Vallana's 2018 Boca is an old-school, super-classic wine. Firm tannins wrap around a core of macerated dark cherry, cinnamon, licorice, dried herbs and menthol. The 2018 needs a good decant. Readers will find a sturdy...

A fresh, focused red, with a subtle yet persistently fragrant thread of tobacco and spices winding through dried cherry and strawberry, tea rose, stone and smoke notes. Reveals supple tannins that firm the creamy, lasting...

The 2013 Valtellina Superiore Sassella Riserva Nuova Regina is quite delicate in its first impression. Red fruit, mint, orange peel, rose petals and cinnamon linger on the nose. Ethereal, weightless and classy to the...

A fine and pretty Barolo with plenty of strawberry and mushroom character. White truffle, too. It’s medium-to full-bodied and creamy with medium, round tannins. Delicious now and will improve nicely.

This features tangy cherry and raspberry flavors up front, giving way to eucalyptus, menthol and stony mineral accents as it evolves on the palate. Succulent yet elegant, with a dusting of tannins on the precision finish...

We ended the meal with a Piedmontese classic, the always exceptionally good NV Cappellano Barolo Chinato. From the house that invented it, this is a Chinato of real pedigree: long, suave, complex and rich, featuring...

Bright with cherry and raspberry fruit, this red also reveals licorice, mineral and spice flavors. Well-balanced, with a firm line of tannins on the extended finish. Best from 2025 through 2040. 366 cases made, 110 cases...

The 2021 Barolo La Tartufaia offers a bit more textural depth than the other wines in the range. Hints of espresso, macerated wild cherry, dried flowers, herbs, menthol and licorice begin to open gradually. Soft, pliant...

The Giuseppe Mascarello 2018 Barolo Monprivato reveals an open and accessible personality. This wine is an immediate charmer. I tasted these wines with the Mascarello family seated across the table from me, and during our...

Aromas burst forth with a medley of freshly milled sweet, picante, and savory spices, creating an enticing bouquet. Warmed roses mingle with the freshness of raspberries, accented by hints of wild herbs. The nose is so...

Cesare Benvenuto of Pio Cesare tells me that what he loves most about the 2020 vintage is that it is, in his word: contemporary. "You can drink the wines immediately, the tannins are silky and hydrated and Nebbiolo shows...

A graceful and elegant nebbiolo with aromas of cinnamon, wild strawberries, dried cherries and camphor. Full-bodied, it shows density and velvety tannins with flavors of dried cherries and oranges. Brilliant finish...

Balsamic flavors of eucalyptus and menthol introduce this fluid, cherry- and blackberry-flavored red. Turns more fruity with air, offering a fleshy texture and accents of earth, tar and licorice on the lingering finish...

Alluring aromas of wild red berries, medicinal herbs and sweet and savory spices with subtle tea aromas swirl in the glass. The lifted palate is almost weightless before it gives juicy cherry notes and crushed wildflower...