Selecting fruit from the Scarrone vineyard in Castiglione Falletto, Luca Currado ages this wine in a mix of large oak casks, barriques and stainless-steel tanks. It’s bold and concentrated in the warm 2017 vintage, violet-scented and brimming with flavors of juicy raspberry and blackberry—deep, dense and vibrantly alive. For a wine that seems to push the limits on alcohol, acidity and fruit concentration, it’s impressively balanced and elegant.

Vietti's 2017 Barolo Lazzarito is absolutely gorgeous. Whatever the challenges of the growing season, they appear to have been no problem here. More than anything else, the Lazzarito impresses with its magnificent depth and stature. Super-ripe red fruit, white pepper, mint, tobacco, cured meat, spice and rose petal open gradually with time in the glass. I would not be in a rush to open bottles anytime soon. The Lazzarito has been one of the most improved wines at Vietti for a number of years. The 2017 is so captivating.

Aromas of ripe black-skinned fruit, menthol and French oak form the alluring nose. On the firm, full-bodied palate, tightly knit, close-grained tannins accompany ripe Marasca cherry, orange zest, roasted coffee bean and star anise. It's densely structured but also has a weightless vibrancy. Drink 2023–2029.

Bosco di Gica opens with fresh floral scents that lead into flavors of Honeycrisp apple, yellow pear and white peach wrapped in a fine, satiny mousse and just enough sweetness (10 grams per liter) to amplify those juicy fruit tones. It’s an elegant wine and a terrific value, perfect for a high end by-the-glass program.

The Vietti 2018 Barbera d'Asti La Crena sees its fruit sourced from very old vines with some of the plants approaching the 100-year-old mark. This is a rich and darkly concentrated wine with a lovely bouquet that is lifted and bright. The wine reveals dark cherry fruit, raw blackberry and plum. That opulent, old-vine fruit drowns out much of the acidic sharpness of the grape. Some 10,000 bottles were crafted.

The 2020 Rosato Susumaniello Askos slowly evolves in the glass, at first just dusty and floral, then developing a vivid display of melon and sweet spice over time. It’s soft, almost creamy in feel, soothing further with ripe citrus-tinged fruits, as a wave of juicy acidity lifts the experience nicely. This concluded perfumed and spicy to notes of ginger and kiwi. Very nice.

Wow. Gorgeous aromas of dried strawberries, mushrooms and flowers that open to pure fruit. It’s medium-bodied with beautiful depth and intensity on the palate. The fine, layered tannins are polished and caressing. Lovely finish. Drinkable now, but even better in 2023.

The 2018 Sor Ugo is a superb Bolgheri red. Pliant, succulent and so expressive, the 2018 offers plenty of richness, but with terrific energy, too. Black cherry, mocha, spice, licorice and chocolate all build as the 2018 fills out over time. The purity of the flavors is striking.