From a southern exposure plot that gets full sun all day. Deep cherry & blueberry aromas and flavors, rich warm spice tones, bright acidity, light to mid weight, long finish with a spice push. Headed for true elegance!

The 2020 Brut Alta Langa Oudeis opens in the glass with an herbal tinge that gives way to notes of crushed stone and yellow apples. It possesses an inner sweetness and creamy bead of bubbles contrasted by crisp mineral tones and tart orchard fruits. This displays a lovely balance, finishing fresh with hints of almond custard and zests of lime that fade slowly.

The 2019 Orleto, 100% Cabernet Franc, is a new wine from Aia Vecchia. Dense and plush to the core, the 2019 is packed with blackberry, gravel, incense, licorice, espresso and sweet spice. There’s plenty of depth, that much is sure. It would be nice to see more varietal expression, as Franc can be magical on the Tuscan coast. In this tasting, the 2019 comes across as a bit hot.

This plot was purchased in 2019, and this is therefore the second vintage made. The Vietti 2020 Barbaresco Riserva Rabajà is spicy, juicy and accessible with some sweetness on the tannins. The wine sports Mediterranean warmth from within with black cherry, spice and grilled rosemary. There is a saline-mineral touch as well that adds elegance, but all said in done, this wine is more immediate in delivery. The 2020 vintage is bookended by two superior vintages, the 2019 and 2021. Only 2,152 bottles were made.

Bright with strawberry, cherry, rose, wild rosemary and iron aromas and flavors, this red is expressive but also firmly structured, harmonious and elegant, lingering with a complex aftertaste of fruit, mineral and savory elements. Best from 2028 through 2047. 165 cases made, 25 cases imported.

Uplifting nuances of mint and strawberry are brilliantly countered by a grounding earthiness that reaches mineral depths. This is elegantly weighted with enduring strength, and the tannins exhibit a powerful stoniness yet are gracefully proportioned. Really the epitome of balance – but nowhere near ready. Introduced in 2018, Cerequio (along with Monvigliero) is among the most recent editions to Vietti’s lineup of single-MGA Barolos. The 0.79 hectare plot purchased from Michele Chiarlo falls within the Barolo township just above Sarmassa.

The 2023 Trebbiano Capezzana is youthfully coy, mixing hints of ginger with wildflowers and lime. It's round and supple with a whiplash of zesty acidity and a saline flourish offsetting nearly oily textures and depths of ripe nectarine. It finishes tense and incredibly long, tapering off with a cheek-puckering lemony concentration. The 2023 is painfully young today but full of potential.

From vineyards planted in 2008, the Tenuta Tascante 2020 Etna Rosso Contrada Sciaranuova (with 5,500 bottles created) has a ruby shine that seems more luminous in this vintage. The bouquet is subtle, but there is noteworthy complexity here with ashy mineral, pressed violet and cassis. There is also an interesting note of bitter almond that leans directly into a tight tannic backbone. This contrada based in Randazzo sits at 730 meters in elevation and enjoys both northern and southern exposures. The wine ages in 25-hectoliter Slavonian oak casks for 12 months with a small percentage of 300-liter tonneaux as well.