Italian Wine

Expert Reviews - Vintage 2020

Wine Spectator 92 Points | A beam of cherry and red currant courses through this racy red, revealing flashes of rose and wild herbs, with a mineral underpinning. This is persistent, with a long aftertaste that emphasizes the pure fruit. Best from 2026 through 2042.

Decanter 92 Points | Ripe black and red berry fruit, baked plum, and hints of tea leaf. Robust and rich, open, grainy tannins frame the fruit, and the finish has nice juice and length. Shows real charm!

Expert Reviews - Vintage 2023

Jeb Dunnuck 90 Points | Pouring a bright transparent red hue, the 2023 Langhe Nebbiolo Ochetti is attractive and expressive on the nose, with pure notes of wild strawberries, fresh flowers, dusty earth, and fresh herbs. The palate is also nicely detailed, with refreshing acidity, fine tannins, and a citrus-noted finish.

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Deep red with purple tones in the beginning, changing to garnet red throughout its aging process. The bouquet brings out notes of berries, marmalade, violets, vanilla, fig and almonds, with slight smoky hues. Dry, elegant, harmonious and full-bodied with typical acidic notes during its juvenile stage. Becomes more round and complex over the years obtaining a soft finish.

Expert Reviews - Vintage 2019 

Antonio Galloni - Vinous Media - 97 Points "The 2019 Barolo Pira is powerful and deep but also very closed. There's so much energy here but readers will have to be patient as this classically austere young Barolo clearly needs time. Hints of pine menthol licorice and dried herbs appear with some reluctance. I would not dream of touching a bottle anytime soon. Superb."

Bruce Sanderson - Wine Spectator - 96 Points "A distinctive white pepper aroma leads off followed by flavors of strawberry sour cherry mint menthol and iron. Despite the lightness and ethereal quality the texture reveals viscosity and intensity. Balanced and complex ending with terrific length. Best from 2027 through 2045."

Expert Review - Vintage 2018

James Suckling 92 Points | A rich, fruity red with plum, chocolate and walnut character. It’s full-bodied with lots of round tannins and a savory finish.

Monica Larner writes;  The 2018 Maremma Toscana Ornello is a blend of Sangioveto (Sangiovese), Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah from the design winery of Rocca di Frassinello on the Tuscan Coast. This wine pays homage to the "butteri," or cowboys, that roam this remote and hilly terrain with their sturdy horses and leather hats. This wine shows a dark and meaty character, no doubt added by the Syrah, with some burnt ember and exotic spice. The bouquet is infused with dark fruit, dried plum and blackberry preserves. This is a full-bodied Tuscan red to pair with cowboy meals of steak and beans.  Drinking 2020 to 2028.  - Robert Parker Wine Advocate 92

Antonio Galloni writes:  The 2018 Rocca di Frassinello is a bold, exotic wine. Ripe red cherry, kirsch, cinnamon and rose petal are all kicked up in this flamboyant Maremma red. Plush fruit and silky tannins add to its considerable appeal. Hints of sweet pipe tobacco, cedar and mint appear over time, adding striking inner perfume and sweetness. The 2018 is a decidedly racy Rocca di Frassinello.  Drinking 2020 to 2033.  - Vinous 94

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Dark ruby red. The typical notes of the varietal – blackberry, cherry, plum – are flanked by balsamic tones and slightly spicy hints. It is an energetic, deep, elegant wine, with excellent structure and surprising freshness, characteristics that also make it suitable for long aging.

Expert Reviews

Vinous 95 Points | The 2018 Schioppettino di Cialla is impossible to ignore. It’s profoundly floral and herbal with rose petals, wilted violets, wet stone and ginger-tinged blackberry aromas. It opens with a pleasant inner sweetness and richer than expected, yet perfectly balanced, with depths of ripe wild berry fruits contrasted by spiced blood orange. For all of its depth and concentration, fresh acidity lifts the experience through the finish, leaving a candied citrus and white pepper tinge while tapering off classically dry. What a beauty. The 2018 is the child of a cool vintage, yet there’s so much power and density here. Bury your bottles deep.

The Ronchi di Cialla winery is located within its own valley, like something out of a fairy tale, with roads that curve through rows of vines planted between outcroppings of forest. The family home and cellar sit at the top of a hill, overlooking vineyards in all directions. Ivan Rapuzzi runs the winery with his mother and brother, following the same traditional methods as their father before them. Thanks to Ronchi di Cialla, Schioppettino may be one of the top reds of Friuli in the not-too-distant future. The Rapuzzi family saved the variety from extinction, creating a library of wines that spans decades and proves just how well Schioppettino matures. Today, the variety has its own subzone within Friuli Colli Orientali, Schioppettino di Prepotto, while Ronchi di Cialla enjoys its own unique terroir.

Winemaker Descrption 

This vineyard of Sauvignon is located in the nearby village of Buttrio, which has a warmer microclimate. The grapes are whole cluster pressed and fermented entirely in used barrels and 650 liter wooden vats. There is no malolactic or battonage.

Soothing textures, ripe orchard fruits and saline-tinged acidity that adds an energetic feel. Zesty notes of lemon and lime mingle throughout the finale.

Expert Review - Vintage 2020

Winemaker Description 

In 1927, the inaugural Riserva Ducale vintage was crafted as a homage to the wine-loving Duke of Aosta. Two decades later, in 1947, Ruffino commemorated the exceptional vintage by introducing the inaugural Riserva Ducale Oro, heralding the concept of Gran Selezione ahead of its time. Its potential for decades of aging is matched only by its historical significance. 

One out of every three bottles of Chianti Classico Gran Selezione opened in the world is Riserva Ducale Oro.

Tasting Notes: Ruby red with garnet hues. The wine expresses a distinctive Tuscan bouquet of violet, cherry, and plum, with aromas of chocolate and spice. Intense aromas of violet, blackberry, cherry, and ripe plum with intriguing notes of cinnamon and clove. Classic elegance and structure in which the fruit, tannins, and spices form a tightly woven balance, with a lingering finish of chocolate and coffee.

Expert Review - Vintage 2021 

The Wine Spectator 93 Points | There's intensity to this red, which showcases cherry, boysenberry and blood orange flavors. Iron, underbrush and tobacco notes peek through as this builds to the lingering aftertaste. Verges on racy courtesy of the bracing acidity. Excellent length. Sangiovese, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon.

James Suckling 92 Points | An attractive and layered nose of walnuts, ground spices, grilled thyme, red cherries and red plums with a touch of meatiness. The medium-bodied palate is sleek and polished, with juicy acidity and a fine texture. Balanced, with good tension and length.

Winemaker Description 

With the desire to bring the best quality the Tuscan territory has to offer to wine lovers all over the world, Ruffino has contributed significantly to the creation of the fine image which Italian winemaking holds on the international wine scene today.

Intense powerful aromas of cherry, plum and violet opens the bouquet and fades gracefully into enticing aromas of tobacco, chocolate, cinnamon and spicy hints of black pepper. Great complexity that expresses authentic Sangiovese and Chianti Classico aromas. Full-bodied, very powerful in the mouth with elegant tannins perfectly supported with good acidity. The finish is characterized by pleasant sensations of sweet tobacco. The aftertaste is particularly long and shows powerful notes of plums and lighter aromas of clove.

Expert Review - Vintage 2021

The Wine Spectator 93 Points | There's intensity to this red, which showcases cherry, boysenberry and blood orange flavors. Iron, underbrush and tobacco notes peek through as this builds to the lingering aftertaste. Verges on racy courtesy of the bracing acidity. Excellent length. Sangiovese, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon.

James Suckling 92 Points | An attractive and layered nose of walnuts, ground spices, grilled thyme, red cherries and red plums with a touch of meatiness. The medium-bodied palate is sleek and polished, with juicy acidity and a fine texture. Balanced, with good tension and length.

Winemaker Description 

With the desire to bring the best quality the Tuscan territory has to offer to wine lovers all over the world, Ruffino has contributed significantly to the creation of the fine image which Italian winemaking holds on the international wine scene today.

Intense powerful aromas of cherry, plum and violet opens the bouquet and fades gracefully into enticing aromas of tobacco, chocolate, cinnamon and spicy hints of black pepper. Great complexity that expresses authentic Sangiovese and Chianti Classico aromas. Full-bodied, very powerful in the mouth with elegant tannins perfectly supported with good acidity. The finish is characterized by pleasant sensations of sweet tobacco. The aftertaste is particularly long and shows powerful notes of plums and lighter aromas of clove.

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Syrah has a long history of cultivation on the island of Sicily with first records mentioning it in 1868. After decades of evolving and adapting to the region’s unique terroir, the Sallier de La Tour family became convinced of the varietal’s potential to thrive in the Monreale area where the soils are rich in potassium and the natural springs found under the vineyards allow the grapes to retain freshness.

The vineyards’ exposition and proximity to the sea allow for even and optimal ripening and the resulting wines display the fruit, balance and elegance indicative of the Syrah grape.

Expert Reviews - Vintage 2019

The Wine Advocate 95 Points | The San Felice 2019 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Il Grigio (made with 80% Sangiovese and 20% complementary indigenous grapes) stands out due to its velvety richness and expressive flavor profile. The wine delivers measured intensity with bright purple and black fruits, a good sense of energy and drive, and some lingering spiciness on the close. It is rich but not heavy.

James Suckling 93 Points | This is spiced and racy with dark cherries, currants, savory herbs, walnuts and sandalwood. Medium- to full-bodied with ripe, powdery tannins, juicy acidity and a mineral backbone on the palate. Bright and fruit-forward in the finish. Drink or hold.

Expert Review - Vintage 2021

The Wine Spectator 93 Points | Offers cherry and plum fruit framed by earth, mineral and wild herb flavors. Poised between elegance and power, this red is beautifully balanced. Dusty tannins support the fruit on the long finish. Best from 2026 through 2042. 26,000 cases made, 4,000 cases imported.

Antonio Galloni of Vinous writes 93 Points | The 2021 Chianti Classico Riserva II Grigio da San Felice is a dark, dense, rather somber wine. Black cherry, leather, tobacco, incense and dried herbs reinforce that initial impression. A Riserva of substance and power, the 2021 has a ton to offer. It's an especially fine edition of II Grigio.

Tamlyn Currin writes:  This is utterly scrumptious. It's an arpeggio of sweet, audaciously ripe, red-berried, violet-flushed fruit that soars through the glass. Untrammelled freshness. The fruit is the flautist of the vineyard. Dauntlessly about the fruit but at the same time it's not speciously 'fruity'. It's complex. The tannins are silky but have fine-powdered chalky grip. There is spice, a little liquorice bark and a whisper of leafiness – that sort of green-purple petalled velvetiness of woodland violets. And the purity of fruit fills every molecule of the long finish. Bravo!  Drinking 2024 to 2031.  - Jancis Robinson 17

Winemaker Description 

Deep ruby red. Rich, long-lingering aromas are redolent of violets and wild red berry fruit. Il Grigio is a full-bodied wine, lean and firm, with succulent tannins and a tangy acidity. Ideal when accompanying meat-sauced first courses, roast pigeon, grilled steak.

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Fragrant and bright on the nose, Ciampoleto Rosso di Montalcino delivers juicy red berries and baking spice on the palate. Supple tannins and vibrant acidity refresh and the lingering finish begs another sip.

Expert Reviews - Vintage 2020 

Wallter Speller writes:  Lustrous mid ruby. An elegant, fragrant raspberry nose, gorgeous supple and juicy cherry and raspberry fruit on the palate, and with gripping, nutty tannins. Very long and succulent and fragrant.  Drinking 2022 to 2028.  - Jancis Robinson 17++

Audrey Frick writes:  The dark ruby 2020 Chianti Classico is ripe with aromas of black raspberry coulis, red flowers, sweet tobacco, and pine. Elegant and medium-bodied, it fills the palate with supple texture, fine tannins, and an even, well-balanced finish. This is a highly approachable wine that I would be fighting to pour by the glass if I were still running a wine program. Pure, classic, and balanced, it’s a gulpable wine will drink great now or over the coming 6-8 years.  Drinking 2024 to 2032.  - Jeb Dunnuck 92+

Antonio Galloni writes:  The 2020 Chianti Classico is super-impressive. It's the sort of wine that needs time to come together, though, so readers should be in no rush. The purity of the fruit is really quite compelling. Dark cherry, plum, cedar, incense and licorice build nicely in a mid-weight Chianti Classico that hits all the right notes.  Drinking 2023 to 2032.  - Vinous 91

Monica Larner writes:  The certified organic San Giusto a Rentennano 2020 Chianti Classico is a clever blend of 90% Sangiovese and 5% Canaiolo from a unique growing site in Gaiole in Chianti. This vintage absolutely stands out thanks to its ample and generous fruit profile, driven by a warm and sunny vintage. This sees steel, cement and oak. The wine travels over the palate with an elegant and velvety texture. This is an entry-level production of 51,872 bottles (and some magnums), and it hits all the right notes.  Drinking 2022 to 2030.  - Robert Parker Wine Advocate 93

Bruce Sanderson writes:  A dense red, with solid tannins and lively acidity supporting expressive cherry, raspberry, iron and earth flavors. Balanced, long and will benefit from food or another year or two of bottle age. Sangiovese and Canaiolo. Drink now through 2028.  - Wine Spectator 90

Winemaker Description

It is a Chianti with a traditional style, energetic and elegant, expressing beautiful complexity and cleanliness in the nose. It is aged for at least 10 months in oak barrels and barriques plus 6 months in the bottle and expresses aromas of ripe red fruit and spicy notes, for an agile, fresh and soft sip.  

Luca Maroni - 94 Points

"Deep purple-red color with black-violet reflections; intense and persistent aroma, with hints of blackcurrant and wild berries, spicy, with notes of thyme. Full-bodied, velvety and harmonious wine, with a long and savory finish.”

Producer Description 

Deep purple red with dark violet reflections; intense and persistent aroma, with blackcurrant and wild fruit scent, spicy, with thyme notes. A full-bodied wine, soft and balanced, long and pleasantly flavored in the end.

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Nanfrè is Tenuta Sant'Antonio's young Valpolicella wine. It incorporates no dried grapes and uses no oak. The winery's recent decision to stop producing the Nanfrè as s Valpolicella Superiore allows them to maintain lower alcohol levels, more vibrant fruit and lively freshness. Nanfrè is the name of a hamlet in the commune of Illasi, the name of a vineyard and also the nickname of the previous owner of that vineyard (short for Gianfranco).

Winemaker Description 

Delicate gold with hints of straw. The lovely nose showcases nuances of delicate pear, citrus and notes of almond blossom. This delicious wine is light to medium bodied with a soft palate, followed by a crisp dry finish. 

Winemaker Description 

Fresh, crispy, citrus undertones. Slightly acidic, great quaffing wine.

Expert Review - Vintage 2018

James Suckling 90 Points | A wine of two parts, offering a nose of restraint before a judiciously endowed, nicely weighted palate of savoriness and ample freshness. Far from a blockbuster, yet mitigating this to an extent with a chord of freshness, cherry spice, sap and a well-aligned corset of tannins. Drink or hold.

Winemaker Description 

Dark red hue; concentrated, fragrant nose with top notes of cherry jam and cranberries, followed by hints of plum, dried fruit and cocoa. On the palate it is full, round, with velvety tannins, pleasantly tangy with a long finish, with notes of red berries and an alluring full flavor.

Winemaker Description

This wine embodies the most spontaneous expression of Corvina: fragrant fruit and full flavor. Ruby red in color with purplish highlights, accompanied by a concentrated, fragrant nose with notes of ripe cherries, blackcurrants, blackberries, and green peppercorns, followed by hints of cocoa powder and dried fruits. The vibrant, juicy palate is underpinned by velvety tannins and has a long, flavorsome finish.

Expert Reviews - Vintage 2022

James Suckling 98 Points | Plenty of red currant, cedar, iron and terra cotta aromas follow through to a medium to full body with graphite, sandalwood, red currants and fresh Mediterranean herbs such as thyme and rosemary. The tannins are chewy but polished in texture. This is a Sassicaia that needs three or four years of bottle age to come together and soften. A structured wine for the cellar.

Decanter 97 Points | The wine is tightly coiled and concentrated. It feels almost cinched at the waist, with a fascinating tension between the weight of raspberry, blackberry and strawberry coulis fruit and the wine's verticality, as if it's trying to burst out. Lovely mid-palate sapidity is allied to fresh acidity and fine but dense tannins, making for a dark horse of a Sassicaia that isn't giving much away today but will greatly reward those who can cellar it for 12 years and more. ‘What is sure is that 2022 will need a lot of time, but will also have a long life,’ said Priscilla Incisa della Rocchetta. A hot vintage, 2022 caused the team to work in the newly completed refrigerated warehouses in San Guido, even moving the sorting table inside. Shorter macerations and 23 rather than the more typical 24 or 25 months of ageing in wood helped to maximise the freshness.

JebDunnuck.com by Audrey Frick 97+ Points | The 2022 Sassicaia is a deeper, youthful magenta/red color with a slightly deeper aromatic profile of rosemary, gravelly earth, sage, mossy earth, and fresh black cherries. The palate has slightly broader shoulders but remains elegant. It has more plushness on the mid-palate, while its acidity shines through with the finish. It will need several years to shed its baby fat and show its full potential.

The Wine Advocate 97 Points by Monica Larner | The Tenuta San Guido 2022 Bolgheri Sassicaia reveals a beautiful fruit profile with fresh blackberry, tart cherry and Mediterranean tones of blue rosemary blooms and lavender sachet.

Vinous 94 Points by Antonio Galloni 94 Points | Dark cherry, plum, leather, licorice, graphite and incense give the 2022 striking aromatic presence to match its rather brooding personality. There’s a bit of tension in the tannins that needs time to resolve.

Winemaker Description 

100% Gaglioppo, a medium-sized, thick-skinned grape indigenous to Southern Italy and best known for the production of Ciro DOC.

Aromas of red fruits and spice complement undertones of cranberries, wild berries, and plums. Lightly dry, moderate tannins make this a perfect food wine.

Pair with parmesan, herb crumbed lamb cutlets.

Expert Review -Vintage 2020

Falstaff 92 Points | Bright, radiant ruby red. Elegant nose, reminiscent of cut flowers, raspberry and some paprika powder. Delicate, youthful on the palate, with a pleasant acidity. The finish is long and mineral. Clean mouthfeel. 

Expert Reviews - Vintage 2013

The Wine Advocate 93 Points | The 2013 Alghero Marchese di Villamarina is a pricey wine but it is also an ambitious one. This pure expression of Cabernet Sauvignon was one of the first wines to put Sardinia on the world wine map. It is a symbol of the soaring aspiration of island viticulture in a modern context (remember, archaeological traces of the Mediterranean's oldest wines were found here). The wine possesses a dark and richly concentrated appearance with lingering aromas of dark fruit, spice and black olive. The mouthfeel is dense and compact with a dry, mineral-driven finish. This is a great wine from a classic vintage.

James Suckling 91 Points | Blackberry, dried-blueberry, dried-herb, earth and some smoked-meat aromas. It’s medium-to full-bodied with firm, well integrated tannins. Savory and flavorful finish. Drink or hold.

The Wine Spectator 91 Points | Featuring trim tannins, a delicate herbal overtone and a tangy, minerally underpinning, this elegant, medium- to full-bodied red displays a more traditional side, while pure notes of ripe black currant, spice box, citrus and pomegranate provide harmony and pleasure. Drink now through 2025.

Winemaker Description 

Rich, majestic red in color. On the nose, intense and mellow with remarkable red fruit fragrances. The palate demonstrates classic flavors of Cabernet with accents of vanilla, black currant, soft grained tannins with a lingering finish.

A match for top quality steaks, red meats, and game.

Expert Review

Bart Hopkins 67Wine.com | Bart as many of you know by now has the great ability to find delicious well made wines from time producers.  Selvagrossa a winery in the Marche region of Italy, owned by brothers Alberto and Alessandro Taddei farm just a handful of hectares (think of a hectare as a football field squared) of vineyard in and around the town of Pesaro, a few kilometers from Adriatic.  Muschen is their entry level wine and is absolutely a joyous red made of 50% Sangiovese, 30% Merlot, and 20% Cabernet Franc.  

Winemaker Description

Muschen translates to ‘firefly’ in the local dialect and is the nickname of winemaker Alberto Taddei, who farms 4 hectares along the Adriatic coast with his brother Alessandro. A blend of 50% Sangiovese, 30% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc, all of which are fermented separately in stainless steel then blended. This wine shows tones of brambly berries and plums with fresh mint accents and brooding tobacco and spice elements on the finish.

Brothers Alberto and Alessandro Taddei farm just a handful of hectares of vineyard in and around the town of Pesaro, and this Adriatic-influenced region produces wines of incredible personality. Pesaro is an overlooked treasure of a village in the northern Marche, hugging the Adriatic coast. As you travel by car south and west of the village, you find yourself winding down hillside roads with lush green pastures, farms, and an occasional factory or two. 

Libero Taddei, the grandfather of the current generation, Alberto and Alessandro, diversified his livelihood by planting vines on the hillsides. Sangiovese was a natural selection, but grapes such as Merlot and Cabernet Franc were also found to be well suited to the vineyards. Today at Selvagrossa, there are almost four hectares of vineyards that surround Mamma Anselma’s house and the winery, and another half hectare they work with in a coastal vineyard north of Pesaro. The farming has been certified organic since 2017, but Selvagrossa has practiced sustainable farming for many years. The winery at Selvagrossa is very simple, not a lot of bells and whistles, but it makes delicious and complex wines.

The 2022 “Muschèn” is a blend of 50% Sangiovese, 30% Merlot, and 20% Cabernet Franc. No oak is used; it is fermented and aged only in stainless steel. “Muschèn” is the quintessential everyday Italian red, with that classic red fruit on the nose from the Sangiovese, a plushness in the midpalate from the Merlot, and some complex herbs and mineral notes from the Cabernet Franc. 

Expert Review 

The Wine Enthusiast by Kara Newman 91 Points | This Sardinian vermouth has a straw hue and bold tropical fruit aromas. The palate opens and closes with toasted coconut and vanilla sweetness, plus a pineapple hint midpalate. 

Producer Description 

Crafted on the island of Sardinia, Silvio Carta’s “Servito” Vermouth Bianco is a fragrant, Mediterranean expression of the classic aperitif. This 750ml bottling is infused with local botanicals such as myrtle, sage, and citrus peels, layered over a base of Vernaccia wine. It’s elegantly floral and herbaceous, with a subtle sweetness and vibrant, coastal freshness. Enjoy it chilled, over ice with a lemon twist, or as a base for a distinctly Sardinian spritz.

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James Suckling 96 Points | A round and juicy red with berry, cherry, mushroom and wet-earth character on both the nose and palate. It’s full-bodied with integrated tannins that are soft and luscious. Long, flavorful finish. Drinkable now, but better in two or three years.