Italy Wines

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The 2016 Sammarco is a dense, flamboyant wine. Inky red fruit, spice, cedar, tobacco, menthol and licorice are some of the notes that build in a statuesque Sammarco that dazzles from start to finish. A wine of stunning textural richness and intensity, Sammarco is translucent, sculpted and full of character. All the elements are so well balanced. Rose petal, cedar, tobacco and mint linger on the eternal finish. The 2016 is a magical wine that can be, surprisingly, enjoyed now or cellared for a number of years. Time in the glass just brings out its energy and vertical drive. Sammarco is quite possibly the single greatest value in high-end Italian wine. Don’t miss it. Antonio Galloni | 98 AGA blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Sangiovese, this opens with earthy aromas of truffle, leather, game, cassis and blue flower. Delicious and bursting with personality, the full-bodied palate doles out ripe black plum, fleshy black cherry, crushed black olive and licorice. Velvety, fine-grained tannins provide support. Drink 2023–2036.Wine Enthusiast | 97 WEA blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Sangiovese, the Castello dei Rampolla 2016 Sammarco was held back for an extra year of aging before its commercial release. In fact, I already reviewed the 2017 vintage last year because that wine is many times more accessible and immediate than this one. The issue at hand are the tannins, which remain very tight and grippy in this bottle. That extra year in bottle has helped them to integrate, but this wine still has a very long way to go. Keep that in mind if you collect Sammarco. Despite that slight astringency, this is a wine of courage and vision. It shows expertly measured fruit weight and lots of lively intensity on the bouquet.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96+ RPPlenty of currant and blackberry with some coffee and toasted oak on the nose. It’s full-bodied with a dense palate and round, polished tannins that fold nicely into this young wine. It’s very drinkable, even though it’s structured and so serious. Cool in the end, Cabernet sauvignon, sangiovese and merlot. Unfiltered. This will age beautifully. Drink after 2023, but a beauty already.James Suckling | 96 JS

The 2016 Barbaresco Montestefano is magical. Bright and translucent, the 2016 pulses with energy from the very first taste. This is about as classic as things get in Barbaresco today. Sweet rose petal, cinnamon, dried flowers, cedar and mint all give this ethereal, wonderfully nuanced Barbaresco ton of subtlety. A kick of bright Nebbiolo acids and tannins give energy and shape.Vinous Media | 95 VM

Bright, energetic and vivid, the Paitin 2016 Barbaresco Serraboella Sorì Paitin (with 15,000 bottles made) wins your heart at the very first sip. The wine shows an outstanding level of purity and Nebbiolo authenticity, with the delicate and fragile nuances that give magic to the grape. It shows a lean-weight approach, but there is plenty of power and lasting intensity that sticks to the senses for many long and pleasurable minutes. The tannins are smooth, silky and integrated.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPShy in aroma, this red evokes macerated cherry, strawberry, menthol, iron and tobacco flavors. There is ripe, rich fruit and a velvety texture up front, building to a finish where the dense, assertive tannins reign. Best from 2023 through 2042. 1,150 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WSThe excellent Paitin property, focussed on its well-exposed Serraboella vineyard, uses traditional vinification methods, with long macerations and ageing in large casks rather than barriques. This bottling, from 40-year-old vines, displays a heady raspberry nose that’s quite floral too, with beguiling generosity of fruit. It’s lavish and very concentrated in the mouth, with bold tannins that are by no means too extracted or tough. Spicy and assertive, the wine has ample energy, drive and length.Decanter Magazine | 94 DECThe 2016 Barbaresco Sorì Paitin is powerful, but also quite reticent today. Dark cherry, menthol, licorice, sage and dried flowers are all found in a searing, intense Sorì Paitin that needs to be at its best. Tannic and austere, the 2016 appears to be going through a closed phase, and yet it has a feeling of verticality and gravitas that is impossible to miss.Vinous Media | 93 VMA very fresh and floral Barbaresco that shows rose stems, fruit tea and grapefruit. Medium body, lots of vibrant acidity and a tangy, medium-chewy finish. Drink from 2021.James Suckling | 93 JS

Camphor, dark spice, wild herb and woodland berry aromas shape the nose. On the focused palate, bright acidity and taut, refined tannins accompany crushed raspberry, juicy Marasca cherry and star anise. Mint and orange zest notes give depth to the finish. Drink 2023–2031.Kerin O’Keefe | 95 KOCamphor, dark spice, wild herbs and woodland berry aromas shape the nose. On the focused palate, bright acidity and taut, refined tannins accompany crushed raspberry, juicy Marasca cherry and star anise. Mint and orange zest notes give depth to the finish. Drink 2023–2031.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WERose, cherry and licorice aromas and flavors are accented by leather, tobacco and spice in this focused and complex red. Balanced, but the dusty tannins will need a year or two to integrate. Best from 2022 through 2043. 830 cases made, 119 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 94 WSA ripe but balanced and very impressive Barbaresco. The first indications of this are the intense strawberry essence, leather, dried red plums and pretty, lifted orange rind. Beautifully mouth-filling and complex in the palate, drawing together strands of ripe tannin and flavorful fruit. Powerful on the robust but well articulated finish. Drink from 2023.James Suckling | 94 JSEven at a relatively spritely age, the 2016 Barbaresco Bordini is showing some carefully evolved notes and a subdued style. The wine feels well contoured and shaped with softened layers of bramble and wild berry. There is bright elegance and grace here. Pair it with some mild goat or sheep milk cheeses, such as robiola.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92 RPThe 2016 Barbaresco Bordini is a classy, polished wine. This is an especially gracious wine from Bordini, where the Barbarescos are often bigger. Sweet spice, tobacco, menthol, licorice and cloves add lovely shades of nuance. Dark in its expression and also tightly wound, the 2016 is very nicely done. I confess, though, I would like to see a little more excitement here.Vinous Media | 92 VM