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.
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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.
The 2021 Rosato Etna Tefra is remarkably pretty, with sweet smoke and melon complemented by hints of crushed almond and candied citrus. While silky in feel, a burst of brilliant acidity and salty mineral tones add a reverberation of tension, as orchard fruits and inner florals settle in toward the close. There’s a richness that lasts through the finale, seldom found in a Rosato, as the Tefra tapers off with a saline flourish that keeps the mouth watering for more. This is the magic of Nerello Mascalese Rosato.
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.
Coming from La Morra, a more fruit-forward tone can be found in the licorice spice and depth of the 2019 Barolo Cerequio, which offers slightly darker fruit, ripe berries, and peppercorn. This was the second vintage produced and is more approachable now for the vintage. It is a joyful wine though it still has ripe structure. Drink 2024-2044.
Medium intense strawberry pink; aromas of marascino cherry, watermelon and pink roses. Medium full with very good concentration. There is very good complexity, with a finish that displays notes of red cherry and carnation. This would be ideal with a lighter prosciutto, such as Prosciutto di San Daniele. Enjoy over the next 2-4 years.
The 2019 Barolo Ravera is the most intensely mineral and saline of the Barolos. Crushed rocks, white pepper, flowers, orange zest, red berry fruit and bright acids all run through this finely sculpted, chiseled Barolo. Readers who enjoy Barolos of energy and tension will adore the Ravera. I have always had a soft spot for this Barolo. The 2019 is another magnificent dimension of Vietti's dark horse, a wine that over the last 10-12 years has routinely challenged for the crown here, and often won!
The 2018 Syrah La Monaca is an inky purple color in the glass. It offers a dark and seductive bouquet that mixes blackberries and plum sauce with balsamic spice, brown sugar and hints of peppery herbs. Its textures are silky-smooth, casting ripe black fruits over a medium-bodied frame. The density and richness here tempt the imagination as fine tannins and minerals saturate under an air of violet florals. This finishes incredibly long, to notes of salted licorice and currants. The La Monaca is already highly enjoyable for its concentration and sheer potential, but it will blossom after a few years of cellaring. These vines were planted in 2011 in a mix of sand, clay and limestone at the Sallier de La Tour estate in the northwest section of the island. Considering how well the 2018 is showing, I can only imagine what more vine age will bring.
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
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