Calvados, Riesling, sangiovese...

The 2021 Chianti Classico is fabulous. Bright and punchy, with terrific resonance, this wine shows just how compelling the vintage is. Readers will find a Chianti Classico of dynamic energy and volume. Dark red cherry, purplish fruit, lavender, rose petal, spice and a gentle kiss of French oak build into the sumptuous, vibrant finish. Superb. The 2021 was aged in 500-liter barrels (5-6% new) for 14 months and is a blend of fruit from Greve, Gaiole and Radda. ANTONIO  GALLONI, Vinous

This has a fresh character with ripe cherries and raspberries as well as dried flowers, bark and stones. Polished and textural with a medium body and vivid acidity. Focused and fresh with chalky tannin structure and a linear finish with notes of citrus and minerals. From organically grown grapes. Drink or hold. JAMES SUCKLING

A saturated purple/magenta hue, the 2021 Chianti Classico is lush and fresh with aromas of black raspberry, black cherry, violet, and fresh leather. Plush and inviting, with bright acidity along the sides of the palate shining through, it offers a velvety texture with a long finish. It’s polished but not oaky and has a very refined feel, with medium to full body and a long and balanced finish. Drink 2026-2040. JEB DUNNUCK

This red is precise, offering cherry, raspberry, rose, iron and tobacco flavors fused to a steely, dense and vibrant structure. Balanced and intense, building to a long aftertaste infused with fruit and mineral notes. Best from 2026 through 2045. BRUCE SANDERSON, Wine Spectator

Very exotic, with papaya, pineapple and jack-fruit aromas, but also tropical flowers and touches of fresh ginger and galgant. Enormous concentration and refinement, the fruit rippling over the palate in waves, and each time you think that you’ve taken them all in, the next wave hits you. Almost endless wet-stone finish! Vegan. Drink or hold. (98) STUART PIGOTT, Jamessuckling.com

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Really pretty fruit with pure berries and cherries with flowers. It’s medium-bodied with medium round tannins and a juicy finish. Shows a citrusy undertone to the whole thing with fresh acidity that runs long. Give it two or three years to come together. Better after 2025. JAMES SUCKLING

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The 2020 Petresco is 100% Sangiovese from the estate's highest-elevation blocks facing Lamole, where soils are especially rocky and the vines are older. Wildflowers, herbs, rocks, menthol and licorice soar out of the glass. This is an especially savory, expressive Sangiovese that emphasizes mineral and floral notes more than primary fruit. Petresco spent two years in 60-70% cask and the rest in barrique, followed by a year in cement. It remains one of the most distinctive wines in all of Italy. Magnificent. (97) ANTONIO GALLONI

Striking nose of garden herbs with just a hint wet earth underlining the delicate white tree fruit aromas. Stunning concentration and energy on the super-straight medium-bodied palate. Very long, almost perfectly balanced finish that is surprising for this category at this early stage in the wine’s development. Great slate expression. (96) STUART PIGOTT, jamessuckling.com

A deep well of ripe mirabelle and persimmon on the nose. Then comes the rich and concentrated but silky and precisely balanced palate. Very long and expansive finish with a fabulous texture and a delicate floral-honey touch. STUART PIGOTT, Jamessuckling.com

The 2020 Riesling Rüdesheimer Rosengarten Monopol Grosses Gewächs is from two parcels within Rosengarten, the Bienengarten and Kreuzgarten, within the village, flat, close to the river, hence a very warm site, on a sandy, loamy soil. This makes it an outlier among Rüdesheimer Grosse Lagen. The vines are 50 and 20 years old. Just a hint of honey plays on the nose, with a slight note of shriveled, dry fruit that was common in 2020. The palate is rounded and really concentrated, with insistent, bright, dried lemon notes and citrus pith. It is mouth-watering, with real chalkiness of deep soil that begins to take over from the fruit. It's round, rich and with much personality. ANNE KREBIEHL, Vinous.com

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The very deep and refined peachy fruit is overlain with sweet floral nuances and underlined by a fascinating minerality that builds as the wine flows over the medium- to full-bodied palate. From old vines at the bottom of the Grand Cru Schlossberg site. (95) STUART PIGGOT

The 2022 Rosso di Montalcino is exotic. The bouquet leaps from the glass, mixing medicinal cherries, mint, pine and blood orange. Seamless and silky, this soothes the senses with its soft textures of opulent ripe fruits, all balanced by tactile minerality. Residual acidity adds amazing, juicy freshness through the finish as the 2022 tapers off gently tannic, potent and long. This is quite unique from a typical Le Potazzine, ripe and intense, yet I'm loving it all the same. ERIC GUIDO, Vinous

The 2019 Brunello di Montalcino opens slowly with a blend of savory herbs, worn leather, dried roses and cinnamon-dusted currants. This flows across the palate with textures of pure silk, racy yet refined, with a seamless wave of ripe red fruits that slowly saturate toward the close. It finishes long and staining yet harmonious. Crunchy tannins frame the experience without slowing its momentum as licorice and orange notes gradually fade. This fantastic, high-energy rendition of Talenti’s Brunello will thrive over ten to fifteen years of cellaring. ERIC GUIDO

The fantastic 2020 Barolo from Giacomo Fenocchio is the best entry level offering of the firm's Barolo range I've had to date. It has classic Nebbiolo aromas of ripe red berry, blue flower, new leather and spice while the utterly delicious, polished palate delivers succulent Morello cherry, baking spice, licorice and tobacco before a minty close. Velvety tannins provide seamless support while fresh acidity keeps it balanced. Drink 2026-2035. KERIN O'KEEFE
 

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Aromas of wild berry, rose and baking spice align with a whiff of menthol. Elegantly focused, the vibrant, youthfully austere palate delivers crushed raspberry, Morello cherry and licorice framed in taut, close-grained tannins and fresh acidity before a rather drying, tight finish. Give it a few more years to fully unwind. Drink 2024-2036. (96) KERIN O'KEEFE

Youthful ruby. Concentrated and lifted and with hints of sweet spice on the nose. Lithe, sweet and ripe cherry fruit palate charged with stalky tannins. Great intensity and transparency of fruit. Bright acidity and firm, slightly drying tannins that demand more ageing, streamline the whole. WALTER SPELLER

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This iconic estate in BOCA has led the resurgence of Alto Piedmont and is rightly considered the premium producer of the region. The unique micro climate, southern exposure & Volcanic soils delivers perfect maturing for Nebbiolo and now amazing Erbaluce.

Le Piane Boca DOC 2017 - The estates iconic BOCA wine that is considered the finest wine of the region. 85% old vine Nebbiolo and 15% Vespolina grown on volcanic soil.  Long fermentation with the skins (30 days) in open steel and wood casks (2000-3000 litres) . Aged 3 to 4 years in large old oak casks, 12 months in bottle before release.

The 2019 Brunello di Montalcino bursts from the glass with an intense array of black raspberries, lavender, sage, wet stone and crushed rocks. This is elegant and velvety on the palate. A rich wave of ripe red and black fruits soothe, lifted by vibrant acidity and hints of mint. The 2019 finishes with a mentholated freshness, leaving a tarry concentration and a coating of fine-grained tannins that saturate. This is a dark and radiant beauty that will require extended cellaring. ERIC GUIDO, Vinous.com

The 2019 Barolo Capalot offers quite a bit more depth than the straight bottling, Macerated cherry, spice mocha and dried leather are all laced together in this potent, somber La Morra Barolo. Give this a few years to come into its own. ANTONIO GALLONI

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A deep well of ripe mirabelle and persimmon on the nose. Then comes the rich and concentrated but silky and precisely balanced palate. Very long and expansive finish with a fabulous texture and a delicate floral-honey touch. STUART PIGOTT, Jamessuckling.com

The 2020 Riesling Rüdesheimer Rosengarten Monopol Grosses Gewächs is from two parcels within Rosengarten, the Bienengarten and Kreuzgarten, within the village, flat, close to the river, hence a very warm site, on a sandy, loamy soil. This makes it an outlier among Rüdesheimer Grosse Lagen. The vines are 50 and 20 years old. Just a hint of honey plays on the nose, with a slight note of shriveled, dry fruit that was common in 2020. The palate is rounded and really concentrated, with insistent, bright, dried lemon notes and citrus pith. It is mouth-watering, with real chalkiness of deep soil that begins to take over from the fruit. It's round, rich and with much personality. ANNE KREBIEHL, Vinous.com

On a shortlist of "annata" wines to buy from Piedmont this year is the Brovia 2019 Barolo. Made from a blend of fruit from Castiglione Falletto and Serralunga d'Alba, this wine delivers a very sharp and chiseled performance that puts a priority on directness, freshness and length. This pretty wine has a pronounced fruity side and a mineral side, and these two parts converge beautifully. There are hints of dried mint and licorice on the close of this must-have wine. 25,000 bottles were produced. MONICA LARNER

Here’s a very classic Mosel Spatlese with exactly the combination of richness, elegance and delicacy that makes this category unique. Such delicate white peach and sliced pear, rose and honeysuckle aromas. Very long finish that is as succulent as it is refined. You just want to linger there for as long as you can. (96) STUART PIGOTT, jamessuckling.com

A lacy layer of floral honey lies over the very ripe white fruit aromas of this very elegant Auslese. In spite of the impressive concentration and succulence, this riesling Auslese is still really fine, even filigree. What a great vibrancy this also has at the dense finish! Enormous aging potential. Limited production. Drink or hold. JAMES SUCKLING

The 2021 Kiedrich Turmberg Riesling Auslese is precise, fresh and flinty on the nose yet pretty sweet on the palate. This is an elegant and refined, dense and saline, seriously grippy and stimulating Auslese with enormous aging potential. Very long but very sweet as well. 8.5% stated alcohol plus 110 grams per liter of residual sugar. Natural cork. Tasted in July 2022. STEPHAN REINHARDT, The Wine Advocate

The Argiano 2019 Brunello di Montalcino comes out stronger than the previous 2018 and 2017 vintages, thanks to the precision and focus of its fruit flavors in this balanced vintage. It shows ample depth and volume, with sweet cherry and blackberry that fold into softly toasted spice and earth. Floral hints of lilac and iris make brief but poignant appearances. Velvety tannins and a nicely concentrated mid-weight palate give good staying power. MONICA LARNER, Wine Advocate

Inviting aromas of sandalwood, blue flower, resin and mocha come to the forefront. The aromas follow through to the savory, rounded palate along with dried cherry, anisette and ground clove. It's polished and accessible, with fine-grained tannins. It closes on the warmth of alcohol. Drink through 2028. KERIN O'KEEFE, Wine Enthusiast

The 2019 Barbaresco Albesani Vigna Borgese is another terrific wine in this range from Piero Busso. Ample and expressive, with terrific depth, the 2019 offers up copious dark red fruit, blood orange and sweet spice tobacco. Firm tannins wrap it all together. The Borghese offers an appealing mix of ripe, racy fruit and mid-weight structure. ANTONIO GALLONI, Vinous

Busso bottles two cuvées from his 1.2 hectares of vines in the Albesani cru (the other is the Viti Vecchie offered below). On the western hills above Neive, Albesani is one of the shining stars of Barbaresco. In his Barbaresco MGA, Alessandro Masnaghetti writes that here, “…the combination of soil, stature and exposure creates one of the greatest vineyards of the Langhe”. The vines were planted between 30 and 70 years ago at 260 metres above sea level on soils of limestone, clay and marl with an ideal southwest exposure. This fermented naturally in tank, then aged in 25-hectolitre cask for 26 months.

San Stunet is the only Busso vineyard not in Neive, and instead is in the village of Trieso. Busso farms 1.5 hectares of vines, which sit at 400 metres in altitude on a steep gradient (16%). San Stunet soils are mostly yellow marl with a lot of limestone. The Busso vines lie on the southeast face of the ridge which delivers the deepest and most articulate Nebbiolo of this cru. The site is late ripening, usually picked 10 days after the estate’s other vineyards.

The winemaking is identical to the Albesani Vigna Borgese, but this has both more flesh and is punchier, suggesting both more tannins and acidity. Decant it and serve it in a Burgundy glass and you’ll be rewarded with a wonderful Nebbiolo loaded with character (dark cherry, honey, leather), depth and structure. It would ideally get 10 to 15 years bottle age, but if not, then lots of air.

STAFF PICKS 2022 - ROSCOE HALLIGAN-ROSE


What a wine. It was a bit of an all-out brawl this year to see who would take out the big gong. I nabbed a couple of contenders on a recent weekend to examine them properly in the right kind of environment, under a tree in my yard with some mates and some nibbles. At the end There Can Be Only One and that had to be the Freddy Emile 2016. It's like they bottled The Quickening.
The power here is genuinely staggering. It's so compact and tense that it isn't entirely comfortable to taste at this early stage. Even with a few years under the belt it is almost completely primary with little or no indication of age showing amongst that youthfully imploded and inwardly focused fruit. Scintillating stuff. It practically hums with pent up potential. The length is unreal and it stains the palate with wildly mineral fruit. The palate is hugely impactful and it hits like a sock stuffed with pool balls being swung around. It is  a genuine WOW wine but it comes with a caveat, do not drink them too early. There is so much here just waiting to unveil itself. This is probably the best young version of this storied wine I have ever drunk. ROSCOE


Luminous straw-yellow. Complex, mint-accented aromas of nectarine, tangerine and powdered stone, plus a hint of licorice. Then bright, juicy and dense, showing outstanding acid-sugar balance and a penetrating juiciness to the stone fruit and herbal flavors. Finishes multilayered and very long, displaying noteworthy clarity and limy cut on the saline finish. Wine lovers everywhere know just how great Frédéric Emile Rieslings can be, but this looks to be a real knockout in the making; I absolutely love this wine's mineral drive and precision. It pulls off the neat trick of being both very ageworthy and also lovely to drink right now. I was happy to know that my palate was still working after an extremely long day of tasting when I told Pierre that in this vintage of Frédéric Emile I found more of the Geisberg than the Osterberg (in most vintages, the wine is a blend of 60/40 Osterberg-Geisberg, at times even 70/30, but this year it's more like 55/45). (97+) IAN D'AGATA, Vinous Media

The lemon-sherbet note here is really beautiful. Then comes a wealth of herbs, ranging from thyme to parsley, with a touch of sea salt, before turning to more floral nuances, such as cherries and almond blossom. The powerful acidity seems to surround the whole mouth and makes this almost like licking a lemon; the unmistakable dryness is all the more enjoyable because of it. Long and very elegant on the finish. STUART PIGOTT

The 2018 Barolo Paiagallo is delicate, ethereal and beautifully perfumed. Sweet pipe tobacco, orange peel, mint, dried cherry, licorice and incense are all laced together in this very pretty, nuanced Barolo. The Paiagallo is the one Barolo in this range aged in cask. ANTONIO GALLONI

Barolo. 25 days on the skins and aged only in large oak casks.
Lustrous ruby with orange tinges. Savoury, meaty nose and generous fruit with crunchy tannins on the palate. Easy-going and full and still a little embryonic in spite of its fullness. WALTER SPELLER, www.jancisrobinson.com

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Always the most structured of Brezza's MeGA offerings, the 2020 Sarmassa is a gorgeous wine, starting with its classic varietal aromas of menthol, wild rose, new leather and pressed rose. Firmly structured, the taut, savory palate shows succulent red cherry, pomegranate, licorice and ground clove. Tightly knit tannins and fresh acidity keep it balanced and provide an age-worthy structure. Drink 2029-2038. KERIN O'KEEFE

Tasted from barrel, the 2021 Barbaresco is a very pretty, easygoing wine. Crushed red berry fruit, rose petal, mint, spice and white pepper give the 2021 lovely aromatic lift to match its mid-weight personality. This is shaping up well. ANTONIO GALLONI

Balsamic aromas of camphor mix with grilled sage, rose and culinary spice on this fragrant red. The vibrant palate offers cranberry, star anise and blood orange before a saline close. Taut, polished tannins and bright acidity provide the framework KERIN OKEEFE

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Made from a blend of Sciaccarellu, Niellucciu, Carcajolu-Neru, Montanaccia, Morescono, Morescola and Aleatico which were all planted in the early 1960’s in granite soil. The grapes are crushed by foot and macerated for 15 days with very gentle extraction before ageing in older 600 litre demi-muid barrels. VINTAGE AND VINE

Smoky, spice and aromatic with dried berries and cherries. Cloves, too. Medium-to full-bodied with round, juicy tannins. Tight and firm at the end. Hints of cloves on the finish with some slate and iron. Flavorful finish. Drink or hold. 93 JAMES SUCKLING

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More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!

70%Cab. Sav. 30% Sangiovese.The 2017 Camartina is going to need a few years to open. That will be helpful as the wine ages, but it also means the Camartina does not have the opulence readers are likely to expect in this warm, dry year. Time in the glass brings out brighter tonalities of fruit and floral overtones that give a good idea to where the 2017 is heading. Readers should be in no rush here. ANTONIO GALLONI, vinous.com

Very fine, pure, ultra-mineral expression of Nebbiolo here. Strawberry, raspberry, spice, fennel, mint and stones. It's bright and very tight, with fine crushed rock tannin, red fruits and orange peel, even some bergamot tea perfume. Finish is long and firm. You can almost feel an alpine breeze running through your hair as you taste it (that is, assuming you have hair, otherwise maybe around the nape of your neck). (95) GARY WALSH

Brovia's 2018 Barolo is a very good wine for the vintage and within its peer group. It naturally shows the modest structure of the year, but all the elements are nicely balanced. Sweet dried cherry, mint, cedar, tobacco and crushed leaves open nicely. I would prefer to drink the 2018 over the next handful of years. As always, the straight Barolo is a blend of 70% Brea and 30% a mix of the other sites in the range. It is very nicely done. ANTONIO GALLONI

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Crushed mint, dried rosemary, blue flower and woodland berry aromas come to the forefront on the gorgeous 2020 Paiagallo from Mauro Veglio. On the full-bodied palate, notes of star anise, coconut and coffee bean accent a juicy red cherry core. Drink 2028–2035. KERIN O’KEEFE

Veglio's Paiagallo is from a single 30hl botte grande, where the wine ages for 24 months. It's very classic on the nose, with dried cherry, liquorice stick, intense Parma violet, cherry kernel and rhubarb. Firm on the palate, it shows very elegant tannins and a velvety texture, with lifted acidity and great red fruited length. A sleek Barolo, more elegant than powerful but no less cellarworthy.  ALDO FIORDELLI, wwe.decanter.com

The 2020 Barolo del Comune di Serralunga d'Alba is a blend of two sites in the village. Dark and evocative, the 2020 offers up a complex mélange of savory herbs, blood orange, balsamic-infused fruit, spice and new leather. This beguiling, nuanced Barolo hits all the right notes. The mix of finesse and power in reserve is alluring, to say the least. ANTONIO GALLONI

The 2022 Riesling Kiedricher Gräfenberg Grosses Gewächs has a notion of tangerine alongside yellow plum, followed by yellow plum skin and citrus peel. The palate is juicy, almost bouncy, with Reine Claude's vividness, pervaded by zesty, ripe lemon resting on a gentle layer of yeast. It's concentrated, almost allowing glimpses of more distant, tropical fruit, yet all within that frame of citric freshness. It shows tautness, linearity, direction and energy with Weil’s drive, yet it is always cool and dynamic. We only see a fraction of this power at this point, but it is undoubtedly there. Subtle citrus perfume denotes elegance, but the muscular elegance gets you. Wow. It was bottled in early August 2023 for release in September 2024. (Bone-dry) ANNE KREBIEHL MW, Vinous

Mauro Veglio's property in Paiagallo is at mid-altitude in what is called Vigna San Sebastiano, bordering Terlo, to which it is closer in style than the opposite side of the MGA. Garnet in colour, it has notes of watermelon, earthy strawberry and lemon leaf. Elegance and freshness prevail over the powerful palate. Nevertheless, it is full bodied, well extracted and with sweet tannins. Citrus notes and liquorice emerge on the finish. ALDO FIORDELLI, www.decanter.com

The 2017 Barolo Paiagallo is the most open and racy of Veglio's 2017. Ripe red cherry, kirsch, dried flowers, orange peel and cinnamon all develop as the 2017 opens in the glass. This is an especially ripe, forward Barolo, but it also has a bit better balance in its tannins. ANTONIO GALLONI

In this wine you glimpse the future of the estate. The lack of smaller oak here reveals a more open profile of red fruits, florals and fruit tannins (not oak tannins) which give life and an entirely different shape to the structural profile. The tannins are saturated and enlivening. I simply love this wine and it occurs to me it's the kind of wine which is the reason you drink Barolo. MICHAEL MCNAMARA, PWS

Bright straw. Deep, refined aromas of peach, nectarine, lemon jelly and tangerine jam, complicated by spicy botrytis. Rich, dense and juicy, this luscious beauty has a remarkable light-on-its-feet quality; the very pure orchard fruit, smoky and honeyed flavors are neatly extended on the long, suave, concentrated finish by lively, harmonious acidity. Knockout SGN from an estate with a long history of excellence (96) IAN D’AGATA, Vinous Media

An exotic fruit extravaganza! Luscious and seductive. This remains totally straight, all thanks to the vibrant acidity and the purity of the flavors. Right through the very long clean finish. Delicious now, but this wine will develop magnificently over at least a quarter of a century. (98) SRUART PIGOTT, jamessuckling.com

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The 2022 Riesling Kiedricher Gräfenberg Spätlese shows restrained greengage and Reine Claude plum. The vivid aroma of these stone fruits is delineated on the palate, boosted by residual sweetness like sorbet made from the fruit, melting on the palate and releasing its aroma moment by moment, reaching a peak of creamy peach ice cream, always tempered by vivid freshness and a tangy citrus edge. Just so elegant, so zesty, so beautiful, so balanced. Squeaky clean, elegant, striking and delicious. (Sweet) ANNE KREBIEHL MW, Vinous