A fine tannined and very crunchy red with orange peel, crab apple and cranberry aromas and flavors. It’s medium-bodied with crisp acidity and a fine tannin backbone. Don’t worry about the slight amber edge to the wine. It’s fresh. Drink or hold.

This has incredible energy and depth, with a tight, firm and powerful tannin frame that is present throughout. Full-bodied with a deep core of dark fruit, slate, minerals and iron. Oyster shells, porcini, licorice and some cedar, too. More closed than the 2015. Great wine. Try this after a couple of years. It will last for decades.  Second tasting.

There are plenty of cheap and quaffable choices available when it comes to Prosecco DOC, but for just a few dollars more you can take a real step up with Prosecco Superiore DOCG wines, especially from quality producers like Adami. Over the last decade, producers in the hilly Prosecco Superiore zone have moved toward less-sweet styles to keep up with changing market demands, applying meticulous vineyard management to achieve the perfect grapes these dryer styles require. The Adami family bought the Col Credas vineyard in the early 2000s. It lies in the Rive di Farra di Soligo, one of the 43 rive sites notable for their steep slopes and favorable exposures. The family experimented with the vinification of grapes from Col Credas for a decade, eventually concluding that wines from this site reached their best expression with just a few grams of residual sugar, and releasing Col Credas as a single-vineyard wine for the first time in the 2011 vintage. Ten years later, the 2021 Col Credas Extra Brut is firm and taut, with golden pear and citrus flavors that are pure and refreshing as they glide on a line of cool acidity.  The wine finishes crisp and dry, with lingering saline notes that call for a plate of freshly shucked Wellfleet oysters.  

The southeastern Italian region of Puglia is often thought of as one of the most important territories for rosato in the country. Several grapes are used to produce the various styles; this one from Masseria Li Veli is produced entirely from Negroamaro. Medium-deep orange in color, this offers delightful perfumes of orange peel, currant and orange roses. There is very good acidity, which helps preserve acidity and freshness and the finish is round and quite delicious. Enjoy this over the next 2-3 years.

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.

A crisp and juicy red with sour cherries, red currants, wild strawberries, dried leaves and bark on the nose. Medium body with bright acidity and firm tannins. Vivid yet structured with a crunchy finish. Nebbiolo. Drink or hold.

Lots of red plums and cherries on the nose with a palate that has a full body, thick silky tannins and a fresh and flavorful finish. The tannins are in good balance against the ripe fruit. Fresh and transparent at the end. Drink or hold.

The 2021 Rosato Montepulciano Kómaros wafts up to show dusty rose, sweet melon and minty herbs. This impresses, with its soft textures contrasted by a reverberation of zesty acids and sour citrus tones; yet through it all, a vivid note of ripe yellow apple resides at its core. The 2021 Kómaros tapers off with tension, leaving behind mineral-tinged orchard fruits and a hint of blood orange. Garofoli knocked it out of the park with this Montepulciano Rosato.