Smoky and slightly reduced, this shows licorice, strawberries and cherries. The fruit character is brilliant on the palate with juicy acidity and firm yet ripe tannins, medium body and a good, tight finish. Drink now.

The 2022 Soave Classico I Palchi wafts up with a smoky, expressive blend of rosemary, gingery spice and musky citrus complicating crushed apples. It is silken and opulent in feel, enveloping the palate with ripe pit fruits, coming across as weighty and rich yet wonderfully balanced. Nuances of grapefruit mix with inner sage and hints of candied lime as the 2022 tapers off with excellent length yet remains wonderfully fresh.

The 2019 Orleto, 100% Cabernet Franc, is a new wine from Aia Vecchia. Dense and plush to the core, the 2019 is packed with blackberry, gravel, incense, licorice, espresso and sweet spice. There’s plenty of depth, that much is sure. It would be nice to see more varietal expression, as Franc can be magical on the Tuscan coast. In this tasting, the 2019 comes across as a bit hot.

The 2024 Grillo Mozia is zesty and intense, bursting from the glass with a savory mix of crushed rocks, wild herbs and lime-infused pears. A pretty inner sweetness opens the wine, quickly contrasted by salty mineral tones and spice, giving a supple yet energetic impression. The finish is long, perfumed and fresh, with lingering tropical citrus notes.

This graceful and perfumed wine shows aromas of toast, licorice, vanilla, pomegranates, violets and cinnamon. Its restrained character is improved by fruit concentration and weight, a full body, crisp acidity and well-handled, velvety tannins. Drinkable now, but best from spring 2025.

Always a classical wine, the Tenute Cisa Asinari dei Marchesi di Gresy 2021 Barbaresco Martinenga brings us the sharpness and power of an epic vintage. This wine has a medium-dark luminous color and is light on its feet. The aromas are bright and lively with fresh berry and cassis. The oak contouring is delicate, and the wine benefits structurally from healthy skins, grapes and pulp. There is a delightful hint of Nebbiolo sweetness on the close. This is a 24,000-bottle release.

The Siro Pacenti 2019 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva PS opens to an inky black appearance. The bouquet is very intense with baritone aromas of syrupy blackberry, barbecue spice, sweet cedar, toasted wood, baked fruit and savory tobacco. To the palate, it shows a rich, glossy finish with firm tannins and a tightly knit texture that should bode well for future cellaring. In fact, the mouthfeel is so intensely stitched together, it's to the point of feeling polished. I must hand it to vintner Giancarlo Pacenti for the elegance of the mouthfeel on this very, very bold Riserva (with only 2,000 bottles produced).

The 2020 Brunello di Montalcino Vecchie Vigne is tightly wound and inward, with an intense mix of savory herbs, cedar shavings, ground cloves and blood orange forming its bouquet. Velvety smooth and deep, yet surprisingly vibrant, it casts masses of spiced-cherry and wild berry fruits across the palate, complicated by a hint of sour citrus. The structure emerges through the finish, impossibly long and tannic, yet still fresh, leaving a tart blackberry tinge and violet inner florals. This mixes balance and power in a wildly attractive way.