This bottle-fermented Prosecco has a lightly cloudy appearance and delicate scents of lemon and bread crust. Tart at first, it gains flavors of raw oatmeal, almond and lemon curd. Fully dry yet with a rich texture and deep savory tones, it’s an elegant partner for seafood or light poultry dishes, and an excellent value for a wine at this level of complexity.

Creme de cassis, berries, mushrooms and some herbs on the nose. Medium-bodied with firm tannins. Balanced and flavorful with bright acidity and a focused finish with excellent length. Nebbiolo. Drink or hold.

The 2019 vintage is made from 90% Sangiovese blended with 10% Colorino, Canaiolo and Ciliegiolo.  It was aged for 12 months in large (528-660 gal) French and Austrian oak casks, and three months in bottle.  The color is ruby.  Aromas are red cherry and strawberry layered with savory spices and vanilla.  It is light bodied and lively with tangy acidity and ripe, grainy tannins.  There is a touch of pleasant bitterness in the finish, which clears the palate.  The current generation of the Stucchi Prinetti family, Emanuela, Paolo and Roberto are running the winery which was created in 1846 and became commercial in 1957.  Roberto is the winemaker with consultant Maurizio Castelli.  Their goal is a natural expression of Sangiovese with lightness and balance, but also food friendly and readily enjoyable.

Packed with kirsch, the 2020 Barbera D'Alba Vigna Vecchia Scarrone has another gear, noted with lavender and black pepper. On the palate, it has a supple, silky mouthfeel, with blackberry, black cherry, crushed stones, and a floral perfume through the finish, as well as mineral persistence and ripe sweet tannins. Drink 2025-2035.

Pretty violet and lavender tones give way to musky blackberries and hints of cracked chalk as the 2019 Rosso Conero Riserva Agontano opens in the glass. This cool-toned beauty shows its minerality up front, as silky textures gain grip through a mix of tart, wild berry fruits and stimulating acidity. The 2019 tapers off with lip-smacking tension and grippy tannins, yet it’s packed full of zesty energy. The Agontano is a 100% Montepulciano that’s refined in second-pass barriques. This is a really beautiful expression of the variety, one that will need a short stay in the cellar to show its best.

The 2019 Rosso di Montalcino Giovanni Neri reaches Brunello-esque intensity and complexity. This vintage produced concentrated fruit, and you definitely feel the extra fruit weight on the palate. (I can't wait to taste the 2019 Brunellos, by the way.) The wine is very generous at this moment in time with rich, dark fruit, soft tannins and lingering mineral notes.

Pi not Bianco, Friulano, Sauvignon Blanc and Ribolla Gialla blend from the ponca or flysch marl soil of Collio, which brings to the wine a marvellous vibrancy and minerality that matches well with the wine's concentration. Subtle toasty aromas with rose and peach skin, a marine influence and bright fern scents. Soft, smooth, dense and rich, supported by elegant lifted acidity. The finish is still oaky, but your patience will be rewarded. Drink 2024-2040 Ale 13.5%

2022 James Suckling Top 100 Italian Wines  #90.  Complex aromas of blackberries and black truffle with some lavender. Full-bodied with velvety tannins that spread across the palate. Rich and deep on the finish, showing fantastic length and gravitas. Better after 2025.