Sweet berries and cherries with some vanilla and cedar character. Medium body and creamy, juicy tannins. Tangy acidity. Plum, citrus and vanilla undertones. Drink or hold.

The 2018 Sammarco is brilliant. Bright and explosive, with tons of linear drive, the 2018 is exceptionally polished. Cabernet Sauvignon is up to 80% of the blend, and that very much comes through in a wine endowed with...

The 2018 Tenuta Degli Dei is dense, juicy and wonderfully inviting. Silky tannins wrap around a core of inky dark fruit, chocolate, spice, lavender and new leather. In the glass, the 2018 is intensely aromatic and...

The 2018 Brunello di Montalcino offers a full and generous personality with layers of dark fruit, cola, rosemary and balsam herb. This is a medium to full-bodied Sangiovese with lots of ripe fruit, soft tannins and rich...

Aromas of minerals, crushed stones and cherries. Pine needles, too. Floral. Full-to medium-bodied with a tight, linear palate and super fine tannins. Extremely deep. Fresh. Light saltiness. Give this three or four years...

This is the most high-toned of Gaja’s three 2018 Brunellos, a portion of the fruit coming from the Torrenieri vineyard in Montalcino’s cooler northeastern corner. Hints of oregano and citrus peel accent the tangy red...

Camphor, forest floor, wild berry and dark spice aromas lead the way. Full-bodied and supremely elegant, the delicious palate delivers ripe Morello cherry, crushed raspberry, licorice and tobacco framed in tightly woven...

Lots of blue and sweet berry fruit with heady rose and floral notes on the nose, alongside hot chocolate, sandalwood, toffee and nutmeg. It’s full-bodied with ripe, muscular tannins that are superbly integrated. Powerful...

Wonderful perfumes and freshness with cut flowers, citrus and dark berries. Violets, too. Full-bodied and layered with gorgeous fruit and clarity. Hints of bark and stone. Some conifer, too. Racy and long. From...

Intense aromas of black cherries, lavender and spice, such as nutmeg. Some sandalwood and bark, too. Full-bodied with a solid core of fruit and tannins for the vintage. Rather chewy, suggesting that additional bottle age...

Forest berry, spice, hay and menthol aromas mingle with whiffs of new leather on this stunning, fragrant Brunello. A top-scorer vintage after vintage, the 2018 combines elegance and a full body, delivering dried cherry...

A modern slanting wine, the 2018 Brunello Di Montalcino is lush with wooded spices, smoky cigar box, preserved cherry, sweet tobacco, and dried roses. It is full-bodied on the palate but has a compact structure, with ripe...

The 2018 I Sodi di San Niccolò is the most elegant Sodi I have ever tasted, and I have tasted them all. Sodi can be quite the bruiser in its youth, as the tannins are often imposing, but the 2018 is impressive because...

The 2018 D'Alceo is a wild, exotic wine. Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot come together in a wine that is sumptuous, layered and exceptionally beautiful. Inky blue/purplish fruit, sage, mint, lavender and chocolate are...

A blend of mostly Sangiovese with Cabernet Franc and Merlot in supporting roles, the Castello di Ama 2018 Haiku is a very interesting and somewhat unexpected expression that delivers big richness and lovely concentration...

The 2018 Balifico, Volpaia's Sangiovese/ Cabernet Sauvignon blend, is fabulous. Rich and inky, the 2018 offers up a compelling mélange of dark berry fruit, dark spice, licorice and espresso. I especially admire the wine's...

To my palate, the 2018 vintage sometimes feels a little too ripe or baked. I was reminded of those characteristics when tasting the Fèlsina 2018 Fontalloro. There is plenty of dark fruit at its core, but this wine also...

Decanter World Wine Awards 2021. Complex, restrained, super clean, tobacco, leather, cinnamon, cassis, black and red currants and hints of smoke. Full body, balanced with sweet fruit and noble tannins.

The nose seems like a dreamy island getaway, with passion fruit for breakfast, prickly pear cocktails by the pool, violets on the dinner table, and rosewater candy waiting on the nightstand. The palate brings candied...

Siepi, Fonterutoli’s Merlot/Sangiovese blend, is absolutely gorgeous in 2018. Rich, pliant and creamy, Siepi offers all of the seductiveness of Merlot with the bright acids and grip of Sangiovese. Inky blue/purplish...

Aromas of blackberries, black olives, green olive, and violets. It’s really aromatic. Full-bodied, yet so precise and polished with creamy, layered tannins that caress your palate. It’s extremely persistent and goes on...

Complex, wild and energetic with an intellectual array of fresh truffles, bramble berries, bark, cardamom, dried porcini, miso and rosemary. Full-bodied yet agile, with firm, tight tannins and sharp acidity. Powerful and...

96+ The 2018 Brunello Di Montalcino Sugarille is layered with aromas of black licorice, wild raspberry, smoky cedar, and sweet Mediterranean herbs. It is medium to full-bodied with gorgeous concentration and length in its...

A pretty red with density and richness, offering cherry and chocolate aromas and flavors, as well as hazelnuts. Yet, it’s tight and so fine and focused. Very polished tannins run the length of the palate. Drink or hold.

Black-cherry and cola aromas with hints of toasted oak. Medium-bodied with firm tannins and a tight, linear finish. Hints of mushrooms and cedar. Drink or hold.