Wines

94 Points! The Mascarello family has recently doubled its vineyard holdings in Perno, Monforte d'Alba. We will see that new fruit on line in 2027. The Giuseppe Mascarello 2020 Barolo Perno Vigna Santo Stefano reveals a delicate and soft entry with generous fruit, sweet cherry and mild tannins. The wine offers a combination of mature fruit tones and spiciness that comes from higher elevations at 300 meters above sea level, where nighttime temperatures are cooler. The wine excels in length and silkiness. - Monica Larner, robertparker.com

A rarity! Generally never imported into the U.S. but we managed to snag a few cases. This dolcetto comes from the Bricco Mirasole vineyard in Castiglione Falletto, made in very small quantities, less than 5,000 bottles. Brilliant...

94 Points! The 2023 Bolgheri Rosso highlights the importance of the Cabernet Franc in the blend. In the glass, it displays a purple/red color and is highly expressive with wonderful energy on the nose. Fermented in stainless steel tank, and then in used barrels (3 to 4 years old), the nose reveals lively aromas of currants, graphite, black raspberries, sweet herbs, and floral perfume. The palate is full-bodied, with a refreshing, compact, and angular structure, well-defined tannins, an even spine of acidity, and notes of dusty earth through the finish. An overachiever with exceptional purity, this is an early contender for top lists of the year. Bravo. - Audrey Frick, jebdunnuck.com

96 Points! Gorgeous aromas of persimmons and spices as nutmeg, cinnamon, orange peel, and hints of caramel. Honey and apricot. Full-bodied, dry and layered with dried fruits such as apricots and pears. Botrytis spice. Fine silky phenolic texture and a flavorful finish. Layered and fascinating. Serve at 16 to 18 degrees centigrade. Drink or hold.- JamesSuckling.com

From the importer: Made of a blend of Nero d’Avola (Frappato 45%, Nero d’Avola 55%), estate-grown in vineyards near Chiaramonte Gulfi, in the Contradas Ponte, Biviere e Fegotto. The soils are a calcareous mixture of clay and sand, at just under 300 meters (1,000 feet) above sea level. The grapes are picked at moderate ripeness (with care to avoid over-ripeness, in other words, in this hot climate) around mid-October; fermentation is carried out with indigenous yeasts, and maceration with the skins lasts for about 3 weeks. After fermentation the wine is aged on the lees in the tank for a further 2 weeks, then racked and aged in a tank for 18 months. 

Nero d’Avola is the best-known Sicilian red wine grape when bottled on its own, but for my money, this blend is better. The Frappato lightens and lifts the meatiness of the Nero d’Avola, giving it juicier aromas and flavors and making it MORE DELICIOUS. See note above about temperature; stick the bottle in the fridge for 30 minutes for best results. Drink with red meats or more substantial pasta dishes. I bet this will age well, but I doubt I’ll have any left to find out.

95 Points! Beautifully ripe and intense, the 2010 Brunello di Montalcino never feels overdone or too heavy. In fact, it treads with the lightest of footprints imparting delicate tones of rose petal, forest berry, white cherry, balsam herb and sweet almond as it flutters over the senses. The main message here is elegance and this wine is profoundly eloquent on the subject. The mouthfeel is tight silky and enduring. Delicate mineral notes give focus and definition to the finish. This is a classic Brunello from an iconic vintage. - Monica Larner, robertparker.com

97 Points! A restrained wine that’s complex and deep, with aromas of cherry stones, butter, fresh violets, orange peel and prunes. Firm tannins with a grainy texture, yet it has a sweet finish, super-energetic acidity and a full body. Flavors of blood oranges and violets. Perfect balance and incredible aging potential. A super classic. - JamesSuckling.com

96 Points! Definitely among the vintage’s anomalies, Il Marroneto’s 2020 is more overtly structured than its 2019 counterpart. While the latter verges on dainty and ethereal, the 2020 is steelier in resolve and almost austere by comparison. Proprietor Alessandro Mori also felt it needed longer in wood, so this saw a total of 45 months in Slavonian oak casks. Subtle and sweet to start, it flits with strawberry and cherry blossom before taking on earthier tones. Elegantly weighted but still tight, the palate is built around pure red cherry and raspberry, embedded with nutmeg and incense. Chalky and layered, the tannins sport an assertive bite. -Decanter Magazine  

96 Points! The Il Marroneto 2020 Brunello di Montalcino is a wine of special depth and elegance. Alessandro Mori tells me that fermentation in 2020 proceeded nicely with what he describes as a "primordial stew" of grape must, resulting in high pressure "geysers" or "liquid bombs" that rip right through the cap because of pressure build-up. Someone is having tons of fun in the winery. High temperatures (between 36 to 38 degrees Celsius) serve to fix the wine's ruby color and the elegance of its perfumes, which are more floral than fruity. At the end of fermentation, he manages the skins with light wetting by hand with a tube. This vintage offers softness and a silky texture that feels glossy to the palate. - Monica Larner, robertparker.com

From the winery: This wine takes its name from an Earth goddess and also from my youngest daughter Gea. It is a Sangiovese wine of rare purity, grown on the best slopes of Paradiso di Frassina in Montalcino. Aged in barrels for about one year and then matured in bottle for ten months before release.

96 Points! This has some initial animal reduction that turns earthy, revealing notes of dark cherries, mushrooms and dried herbs. The palate is really elegant and well constructed with precise, lustrous tannins complemented by linear red fruit that concludes defined and long. Polished. Best ever from here. Best after 2026 but already attractive. - JamesSuckling.com

99 Points! 2018 saw the introduction of ceramic vessels in the winery, along with the addition of another large cask. The 16 micro-vinifications this year took place completely in stainless steel using wild yeasts, then matured for 22 months in tonneaux (80% new) and 15hl barrels. It then spent eight months in ceramic (rather than the cement used in previous vintages) before bottling. This 2018 brilliantly combines the darker fruit of 2016 with the mega-freshness of 2015, finishing it off with super-fine tannins. Creamy, earthy and chocolatey notes are lifted by a balsamic waft, overlaid with ripe, sapid red and black cherries, a touch of black tea and a long, sweet, pure cherry and wild strawberry finish. Superb. - Decanter Magazine

96 Points! The 2021 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Vigna Casanova dell'Aia is a picture-perfect example of Radda. Sage, mint, white pepper, crushed rocks, mint and dried herbs give the 2021 its intensely floral/savory/mineral style. Readers will find a Gran Selezione endowed with tons of tension and pure mineral drive. This has really come along since I tasted it last year. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

96 Points! The 2021 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Vigna Cavarchione is a polished, sensual wine. Black cherry, plum, lavender, sage, menthol and licorice build effortlessly in a Gran Selezione that captures all the textural richness that is typical of this sector in Gaiole. Ripe, finessed tannins wrap it all together. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

90 Points! It’s richer on the palate than on the nose, where there are melon, pear and pepper notes. Medium-bodied with a textured, silky palate and refreshing acidity. Drink now. - JamesSuckling.com

95 Points! The effusive sliced-pear and white-peach aromas introduce you to this extraordinary, contemporary interpretation of this grape, which is so often dismissed as old-fashioned. The abundant fine tannins remind me of natural wines, but there’s a level of brightness here that’s totally Alpine and gives it remarkable drive at the very long wet-stone finish. Drink or hold. - JamesSuckling.com

100% Cortese, planted in 1977 and 2000 in the middle of the Colombera hill, above the cellar. The altitude is 280-300 meters (900-1000 feet) above sea level. The vineyard is called Bartolomeo; the soil is limestone-based clay.

95 Points, Wine Spectator's #19 Wine of the Year 2023! Strawberry, raspberry and cherry aromas and flavors are beautifully displayed in this charming version, with loam, tobacco and herbs adding detail while the aftertaste goes on and on. Shows balance and formidable length. Best from 2026 through 2042. - Wine Spectator

La Ginestraia was founded in 2007 in the small village of Cervo, in the province of Imperia, Liguria – by Marco Brangero. It is one of the Brangero family wine estates. 

La Ginestraia is located on top of a little hill which faces the Mediterrenean Sea- here called Mar Tirreno, under the appellation Riviera Ligure di Ponente, covering the northwest Italian coast from the border of France to the city of Genoa. They produce around 40,000 bottles (divided between 6 labels) sourced from their terroir and to the indigenous grapes of Liguria