Fresh dill and thyme lend a heady dose of herb to the plump black cherry and blackberry core in this red. It’s polished and full in nature, with rounded cherry and plum flavors meeting cohesive accents of clove, fresh herbs and cigar wrapper. Anise and grippy cherry skins linger on the finish.

The 2019 Lagone is a soft, fruity Maremma red to drink now and over the next handful of years. A burst of sweet red berry fruit, cinnamon, rose petal and new leather lends energy to this tasty, mid-weight red. Best of all, the 2019 should be a terrific value.

Another brilliant expression, reflecting a culture of kaleidoscopic blending to attain a greater whole: tank and oak (no new) ferments, partly induced and spontaneous, all at once. Rapier-like precision, depth and weight, without any excess or obvious winemaking artefact perceivable. Mid-weighted, yet intense, reeling off notes of smoked almond, stone fruit allusions, pickled mango and kumquat. The finish is impressively pliant and majestically long.

The 2016 Barbaresco Riserva Camp Gros Martinenga shows all the pedigree of this great vintage in its power, breadth and overall intensity. Black cherry, plum, licorice, mocha, lavender and sage give the 2016 its dark, brooding personality. I am quite surprised, in a good way, how integrated the tannins are. The 2016 is a big wine, but it is already very harmonious, The 2016 spent a year in barrel and a year and half in cask.

The 2009 Alta Langa Metodo Classico Pas Dosé Riserva Zero 140 (a blend of 85% Pinot Nero and 15% Chardonnay) is not quite full-bodied but almost, showing plenty of rich layering and texture. The number 140 in the sparkler's name refers to the number of months this special bottle ages on the lees. This is a real beauty with peach, orchard fruit, baked bread, toasted pine nut and hints of dusty mine

This has incredible energy and depth, with a tight, firm and powerful tannin frame that is present throughout. Full-bodied with a deep core of dark fruit, slate, minerals and iron. Oyster shells, porcini, licorice and some cedar, too. More closed than the 2015. Great wine. Try this after a couple of years. It will last for decades.  Second tasting.

The 2021 Rosato Montepulciano Kómaros wafts up to show dusty rose, sweet melon and minty herbs. This impresses, with its soft textures contrasted by a reverberation of zesty acids and sour citrus tones; yet through it all, a vivid note of ripe yellow apple resides at its core. The 2021 Kómaros tapers off with tension, leaving behind mineral-tinged orchard fruits and a hint of blood orange. Garofoli knocked it out of the park with this Montepulciano Rosato.

There is a light rustic tone in this elegant, medium-framed wine from the north in Verduno. Notes of fresh leather, pomegranate, and sweet herbs are followed by a medium-bodied wine with fine and approachable tannins. It is an elegant, more gentle expression but offers a lot of pleasure. Drink 2023-2040.