Collector Wines

wines

The 2018 Barolo Lazzarito represents Vietti's interpretation of Serralunga d'Alba, the village often associated with the most powerful wines in the appellation. The Lazzarito completes its secondary fermentation in barrique over three months and is then racked into large oak botti for an additional two years of aging. With some 8,000 bottles produced in this smaller vintage, the wine is very indicative of its geographic origins with tight black fruit, rusty nail, blood orange and earth. Compared to the others in this series, this wine delivers more lasting tannic power. A bit salty and savory now, it is well suited to long aging.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96+ RPThe 2018 Barolo Lazzarito is tense, vibrant and very much closed in on itself. Searing tannins and Serralunga structure dominate today. Crushed rocks, gravel, red fruit, rose petal, lavender and sage all run though this sculpted, vibrant Serralunga Barolo. What stands out most about the Lazzarito today is that is stylistically more similar to the other Barolos than it was a few years ago. I expect great things in time here.Antonio Galloni | 94 AGQuite a flamboyant feel to this on the nose, showing raspberries and grainy notes, together with hints of fresh mushrooms. Some brighter passion fruit comes through with air. Medium-bodied with an intense core of vibrant fruit and youthful tannin which together, given time, will add length and breadth to the wine. Wait for this one. Try from 2024.James Suckling | 93 JS

The 2018 Barolo Ravera is a wine of real depth and vertical structure. As always, the Ravera is a taut, nervy Barolo built on energy more than volume. Readers will have to be patient, as the Ravera is likely to require a number of years to be at its most expressive. Even in the early going, it is vibrant and full of life. Rose petal, chalk, blood orange and white pepper lend striking exotic top notes that are quite suggestive of what the future is going to bring. What a gorgeous Barolo this is.Antonio Galloni | 95+ AGVietti is one of a handful of estates to bring the Ravera MGA of Novello to the current popularity it enjoys now. Their 2018 Barolo Ravera has a smoky personality with crushed stone and pencil shavings. There is plenty of dark fruit at the back, ripe cherry and blackberry mostly, and the wine is tonic and firm in terms of its structure and tannins. The Ravera is a wine of enormous length and a finely tuned texture. Exactly 7,560 bottles were made.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPLighter structure this year, but it’s intense, with focused red-cherry and raspberry character and spicy and mineral nuances. Medium-bodied with firm tannins and a very tight finish. This is super-compact and needs time to expand. Try from 2024.James Suckling | 93 JS

Very attractive combination of dried fruit and spices with black cherries and plums. Aromas of flowers and sandalwood, too. Full-bodied and very refined, yet intense, with plush, velvety tannins that are wonderfully integrated and intertwined with the fruit. Ripe center palate. Tight at the end, suggesting the need for some serious bottle age. Very structured. Try after 2025.James Suckling | 97 JSThe 20th anniversary bottling of Testamatta made, from the 2019 vintage, in brand new winemaking facilities in Florence. This just shines from the moment it’s poured. Layered and complex this is a gem of a wine filled with cherry, raspberry, damson and caramel notes alongside a savoury edge that makes it so moreish. Tannins that support but don’t overwhelm give a nice overall weight to the palate while the flavous linger on the long finish. Made from old vines on stony soils on the Tuscan hilltops. Grapes are selected and sourced from the best five vineyards, which are divided into parcels and harvested up to eight times. Fermentation is in open-top barriques for the smaller parcels and in barrels or stainless steel for the larger ones without any temperature controls. Maceration for 7-10 days then moved into old barriques for 20 months.Decanter | 96 DECA pure expression of Sangiovese, the Bibi Graetz 2019 Testamatta is a wine in constant evolution. Bibi has added 17 more hectares of vineyard to the program, with 12 hectares in Fiesole (north of Florence) and 5 hectares in San Donato in Colle (south of Florence) with 70-year-old vines. The base of the wine sees fruit from old vines planted in the 1950s in the cool-climate Lamole subzone of Chianti Classico. These new terroirs bring a lot more aromatic nuance and complexity to the wine with perfumed blue flower, candied orange peel, wet earth and plumy black fruit. White Alberese soils add a strong chalky mineral signature to the finish of this elegantly streamlined and linear Tuscan red.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RPDelicate aromas of red berry, sunbaked earth and dark spice shape the nose along with a whiff of Mediterranean scrub. Bright and elegantly structured, the linear palate features juicy Marasca cherry, crushed raspberry and baking spice framed in polished tannins. Drink through 2029.Wine Enthusiast | 92 WEA sleek, well-delineated red, delivering cherry and raspberry flavors on an elegant frame. Fresh, and builds nicely on the mineral- and floral-laced finish. Drink now through 2028. 10,000 cases made, 2,500 cases imported. Wine Spectator | 90 WS

The 2019 Brunello Di Montalcino Riserva is a benchmark wine for the estate and one of the clear standouts of the vintage. It shows gorgeous transparency on the nose, with bergamot, incense, fresh red berries, cherries, and a saline mineral drive. Medium to full-bodied, it’s weightless and incredibly precise, with ripe tannins, focused acidity, and a finish that carries for ages without feeling heavy. This captures what makes the 2019 vintage so compelling, and it should evolve beautifully over the next several decades. Drink 2028-2058.Jeb Dunnuck | 100 JDHead winemaker Federico Radi describes 2019 as intrinsically generous in every way – even in the quantity of grapes produced. Intense and captivating, the Riserva is already forthcoming with scents of wet earth, porcini, dark red berries, sage and dried mint. Neither opulent nor lean, it is tastefully generous. Dark violet, fresh moss and bittersweet orange perfume the mid-palate. Long, fine tannins are intricately knit giving textural complexity, while steely acidity amplifies the whole. Oily herbs and sweet spice linger leisurely. Complete and aristocratic with nothing out of place, this exudes its impeccable sartorial style and should continue to do so at a steady cadence.Decanter Magazine | 99 DECKeeping with tradition, the 2019 Biondi Santi Brunello Riserva is an absolutely gorgeous wine with class, finesse, depth and serious aging potential. It beguiles with heady scents of violet, wild rose, perfumed berry and Mediterranean brush that on the elegantly structured palate seamlessly segue into succulent wild cherry, licorice, crushed mint and blood orange. Taut, fine-grained tannins provide support while bright acidity keeps it energized and impeccably balanced. What a stunner. It’s still youthfully austere so have patience. Drink 2031–2049. Abv: 13.5% Kerin O’Keefe | 99 KOIntense and expressive, this red evokes plum, raspberry and cherry flavors accented by iron and tobacco. The mouthcoating tannins are dusty and inform the finish, with ample fruit up front that should offset these in the long run. The overriding impression is of elegance, yet patience is required. Best from 2030 through 2050. 1,067 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 98 WSA classy wine with restrained aromas of embers, incense, stony minerality, fresh violets, dried cherries, red currants, leaves and vibrant orange peel. Full-bodied and juicy on the palate, with firm acidity and tannins, a slightly chalky yet ripe texture and flavors of red cherries and graphite. Super-polished and cleansing finish. Outstanding tannins. Biondi-Santi is back! Drink or hold. It will last for decades.James Suckling | 98 JSThe Biondi-Santi 2019 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva shows balanced fruit weight and clear definition, with dark currant and cherry at the core. Retasted one day later, the wine had opened nicely, gaining cohesion and improved harmony. The 2019 growing season delivered healthy, well-ripened fruit with natural concentration, a profile that emphasizes structure and richness. This Riserva is made from a strict selection of the estate’s best fruit, sourced from its oldest vineyards. Fermentation is carried out with indigenous yeasts, followed by extended aging in large Slavonian oak casks (which has been somewhat shortened in recent years). At Tenuta Il Greppo, the historic home of Biondi-Santi in Montalcino, some of the estate’s vines date back to the 1930s, making the oldest plantings over 80 years old. These heritage vines contribute to the depth and lineage of the estate’s Brunello and Riserva wines.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RPThe 2019 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva reveals a darkly floral, balsamic profile as it slowly unfolds in the glass. With coaxing, the nose impresses with a classic array of dried roses, worn leather, dusty earth and spice-encrusted black cherries. The finessed palate displays silky-smooth textures and a pure core of ripe red and black fruit. Saline mineral tones frame the palate and provide a crunchy, savory sensation toward the close. The 2019 concludes with tremendous length and concentration, violet and lavender florals, fine-grained tannins and a persistent lift of sour citrus. This is a stunning Riserva from Biondi-Santi that showcases the estate’s successful pursuit of purity over the last six to seven years. This will require considerable patience for its textures to flesh out. I wouldn’t approach it today without a long decant.Vinous Media | 97+ VM

This is a classic beauty. The 2019 d’Alceo, made with 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Petit Verdot, is dark and enriched, but magically, it is never heavy or bulky. It carries its weight with feather-like grace backed by dry tannins and lovely fruit layering. There is blackcurrant, kirsch, blackberry liqueur, exotic spice, black rose and crushed stone. That mineral note stands out like a filigree of shiny silver stitched through the wine’s rich, velvety texture. Production is 13,749 bottles and 200 magnums.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98 RPRampolla’s 2019 D’Alceo is creamy and resonant in the glass. Inky dark fruit, lavender, blackberry and spice all meld together in a wine that combines power and elegance. Seamless tannins extend the finish effortlessly. In many vintages, D’Alceo is a powerhouse. The 2019 is sublime.Vinous Media | 97 VMBlackcurrants, fresh flowers, and blue berries with sandalwood. Medium-bodied with very fine tannins and a fresh finish. Very fine, focused and bright. Cabernet sauvignon and petit verdot. Best after 2025.James Suckling | 95 JS

The best Cavallotto Vignolo Riserva I’ve had to date, the 2019 is staggeringly stunning, starting with its heady aromas of pine forest, cedar, ripe red berry and spice. All about finesse and showing elegant restraint, the full-bodied, delicious palate delivers succulent Morello cherry, truffle, orange zest and pomegranate accented by white pepper and star anise. Tight, taut but fine-grained tannins provide great support while bright acidity keeps it balanced and fueled with vibrancy. What an absolutely gorgeous wine. Drink 2029–2049. Abv: 14.5% Kerin O’Keefe | 100 KOThe Cavallotto 2019 Barolo Riserva Vignolo (a certified organic wine) shows an earthy and savory side with the extra texture and concentration that is characteristic of this warm vintage. With fruit selected from a 1.96-hectare site with 40-year-old vines, the wine reveals a core of black and purple fruits, with dried plum and blackcurrant. It closes with powdery tannins. This Riserva ages for a long 60 months in 20-hectoliter and 50-hectoliter Slavonian oak casks. Production is limited to 6,566 bottles.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPThe 2019 Barolo Riserva Vignolo is a deep, sensual wine. Dark red cherry, kirsch, cinnamon, blood orange and pomegranate all race across the palate. The aromatics are especially alluring, even if the Vignolo remains a bit less forthcoming on the palate. Kirsch, rose petal and mulling spice explode on the back end. This is the sort of Barolo that is a total turn-on with a bit of age. Actually, it already is.Vinous Media | 95+ VM

Deep, complex and graceful, the 2019 Brunello di Montalcino entices with a cascade of blue and purple flowers, black cherries and hints of Tuscan spice. This is a radiant effort, with a tinge of tangerine up front that gives way to ripe red and black fruits propelled by tantalizing acidity. The 2019 tapers off long and staining, leaving a coating of fine tannins to flex their structural muscle as traces of black raspberry fade slowly. This is a soulful Brunello from start to finish. Beautifully done.Vinous Media | 95 VM

One of the greatest expressions of this revered site and of this outstanding vintage, the Luigi Oddero 2019 Barolo Vignarionda is utterly breathtaking. From a classic vintage, it recalls the extraordinary Barolos from the era befpre climate change, starting with its multifaceted and intense aromas of red forest berry, new leather, cedar, truffle and wild rose. Full-bodied, structured and nuanced, the elegant palate is also intense and delicious, delivering succulent Morello cherry, raspberry, licorice and menthol set against a backbone of refined, well-integrated tannins. Bright acidity keeps it balanced and energized. While it’s already tempting, give this time to fully develop. What a Beauty. Drink 2031–2049. Abv: 14.5% Kerin O’Keefe | 100 KO

The 2019 Barolo Monvigliero shows a medium dark garnet appearance with an especially focused quality of fruit. There is wild cherry and Japanese plum, but the Monvigliero cru also delivers crushed rose, earthy iris root, candied orange peel with clove and dustings of black pepper. The wine is exceedingly silky and polished in texture, but its inherent complexity is never diminished. It should be interesting to revisit this bottle after the 10-year mark. This estate was the first to bottle a Monvigliero in 1978, and today 7,000 bottles are made.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RPThe 2019 Barolo Monvigliero is layered with cinnamon, red cherry, white pepper, and apricot and is dry, elegant, and medium-bodied on the palate, with fine tannins and mouthwatering salinity. Revealing notes of orange pith, warming spice, and pomegranate seed, it is long on the palate with a linear approach. Drink 2025-2045.Jeb Dunnuck | 96 JDFratelli Alessandria’s 2019 Monvigliero is full-bodied and delicious, delivering flavors of raspberry compote, blood orange, licorice and tobacco enveloped in velvety tannins. It’s bold but also possesses an almost weightless finesse, and thanks to the fruit richness, you’d never guess this has an abv of 15%. Drink 2026–2039. Abv: 15% Kerin O’Keefe | 95 KOThe 2019 Barolo Monvigliero, tasted from barrel, is fabulous. Silky and elegant, with tons of energy, the Monvigliero is showing beautifully today, even as a sample from tank with low SO2 typical of this stage pre-bottling. Even so, all the translucent finesse of Monvigliero comes through loud and clear. Crushed red berry fruit, chalk, blood orange, mint and white pepper lend brightness. The 2019 is shaping up to be a real beauty. It’s one of those young wines that is very hard to spit.Vinous Media | 94-96 VMFirst produced in 1978, the vines on this 1.4ha plot are now 50 years old. Traditional winemaking with long maceration and ageing in botti grandi. Dense and ruby in colour, the nose is restrained: earthy, with dried mushroom, rose and violet, cinnamon, and fresh pomegranate. Vibrant, savoury and delicate yet chewy on the palate, its tannins are extracted but polished, and a bit rigid on the finish. Not really ready to drink; a structure that defies time.Decanter | 90 DEC

This vineyard delivers slightly more concentrated fruit and a medium-dark appearance from loamy calcareous soils. The 2019 Barolo San Lorenzo di Verduno delivers more oomph and power with ripe cherry, blackcurrant, dark spice and earthy aromas. Fratelli Alessandria makes some of the most harmonious wines in Verduno, and that quality comes through beautifully in this wine, despite the slightly more robust fruit weight delivered by San Lorenzo di Verduno. Only 5,000 bottles were made.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPThere is a fresh mineral character in the 2019 Barolo San Lorenzo Di Verduno with wet asphalt, red cherry, orange, and clove. It is medium-bodied but takes on more structure and concentration, with ripe, fine tannins, dusty earth,and cranberry cocktail, and long with citrus on the finish. A nervy wine, it will benefit from another couple of years in bottle and drink well 2026-2040.Jeb Dunnuck | 94 JDCamphor, wild rose, ripe berry and new leather are just some of the aromas that you’ll find on Fratelli Alessandria’s fragrant 2019 San Lorenzo di Verduno. Full-bodied and buffed to a smooth sheen, the juicy, chewy palate doles out fleshy black cherry, crushed mint and licorice framed in tightly knit, velvety tannins. You’ll also detect the subtle warmth of alcohol on the finish, but the fruit richness easily supports it. Drink 2026–2034. Abv: 15% Kerin O’Keefe | 94 KO The 2019 Barolo San Lorenzo di Verduno, tasted from barrel, is another potent wine from Alessandria. Heady and explosive, the 2019 possesses tremendous energy and drive from start to finish. Dark red fruit, gravel, incense, scorched earth, rose petal, licorice and iron are some of the many notes that race out of the glass. The 2019 is wild and racy, sort of like a misbehaved child, but in the best sense! I can’t wait to see how it turns out.Vinous Media | 93-95 VM

Gaja’s 2019 Barbaresco was bottled only a few days before this tasting but it already has sweet roses and red fruits on the nose with very subtle, gentle spice notes. It has a great texture and flows gracefully across the palate. It feels very harmonious with plenty of refreshing acidity and finely integrated tannins. Sublimely elegant with a fine, silt-like texture to the tannins, it is poised, beautifully understated and charming. Keep for 2 years and drink for up to 20 plus.The Wine Independent | 97 TWIHeady aromas of rose, violet, forest berry and a whiff of oak-driven spice shape the nose. Smooth and full-bodied, the elegantly structured palate delivers crushed raspberry, licorice and coffee bean set against taut, fine-grained tannins and fresh acidity. Drink 2025–2034.Kerin O’Keefe July 2022 | 96 KO(Gaja Barbaresco Red) Gaja’s 2019 Barbaresco is gorgeous. Bright and nervy, with fabulous balance, the 2019 captures all the best this tricky vintage had to offer. Gaja did not bottle any other Barbaresco crus, opting to use the best lots for this bottling. That decision paid off in a 2019 that sizzles with tension. The aromatics alone are captivating. Bright acids lend vibrancy to a core of beautifully delineated Nebbiolo fruit. I can’t wait to see how this ages. (Drink between 2025-2039)Antonio Galloni | 93+ AG

This wine kisses the sky with fruit from bush-trained vines planted in 2012 at the highest point of the appellation (above 600 meters in elevation). This is a wine to watch in the future, especially as these vines grow older. The Le Ragnaie 2019 Brunello di Montalcino Passo del Lume Spento has a fine and direct bouquet with vibrant red fruit, cranberry, pressed rose and rosemary blossom. Fruit and floral components run very strong, and you don’t get as much of the earthiness that we find in the other wines. Instead, it feels mineral and salty. Crunchy fruit and powdery tannins fuel a very long and polished finish with a contained 13.5% alcohol content. This wine is fluid and more of a shape-shifter. Only 4,400 bottles were made.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98 RPTo close out the single vineyard wines, the 2019 Brunello Di Montalcino Passo Del Lume Spento takes a youthful red/garnet-tinged color and, as with the rest of the wines of this vintage from Le Ragnaie, has a signature stamp of incredible perfume lifting from the glass out of the gate, with notes fresh Mediterranean herbs, ripe cherries, anise, and crushed rose petals. Ripe citrus-toned fruit fills the palate of this medium-bodied Brunello, which has great mouthwatering acidity that floats through the sides of the palate, angular tannins, and a mineral-toned finish. It’s packed with tension, though, and is deserving of another year or two of cellaring before drinking 2025-2045.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDThe 2019 Brunello di Montalcino Passo del Lume Spento opens with a mentholated freshness, as crushed stone and minty herbs complicate dusty dried strawberries. This is juicy in character and wickedly fresh, showing its minerality up front as a tart wave of wild berries descends upon the palate. It finishes with cheek-puckering tension, potent and primary, along with a coating of fine-grained tannins, all balanced by a bump of residual acidity. This is a spice bomb, yet it has the energy to balance. The Passo del Lume Spento hails from bush-trained vines planted in 2012 at 621 meters.Vinous Media | 94 VMCampinoti’s highest altitude single-vineyard bottling comes from a one-hectare plot planted in 2011 at a lofty 621 metres. The third release as a Brunello, it hits its stride with the 2019 vintage. While still reserved in aromas, this sings with inner mouth perfumes of white blossom and rose against a backdrop of sour red cherry and pomegranate. The mouth-cleansing tannins are linear, and brisk acidity whisks the wine across the palate. Slender but not bony, this has sufficient flesh to harmonise the structure. Really quite thrilling in its sinewy, chiselled personality.Decanter | 94 DEC

The character of this wine is more accessible and open-knit. The Le Ragnaie 2019 Brunello di Montalcino Petroso is less ethereal but more grounded, with an obvious delivery of fruit (and more primary intensity) framed by caramel, light tobacco leaf, redcurrant, cherry and wild plum. An herbal element comes forward too with white pepper and something fun that recalls cashew celery root. The mouthfeel veers toward chalky, and there is a hint of minerality with wet limestone or rose quartz. It shows managed tannins over mid-weight texture for a very elegant finish. These qualities give this 3,000-bottle release reasonable runway to age.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96+ RPThe fourth vintage for this single vineyard, the 2019 Brunello Di Montalcino Petroso takes a medium red color and has a gorgeous aromatic profile in its perfume of jasmine, dried cranberries, tangerine, and thyme. Displaying a Burgundian aesthetic, this medium-bodied Brunello has refined tannins, even, fresh acidity, and a delicate stony texture. It’s a beautiful wine that gently floats off the palate. With a wide drinking window, this is going to be one that’s hard to hold onto, but it will be worth cellaring. Drink 2024-2040.Jeb Dunnuck | 96 JDThe 2019 Brunello di Montalcino Petroso boasts a dark, rich, inviting blend of black raspberries, mint leaves and worn leather. Silky-smooth and elegant in feel, this easily flows across the palate, showcasing crisp red berry fruit enlivened by vibrant acidity. A wall of grippy tannins lingers as the 2019 tapers off primary and intense, promising many years of further development. I expect the Petroso to put on weight over time, which will complete this otherwise gorgeous wine. The potential here is incredibly high.Vinous Media | 95 VMFrom a 1 hectare, northwest facing plot, Petroso sits just below the Pietroso and Il Palazzone estates at an altitude of 500 metres. Surrounded by forests, it is a relatively cool site that was originally bottled as a cru Rosso. Compared to the cask sample I tried in 2022, the 2019 has shut down since bottling. The nose does show smoke, flint and pepper while the palate has just a suggestion of wild strawberry. With seemingly more structure than flesh at this point, tannins come across as slightly terse and austere. Another year or two in bottle will give a better indication of how it is resolving.Decanter | 92 DEC

Camphor, forest floor, cedar and rose aromas come to the forefront on Sandrone’s stunning 2019 Barolo Aleste. It’s racy and youthfully austere, delivering red cherry, pomegranate, star anise, cedar and white pepper framed in tightly wound, fine-grained tannins. Bright acidity keeps it energized and beautifully balanced. This needs several years to fully unwind and shows serious aging potential. Drink 2029–2049. Abv: 14.5%Kerin O’Keefe | 98 KOAleste is a contraction of the names Alessia and Stefano, grandchildren of the late Luciano Sandrone. With fruit from Cannubi Boschis, the 2019 Barolo Aleste shows important richness and structure. This is the proverbial Barolo with a capital B. It reveals thick layers of dark fruit, cherry and spice. It shows sweet tannins and impactful texture. When tasting at the winery, Le Vigne is usually served first, and Aleste comes after that. Both wines promise a very long aging window.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RPThe 2019 Barolo Aleste is another stellar wine from Sandrone. Like Le Vigne, the Aleste is a tightly wound ball of energy. Dark cherry, mocha, plum, licorice and lavender all race across the palate. This racy, but youthfully austere Barolo has a ton to offer. There’s more density and a darker profile than in the Le Vigne, sort of like a soloist to Le Vigne’s orchestra.Vinous Media | 97 VMAn integrated and well-crafted Barolo with flowers and lemon peel to the cherry and strawberry aromas. Medium-bodied with chewy tannins and a linear drive throughout. Tight and muscular. Well formed. Drink after 2027.James Suckling | 95 JS

Rose, menthol, star anise and baking spice are just some of the aromas that appear on the gorgeous Sandrone Barolo Le Vigne 2019. Focused, elegant and savory, the vibrant palate offers juicy red cherry, spiced cranberry, crushed mint and ground clove before a licorice close. A backbone of fine-grained tannins provide support while bright acidity keeps it impeccably balanced and loaded with energy and tension. What a stunner. Drink 2027–2044. Abv: 14.5% Kerin O’Keefe | 98 KOThe 2019 Barolo Le Vigne is a historic blend of fruit from Baudana in Serralunga d’Alba, Villero in Castiglione Falletto, Vignane in Barolo and Merli in Novello. This year, a fifth site was added to the final blend. It is the Le Coste MGA in Barolo with south-facing exposures and 45-year-old vines in a two-hectare parcel. The backbone of this wine is Baudana, and Merli adds freshness. The wine needs more time in bottle, but already it proves generous and bold with dark fruit, spice and crushed mineral.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97+ RPThe 2019 Barolo Le Vigne is pure and total seduction. Kirsch, sweet pipe tobacco, mint, cedar, dried herbs and orange peel all grace a Le Vigne built on mid-weight structure and energy. There is a feeling of youthful classicism and austerity that is so beguiling. Readers should plan on being patient, though. The 2019 won’t be ready to drink anytime soon, but there is enough fruit to make me think it will be superb, in time.Vinous Media | 97 VMVery aromatic with hibiscus, crab apple, orange blossom, and ripe strawberry on the nose. Full-bodied, very layered and powerful, yet it remains very fine textured with an intense finish. Slightly more structured than before. Perhaps due to the addition of wines from a new vineyard? Try after 2027.James Suckling | 97 JS

he 2019 Ovello Riserva is succulent and enveloping, offering scents of dark-skinned berry, forest floor, violet and new leather. Full-bodied with impressive structure and fruit, it boasts ripe raspberry, black cherry and licorice supported by firm, close-grained tannins that provide the backbone. Fresh acidity keeps it well balanced. Drink 2029–2044. Abv: 14.5% Kerin O’Keefe | 96 KOThe 2019 Barbaresco Riserva Ovello is powerful, savory and intensely linear, in classico Ovello style, and yet it appears to have enough fruit behind its imposing tannins to develop well over the coming years. In this tasting, the Ovello feels pretty closed post bottling, but its inherent balance and qualities are there. Clean saline notes extend the finish in promising fashion.Vinous Media | 94 VM

The 2019 Palafreno, 100% Merlot from Greve’s Ruffoli district, is stunning, not to mention one of the greatest wines I have ever tasted here. Silky, plush and exceptionally vivid in the glass, the Palafreno possesses breathtaking beauty that captivates all the senses. At this early stage, the 2019 is all primary dark fruit, but the layers will start to open with cellaring. Readers who can find it should not hesitate. It’s a real head turner.Vinous Media | 98 VMThis is very polished and structured with a finesse to the tannins which spread across the palate. It’s full-bodied with fine fruit and a driven finish. It needs three or four years to soften and open. From organically grown grapes. Vegan. Try after 2025.James Suckling | 95 JS(Palafreno- Agricola Querciabella) Querciabella’s Super Tuscan bottling crafted solely from merlot is absolutely beautiful in the 2019 vintage. The wine is fairly ripe in this vintage, coming in at 14.5 percent octane, but shows off its signature purity and precision on both the nose and palate. The beautifully refined bouquet wafts from the glass in a mix of sweet dark berries, black plums, tobacco leaf, violets, a gorgeous base of soil, a hint of Tuscan herb tones and a deft foundation of cedary new oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, focused and complex, with a plush core of fruit, excellent mineral undertow, ripe tannins, tangy acids and excellent length and grip on the superbly balanced finish. Like every vintage of Palafreno I have been fortunate enough to taste, the 2019 is built for the long haul and will demand some cellaring to soften up its tannins. But, it will be exceptional once it is ready to drink. (Drink between 2032 - 2075)John Gilman | 95 JGRich and round, this red exudes black cherry, blackberry, wild rosemary and iron flavors. Reveals dense tannins on the finish, leaving a tight feel, yet this lingers. Drink now through 2029. 216 cases made, 20 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 92 WS

The iconic San Giusto a Rentennano 2019 La Ricolma remains one of the most important Merlot-based wines made in Italy—and the world, for that matter. This vintage reveals rich texture and tightly knit concentration that is layered with black cherry, earth, spice and sweet oak. These various elements are beautifully balanced against one another. This is a massively beautiful, full-bodied wine released with just 3,790 bottles. Like the other releases from this estate, it is certified organic.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97+ RPThe 2019 La Ricolma is a dark, sumptuous wine. Black cherry, plum, licorice, cloves and incense power through. Ricolma, like the other 2019s, needs time to open, as it is quite compact and tannic at this early stage. There’s good depth in the glass, if not quite the finesse of recent years. The 2019 spent 22 months in French oak, 20-25% new.Vinous Media | 96 VMA supple red, packed with bright, pure flavors of blackberry, black cherry, plum and oak spices. Reveals an interwoven mineral streak, with a long, focused finish. Best from 2025 through 2042. 200 cases made, 35 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 94 WS

The 2019 Barolo Lazzarito continues a trend seen in recent years in which the focus has been more about finesse than raw power. Intense red fruit, iron, dried herbs, chalk, dried rose petal and white pepper all run through this deep, virile Barolo. The power and intensity of Serralunga really come alive on the heady, explosive finish. Bright saline notes linger on the deep, resonant finish. A Barolo of raw, unbridled power, the Lazzarito demands patience.Vinous Media | 97 VM

Bright and lively on the palate, such beautifully expressed raspberry and red cherry fruit flavours alongside high-shining acidity that is so clean and precise. A supremely joyful expression with hints of caramelised strawberries and fresh mint. So sharp but so well defined with a clarity to the palate that is gorgeous. Really delivers a sophisticated, charming, characterful wine that is balanced, easy to enjoy with plenty of life. A more structured and perhaps harder to understand wine than Testamatta this year, but both have their own lovely personalities. This is so complete and abundant, muscular but controlled and full of complexity and detail - there’s weight and density without heaviness. A sensational wine. Ageing 12 months in 500l French oak barrels.Decanter | 98 DECThe subtlety and perfumed nature of this wine is enchanting, offering flowers, orange peel and cherries. Wonderful ripe strawberries, too. Full-bodied, but not over the top, with tannins that are polished and run the length of the wine. It’s tight, but gives you every indication of a terrific wine. You want to drink it now, and you probably should do, because it’s so alluring. Yet it will age beautifully as well. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 98 JSThe Bibi Graetz 2020 Colore is a pure expression of Sangiovese all sourced from old vines that are carefully selected in various parts of Tuscany. Much of the fruit comes from a high elevation and cool site in Lamole, or from 70-year-old vines in Bagno a Ripoli or Vincigliata near Fiesole. A small percentage of old vines in Olmo is also used. Bibi has a preference for old vines, and you can taste the lovely depth and complexity that comes through in the Colore. Compared to his other wine Testamatta, this wine has seen fewer stylistic changes over the years, and the goal has always been elegance and finesse. Colore boasts a pretty luminous quality with dark fruit aromas and wild berry. There are hints of licorice and mint as well. Mineral flavors and bright acidity are what set Colore apart.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPThe 2020 Bibi Graetz Colore has beautiful, appetising aromas of savory wild herbs, wild-flowers and Mediterranean shrub with a light peppery note and on standing there is an aroma of strawberries warmed in the sun. The palate is round and soft, then mouth-wateringly fresh, then it finishes with savory, salty tannins. What I love is that the flavours are clearly delineated and remind me of Sangiovese and the Tuscan landscape with bitter cherry, light sea salt, iron tonic and wild herb notes. The flavors are quite fragile but persistent, the texture is fine and silky and there is a lot of savory, mineral tension in this wine.The Wine Independent | 96 TWIThe 2020 Colore is spiced and pure, with vibrant ripe cherry, cinnamon, and cedar. There is elegance and ripeness within its medium frame, revealing notes of wild raspberry, dried herbs, and orange zest. There is another level of refinement from the Testamatta that will continue to improve over the coming 15-20 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 95 JDThe 2020 Colore is pleasantly unexpected and is a total feminine beauty. When I anticipate power, it delivers grace with a stunning bouquet of freshly cut roses, blood orange, wild strawberries and sweet smoke. It’s deeply textural, yet not heavy, feeling like crushed velvet gently draped across the palate, leaving mineral-tinged blackberries and currants in its wake. This finishes on a note of elegance with fine-grained tannins without slowing its momentum as spice notes slowly fade. The Colore is all old-vine (70 years or older) Sangiovese from vineyards Lamole, Vincigliata, Olmo and Siena.Vinous Media | 94 VMCherries, strawberries, raspberries, seaweed and soy sauce mingle with the scent of freshly paved road, gun flint and pencil on the nose of this wine. It offers a very cherry palate, with wet stone, white pepper, rose petal and chocolate-covered orange slice. A bright and lively wine, it balances structure with playfulness, and delivers fruit that is mouthfilling without turning velvety.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEThis red reveals a mix of earth, cherry and wild herb flavors that ride a bright, fleshy profile. Features a juicy midpalate, with vibrant structure and well-integrated tannins. The finish firms up, where cherry and spice notes linger. Sangiovese. Best from 2024 through 2035. 200 cases made.Wine Spectator | 92 WS

The 2020 Rocche di Castiglione from Brovia is gorgeous. Embodying the finesse the site is celebrated for, it boasts enticing scents of wild rose, iris, perfumed berry and botanical herb. Sleek and elegant, the smooth palate offers juicy red cherry, crushed strawberry and star anise set against lithe, refined tannins. Fresh acidity keeps it well balanced. Reflecting the forward nature of the vintage, this is already closing in on the start of its drinking window but will offer years of pleasure. Drink 2025–2035. Abv: 14.5% Kerin O’Keefe | 96 KOThe 2020 Barolo Rocche di Castiglione is a sexy, racy wine. Pliant and deep, the 2020 is a great example of this site. Soft contours wrap around a core of dark red fruit, kirsch, spice, menthol, new leather and licorice. Time in the glass brings out the wine’s stunning inner perfume, that most Rocche of signatures. Deep and layered, with exceptional balance, the 2020 is a striking, captivating wine that captures the best the vintage had to offer.Vinous Media | 95 VMFloral bouquet of fresh roses and violets, plus bright red cherries and red currants with balsamic depth. This sample is full of sucrosity, with silky, graceful tannins and refreshing lifted acidity. Medium-bodied and tense in the finish. Delicious Barolo to drink or hold.James Suckling | 94 JSA lively and vibrant Barolo that captivates from the first sip! The nose bursts with fresh, tart raspberries and tangy wild strawberries. The palate reveals a concentrated core of tart cherries, cranberries, and redcurrants, complemented by dried rose petals and wild herbs. Refined tannins and lively acidity provide perfect structure to this thoughtful, nuanced, and truly remarkable wine. Drink 2026 - 2045 Wine Enthusiast | 94 WE

Showing great class and precision, Brovia’s fragrant 2020 Villero is a chiseled beauty. Taut and focused, the palate features crushed strawberry, pomegranate and blood orange accented with licorice and pink peppercorn before an almost salty close. A backbone of refined tannins provides firm support. It needs a few more years to fully develop and shows good aging potential for this rather forward vintage. Drink 2029–2036. Abv: 14.5% Kerin O’Keefe | 96 KOA Villero masterpiece that demands your full attention. The fruit profile is a symphony of classic Nebbiolo notes, with ripe cherries, plums, and a hint of blackberry that’ll make your taste buds sing. The tannins? They’re so fine, they’re like silk threads woven into the fabric of the wine. But don’t be fooled by the elegance – this Barolo has a structure that’ll make you sit up straight and take notice. Savory flavors dance in perfect harmony with the fruit, creating a mesmerizing balance that’ll leave you speechless. This is a wine that’s not just exquisite – it’s unforgettable. Drink 2026 - 2050 Wine Enthusiast | 96 WEWhat a minty nose, elegant, fresh and vibrant, with classic dried cherry fruit, violets, minerals and notes of balsamic. Youthful palate with velvety tannins, crisp acidity, a medium body and a long, savory finish. This young Barolo is intended for the long haul. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 95 JSBrovia’s 2020 Barolo Villero is a potent, savory wine. Dried herbs, menthol, licorice, wildflowers, spice and dark-toned fruit give the Villero its distinctive personality. Broad swaths of tannin wrap it all together. Dark and brooding, the 2020 is not ready to reveal its charms. All this needs is time—I can’t wait to taste it in another few years. As is often the case, the Villero is Barolo that emphasizes savory/earthy/mineral notes more than overt fruit.Vinous Media | 94+ VM

Wow. The purity of fruit and sophistication is out of this world. Peaches, strawberries, bright plums and berries. Full-bodied yet compacted. The tannin structure is there but you don’t see it. It’s tight and resolved with perfect balance and length. A masterpiece. So emotional to taste this. Made from half a hectare. 3,500 bottles made. January 2024 release.James Suckling | 100 JSThis red starts out smooth and almost creamy, displaying cherry, strawberry, earth, iron and eucalyptus flavors. Firm and balanced, with excellent energy and a long, resonant finish that evokes white pepper. Offers brilliant intensity and expression. Best from 2027 through 2045. 300 cases made, 40 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 96 WSThe Bruno Giacosa 2020 Barbaresco Rabajà is a little rounder and softer in personality compared to the extremely focused and linear 2021 vintage. This expression awards dark fruit and lovely concentration and has a medium-plus body on the palate. You can’t say that it is more accessible, because the wine will require more bottle aging, but there is a softness to the fruit that is immediately pleasing.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RP

If there is a MGA which benefits from the volume of 2020 vintage it is Asili which is well known for its lean, pure elegance. Parma violet is wrapped up in watermelon fruit, leafy lightness and a floor of spices among smoky woodland, liquorice and roots. The lush fruit on the palate is sustained by crisp acidity and dense, silky tannins with a grippy finish due to its youth, soaked with a savoury blood orange aftertaste. A super-elegant Asili with volume. A great wine.Decanter Magazine | 98 DECThe Ceretto 2020 Barbaresco Asili (a certified organic wine) embraces purple fruit flavors with summer plum mostly and some blackcurrant. The wine opens to a dark garnet color with the benefit of that pretty transparency that comes with Nebbiolo. The Asili seems to carry a little more fruit weight and power in this warm vintage.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPThe 2020 Barbaresco Asili is quite simply textbook Asili. Fragrant and silky, with tremendous fruit purity and class to burn, the 2020 is so impressive. All the elements are so well balanced in a Barbaresco that impresses with its pedigree. A long, beautifully persistent finish rounds things out in style.Vinous Media | 95 VMExtremely spicy with rose stem, orange peel, and some cedar cuttings. Full-bodied, very chewy tannins. Almost leathery. Turns minerally and irony. This needs time to soften. Better after 2026.James Suckling | 95 JSAromas of black cherries and dried flowers flow along the top of the glass as notes of earth, truffle and incense swirl below. Elegant but firm tannins, with the first sip showing savory flavors of black tea and herbs macerating with wild red fruits that linger for what seems like ages. Drink 2025–2045.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WECherry, strawberry, juniper and wet earth aromas and flavors come to the fore, showing underlying mineral, tobacco and spice elements. There’s fine harmony, with ample structure for support in the way of refined tannins. Best from 2027 through 2042. 33 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 93 WS

The 2020 Barbaresco Riserva Montestefano is one of the most elegant, polished wines in this range. Bright red-toned fruit, blood orange, spice, mint and cedar are beautifully lifted. The tannins are remarkably polished for a young, recently bottled Riserva. I admire its poise and elegance. This is an especially refined edition of the Montestefano. In 2020, the mix of vineyards is a bit younger than in the past, as one of the blocks of older vineyards was replanted and not used. If I could have only one of the Riservas in 2020, this would be it!Vinous Media | 97 VMThe 2020 Produttori Montestefano Riserva is absolutely gorgeous, boasting aromas of violet, forest floor, red-skinned fruit and new leather. On the palate, fine-grained tannins and fresh acidity support raspberry compote, red cherry, white pepper and star anise. This has a slightly more delicate tannic structure compared to previous vintages that’s not only a feature of the vintage but also due to the fact that a parcel of fifty-year-old vines had to be replanted, meaning the average age of the vines for the 2020 vintage is 35-40 years old. Drink 2026–2032. Abv: 14.5% Kerin O’Keefe | 97 KOA haunting aroma of rose leads off, underscored with raspberry, cherry, white pepper and mineral flavors. This red is elegant and firmly structured, with refined tannins and vibrant acidity driving the resonant finish. The white pepper note returns on the aftertaste. Shows superb balance and length. Best from 2028 through 2045. 1,358 cases made, 350 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 96 WSIn this year and at this stage, the 2020 Barbaresco Riserva Montestefano is not as full as the Montefico, which is the reverse of most years. A deep ruby/red color, it reveals notes of black raspberries, toasted spice, crushed flowers, and sweet earth. The palate is lush and inviting, with a refined and approachable feel. It has a lot more approachability at this stage than you’d expect, with velvety tannins and a long, floating finish. While the palate has less weight, it has an underlying nervous tension, with mouthwatering notes of sanguine, iron-rich mineral accents. Drink 2025-2045.Jeb Dunnuck | 95+ JDNormally, Produttori del Barbaresco President Aldo Vacca puts Montefico, Rabajà, Muncagota and Montestefano at the end of his flight of Riservas. But in this year’s presentation, he put the 2020 Barbaresco Riserva Montestefano fourth to last instead of last. This wine is usually the darkest and the most austere in the series. However, the 2020 does not live up to its usual flavor profile. The aromas are quite ripe, even overripe, with prune and raisin. The tannins are soft, leading to a succulent and chewy mouthfeel. My recommendation is to give this wine a shorter drinking window.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RP