Italy

92 Points! The estate's 2013 Roero Vigna di Lino is powerful, dense and explosive. Lavender, violet, spice and bluish-hued fruits give the 2013 much of its distinctive personality. Deceptive in its mid-weight structure, the 2013 offers quite a bit of depth. With time in the glass, the wine gains freshness and slightly redder tonalities in its fruit. This is a terrific expression of Roero Nebbiolo. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media, 2017

94 Points! Val del Prete's 2015 Roero Riserva is superb, and also one of the best wines I have tasted from Val del Prete in a long time maybe ever. Sweet cinnamon, orange zest, rosewater, dried cherry and mint notes give the 2015 striking aromatic nuance that resonates beautifully on the palate where the wine offers striking fruit purity and silky, noble tannins. All the elements are impeccably balanced in an inviting Roero that hits all the right notes, and then some. This is such a gorgeous wine. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

95 Points! The 2019 Roero Bricco Medica presents a dark, almost somber expression of Roero. Black cherry, gravel, spice, cured meats, iron, game and incense, along with the wine's sheer structure, convey brooding, virile intensity. Huge tannins wrap it all together. This potent, Serralunga-like Roero is positively lights out. What a wine! - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

93 Points! The 2018 Montefalco Rosso Riserva Pipparello wows the senses with a burst of medicinal cherries, dusty sage and exotic spice. This is lifted and full of energy with a sweet and sour twang of citrus and sour berries excited by zesty acidity. The 2018 tapers off with a gentle tug of fine-grained tannins and lingering concentration, leaving the palate clenched with youthful poise yet still aching for another sip. The 2018 may not be as long lived as bigger vintages, but its a total charmer. This went through 51 days of maceration without temperature control and was refined for 34 months in large barrels. - Eric Guido, Vinous Media

From the importer: The Pipparello vineyard is a hilltop site in Montefalco at 1300 feet above sea level. The soil is clay and gravel. The vines in the vineyard are a minimum of 20 years old. Harvest takes place normally during the middle of October. The ultimate wine is a blend of roughly 60% Sangiovese, 25% Montepulciano and 15% Sagrantino. The cuvaison extends for a period between 40 to 50 days. After the alcoholic fermentation this wine spends a year in stainless steel tanks and then two years in large oak barrels and is released after an additional year of bottle-aging.

95+ Points! Made with mostly Sangiovese plus tiny parts Canaiolo and Colorino, the 2021 Montevertine reveals a very tight textural approach with pinpoint aromas of blue currant, iris root and red rose. The wine takes a moment or two to open, but it does succeed in showing its full bouquet in little time. Montevertine remains elegantly tight and streamlined in terms of mouthfeel. - Monica Larner, robertparker.com

92 Points! The Montevertine 2022 Pian del Ciampolo is initially shy and requires extra time to open. You get wild berry notes, redcurrant, peat moss and tin can. This hot-vintage expression is made with 90% Sangiovese, 5% Canaiolo and 5% Colorino that fermented in glass-lined cement vats and aged in large oak casks. It is texturally smooth with silky tannins. - Monica Larner, robertparker.com

93 Points! Cristiano Garella turned out a compelling set of wines at Colombera & Garella. These wines offer a fascinating and contemporary look at Alto Piemonte. "Our Lessona comes from a parcel that would have never ripened in the 1970s," Garella told me. "Today, that cooler exposure is a positive." The wines are fermented in cement and/or steel and then aged in cask tailored to the size of production, with no fining or filtration. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

This ain't your parents Martini & Rossi, this is SERIOUS Moscato Spumate from estate vineyards that is an absolute joy to drink! Like a more bubbly Moscato d'Asti, too much fun...

#Fruity_Sparklers

From the importer: Calcareous sandy soils are also part of the Arneis matrix of high quality and expected lift for a variety that struggles in heavy soils or when overplayed in the cellar with too much hand in the wine—inert vessels, like stainless steel, serve Arneis well. At Brandini, the golden Arneis berries are whole cluster pressed and naturally ferment between 12-18C (lower temps at the beginning and end, with the highest in the middle of the one-week fermentation); the lowering of temperature (rather than thumping the wine with sulfites) prohibits malolactic fermentation. Stirred a few times during aging to bring a little more texture to the body and highlight the floral elements, the wine is fined and filtered prior to bottling.

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

97 Points, Wine Spectator's #3 Wine of the Year 2024! Laced with pure cherry, strawberry, graphite and tobacco aromas and flavors, this red is beautifully supported by a backbone of vibrant acidity and taut, refined tannins. Everything is framed by vanilla and toasty oak in the best sense, revealing harmony, with a long, orange-tinged finish and, yes, even drinkability at this stage. Best to give this a few more years in the bottle. Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. - Wine Spectator

94+ Points! Scavino's 2007 Barolo Monvigliero is by far the most concentrated, rich and structured Barolo I have ever tasted from this historic vineyard in Verduno. Firm yet polished tannins frame an explosive core of dark red fruit, rose petals, mint and spices. The Monvigliero shows marvelous focus and intensity. It is one of the most tannic wines of the vintage, but also one of the most promising. Sweet, floral notes leave a lasting impression on the vivid, textured finish. Scavino's Monvigliero will be a fascinating wine to follow, although I fear it may require significant patience. This is a marvelous debut vintage. Anticipated maturity: 2017-2032. - Antonio Galloni, robertparker.com

96 Points! A beam of fresh cherry and strawberry permeates this graceful red, driven by a vibrant structure. Flashes of sun-kissed hay, iron and mint add depth as this cruises to a lingering conclusion. Very harmonious, with a chalky sensation on the long, complex aftertaste. Best from 2028 through 2050. - Wine Spectator

94 Points! One of the appellation's classic wines, the Tenute Cisa Asinari dei Marchesi di Gresy 2020 Barbaresco Martinenga delivers a soft entry to the palate with subtle cherry and sweet raspberry. Those fruit tones are laced with dusty mineral and white licorice. The wine delivers medium-weight texture, but the finish remains long and polished over time. The tannins will soften with a few more years of bottle age. - Monica Larner, robertparker.com

From the importer:

Made entirely of organically grown Teroldego grapes, picked around the end of September; bunches are entirely destemmed, 50% of the berries are left whole; fermentation is sometimes carried out with indigenous yeast, sometimes with cultivated yeast, depending on the vintage. Fermentation and maceration take place in both wooden and unlined cement fermenters, for a total of up to 40-50 days. The wine is aged in French oak barrels of between 2,500 and 4,000 liters capacity and in unlined cement tanks for about 10 months. About 2,500 cases are produced.

Color is a gorgeous opaque violet-tinged purple; on nose and palate the wine makes me think of cooler-climate Syrah with hints of Cabernet Franc, very berryish, meaty, some Assam tea notes, some herbal notes, rusty/meaty hints, big but not at all bitter. Fresh palate, long finish with almond note.

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