The 2017 Bianco Molamatta is seductive, with a rich mix of baked apples and pears accentuated by white flowers and almond custard. This is elegant, verging on opulent, but not quite, with oily textures hosting a mix of ripe tropical fruits. It finishes with admirable length and is spicy, leaving dried apricot and hazelnut notes to linger. The Molamatta is a blend of 40% Friulano, 40% Pinot Bianco and 20% Ribolla Gialla with extended lees aging that lasts up to a year.

The 2019 Cabernet Franc Collio entices with a uniquely spicy bouquet that evokes Indian curries, incense and pipe tobacco before revealing a core of crushed raspberry. This is like pure silk on the palate, yet with a stimulating thrust of acidity that motivates it tart wild berry fruits. Pepper-tinged inner florals and saline minerality are left to mingle through the finale, as the 2019 finishes lightly structured and distinctly savory. This is Patience will be necessary.

Concentrated aromas of black plum, fig, blackberry, white pepper, allspice and tea leaf roll out of the glass. Gamy on the palate with a lush and generous offering of black cherry jam that is balanced by floral and savory elements bringing the wine to its earthy finish. 

Moving into more classically styled Barolo, the 2019 Barolo Castiglione has benchmark pure aromas and character of blood orange, raspberry licorice, fresh herbs, and fresh red flowers. It is taut with good intensity and is gripping with ripe tannins, driving but not harsh acidity, and a rocky mineral texture. Pure and clean, with red berries, turned earth, and bergamot, this is another outstanding entry to the range of Barolo from Vietti that will be deserving of time in cellar and drink well 2025-2040.

Grown on the top of a dormant volcano, this Soave shows why Garganga is one of the great white grapes of Italy. The wine opens with apple and cit- rus blossoms with hints of acacia honey followed by fleshy white peaches, Fuji apples and well-defined minerality. The palate is creamy yet taut with fine acidity and tons of minerality accented by ripe stone fruits and citrus zest. Drink now- 2035.

An intriguing nose of red berries, decadent red apples, dried tobacco, roses and rich earth. Medium- to full-bodied with perfectly integrated tannins that create a lightly velvety underlay for the bright fruit and spice flavors that push through the long, long finish. Few reds from the montepulciano grape are able to offer this degree of complexity, combined with light-footed elegance and balance. Exquisite. Benchmark. Drink or hold.

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.  

Grown via the historic pergola method this unique vineyard produces a Soave with aromas of fleshy yellow peach, jasmine, white tea and crushed stones. The palate is structured and built to age with flavors of tart green apple, citrus and a mineral edge on the finish. Drink now-2035.