The 2020 Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore Rive di Colbertaldo Vigneto Giardino Dry is another classic wine from the charismatic Franco Adami. This festive bottle shows aromas of honeysuckle, candied lemon, crushed stone and Golden Delicious apple. Franco writes "Asciutto" in Italian instead of the English "Dry," and there's a lot to read into that. Is this a protest against the fact that the word Dry is confusing to the consumer? Production is 40,200 bottles.

The 2018 Barolo Ravera is a wine of real depth and vertical structure. As always, the Ravera is a taut, nervy Barolo built on energy more than volume. Readers will have to be patient, as the Ravera is likely to require a number of years to be at its most expressive. Even in the early going, it is vibrant and full of life. Rose petal, chalk, blood orange and white pepper lend striking exotic top notes that are quite suggestive of what the future is going to bring. What a gorgeous Barolo this is.

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.

WINE SPECTATOR TOP 100 #63 

A lively, medium- to full-bodied red, with rich hints of melted licorice and espresso layered with aromas and flavors of blackberry tart, dried mint and olive tapenade. Well-knit, with a fine frame of chalky tannins. Drink now through 2025. 7,500 cases made, 2,500 cases imported.

I have long awaited the first rendition of the Giovanni Neri Brunello di Montalcino, and the 2018 does not disappoint. Here I’m finding a beguiling mix of lavender, white pepper and crushed stone giving way to dried black cherries and foreign spice. This washes across the palate with a supple wave of ripe red berries carried by vibrant acidity, as nuances of sour citrus and clove resonate throughout. Its tannins are crunchy, almost chiseled in feel, yet coupled with a staining of primary concentration that lingers under an air of violet inner florals, tapering off with tremendous length and structured for a long and balanced maturation. Made from vines that are 50 years old, the Giovanni Neri hails from a vineyard acquired in the southeast of Montalcino. This is a fabulous debut bottling.

Some sweet-vanilla notes now to the savory oranges, tar and cranberries. A full-bodied nebbiolo that feels expansive, yet it’s ethereal on the palate with lots of firm, sandblasted tannins. Long and juicy. Needs two years to allow the tannins and the oak to integrate more. Will shine with time. Drink from 2024.

Aromas of sliced apples, peaches, stones, herbs and white pepper. It’s medium-bodied with fresh acidity and a concentrated, complex and spicy palate. Delicious finish. Drink now