Shows good varietal character, with saturated blackberry, violet, ink and smoked bacon aromas and flavors. Well-structured yet harmonious and really sings on the lingering aftertaste. Syrah, Merlot, Cabernet Franc...

The most impressive aspect of the Castello della Sala ethos is its ability to reinvent itself. This latest edition of Umbria's headline white is a true delight. Renzo Cotarella and his team have created an Italian...

A blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Petit Verdot and 15% Cabernet Franc, the Tenuta degli Dei 2022 Cavalli is a rich and pleasurable expression with velvety intensity and plenty of black fruit. This richly textured...

The only one of the Dominus wines to show more than a hint of wood, the 2023 Dominus matured in 40% new French oak, leaving it marked by caramel and cedar overtones. Yet that oak aging is balanced by plenty of black...

The 2021 Opus One is composed of 93% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot, and 0.5% each of Merlot and Malbec. It was bottled in July 2023. Deep garnet-purple in color, it comes barreling out of the...

The 2017 Valpolicella Classico Superiore Ripasso Il Bugiardo displays an inviting mix of blackberries, sage, roses, chalk dust and hints of camphor. This is full-bodied with depths of silky textures and a dense core of...

The 2023 Clio was produced with 70% Monastrell from very old vines and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon planted in 1986. It fermented in stainless steel with neutral yeasts and matured in new French and American oak barrels for 23...

Syrah and Petit Verdot shape the 2022 Romitorio, a dark, polished Toscana Rosso with generous aromas of lavender, blackberry, fresh plum, olive, and crushed herbs. The palate is full-bodied and supple, with silky tannins...

Elegant, sweet, juicy, and fresh, there is a purity to the sweet kirsch that defines the wine. The finish focuses on its mineral characteristics that accompany the raspberries, kirsch, and cherries. This is a knockout...

The straight Pieropan Soave Classico is one of the absolute best values in the entire wine world and the fantastic 2025 even brings it up a notch, starting with intense aromas of white spring flower, exotic fruit, citrus...

A spiced and savory red with chalky tannins and vibrant fruit character. Smooth and dusty on the dry, medium-bodied palate, with red berry, citrus peel and dried herb nuances. I like the zesty and minerally complexity...

A supple, flavorful, sleek and densely fruity wine on a full body. The tannins seem to build on the palate, giving a little textural grip to raspberry and red and black cherry flavors and attractive oak spices like...

This is full-bodied yet carries a racy edge, with juicy acidity driving licorice and cherry dusted with spices. Chalky mineral notes bring an earthy depth and firmness to the succulent, salty finish, which shows a waft of...

The 2023 Volpolo di Sapaio, a blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, and 15% Petit Verdot, pours a deep purple hue and is immediately appealing, with aromas of blackberry, fresh plum, lavender, and Mediterranean...

The 2021 Le Petit Clos is composed of 68% Carménère, 16% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot and 1% Cabernet Franc, aged in 50% new oak. It features black and red fruit with a distinct floral bouquet, contrasting with the more...

Boldly structured but richly polished, with expressive flavors of blackberry and cherry that are layered with lavender and woodsy spices as this builds tension toward fine-grained tannins. Petit Verdot and Merlot. Drink...

A beguiling blend of dusty violets, crushed stone, musky black currants and grilled herbs makes the 2020 Estate Cuvée impossible to ignore. Racy yet supple, this soothes with its ripe red and black fruits while also...

Packs warmed cassis and plum reduction notes coated in melted black licorice. Gains good cut from a fresh tobacco edge, showing loamy drive through the finish. Solid. Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Petit...

Looking better than it did from tank, Cristina's 2020 Chateauneuf du Pape is ripe and rounded, with ample amounts of black cherries and plums, an exception to the overall red-fruited nature of the vintage. Full-bodied...

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...

This quinta is in the Rio Torto Valley in the heart of the Port vineyards. The wine is rich, sweet fruited, ripe with jammy blackberries and great perfumes. Open, already drinkable in a fruity way, it is likely to age...

A blend of 65% Sangiovese, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Malvasia Nera, the Montepeloso 2022 Eneo shows a lovely combination of forest berry, sweet earth and crushed flowers. The wine does a great job of drawing upon the...

A bold but poised red, with fine, chalky tannins. Lively acidity lends definition and tension to the panoply of flavors, which partners savory game, espresso, cured tobacco and iron notes with ripe boysenberry, crème de...

The Masi Serego Alighieri 2017 Valpolicella Classico Superiore MontePiazzo (packaged in a heavy glass bottle) is aged in Slavonian oak and cherrywood. The blend of grapes is 70% Covina, 20% Rondinella and 10% Molinara (a...

An intense core of black currant and blackberry fruit is framed with violet, mineral and wild herb accents in this firmly structured red. Sleek and balanced, persisting with ample fruit on the extended aftertaste...

This solidly built version displays a graphite edge running from start to finish, giving a structured feel as notes of dark plum, blackberry and black currant reduction move through slowly, building tension and power...

The 2023 Saffredi is an elegant, polished wine. Macerated cherry, mocha, dried herbs, menthol, licorice, blackberry and tobacco fill out the layers effortlessly. The 2023 is not quite as explosive as some recent vintages...

The Domaine de Baron'arques demonstrates that Limoux, the region that gave birth to sparkling wine makes a fine Merlot-based wine as well. A velvety wine of plush red and blue, berry fruit aromas accented by clove and...