The 2017 Ghiaie della Furba opens to a bouquet of minty herbs, camphor and smoke before deepening further to display dusty red currant and spice box. This is velvety and fleshy in feel, with stimulating acidity that enlivens its spicy black fruit and building mineral tones. It tapers off with persistence, power and grippy tannin, the perfect mix for a long evolution. The Ghiaie della Furba is a blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Syrah and 20% Merlot that refines in barrique, half new and half second pass. It's important to note that production was down by 40% in 2017 due to frost.

The 2019 Barolo Lazzarito continues a trend seen in recent years in which the focus has been more about finesse than raw power. Intense red fruit, iron, dried herbs, chalk, dried rose petal and white pepper all run through this deep, virile Barolo. The power and intensity of Serralunga really come alive on the heady, explosive finish. Bright saline notes linger on the deep, resonant finish. A Barolo of raw, unbridled power, the Lazzarito demands patience.

A concentrated mouthful of caramel, almond, chocolate, molasses and orange peel mark this dessert white, which packs a punch along with its sweetness. Bracing acidity and a walnut skin bitterness offset the viscosity and sugar deftly, allowing this to play out gracefully on the finish. Trebbiano and San Colombano. Drink now through 2040. 220 cases made, 31 cases imported.

The 2018 Barolo Rocche di Castiglione is suave, silky and caressing right out of the gate. Sumptuous and racy, with silky tannins, the Rocche possesses superb depth and plenty of resonance that builds over time. The 2018 is an especially potent Rocche that is going to need a number of years to unwind.

BEST 50 WINES 2022

Psst, here’s a secret. Friuli has some of the most expressive Sauvignon Blanc on the planet. There was a point in this region’s history where “international” varieties were more prominent than their native grapes. And while they did the work to bring those back, Friulian winemakers took varieties like Sauvignon Blanc (Merlot, Cabernet Franc) and coaxed a new kind of balance out of them. Some of the best of this grape comes from here, like this beautiful example from Russiz (Roo-seez). Bright and mineral-driven with minimal fruit, this wine is about texture. The palate is a study in balance with excellent acidity and just the right grip. It is very Friulian, and you may have a hard time sharing.

With fruit from La Morra, the mid-weight 2018 Barolo Brunate shows a pretty softness and a delicate side with dried rose, lilac and blue flower. The wine completes malolactic fermentation in barrique and is later moved into large oak casks for aging. This dual oak treatment is part of Vietti's secret recipe for producing the silky tannins and fine texture you taste here. A production of 4,493 bottles, the wine is recognized by that distinctive aromatic finale of licorice and balsam herb.

Quite a flamboyant feel to this on the nose, showing raspberries and grainy notes, together with hints of fresh mushrooms. Some brighter passion fruit comes through with air. Medium-bodied with an intense core of vibrant fruit and youthful tannin which together, given time, will add length and breadth to the wine. Wait for this one. Try from 2024.

Packaged with a brown label, the Tenuta Scerscé 2018 Valtellina Superiore Nebbiolo Essenza is enormously clear and intense with varietal tones of wild berry, tart cherry, blue flower and potting soil. This wine shows a pretty floral side with blue violet and fresh lilac that offer a pretty sense of vertical lift to the bouquet.