Readers will note the addition of two new wines that have been thrilling since the first day I tasted them. The first is from a choice parcel in Cerequio Vietti acquired from Michele Chiarlo. The new Monvigliero is made in conjunction with Jeremy Seysses of Domaine Dujac and has some whole cluster influence. As much as I hope stems don't become a trend in Piedmont like French oak barrels did in the 1990s, there is little question whole clusters seem to work especially well in Monvigliero. These wines are simply brilliant. There.

The 2018 Barolo Monvigliero, another new wine in this range, is dazzling. That's not much of a surprise, as the 2018 has always been gorgeous from barrel. A touch of whole clusters adds aromatic nuance and lift to this super-classic, sculpted Barolo. The Monvigliero impresses with its purity, delineation and class. Superb.

Cerretalto is bottled separately in selected vintages only. It is given an additional year of ageing and is typically still patently austere when released. While the 2015 was almost uncharacteristically fleshy, 2016 is a return to Cerretalto’s sinewy personality. It opens gradually with distinct flint, creosote and smoke-infused wild black currants and thyme. The palate is powerful without being weighty, with chiselled tannins that are rigid but not hard-edged. A concentrated core of black salted liquorice, black raspberry and iron is pierced by tangy acidity. Ultimately an elegant wine, this will need time to express all its nuance.Drinking Window 2025 - 2045

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.

Here's an important keepsake from a classic vintage. The Casanova di Neri 2016 Brunello di Montalcino Cerretalto needs time to open, especially if you plan to drink the wine earlier than is recommended (you're best off waiting five years or more). This powerful wine is packed tight with black fruit, plum and summer ripe cherry. Those dark fruit tones segue to spice, baked clay, balsam herb and gardening soil. The oak is always more apparent in the Cerretalto (which is released one year later, as if it were a Riserva) compared to the Tenuta Nuova. The vineyard used makes a big difference, giving this wine more textural weight and thicker fiber. It's all a question of taste, but if you want power (with 15% alcohol), richness, sensuality and voluptuousness in your Brunello, Cerretalto is the bottle at the end of the rainbow.

The 2019 Barbera d'Alba Scarrone Vigna Vecchia naturally has a bit more volume and richness than the straight Scarrone, but the two wines are not that different in terms of personality. All the elements are dialed up to eleven. This sumptuous, flashy Barbera from 100+ year-old vines is a winner.

The 2019 Etna Rosso Contrada Sciaranuova is darkly alluring yet perfumed, showing cedar and wild herbs giving way to crushed black cherries. This is elegant and refined, with polished red and blue berry fruits carried across a core of vibrant acidity as fine-grained tannins slowly mount toward the close. It leaves a slight balsamic tinge to linger while tapering off lightly structured and with medium length as echoes of licorice fade.

Sliced apples, lemons, wild herbs and some cream on the nose. It’s medium-bodied with an oily texture. Very fresh. Drink now.

The 2019 Sor Ugo is a potent wine. Dried herbs, mocha, tobacco, leather and incense lend striking savory intensity to this tightly wound Bolgheri red. I would give the tannins a few years to soften. There's plenty to look forward to.