Italian Wine

They source the grapes for Lumina from the Delle Venezie IGT, an appellation comprised of Veneto, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, and Trentino. These are the top regions in Italy for the cultivation of Pinot Grigio. Fermentation takes place in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks.

Enjoy Ruffino Lumina Pinot Grigio as an aperitif or as a wonderful companion with a variety of foods. It's delicious with prosciutto and mild cheeses, fresh salads, and pasta with cream sauces. It also pairs well with seafood, shellfish, white meat, or Asian dishes. 

Expert Review - Vintage 2020

Salvatore owns and operates a small farm in the Pachino region in the southeast corner of Sicily. There he grows a variety of crops including cereals for pasta flour, olives, fruits and of course grapes. Spontaneous fermentation with native yeast, unfined, minimal sulfites at bottling. The vines are planted in free standing bushes, and hand harvested with respect to the lunar calendar.

Winemaker Description

Luminous ruby red. Scents of cherry, raspberry, and sweet violets. Dry on the palate, showing subtle tannins and a fresh, crisp acidity.

At its best when partnered with antipasti, full-flavored first courses, and most red meats. Winemaker Description. 

Expert Revivews - Vintage 2021 

92 Points Wine Enthusiast | Cranberries, strawberries and orange peel with fennel and sage and a mineral edge of just crushed rock are on the nose and then are repeated on the palate, where they come together in an elegant balance against firm but polished tannins and vibrant acidity.

91 Points Robert Parker | Made with 80% Sangiovese, 10% Colorino and 10% Pugnitello, the 2021 Chianti Classico proves to be a versatile wine and a fundamentally food-friendly choice with lots of purple and blue fruits with hints of fragrant wild rose. The wine supports medium weight and lots of fresh acidity to cut through cream or butter-based cooking ingredients. This is a huge production of half a million bottles.

90 Points James Suckling | A fresh and delicious Chianti Classico with a lightness and crunchiness. Sour cherries and light orange blossom. Light and pretty. Drink now.

Winemaker Description

Vibrant acidity and refined tannins seep into the fabric of this round red, which is laced with cherry, raspberry and floral aromas and flavors. Mineral and underbrush accents add depth as this plays out on the long, dusty finish. Best from 2026 through 2043.

Expert Review - Vintage 2019 

Vinous 94 Points | The 2019 Brunello di Montalcino Ugolforte opens with a minty freshness as flint stone and dusty rose give way to crushed cherries. Silky and pliant, this possesses an elegance not often seen, with violet and lavender tones accentuating its polished red and blue fruits. This tapers off with sweet tannins balanced by an orange hint. A structured yet mouth-watering sensation lingers on. What a beauty this is.

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.  

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.

Winemaker Description 

This biodynamic wine is bright, pale yellow in the glass offering aromas of minerals, flowers and fresh stone fruits.

Excellent structure and balance creating a certain elegance of fruit, acidity, freshness and a lingering finish. 

Winemaker Description 

Vin Santo is a historic Tuscan sweet wine served on holidays, important occasions and shared at convivial gatherings. The grapes are left to dry for months, as tradition dictates, then gently pressed.

Fermentation and aging take place over a period of at least 2 years in small oak casks resulting in a dessert wine with natural residual sugars. Pairs perfectly with desserts and all varieties of blue cheese.

Straw with light golden hues. Aromas of tropical fruit and green apple predominate.
Delicate and well-balanced, this wine has a delicious chardonnay character derived from time in stainless steel rather than oak. Winemaker Description. 

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. 

Irresistibly fresh and crisp, this hasbright aromas of lemon-lime, green apple and dried hay. Pair this with raw fish, sushi or swordfish carpaccio. Winemaker Description. 

Winemaker Description

Santi Valpolicella Classico Superiore is a “ripasso” method Valpolicella; meaning that following primary fermentation the wine sees a second fermentation with the addition of Amarone grapes and skins, creating a richer, more complex and more exciting final wine.

Terroir: Santi Solane is sourced from estate vineyards within the original Valpolicella appellation of Valpolicella Classico.

Vinification: When primary fermentation is complete in early winter, grapes, skins and pomace from Santi’s Amarone are added to the vats. The additional sugars from the Amarone trigger a second fermentation which adds additional layers of complexity, rich fruit and structure. The wine is blended and then aged for more 3-5 months in small oak cask followed by an additional 12 months in larger neutral casks prior to bottling. 

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.

Winemaker Description

Scarpetta Barbera del Monferrato is a bright plum red color. Aromas of crushed berries and plums intermix with aromas of earth and porcini mushrooms. On the palate, the wine is medium bodied with bright acidity and low tannins, yet wonderfully balanced.

The high acidity and low tannins let this wine work with everything from a pizza or homemade pasta to a piece of beef or pork.

Winemaker Description 

Select is made by carefully blending 30 botanicals including juniper berries and rhubarb root. The result is a complex and perfect balanced bittersweet taste.

Bright ruby red with orange reflections. Vigorous and tonic main note, with a hint of essential oils and citrus fruits, supported by a balsamic and fresh note of juniper, resin, eucalyptus and menthol distillate. Complex, herbaceous secondary notes. The taste is very intense and complex, with prevailing bitter notes due to the roots and bark. Spicy, tropical notes that bind to citrus notes. Pleasantly persistent aftertaste with fresh and lively notes due to the essential oils of citrus fruits.

Winemaker Notes

La Cala has aromas of fresh citrus and tropical fruit and white flowers accented by a mineral note and a hint of the surrounding Mediterranean vegetation. The wine has firm acidity with a soft, balanced palate which leads to a lingering finish.

Vermentino wines are a versatile match for a wide array of appetizers and entrees, especially shellfish and seafood dishes. 

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.  

The 2022 “Muschèn” is a blend of those three grape varieties and it is fermented and aged in stainless steel to keep maximum freshness and fruit flavors.  Muschèn is the quintessential everyday Italian red, with that classic red fruit on the nose from the Sangiovese, a plushness in the mid-palate from the Merlot, and complex herbs and mineral notes from the Cabernet Franc.  Bart thinks you will love his discovery.

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. 

Producer Description 

A restrained Barolo with garnet color, offering notes of dried cherries, dried orange peel and hints of cocoa and bark. Medium-bodied, compact and dense with velvety tannins. Shows rich fruit at the end. Delicate and supple. Already drinkable, but better after 2027.

Expert Review

James Suckling 92 Points | A restrained Barolo with garnet color, offering notes of dried cherries, dried orange peel and hints of cocoa and bark. Medium-bodied, compact and dense with velvety tannins. Shows rich fruit at the end. Delicate and supple. Already drinkable, but better after 2027. (v.2020).

Ned Goodwin MW writes:  Benchmark Valpo. Others should take note. A thirst-slaking rail of salty phenolics, doused in tangerines and sour cherries, with a touch of garden and alpine herbs. Brisk acidity carries length, finishing with a kick of quinine. Delicious. From organically grown grapes. Sustainable. Drink now.  - James Suckling 91

Alison Napjus writes:  A bright, balanced red, with light tannins and ripe cherry and cranberry fruit accented by blood orange peel, incense and rooibos tea notes. Drink now.  - Wine Spectator

Winemaker Description 

A young and uninhibited wine which is the lifeblood of the land from which it originates. A magnificent table companion suitable for serving with all kinds of dishes. After many years of sustainable agriculture the Speri family obtained organic certification in 2015. All Speri wines are now organic.

Ruby red in color with purplish highlights and an intense, vinous bouquet, with hints of violets and cherries. A medium-bodied, fruity wine, to be enjoyed young. An ideal accompaniment to hors d’oeuvres, soups, pasta and typical Mediterranean dishes.

Winemaker Description 

Color: Yellowish green. Nose: Thick bouquet of yellow fruit, gooseberry, elderflower and ripe currant. Taste: Crisp acidity, soft fullness and elegant fullness.

Expert Review - 2023 Vintage 

Winemaker Description

From the Regaleali Estate, the Tasca winery, focusing on Nero d'Avola grapes (black grape variety also called 'Calabrese' not because it comes from Calabria, but as it derives from the ancient Calabrese family originating in the area of ​​Modica - Avola), produces this Ruby red wine, which has an exceptional aroma that brings to mind harmonious fruity notes well blended with typical Mediterranean spices. On the palate, an intense flavor of ripe fruit comes along with a pleasantly tannic background.

Winemaker Description

Cerasuolo translates as ‘pale cherry red’, and these wines get their distinctive deep hue from a short maceration of 24 hours or less. The high level of anthocyanins in the skin of the Montepulciano grape imbues the must with both colour and tannin in a short timeframe. 

Expert Review

Decanter Magazine writes | Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo: Italy’s serious rosé. While we consume swathes of lightly coloured rosé every year, it would be a shame to overlook Cerasuolo d'Abruzzo, Italy's cherry-coloured alternative. 

Winemaker Description

Light yellow with silvery highlights. Apricot and tangerine with a floral, herbal touch.    
Generous,unoakedpalate,drivenbywhitefruitandwarmcitrus Finish Fruit driven yet clean. 

Expert Reviews

Monica Larner writes:  The 2020 Bolgheri Superiore Ornellaia is made with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot with small percentages of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. It opens to an impenetrable, full-bodied approach with dark fruit, pencil shaving, toasted oak, Spanish cedar, campfire ash and iron ore. For sure, this is an especially concentrated and oak-driven vintage of this iconic wine. It absolutely requires more aging time. It feels quite tight and firm in its youth. The concentration is abundant.  Drinking 2026 - 2045  - Robert Parker Wine Advocate 95

Audrey Frick writes:  The 2020 Ornellaia is 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, raised in 70% new French oak for 18 months, with another 12 months in bottle prior to release. Flush with herbs and menthol, blackberry, and cedar, it is full bodied and fills the sides of the mouth with rounded fruit of luxurious plum, black cherry, and toast, with supple and velvety tannins. Drink 2026-2046.  - Jeb Dunnuck 96

Jancis Robinson writes: Deep, lustrous crimson. Very sumptuous nose followed up by a hedonistic palate that finishes especially fresh. Ripe but not too-ripe fruit – a drier (much less sweet) vintage than usual which should age well. Unusually, there is some vestige of tannin on the finish. It's certainly possible to drink now if it's aerated before serving but ideally, I'd keep this awhile. Savoury persistence.  Drinking 2024 - 2028  - Jancis Robinson 18

Bruce Sanderson writes:  Inviting aromas of blackberry, black currant, anise, cedar, vanilla and tobacco draw you in to this red, which is sleek and open on the palate. This is so well-balanced, it's approachable now, yet there's a bit of reserve too. The fruit flavors are prominent on the finish, along with mineral and spice notes, while the lasting impression is a salty, flinty element. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Best from 2026 through 2045.   - Wine Spectator 96

Antonio Galloni writes:  The 2020 Ornellaia is a gorgeous, elegant wine. Seamless and wonderfully deep on the palate, the 2020 is super-refined from the outset. Even with all of its depth, the 2020 retains terrific freshness and cut to play off its soft, succulent fruit. Overall, the 2020 looks to be a relatively accessible Ornellaia that will drink well with minimal cellaring. I especially admire the precision and understated finesse here.  Drinking 2027 - 2045  - Vinous 96

James Button writes:  Estate director Axel Heinz called 2020 ‘a classic Ornellaia,’ and picked the theme of ‘La Proporzione‘ (proportion) to describe its character. Indeed, the blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot marks a return to a more typical blend following the pendulum swings of 62% Cabernet Sauvignon in 2019, and 51% Merlot in 2018. Fine-grained and beautifully textured, its finely integrated tannins support a concentration of black fruits lightened by red berries. Aromas of black cherry, liquorice, dark chocolate, cedar and damp earth make for a fragrant wine, accompanied by menthol and balsamic streaks which run through the wine and impart plenty of freshness. It finishes with a stony and salty element along with some chocolatey and woody hints. Tight and moreish, its ripeness of fruit combined with freshness and structure adeptly tells the story of this earlier-ripening vintage. It lacks complexity in the mouth – this will come with time – but the array of aromas gives a hint of what is to come.  Drinking 2023 -2050  - Decanter 96

Georgina Hindle writes:  Black bramble fruit on the nose, heady, expressive, forward and open. Aromatic and inviting - on the riper, jammy side. Lithe and supple, this has an energy and weight giving plush tannins but with an austere, mineral grip. A curious combination but one that serves to give a round, interesting mouthful with both balsamic black and sweet blue fruits with touches of wet stone, cola and liquorice. Dark and brooding, a little sombre right now, clearly powerful with concentration and you can tell it's been well worked - feels controlled but still quite tense and constricted. The overall texture is sublime and I do love the dark sticky liquorice and bitter orange zest but this isn't quite giving the wow factor. Nice layering, linear and pure, tannins a touch dry on the finish. Refined and austere. Has a touch of ripe jamminess that detracts a little from the charming elegance you know this wine can have. 5% Petit Verdot completes the blend.  Drinking 2026 -2046

James Suckling writes:  Alluring aromas of lead pencil and currants with crushed stone and iodine. Full-bodied with hemmed in tannins that are tight and focused. Very fresh and energetic with wonderful length and intensity for this vintage. Needs four or five years to come together. Better in 2028 and onwards.  - James Suckling 98

Expert Review

Robert Parker 93 Points | The 2019 Chianti Classico Riserva shows velvety richness and good textural support. This comes thanks to the warmer microclimate and thicker soils, sometimes with a lot of clay, that distinguish the Castelnuovo Berardenga region of Chianti Classico. The finish is dry and long, but there is plenty of sweet earth, dark fruit, plum and balanced cherry in the mix.

Jeb Dunnuck 93 Points | The 2019 Chianti Classico Riserva (90% Sangiovese and the rest Merlot) takes on more spiced layers of smoke, cedar, menthol, and blackberry. It is full-bodied, with snappy acidity and fine tannins, and is noted with redcurrant, orange zest, tea leaf, and clove. Hold another year or two and drink 2025-2035.

Our Professional Review

Bart of 67Wine.com writes | Pale ruby red in color with an intriguing bouquet of wild blackberries, Asian spice, wild flowers and crushed rocks. In the mouth, the palate is soft and round with layered complexity of dark fruits and detailed minerality. This is a great example of why the wines of Etna are all the rage! A delicious rendition!
Bart Hopkins

Winemaker Description

Fessina Erse Etna Rosso is a light ruby color. Wild berries, coriander, cloves, pimento, pink pepper. Tasting of austere and soft tannins. Round and spicy, Erse tells an old story about Etna winemaking, where for hundred years the red grapes have been mixed with the white ones, a marriage between indigenous varieties. A picture of our melting pot vineyard where tastes and roots are melted together, giving a feminine complexity.

Expert Ratings - Vintage 2021 

Kerin O'Keefe of the WIne Enthusiast writes 93 Points | What a fantastic rosato. It opens with aromas of Mediterranean scrub, red berry, stone fruit and sea breeze while the elegant, mineral-driven, palate features juicy red cherry, wild strawberry, aromatic herb and spice set against bright acidity. It closes on a saline note.  

Winemaker Notes:

Campo di Camagi is one of the three labels of 100% Cabernet Franc produced by Andrea Franchetti from 2014, who wanted to devote the utmost attention to this historic grape of Bordeaux, enhancing its characteristics in relation to three different terroir of the estate. It is produced exclusively with grapes from a single plot of 1.5 hectares composed of a thin layer of quartz and limestone. The 27 year old vines struggle to grow in this space, the stems do not grow, the roots have filled it.

Expert Reviews 

Monica Larner writes:   Made with Cabernet Franc, the Tenuta di Trinoro 2020 Campo di Camagi shows a level of sharpness and precision that you don't get as clearly in the other wines in this series of single-vineyard releases. There is more oak spice with redwood and cedar, along with crushed granite and pencil shaving. The wine is linear and delivers big intensity to the palate, and it has the structure and acidity to accompany a long drinking window.  Drinking 2024 2045  - Robert Parker Wine Advocate 95+

James Suckling writes:  So perfumed with violets and lavender with some currants. Medium- to full-bodied with polish and finesse. Racy and fine. Finesse with drive. Very elegant and straightforward with a racy texture. Very long and lightly edgy. 92% cabernet franc and 8% merlot. Drink after 2027 but already beautiful.  - James Suckling 96

Bruce Sanderson writes:  A spicy red, featuring a beam of black currant and blackberry fruit shaded by violet, black pepper, iron and mint. Lithe and ends with a line of resonant tannins on the tobacco-tinged finish. Cabernet Franc. Best from 2025 through 2038. 166 cases made, 65 cases imported.  Wine Spectator 94

Jancis Robinson writes:  Racy, lively and a little fragile and delicate. Tense.  Drinking 2024 - 2034  - Jancis Robinson 17.5

96 points Robert Parker | If you love Cabernet Franc, please direct your attention here. The Tenuta di Trinoro 2019 Campo di Magnacosta is a study in the intensity, power and depth of this grape. Campo di Magnacosta was the first of several single-vineyard parcels planted to this variety. The first bottling from this 1.5-hectare site was made in 2011, and this year a mere 2,122 bottles were released. The wine is profound and pure with luscious dark fruit, sharp minerality, spice and etched contours. You get that distinctive hint of slate or pencil shaving that is especially characteristic of this Cabernet Franc. Its full-bodied texture wraps smoothly over the palate, and the tannins have been expertly integrated.

Wine Spectator 94 Points | Bay leaf, tomato leaf and thyme aromas add a savory element to the black currant and black cherry fruit, with lively acidity and compact tannins providing support as this winds down on the lingering finish. Cabernet Franc. Best from 2024 through 2042. 176 cases made, 55 cases imported.  

Vinous 94 Points | The 2019 Campo di Magnacosta comes as very tightly wound. Bright red/purplish toned fruit, chalk, mint and white pepper lend notable and salivating energy to this decidedly focused Franc. It's amazing to see just how expressive these wines are with regards to site and vintage. Let's see if this fleshes out a bit more with time.  Drinking 2025 - 2039  — Antonio Galloni, 94+ Points