Blackcurrant and crushed stone with some flint on the nose and palate. Lead pencil, too. Medium-bodied with tight, chewy tannins that are polished. Juicy finish. From organically grown grapes. Better after 2023.

Blackcurrants, hints of chocolate and black licorice with some violet undertones. Full-bodied with linear, tight tannins that give the wine tension and structure. Needs time to open and soften. Best after 2025.

The 2018 Brunello di Montalcino Tenuta Nuova is spicy and intense, wafting up with a wild mix of sweet herbs, cloves, dried citrus peels and crushed red plums. This is darkly elegant and refined, with polished red and black fruits elevated by hints of lavender and mint; yet beneath, a web of fine tannins slowly saturates the palate. Hints of cranberry and tangerine mingle with lavender through the long and structured finale, as the 2018 finishes beautifully balanced and classic in feel. With maturity, this may deserve an even higher score.

100% Chardonnay; fruit sourced from the best parcels of the Löwengang estate, at elevations ranging from 750-1080 feet above sea level. Spontaneous fermentation in barriques and large casks. Slightly cloudy, medium-intense yellow; aromas of lemongrass, saffron and orang crocus. Medium-full with excellent concentration, very good acidity, excellent persistence and notable complexity. The finish offers beautiful freshness and notes of orange pekoe tea and lemon peel. This has long been one of Italy’s most distinctive Chardonnays, and the 2018 is first-rate. Enjoy over the next 5-8 years, though I would not be surprised if this was still drinking well in ten years.

A deep set of red plums and berries with some fine tobacco leaf and savory herbs, mineral and porcini. Juicy and intense on the palate with lots of chalky, nicely chewy tannins and a juicy finish. From organically grown grapes. Drinkable now, but better after 2023.

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.

Subtle aromas of orange peel, cherries, and dried flowers follow through to a medium body, fine tannins and a refined, subtle finish. Such beauty. So drinkable and fine.

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.