Equal parts fruity and balsamic, this red reveals cherry, cranberry and rose hip notes alongside eucalyptus, juniper and cedar flavors. Taut and well-marked by a line of dusty tannins gracing the finish. Classy and long. Best from 2028 through 2045.

Perfumed nose of lavender, plums and currants. Some tobacco. It’s full-bodied, creamy and fruity, with slightly rough, grainy tannins, but remains pure and approachable. From organically grown grapes. Drink or hold.

The 2023 Chianti Classico RS Cultusboni is a very beautiful, elegant wine. Lifted aromatics and silky tannins exalt the vibrant freshness of Sangiovese fruit. Readers will find a Chianti Classico that exudes finesse from start to finish.

Protective and precise style here. Blood-orange and floral bouquet, restrained if not reductive, with cherry candy and chocolatey depth. Smooth attack to the palate with medium body, assertive acidity and refined tannins that turn dustier on the finish. Overall juicy and fresh, yet slightly stern. Try after 2027.

Mocha meets dried black cherries, plums and minty herbs as the 2020 Carmignano Riserva Trefiano slowly evolves in the glass. This is silky smooth and cool-toned in feel, with a sour citrus tinge elevating ripe wild berry fruits as hints of sage embellish the close. It finishes pleasantly bitter and incredibly long, leaving crystalline tannins to pierce the palate as echoes of licorice and minerals slowly taper off. This shows the warmth of the vintage, but does so with impeccable balance.

This is a serious beauty that reminds us of the brilliant work underway at this leading estate. Yes, ownership has changed over recent years, but this wine remains "Rocche-solid." From an epic vintage, the Vietti 2021 Barolo Rocche di Castiglione is a classic with those elegant mineral notes of glacial till and flake salt followed by carefully ripened fruit, blackcurrant and a finely tuned floral note of fragrant tea leaf that hits the high notes. The effect is ethereal but also precise. Fruit comes from two parcels, one planted in 1958 and the other in 1969, and the blend is half of each fermented together. Fruit was picked on October 1st, and the wine saw 24 days on the skins. The first year this wine was produced is 1961. The Rocche di Castiglione site has 35% sand with marl soils that continue to evolve, kicking out more new sand. Only 3,728 bottles exist, and that's the bad news.

The 2022 Barbera d'Alba Vigna Scarrone is a classy, elegant wine. Today's Scarrone marries finesse and power with notable style. Racy dark red plum, mocha, new leather, licorice and spice are all beautifully delineated. This deep, classy Barbera is lights out.

Mentholated herbs mix with exotic spice, tobacco and crushed ashen stones as the 2019 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva PS blossoms in the glass. This is sleek and youthfully slender, with tart wild berry fruits and hints of sour citrus that flow across a stream of cooling acidity. It finishes structured and impossibly long, leaving a pleasantly tart cranberry concentration that pinches at the cheeks. There's significantly more energy and verve embodied in the 2019 Riserva than is typical. It should be fascinating to watch it mature over time.