The 2018 Barolo Brunate is a deep, layered wine that is going to need at least a few years to come together. Today, the Brunate is quite primary and backward, but all the ingredients are there. Sage, menthol, licorice, dried flowers and spice build with a bit of coaxing.

Tenuta Nuova hails from Casanova di Neri’s Le Cetine vineyard in Montalcino’s south. With a full southern exposure from east to west, it is a sun soaked, Mediterranean expression of Brunello. The 2017 takes a bit of coaxing at first but then cherry bark, cinnamon, liquorice root and gardenia arise from the glass. Upfront, gritty tannins dissolve slowly into a fine dusty powder, revealing supple, round black currants. Citrussy acidity keeps this lively while dark chocolate and mint notes linger. Drinking Window 2023 – 2029

A very pure and beautiful red with cherry and strawberry. Subtle spice, such as nutmeg and cedar. Orange peel, too. Medium to full body. Firm, silky tannins melt nicely into the wine. Fresh and clean finish. A little tight at the end. A beautiful single-vineyard Chianti Rufina with structure. Drinkable now, but better after 2023, when it will have softened a little.

Though firm, there is an elegance to this red, whose flavor profile ranges from strawberry and cherry to tobacco and tea. Taut and linear, with fine balance and a long, red fruit, stone and savory aftertaste. Best from 2025 through 2042

Dark and imposing, the 2016 Carmignano Riserva Trefiano smolders up from the glass, with rich plums giving way to crushed violets, stone dust, hints of tobacco and saddle leather. An opulent wave of velvety textures floods the entire palate with ripe red and black fruits, leaving a saturation of minerals and grippy tannins in its wake. This is potent, long and structured; yet the balance is on point, as notes of hard red candies and hints of licorice fade. The 2016 Trefiano is quite a wine. This is a blend of 80% Sangiovese, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Caniolo that spends eighteen months refining in medium-toast tonneaux, half new and half second pass.

Sliced apples, lemons, wild herbs and some cream on the nose. It’s medium-bodied with an oily texture. Very fresh. Drink now.

This is one of my all-time favorite Brunellos, and although personal tastes are fluid and may change from time to time, there is something timeless and solid about this wine. It's like a touchstone. The Casanova di Neri 2017 Brunello di Montalcino Tenuta Nuova is graced with a similar interlude of elegant rose or crushed flower that we saw in the annata wine. It appears more prominently here, and with more shape and focused intensity. Make no mistake, Giacomo Neri builds wines for pleasure and sensual impact, and this wine (helped by a hot growing season and 15% alcohol) ticks all those boxes. But it also shows floral elegance and sour cherry freshness that defies our expectations of the vintage.

At each tilt of the glass, the 2019 Podium reveals something new. Initially showing gingery spice, white smoke and yellow flower notes, it evolves into sour melon, young mango and wet stone aromas. Finally, it turns flinty, with crushed apples and raw almonds. The silky textures are almost glycerol-like, even though it is seemingly weightless in feel. It hovers above the senses while being propelled by vibrant acidity and saturating mineral tones, as ripe orchard fruits and inner florals cascade across the palate. It leaves you with an achingly youthful impression, the combination of structure and lingering notes of bitter grapefruit rind and granny smith apples. 2019 Podium is a classic in the making; and while it can be enjoyed today, the best is yet to come.