What a beauty. The Tenuta di Capezzana 2012 Vin Santo di Carmignano Riserva (packaged in a 375-milliliter bottle) inches forth from the tiny bottle slowly and ultimately reveals a spectacular color that is orange, copper and almost green at the same time. I tasted bottle number 962 of a precious 4,968 produced. This Vin Santo puts on a real show thanks to its rich viscosity that slides, shifts and glistens in the glass. There are many aromas to describe, and it is hard to do this wine justice given how quickly they shift and change. There is honey, brown sugar, dried herb, forest mushroom, caramel and tilled earth. I even got a hint of rubber boot. This is a work of art and a clear passion project. Assigning a numerical score to an aspirational wine like this somehow misses the point, but here goes nothing.

Elegant and vibrant, with expressive aromas suggesting cherry, tamarind and tar, followed by flavors of red berry, rose and mineral.  Ends with a lingering aftertaste.  Best from 2023 through 2038.

The 2018 Sor Ugo is a superb Bolgheri red. Pliant, succulent and so expressive, the 2018 offers plenty of richness, but with terrific energy, too. Black cherry, mocha, spice, licorice and chocolate all build as the 2018 fills out over time. The purity of the flavors is striking.

Delicate and fine, the Alois Lageder 2018 Pinot Noir Krafuss (now a Vigneti delle Dolomiti IGT wine) is redolent of wild berry, blue flower, crushed stone and orange peel. This wine embraces the subtle side of the grape and produces a lasting sense of balance and freshness. The aromatic intensity of this vintage is perhaps a little undertone and thin compared to recent past vintages (like the excellent 2016 edition that comes to mind); however, the wine has all its elements meticulously in place. This is a certified organic and biodynamic wine.

Though ripe and lush, this is also dense, with pointed tannins giving a physical sensation and lifting the cherry, strawberry and floral flavors. Finds a nice youthful equilibrium in the end, where mouthwatering acidity roams. Best from 2023 through 2038.

Delicate but enticing aromas of elderflower, citrus and baking spice shape the nose. Boasting exceptional class and an understated elegance, 
the polished palate delivers ripe white peach, grapefruit, fennel and a dollop of vanilla before an almost salty finish.

Very potent aromas of blackcurrants and toasted oak with hints of eucalyptus and black-cherry liqueur, following through to a full palate with firm tannins that drive the fruit on through the long finish. There’s a kind of raw, almost rough-and-ready character to this that’s a bit hard work now. Will even out with bottle age. One for the cellar. Try from 2024.

Savory juniper, mint and floral aromas give way to cherry and strawberry flavors in this high-pitched red.  Firms up, with refined, yet pointed tannins lining the lingering finish.  Best from 2024 through 2036.