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.
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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.

Dark and brooding, the 2021 Le Stanze del Poliziano grumbles up with an array of grilled herbs and exotic spices before giving way to dusty black currant notes. This is silken in texture yet racy and spry, with polished red fruit tones that slowly saturate as hints of licorice and a tinge of sour citrus add lovely contrast. The 2021 tapers off with tremendous length and structure, leaving sweet tannins and a bitter blackberry concentration that pinches at the cheeks with youthful tension. Le Stanze del Poliziano comes across as very classic in feel.

The first vintage of this white from Contrada Sciaranuova brings ‘a different approach’ according to Alberto Tasca. Grapes from the seven-year-old vineyard are vinified in 25hl oak vessels, while he says that ‘Sciaranuova gives a little bit more body to the Carricante’. Smoky and rich in thiols and floral notes, the immediate oak imprint parts to reveal a very fresh, salty and exotic white boasting flavours of juicy mango, white peach and guava. There's some gentle phenolic grip, and the finish is full of zesty citrus peel. Delicious, if young, this has plenty of potential to improve with age.

The 2021 Etna Rosso Contrada Sciaranuova has more depth, with notes of raspberry liqueur, hints of lavender, chestnut, and fresh forest earth. It’s refined and inviting, despite a note of gravelly rocky earth. Drink over the coming 15 -20 years. |

A complex, mineral wine with apricots and lemon peel, angelica and mangoes. Full-bodied and richly flavored with mango and citrus flavors, vibrant and mineral acidity and a smooth finish. Precise and refreshing. Fermented and aged in large oak barrels. Drink or hold.

Brunate is also one of my favorite wines from Vietti (and, boy, is it hard to choose favorites) thanks to that playful hint of fresh mint that I usually find, especially in the best vintages. You certainly get it in the 2021 Barolo Brunate, and although I'm not sure how long it will last as the wine evolves, my experience suggests it only gets stronger and more beautiful in time. Indeed, this vintage (with 23 days of skin maceration) shows exceptional depth and precision with aromas that go beyond the mint, spanning instead to grilled rosemary and Darjeeling tea. The wine shows excellent textural support and broad shoulders, followed by tannins that are both sweet and chalky. It shows profound generosity and depth. Brunate always has an intense, dark soul. A total of 4,835 bottles were made.

Past vintages of this wine were called Roncaglie Masseria, but the word Masseria has been removed. The Vietti 2021 Barbaresco Roncaglie draws its fruit from inclined vineyards that produce fruit with finesse and elegance. This pretty wine opens to a note of fragrant flower or heritage rose that accompanies you over a long, silky close. In a good vintage like 2021, vintners could push skin macerations a little longer. This wine saw 25 days on the skins compared to 22 days in the 2022 vintage. Vietti recently purchased land in Rabajà, a site that produces profound wines, and this plot in Roncaglie has a greater presence of sand in its soils, creating more floral and delicate expressions instead. This matures in large oak casks for 24 months, and production is 6,066 bottles.
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