There is a lot of citrus as well. The wine offers a superior sense of definition and sharpness, thanks to those drying mineral tones that come with the unique Roero territory. The soils here are heavy with calcareous deposits that give sharpness and focus to the bouquet

Podere Biancanelle

91 - Ghiaccio Forte Morellino di Scansano DOCG 2017

I have an admitted soft spot for the wines made by Filippo Chia and his family, from their estates in Scansano and Montalcino. I love the hipster retro Italian esthetic of the packaging and the enormous story-telling opportunities that each wine affords, and that Filippo so passionately narrates to those who give him their ear. I hear his voice when I taste his wines. The Tenuta Ghiaccio Forte 2017 Morellino di Scansano Ghiaccio Forte depicts a little Etruscan statue head on its front label. The backstory here is that a tractor fell into an ancient Etruscan tomb while ripping the land, and that tiny clay statue was discovered inside. This part of southern Tuscany is honeycombed with Etruscan tombs. A blend of 85% Sangiovese and 15% Syrah, this wine is rich in power and personality, and it transports you to this relatively undiscovered and wild part of Italy. Winemaking is executed in stainless steel only. The bouquet is redolent of blackberry and plummy fruit, and there is an interesting, albeit vaguely carbonic element to the bouquet. There are clear elements of candied fruit and crushed white pepper. The mouthfeel is rich, without being too heavy, and that firm tannic bite on the finish hints at the difficultly in obtaining balanced ripeness in this hot and dry vintage. The heat of the vintage was somewhat contained by the breezes that lift off the Tyrrhenian Sea not too far off in the distance. This 2017 expression is a bit more rugged and rustic overall, so I would recommend a dish of similar personality like the Maremma favorite, tagliatelle al ragù di cinghiale. Some 25,485 bottles were made.

Podere Giodo

97 - Brunello di Montalcino DOCG 2015

The Giodo 2015 Brunello di Montalcino is a real stunner with a tight, !nely knit texture that transcends and ultimately unites both the bouquet and the mouthfeel, putting them on an even playing !eld. This gives the wine a broad sense of unity and wholeness that is the key to withstanding the aging process one would expect to submit this bottle to. At this young stage, Giodo's Brunello reveals blue "owers, wild berry, camphor ash and delicate spice. This wine shows a compressed sense of intensity that expands quickly after you lift the proverbial lid o# the box. As it breathes in air and takes on more volume, it also leaves a deeper impression on your nose and palate. It closes with a simple note of sweet cherry that makes for a perfect postscript. Some 10,000 bottles were released in January 2020.

92 - Toscana Rosso IGT 2017

From Carlo Ferrini's beautiful Giodo estate, nestled into one of the most idyllic little vineyard nooks found anywhere in Montalcino, the 2017 Giodo is a fresh and accessible expressions of Sangiovese. What comes through most here is the naked beauty of the fruit that shines with raspberry and summer cherry. This wine would make an ideal partner to veal cutlets seasoned with bay leaf or thyme. It opens to blue !ower aromas with crushed stone, white pepper and pretty Mediterranean nuances. This wine never reveals any hint of the 2017 heat, and this is surely due to the ideal and romantically hidden-from- view positioning of the Giodo vineyards. Some 8,000 bottles were released in April 2019. 92

Poggio Bonelli

90 - Chianti Classico DOCG 2015

The 2015 Chianti Classico is a stylish and contemporary wine with dark concentration and broad appeal. It sees 90% Sangiovese blended with 10% Merlot. It delivers its intensity with force across the board with a lasting and generous disposition. The wine reveals aromas of dark cherry and prune with spice, tobacco and Spanish cedar. The oak impact is strong and needs a year or so to better integrate. If you are looking for a soft and rich value wine to pair with steak or pork chops, this wine is up to the task for sure. Some 50,000 bottles were produced.

91 - Chianti Classico DOCG 2016

Here's a great, easy-drinking wine from beautiful Tuscany. The 2016 Chianti Classico is a full and generous wine from a classic vintage. The wine is streamlined and elegant, but this Sangiovese-based red wine has intense fruit and oak spice in equal measure.

93 - Chianti Classico Riserva DOCG 2013

Poggio Bonelli hits a home run with this vintage. The 2013 Chianti Classico Riserva is a dark and luscious red wine that oozes power, depth and concentration that represents the far side of the Sangiovese spectrum. The grape often delivers a lighter ruby color and less heft compared to this wine. That generosity and fullness is transmitted to the bouquet where the wine offers good intensity and impressive finesse.

93 - Chianti Classico Riserva DOCG 2015

The 2015 Chianti Classico Riserva is soft, plush and rich. Once again, Poggio Bonelli has come through with a memorable Riserva that offers great intensity, a beautiful ruby color and a rich bouquet of red berries. The wine also provides some notes of smoke, spice and maybe a quick flash of tar.

92 - Chianti Classico Riserva DOCG 2016

Aged for 24 months in tonneaux, the 2016 Chianti Classico Riserva shows a very smooth and velvety quality of fruit. Lots of brooding black fruits are expertly woven into spice and savory notes of leather and moist earth. The wine shows medium intensity and build in the mouth. It's great for a Sunday pot roast. Fruit for this wine comes from the highest part of a single-vineyard parcel. Some 10,000 bottles were made.

91 - Poggiassai Rosso IGT 2012

The 2012 Poggiassai is a blend of mostly Sangiovese with about 25% Cabernet Sauvignon. You can definitely make out the Cabernet component thanks to savory tones of fresh sage and inky black currant. This is a great wine that represents a noticeable jump forward in quality this vintage compared to the last time I tasted it four years ago. Pair it with steak and tangy salsa verde.

Podere Sapaio

93 - Sapaio 2012

I was really quite taken by the 2012 Bolgheri Superiore Sapaio. The wine is soft and well integrated with round berry and cherry nuances that permeate its thick, creamy texture. Podere Sapaio has done a great job with this vintage. The blend is 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Petit Verdot and 10% Cabernet Franc aged in oak for 18 months.

93 - Sapaio 2013

The 2013 Bolgheri Superiore Sapaio is a rich and penetrating wine with a long sense of silky persistence. The blend is 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Petit Verdot and 10% Cabernet Franc aged in oak for 18 months. Some 20,000 bottles are produced. Initially, the wine feels crisp and delineated. Make no mistake, the power and the brawn creep up on you slowly with firm tannins and black fruit intensity at the back.

95 - Sapaio Toscana IGT 2016

The 2016 Sapaio shows abundant dark chocolate and spice all balanced out by the rich sweetness of the fruit. Blackberry, plum and dark currant emerge from the bouquet. The harvest required that much of the fruit for this wine come from vineyards in Bibbona (outside the Bolgheri appellation), and that's why this wine is classified as a Toscana IGT. The results are well-balanced, fragrant and absolutely seamless. Some 20,000 bottles were made.

91 - Volpolo 2015

Here's a dark and beautifully rich value wine from the coast of Tuscany. The 2015 Bolgheri Rosso Volpolo is mostly Cabernet Sauvignon with smaller parts Merlot and Petit Verdot. This is a terrific offering with black fruit, sassy spice and many layers of thick and luscious darkness. All that ripe fruit is nicely walled in by the wine's natural structure. I recommend buying this great value wine by the case, not by the bottle.

93 - Volpolo 2016

This blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot and 15% Petit Verdot is a very lively Tuscan red with great intensity, precision and long-lasting flavors. The 2016 Bolgheri Rosso Volpolo is balanced and bright, with notes of blackberry, black olive, sweet spice and cigar box. The wine ages in barrique for 14 months. There is some astringency at this early stage, but the wine should smooth out nicely. Some 90,000 bottles were produced.

The ever-generous Massimo Piccin surprised me with a full vertical of his two wines, Volpolo and Sapaio, that he has been making since 2004 with the assistance of winemakers Carlo Ferrini and Alessandro Nannelli. Although these two wines have seen changes to their appellation status and the grapes used in the blend over the years, they are today: the lower-end Volpolo (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot) and the top-shelf Sapaio (Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc). This estate counts 16 hectares of vines in Bolgheri, with a mix of limestone clay and sandy soils located just a few meters above sea level. The estate also farms nine hectares in the neighboring Bibbona province (that is outside the Bolgheri appellation lines).

San Filippo

92 - brunello di Montalcino 2015

The San Filippo 2015 Brunello di Montalcino walks across the palate with light and carefree footsteps. The wine is crisp and lean with classic Sangiovese aromas of wild berry fruit, forest floor, bitter almond and pressed blue violets. The wine remains mild-mannered in the mouth with silky tannins and a pretty spot of freshness on the close. With this wine, you get an immediate and accessible Brunello that could be great in the near term on your local restaurant list.

93 - brunello di Montalcino 2016

The San Filippo 2016 Brunello di Montalcino offers a slightly exotic personality with smoked cedar, mahogany or teak followed by dark fruit, pressed blackberry and plum. The wine ages in large oak cask for two years. This is a robustly textured and muscular Brunello with full-bodied intensity that transcends both the bouquet and the mouthfeel. There's a lot going on, especially in terms of the wine's smokiness and spiciness, and there is good acidity and tannic structure to frame it all. Production is 15,000 bottles.

94 - Brunello di Montalcino Le Lucere 2012

This is a terrific wine from San Filippo. The 2012 Brunello di Montalcino le Lucére is plush and rich in all the right places. It opens to a generous bouquet with tones of dark fruit and spice that contrast each other nicely. The wine straddles a position between primary aromas (directly from the fruit) and secondary aromas (derived from oak aging). The effect is well balanced and the intensity of the wine feels brighter and more harmonious as a result. The mouthfeel is compact and firm. It wine shows good persistence in terms of finish.

91 - Brunello di Montalcino Le Lucere 2013

San Filippo's 2013 Brunello di Montalcino le Lucére is a single-vineyard wine that shows a greater level of precision and distinction compared to the Annata version from this estate. You get a lot more definition and intensity here. Dried fruit aromas of blackberry and black currant lead to dry aromas of smoke and spice. The finish shows long, fine grains of texture. The wine should flesh out further with a few more years of cellar evolution.

94 - Brunello di Montalcino Le Lucere 2015

San Filippo's 2015 Brunello di Montalcino le Lucére is a denser and richer wine compared to the estate's classic Brunello from the same vintage. You get a higher caliber of black fruit and rich !avors with layers of smoke, tar and sweet tobacco at the back. Most of that extra intensity is played forward to the bouquet, however, as the mouthfeel is relatively lean and snappy. This is one of the leading characteristics of Brunello. You get a medium-weight approach with the "rm structure and bright acidity to make the wine feel larger and deeper than it actually is.

94+ - BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO LE LUCERE 2016

This special selection of fruit from San Filippo is characterized by more intensity and concentration compared to the estate's classic Brunello. In this vintage, I also discovered a greater level of Sangiovese purity and direction, thanks to tight berry tones, dusty mineral, spice and balsam herb. To the palate, the 2016 Brunello di Montalcino le Lucére delivers succulent fruit and even a touch of sweetness, all powered by tannins, clearly driven by both the oak and the fruit itself. This wine ages in a combination of barrique, tonneau and botte grande for two years. This 14,000-bottle release will hit the market in January 2021.

93 - Brunello di Montalcino Le Lucere Riserva 2012

This wine pours from the bottle with deep, dark intensity. The 2012 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva le Lucére shows thick extraction and deep concentration of dark fruit, cherry marmalade and blackberry preserves. Black prune and dried fig also play supporting roles, with a strong showing by exotic spice and savory tobacco. This is a Big Brunello with two capital Bs. It ages in small oak barrel for 14 months and then does another 16 months of aging in botte grande. It shows thick textural richness in the mouth.

93 - Brunello di Montalcino Le Lucere Riserva 2013

This is a beautiful wine that is endowed with an impressive sense of depth and solid inner power or momentum. The 2013 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva le Lucére takes a few minutes longer to open in the glass, but once it does it puts on quite a display. This is a darkly saturated expression with a full-bodied approach that displays both rich textural fiber and integrated tannic structure. Aromas include black cherry, plum, spice and tar. There is a point of fruity sweetness in the mouth that only adds to an overall impression of volume and power. A mere 2,600 bottles were made.

94 - Brunello di Montalcino Le Lucere Riserva 2015

The 2015 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva le Lucére reveals rich and well- concentrated fruit with blackberry, prune and plum. The bouquet also has a moment of scorched earth or toasted oak that is quite developed and, to my palate, subtracts from the purity of the fruit. The oak is heavily applied (and I am reminded of American oak). This Riserva ages in barrique, tonneau and botte grande for two years and fruit is drawn from an east-facing vineyard with clay galestro and alberese soils. It is only made in the best years, and this edition saw 4,000 bottles produced. There are soft cherry notes on the !nish.