The NV Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore Bosco di Gica punches well above its price point, boasting an intensely smoky and mineral expression on the nose that pulls you close to the glass. Beneath, I’m finding notes of pear and sweet herbal tones. It’s soothing and creamy yet balanced by brisk acids, as ripe orchard fruits satiate the senses, leaving a salty twang that resonates through the finale. Wow. This is a pleasure to taste. This was bottled in September of 2020.

Cherry-vanilla notes eventually give way to soil and crushed rocks with herbs poking through on the nose, with the chalky, metallic elements of soil remaining present on the palate to push back against ripe fruit in tandem with tannins that cling to the mouth.

The 2021 Extra Brut Col Credas Rive di Farra di Soligo is more of a whisper than a shout, as nuances of sweet melon and wildflowers give way to cracked slate and gingery spice. This is savory and mineral in style, caressing the palate with silken bubbles, as citrus-tinged orchard fruits are complemented by a salty flourish that evolves toward the close. The Col Credas finishes potent and with remarkable length, leaving a lemon-rind-like concentration, even as the mouth is left watering for another sip.

Tenuta Scerscé coaxes from their vines something truly special. This wine, the Essenza, opens with aromas of fresh cherries, herbal tea, cola and wildflowers. The palate is plump with juicy red-fruit notes that are balanced by notes of dried herbs and fresh earth. Fine tannins and crisp acidity show that this wine will drink well for a long while. Drink now-2040.

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.

A very pure and beautiful red with cherry and strawberry. Subtle spice, such as nutmeg and cedar. Orange peel, too. Medium to full body. Firm, silky tannins melt nicely into the wine. Fresh and clean finish. A little tight at the end. A beautiful single-vineyard Chianti Rufina with structure. Drinkable now, but better after 2023, when it will have softened a little.

Rose petals and hibiscus are followed by graphite and flint and then finally strawberries and cranberries on the nose that come out again on the palate, combining with more stony, metallic notes and vibrant acid.