Italy

James Suckling 94 points. A rather soft and rich young Barolo with strawberry and floral character and hints of watermelon. It’s full-bodied and layered. Rich finish. So attractive now, but will age nicely. Try after 2023.

Designation: Dogliani D.O.C.G. Variety: 100% dolcetto First vintage produced: 1994 Harvest time: second / third week of September. Vinification: from grapes coming from vineyards surrounding the Dogliani winery. The territory is part of the San Luigi mention from where the name of the wine originates. The vines are cultivated with guyot and have a density of 5000 plants per Ha. The wine is the product of several vineyards with south-east, south and south-west exposures. The soil is calcareous-clayey. After pressing, the must ferments in steel tanks for 10-12 days at a temperature of 26°C. After a first racking the malolactic fermentation...

Vinous Media 92 points. The 2019 Dogliani Superiore Bricco Botti is powerful, dark and maybe just a bit rustic, but also nicely balanced. Black cherry game, tobacco and scorched earth add layers of dimension to this brooding powerhouse Dogliani. SOMMELIER'S DESCRIPTION The Dogliani Superiore "Bricco Botti" by Pecchenino is one of the best Dolcetto currently on the market; very fine, crisp, clean and with a great character and personality. The cellar Pecchenino is a landmark in the Langhe, a cellar that has retained its connotation family passing on his farms from generation to generation. Today we find the brothers Attilio and Orlando to...

Winery COLOR: Ruby red with violet highlights. NOSE: Intense bouquet of ripe fruits with notes of currants, blackberries and black cherries. FLAVOR: The flavor is balanced with smooth, sweet tannins and a persistent finish. SOMMELIER'S DESCRIPTION The peculiarities of Dogliani Siri d'Jermu are essentially summarized by the close relation that the family Pecchenino enjoyed for centuries with Dogliani in the Langhe area, famous for its cultivation of this native vine. The farm Pecchenino was founded towards the end of '700: it has always been a family-run estate and have been handed down from father to son, being enriched, with the passage of...

Designation: Langhe D.O.C. Variety: 100% nebbiolo First vintage produced: 2001 Harvest time: first week of October. Vinification: from grapes mainly coming from Nebbiolo vineyards in the Bricco Botti estate in Dogliani. The guyot-trained vines are 25 years old and face south and south-west. The soils are of medium texture, calcareous-clayey. Alcoholic fermentation lasts about 3-4 weeks and is carried out at a temperature of 27°C. Malolactic fermentation follows in steel. Ageing: in oak casks for about 12 months. Description: fruity with hints of raspberry, blueberry, violet and spices. Round and elegant tannins add up to a long and refined...

Bibenda 5 Grappoli James Suckling 92 points Wine Spectator 91 points. "Powerful, boasting black cherry and plum fruit wrapped in toasty, vanilla-laden oak. Wild herb, tar and tobacco accents chime in as this unwinds on the long finish. A tad dry in the end. Best from 2022 through 2038. 1,300 cases made, 350 cases imported. -BS" (WS) "The 2015 Barbaresco Tulin is dark, ample and inviting. Succulent dark cherry, plum, mocha, new leather and spice notes all flesh out effortlessly. This is an especially sensual, inviting Barbaresco from Giorgio Pelissero. I would give it a few years to come to its own, as all the Tulin signatures carry an extra...

Wine Spectator 94 points. "Plump, with cherry and strawberry fruit, licorice, eucalyptus and spice flavors. Fluid and fresh, this builds to a lingering finish, where dusty tannins reign. Very elegant." Ian D'Agata 94 points. The Pelissero 2016 Barbaresco Tulin is a vibrant dark red colour. On the nose, it offers a panoply of ripe red fruit, sweet spice, licorice, and tar aromas, with a candied floral topnote emerging at the end. In the mouth, it is surprisingly ample, succulent and fleshy with red cherry syrup and raspberry coulis flavours, sexed up by cinnamon, mint chocolate and minerals; it’s so ripe, round and downright plump in fact,...

Vinous 93+. “Pelissero’s 2015 Barbaresco Vanotu exudes freshness and energy, not to mention exceptional balance. Blood orange, pomegranate, ripe red cherry and french oak run through this super-expressive Barbaresco. The 2015 is bold and racy.” - Antonio Galloni, Vinous. Wine Spectator 93 points. #DEC

Wine Spectator 94 points. Bibenda 5 Stars. First vintage was 1960. Very limited production. Vanotu is the local dialect name for Giovanni....Giorgio's grandfather. "A supple, elegant style, this offers cherry, floral, iron, tar,toasty and spice aromas and flavors. Fleshy midpalate, this stands up to the tannins that emerge on the finish. Best from 2023 through 2042. 1,380 cases made." Wine Spectator, BS. WINERY NOTES: Uur aim to take into bottle the grapes characteristics conditions all the operations of transformation and ageing. This wine is produced with modern techniques and tools, but still in traditional way trying to harmonize the...

WINERY NOTES: The wine is produced with the aim of exalting its own characteristics: vinosity, complexity and persistency. Maceration takes 15-20 days in stainless steel cask with controlled temperature. Then ageing is about 8-9 months in oak barrels (30-40% in barrique and the remaining in 50 hl barrels). Afterward it is blended and bottled, resting for a couple of months before being put on sale. Low yields, long maceration and correct oak barrels contribution give to this wine unusual longevity, complexity and importance like the noble Nebbiolo. TASTING SHEET: The colour is red ruby bright and intense; the vivacity makes it tempting. The...

Luca Gardini 100 points. James Suckling 99 points. Wine Spectator 97 points Wine Advocate 97 points: "Made with organic Merlot grapes, the Petrolo 2019 Galatrona is soft and luscious, spreading evenly over the palate with elegance and sweeping intensity. The bouquet shows dark fruit, black cherry and sweet prune. Those dark fruit tones are woven into pretty layers of spice, leather and perfumed tobacco. I like the tight, compact, yet fundamentally rich quality that is part of the mouthfeel in this important vintage. This wine could be considered a bit lighter and more ethereal compared to recent past releases, but I found that all the wines...

Wine Advocate 92 points. Alessandro Cellai's 2017 Campanaio is equal parts Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. The wine pours from the bottle with inky consistency and an impenetrable appearance. Dried blackberry and cherry liqueur appear with intensity. This wine shows the richness and ripeness of small berries and clusters, in which the ratio between pulpy liquid and the thickness of the grape skins feels more slanted toward the skins. The wine is vinous, raw and succulent as a result. You'll pick up notes of scorched earth and blackberry preserves between your bites of charcoal-grilled steak (one suggestion for an ideal food pairing for this...

Made from equal parts Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, Campanaio is the result of meticulous attention starting with the selection of the plants themselves. Alessandro Cellai (chief winemaker at Castellare di Castellina and Rocca di Frassinello) began by searching for superior rootstocks and clones and quickly found a passion. His painstaking efforts have resulted in a wine of considerable personality, one that fully shows the characteristics of the international favorites without disguising the unique aspects of the local terroir. This wine is intense ruby red with enticing aromas of black currants, plums, and tobacco. This richly textured...

Decanter WWA Gold Medal and 95 points. Luca Maroni 97 points. Bibenda 5 stars. The highest expression of Rocca delle Macìe winemaking, the Gran Selezione Sergio Zingarelli has a history that stretches way back, since it is the fruit of many years’ work in the vineyards on the Le Macìe estate at Castellina in Chianti, where the Sangiovese grape comes into its own like nowhere else. This wine encapsulates the very best of the Chianti Classico production zone and its vineyards, as well as the painstaking efforts of everyone involved. Rocca delle Macìe’s Gran Selezione is part of a wider winemaking project that began in the 2000 with the...

James Suckling 91 points. This wine provides proof positive of how Sangiovese succeeds in expressing different aspects of its character depending on the soil in which it is cultivated, the different clones used and the type of vinification applied. Chianti Classico Tenuta Sant’Alfonso is one of the winery’s most well-established wines and one of the two prestigious crus produced today with 100% Sangiovese grapes cultivated exclusively on the Sant’Alfonso estate. Based on the studies and experiments conducted in the vineyard, it emerged that the most clay-rich and least gravelly soils of this estate, combined with the use of specific...

James Suckling 95 points Decater World Wine Award 93/100 Wine Spectator 94/100 Bright ruby-red in color, with ripe berry fruit overtones and a strong mineral note, it is an elegant wine that lasts and lasts on the palate. It has a verve and a character that allow it to mature over time without losing its fascination.

James Suckling 93 points. Wine Spectator 92 points. Riserva di Fizzano, the winery's historic cru, already encapsulated the characteristics of the Gran Selezione long before the birth of the new denomination, since it was at the forefront of the so-called "Chianti Classico Revolution". And perhaps it was the cutting-edge wines already being made here, with their utterly inimitable features, that inspired the development and subsequent definition of the pinnacle of Chianti Classico's qualitative pyramid; in other words, the new denomination was necessary in order to properly classify these wines. Riserva di Fizzano Gran Selezione is the...

SASSI SPARSI (translation "scattered stones") Bolgheri DOC Grape varietals Cabernet Sauvignon 60%, Merlot 40% Production Technique After the first fermentation the must undergoes maceration over the grape skins for 10 – 15 days. Following the alcoholic and malolactic fermentation, it is then aged in oak barrels for a few months. Follows a period of 6 months in the bottle before being released. Winemaker’s recommendations Very versatile wine, it combines well with many different courses based on meats and cheeses but it can be enjoyed by itself.

Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media, 94 points. 20% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, 60% Sangioveto. 3 Glasses Gambero Rosso. Rocca di Frassinello is a joint venture between the mercurial Castellare di Castellina and the mighty house of Lafite Rothschild. Deep ruby red in color, this wine offers intense and complex aromas of spices, mint, and chocolate. On the palate, it is savory, full-bodied and round with supple, velvety tannins and a long finish.

The iconic merlot flagship of the estate. The house challenger to Masseto. 98 points and Best Italian Red wine, I Migliori Vini Italiani. 3 Glasses Gambero Rosso.

Wine Spectator 93 points. Wild rosemary, thyme and camphor aromas lead off, with concentrated flavors of blackberry and black currant. An iron edge sinks in as this unfolds to the long, staining finish. Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Best from 2020 through 2032.

Denomination Maremma Toscana DOC Grape varieties Sangiovese 40%, Syrah 20%, Cabernet Sauvignon 20%, Merlot 20%. Red wine full-bodied and intense, with balsamic notes and coffee, elegant, soft, full, rich, aged for 6 months in barriques. Made under the watchful eye of master winemaker Alessandro Cellai.

James Suckling 92 points. Aromas of black fruit, currants, oyster shells, iodine, cocoa and herbs. It’s full-bodied with tight, firm tannins. Structured and savory. Winemaker Notes Deep ruby red. The nose is intense with aromas of dark plums, chocolate, spices and grilled herbs. Clean mineral notes frame the finish and confer an attractive element of freshness. Merlot 45%, cabernet sauvignon 40%, sangiovese 15% all sourced from our Maremma vineyards.

Wine Advocate 95 points. A pure expression of Sangiovese, the delicious 2009 Percarlo shows warm tones of leather, pipe tobacco, wet earth, dried cherry and red rose petal. Aged 22 months in French oak, there’s enormous heft and determination at the back that does a great job holding up and matching the stunning intensity of the bouquet. Tight tannins, fresh acidity and a touch of sweet cherry characterize the mouthfeel. It’s impeccably balanced with ample length, but give it five to ten more years to evolve. Anticipated maturity: 2018-2035.

James Suckling 93 points. Score: 93 Points 1 Sep, 2022 – Savory, intense and deep nose with sweet cranberries, dark strawberries, red dates and some roasted spices, sesame and chestnut. Full-bodied and dense on the palate with chewy tannins. Rich, juicy and long. Better after 2023. Winery Note: Deep ruby ​​red with brown reflections. It has a complex perfume, with intense notes of Mediterranean scrub, accompanied by hints of berries and juniper. The taste is broad, with smooth tannins accompanied by finely spicy and balsamic notes, the finish is long and persistent.

Cannonau is the local Sardinian name for Grenache, where it has been grown for a thousand years. Colour: ruby red. Nose: elegant olfactory profile with aromas of red fruit, wild strawberries, aromatic herbs with a spicy note. Palate: rich, warm and intense, with soft tannins and moderate freshness. The finish is persistent. Foras means foreigner, in Sardinian language. On Sant’Antioco there are no Cannonau grapes, so this wine is produced with “foreigner” grapes coming from Sardinia.

This is an historic and unusual wine, made with 100% monica, a vine most likely introduced to Sardinia in the 11th century. Initially grown in the Alghero area, it then spread to the rest of the island thanks to the Camaldolese monks, who began to cultivate it near the convents (hmmmm). The vineyards are cultivated in the lower Sulcis, at sea level, on sandy soils. The vines are about 35 years old and are grown with a density of 4,000 plants per hectare. After the harvest, fermentation takes place in steel tanks at a controlled temperature for about 15 days. The wine matures for 12 months in French barriques and then a further 12 months in...

This is an historic and unusual wine, made with 100% monica, a vine most likely introduced to Sardinia in the 11th century. Initially grown in the Alghero area, it then spread to the rest of the island thanks to the Camaldolese monks, who began to cultivate it near the convents (hmmmm). The vineyards are cultivated in the lower Sulcis, at sea level, on sandy soils. The vines are about 35 years old and are grown with a density of 4,000 plants per hectare. After the harvest, fermentation takes place in steel tanks at a controlled temperature for about 15 days. The wine matures for 12 months in French barriques and then a further 12 months in...

James Suckling 92 points. 1 Sep, 2022 – Focused and savory with fine, roasted Mediterranean herbs to the sweet strawberries, dried flowers, black raspberries and red dates. Pretty full-bodied with a dense palate, showing juicy yet elegant red berries. Drink or hold. WINERY NOTE: Sulcis 100% Carignano DOC Reserve. An extraordinarily complex wine made entirely from original rootstock 80 year old bush vines. 12 months refinement in French barriques then a further 12 months in bottle before release. This word in Sardinian language literally means”the sands” that is the soil where Carignano is cultivated in ungrafted vineyards without...

Vinitaly 2020 5 stars and 94 points. Sulcis 100% Carignano DOC Reserve. An extraordinarily complex wine made entirely from original rootstock 80 year old bush vines. 12 months refinement in French barriques then a further 12 months in bottle before release. This word in Sardinian language literally means”the sands” that is the soil where Carignano is cultivated in ungrafted vineyards without external support structures. Colour: bright ruby red Nose: notes of red fruits, liquorice and myrtle, with a balsamic and spicy base. Palate: soft and enveloping, silky texture with pronounced tannins and balanced freshness.

James Suckling 91 points. 1 Sep, 2022 – Pretty intense strawberries, herbs and spices to the nose followed by a medium to full body on the palate with tightly wound tannins. Chewy and spicy. Drink or hold. WINERY NOTE: 100% Carignan from 35 year old vines on original rootstock. Matured for 12 months in French barriques then a further 12 months in bottle before release. Deep ruby ​​red, it expresses an intense and fine bouquet with fruity and balsamic notes of Mediterranean scrub. In the mouth it is fresh, with a fragrant fruit and a nice ripe tannic texture. Suitable for grilled or roasted red meats. Is Solus is a fountain of Roman...

James Suckling 91 points. 100% Carignan from 35 year old viines on original rootstock. Matured in historic concrete vats, restoring the ancient technique of hundreds of years of wine production on the island. Colour: ruby red Nose: the wine has a fine bouquet, with aromas of red berries and warm mediterranean scrub scents. Palate: Remarkable structure, ample, velvety, harmonious and balanced, with fruity notes in evidence. Persistent finish. Nur: abbreviation of the word “nuragic”. The label depicts a bronze statuette found in Sant’Antioco Island and represents a nuragic warrior.

Grape varieties : 30% Corvina, 30% Corvinone, 30% Rondinella, 10% Rossignola, Oseleta, Negrara, Dindarella, Croatina and Forselina. Production technique Harvest : end of September, beginning of October. Drying of the grapes in the drying room : humidity control of the environment for about 4 months. Soft pressing Alcoholic fermentation and maceration : 30 days / temperature 15-18 ° C. Natural stop of fermentation Aging in Slavonian oak barrels : 2 years. Bottling and bottle aging : 6 months. Description of the wine Color : intense ruby ​​with garnet reflections. Clear and transparent. Nose : notes of sweet fruit: raspberry, wild...

James Suckling 92 points. "Very pleasant notes of lightly spiced aronia berries and a hint of sous bois, following through to a medium body with lightly firm, well-integrated tannins and a long, bright finish, leaving an aftertaste of cherry dark chocolate. Serious Valpo and delicious. Drink now. (June 2021)." WINERY NOTE: Wine obtained from red grape varieties grown on the morainic hills of Valpolicella. The production method of this Valpolicella uses a traditional Veronese technique: the drying of the grapes. In reality it is a slight dehydration: the grapes, placed in crates for about a month, lose about 8-10% of their weight, naturally...

Veronelli 91 points. WINERY NOTE: The wine is produced with typical grapes selected in the Venetian area: Corvina comes from the morainic hills of Valpolicella, Raboso comes from Oderzo (Treviso), and Refosco is selected in the Aquileia area. This wine is produced with a traditional Veronese technique: the drying of the grapes. In reality it is a partial drying: the grapes placed in the loft for about a month lose about 8-10% of their initial weight. In this way they are enriched in sugars, increase the dry extract, the ashes and the color of the wine. Wine with good tannic structure, in balance with alcohol, which gives it roundness: the...

This is the typical Valpolicella Superiore wine, made according to the best traditions and with all the characteristics of Tedeschi Family wines:good structure, delicate flavour and elegance. The grapes come from vineyards located in Mezzane and Tregnago hills. Winery Note: Color: ruby red with garnet reflections. Clear and transparent. Bouquet: fresh with clear notes of cherry and currants. Flavor: good body, good structure, well-balanced and harmonic structure. The after taste confirms the notes in the bouquet. Suited for ageing: 5/7 years.

James Suckling 99 points. "Wow. Fantastic aromas of blackberries, currants, minerals, violets and graphite. Full-bodied with firm, silky tannins that are incredibly polished and intense, yet ever so refined and integrated in the wine. It goes on for minutes. The is one of the best modern-day Orenos so far. Best in 2025 and onwards." 07/21. Wine Advocate The Tenuta Sette Ponti 2019 Oreno celebrates the wine's 20th anniversary (1999-2019) with a special label and a heavy glass bottle. This blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot is beautifully ripe and generous with impeccable fruit throughout. Its primary intensity is delivered...

James Suckling 97 points. 50% merlot, 30% Cabernet sauvignon, 20% cabernet franc. This is a tight and powerful Orma with solid tannins that beautifully frame the fruit in the wine. Full-bodied and focused with intense structure and fruit character. Perhaps the best Orma ever. Give this four or five years to open. Try after 2025.

James Suckling 98 points. Utterly seduced by this wine, even at this youthful stage, the veteran critic, who many believe coined the phrase “Super Tuscan” in the 1980s, hailed the “beauty and balance” of Orma 2018. Noting the 50% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon blend’s gorgeously polished structure, Suckling suggests that drinkers will not have to wait an age before popping corks, with a drinking window beginning just next year.

Wine advocate 94 points. I never have enough praise for the excellent work achieved at Uccelliera. The 2013 Brunello di Montalcino is another proud notch in Andrea Cortonesi's belt. This is a fine and elegant wine that wraps smoothly over the palate. It also has an immediate and accessible personality that means you don't need to wait too long to enjoy it. The wine is redolent of dark fruit, spice, balsam herb, licorice and pressed flowers. You get loads of variety character. ML May 2018.

Wine Advocate 94 points. The Uccelliera 2017 Brunello di Montalcino does a great job showcasing that extra power and brawn of the vintage and the richer textural structure of the southern side of the appellation. The bouquet is up front and beautifully measured with lots of red and purple fruit definition followed by spice, tar and earthiness. What sets this wine apart in this hot and dry vintage is the mouthfeel. It delivers fiber, flesh and soft tannins. ML Feb 2022.

Wine Advocate 97+. The Uccelliera 2015 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva (with 9,600 bottles made) is a great achievement and is among my top favorite wines from Andrea Cortonesi tasted in the 20 or so years I have followed this estate. There is a lot of power here, thanks to that golden Castelnuovo dell'Abate sunshine, so I cannot liken this wine to some of the more ethereal and delicate expressions that I also love. Instead, this Riserva delivers brawn, dark fruit and muscle, but it does so with sincerity and honesty. You can't help but appreciate the complexity on offer. The wine offers plenty of dark fruit, but you also get licorice, balsam...

Wine Advocate 96 points. The 2016 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva is a terrific wine: bold, well-defined, powerful and balanced. There are many good things to relate, but the high alcohol content (measured at 15.5%) is the only distraction. This is a trend in the Riserva category in the 2016 vintage. The bouquet shows black cherry, cassis, earth, leather and dried roses. The palate offers soft fruit flavors supported by firm oak tannins. Coming back to the bottle 24 hours later, I found impressive integration and smoothness that took away from that alcohol heat. Production is 9,600 bottles. ML Feb 2022.

As the fame and fortune of Antonio`s Brunelli have developed, so too as his Rapace. A dominant blend of Merlot, then Cabernet in the true Super Tuscan style, this wine has carved out a place for itself, aside from its more famous siblings. Unctuously rich merlot is backed up with regal cabernet in a duet that is seamless, balanced and more than a little exciting... Inspired by the famous Super Tuscan, this Rapace is a good example of this, the ultimate marriage between the grapes Sangiovese (70%), Merlot (20%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (10%). The use of Merlot gives a lot of juiciness, sultry and ripe fruit. A wine with a lot of structure and...

Vinous 91 points. Luminous dark red. Lively aromas of redcurrant, red licorice, and mint, plus complicating nuances of balsamic oils and violet. Juicy, spicy flavors of red berries and cherries are very deep and pure. In a cooler, low-fat style than usual for this wine, with harmonious acidity nicely extending the flavors on the long juicy, and perfumed back end. A declassified Brunello, this is a really outstanding Rosso di Montalcino. Masses of crushed raspberry, peppery florals, and smoky mineral-earth tones create a bouquet that is impossible to ignore as the Rosso di Montalcino opens in the glass. This is a pure and vibrant yet silky...

Wine Advocate 93 points. Sporting beautiful brightness and liveliness, the 2013 Brunello di Montalcino offers blackberry and cherry nuances enhanced by spice, leather and elegant balsam herb. These various characteristics reach a soothing sense of balance and delicate harmony that reflects the best assets of this undertone vintage.

Wine Advocate 94 points. Here's a confident and genuine expression of Sangiovese that manages to be both accessible and complicated at the same time. Brunello is one of the few Italian wines to bridge the gap between those two extremes. The Voliero 2015 Brunello di Montalcino offers a steady stream of small berry fruit and cherry aromas. But there is width to this bouquet and deeper layers of spice, tar and licorice also play important roles. This Brunello ages in oak for 36 months in order to find harmony and balance. Some 7,866 bottles were made. ML Feb 2020. Volièro is made by the masterful hands of Andrea Cortonesi. #DEC

Wine Advocate 92 points. The Voliero 2017 Brunello di Montalcino is a robust expression with dark fruit, earth and oak spice. The wine shows thick concentration with black cherry and plum. It has the proverbial shoulders (the tannins and the acidity) to support it all. Leather and tobacco play supporting roles, and the wine is also characterized by dry clay and crushed stone. Some 7,600 bottles (and 133 magnums) were filled, and you can drink this bottle straight out of the gate.ML Feb 2022.

100% Sangiovese Organic 15-25-year-old vines Clay soil Fermentation in steel with temperature control for 18/20 days Aged in large Slavonian and French oak casks (20/50 hectolitres) for 10 months