Rare Wines

wines

A comparison of two 1961s from Giacomo Conterno is next. Conterno’s 1961 Barolo Riserva Speciale Monfortino is, not surprisingly, deeper and more intense in all of its dimensions. Iron, smoke, graphite, leather and sweet tobacco wrap around a core of dark fruit in a Barolo that packs a serious punch, especially considering its age. This is a superb bottle.Vinous Media | 95 VMThe 1961 Barolo Riserva Monfortino was especially beautiful and fresh. It offered a similar flavor profile as the 1958 with greater harmony and balance, if not quite as much sheer power.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RP

Full-bodied, unctuous and powerful in the glass, the 1985 Barbaresco Riserva Santo Stefano is a total turn on. Exotic spice, smoke, tobacco, dried rose petal, leather and licorice build into a heady crescendo of aromas, flavors and textures. Although the 1985 is currently at a glorious peak of expression, I don’t expect it will improve much from here. Readers lucky enough to have had the 1985 know just how magical it is. Any remaining bottles are best enjoyed over the next decade or so.Vinous Media | 97 VMThe 1985 Barbaresco Santo Stefano Riserva’s medium ruby/garnet color displays considerable amber at the edge. The intoxicating perfume of Chinese black tea, smoke, tobacco, cherries, and exotic spices jumps from the glass. The wine is full-bodied, gorgeously-nuanced, and multidimensional, with considerable glycerin and layers of flavor. It unfolds fabulously in the mouth, exhibiting remarkable intensity and complexity. The 1985 has just reached full maturity, where it should remain for another decade.Robert Parker | 96 RPGiven how many bottles of the 1982 Santa Stefano Red Label I have drunk over the years, it is surprising that I have seldom had the pleasure to drink the superb 1985 version, and it is more than fifteen years since I last crossed paths with this wine. It is a fine, fine wine, but not one of the legends of the decade of the 1980s from Signor Giacosa. The bouquet wafts from the glass in a nicely blossomed blend of red and black cherries, bonfire, a touch of road tar, lovely soil tones, oregano and a topnote of fresh bay leaf. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied, complex and still sporting a bit of backend tannin, with fine focus and grip, a good, solid core and a long, well-balanced finish. This is a very good bottle that misses the extra dimension of the 1982 and 1989 versions. (Drink between 2017 - 2040)John Gilman | 93 JG

The 2013 Barolo Riserva Monfortino is another huge, tannic wine. Crystalline and so precise, the 2013 is deceptive, as the aromatics are quite inviting, until masses of tannin hit the palate. Tar, rose petal, spice and cedar open with a bit of time in the glass, showing just enough to make the wine pleasurable today. Even so, the best is clearly yet to come. Patience will be rewarded.Vinous Media | 99 VMSubtle aromas of cherry, wild herb and tobacco introduce this sleek, complex version, while cherry, strawberry, loam, iron and tobacco flavors build in intensity to the extended finish. But what truly defines this superb and silky Barolo is the texture and harmony, with a fine weave to the dense tannins. All the components come together on the lingering aftertaste. Best from 2022 through 2050. 1,666 cases made.Wine Spectator | 99 WSWarm aromas of plums, rose petals and spices with hints of sandalwood. Some tar. Full body, dense center palate with glorious fruit and a fantastic finish. Very, very polished and fine tannins. Vertical and deep. A great Monfortino. Try in 2023.James Suckling | 99 JSI have been tasting this wine from barrel for the past two years and now finally, abracadabra, the 2013 Barolo Riserva Monfortino is safely housed in bottle. The wine was bottled in June of last year and will hit the market this upcoming October. The Barolo Francia was not produced in 2013 because Roberto Conterno diverted all fruit from that vineyard to this wine. Monfortino was not produced in 2011 or 2012, meaning that this 2013 edition follows directly after the absolutely stunning 2010 vintage (which earned a perfect 100-point score). The two vintages (2010 and 2013) are very similar, strikingly so, but the 2013 vintage registers at a slightly lower structural threshold. The tannins are slightly looser, or softer in the case of this wine. With up to six years in botte, the 2010 vintage is still crunchy and super sharp, while this wine is slightly more succulent and earthy. Some 20,000 bottles, 2,500 magnums and 400 three-liter bottles were made.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98 RPAfter the celebrated 2010, Monfortino is not disappointing in the cool and classic 2013 vintage as it suffers more in the warm vintages than the fresher ones. This Riserva is rich with fresh and savoury aromas of red cassis, cherry and blood orange, full of cinnamon spice and balsamic notes with a minty finish that’s intoxicating in its depth. On the palate it’s velvety with pleasant and ripe tannins and full and consistent structure. Overall, it’s perfectly balanced and will age for decades but is delicious for drinking now.Decanter | 97 DEC

The 2015 Barolo Riserva Monfortino is magical. This is the first vintage that includes fruit from Arione, so the 2015 is 80% Francia and 20% Arione. That marks a return to Monfortino as a multi-vineyard wine, which it mostly was until 1978, when the first Monfortino from Francia was made. The combination of sites works so well. I remember tasting the 2015 as separate components and seeing what exactly the Arione piece adds, and that is aromatic explosiveness, texture and breadth. Rose petal, mint, sage, tobacco and cedar lend complexity. More than anything else, though, I am blown away by how utterly delicious the 2015 is. Of course, the 2015 will be better in time, but its pedigree is plainly evident today. Roberto Conterno gave the 2015 just five years in cask, the shortest time in wood for any Monfortino in recent memory, maybe ever. Like most producers around the world, Conterno is thinking deeply about what the optimal period of time in oak is. As for the 2015, it is a flat-out stunner in every way.Vinous Media | 99 VMMonfortino was not produced in 2016 nor was it made in 2017. The jury is out on whether will see it in 2018 (but I do know that Roberto Conterno is super excited about the 2019 vintage in Barolo, speaking generally). That means that we might not see his flagship wine for a number of years. The 2015 Barolo Riserva Monfortino gives us plenty to contemplate in the meantime. First, in terms of winemaking notes, this vintage see 22% Arione fruit in the blend, with the rest from Francia. Roberto Conterno is fond of telling me that "Francia is a Barolo you drink, and Monfortino is a wine you chew." (The exact word in Italian is "masticare.") I think his comment rings especially true in this vintage that arguably shows greater concentration and fruit weight and softer or more integrated tannins overall. There is structure but minus any hard edges or bite.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98+ RP

This has been such an exciting addition to the Luciano Sandrone portfolio. The 2018 Barolo Vite Talin is a bigger-styled Barolo with dark fruit, ample oak shadings and generous concentration. Overall, it is a wine of considerable fruit weight, and that richness is reflected in the grippy nature of the young tannins and the very plump and primary nature of the fruit. There is a note of dried Mediterranean herb, or something like a dried chili husk. You need time to tame that bossy tannin. Production is limited to 2,500 bottles.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPThe 2018 Barolo Vite Talin is a sexy, opulent Barolo. Although the 2018 does not quite have the pedigree of the best years, it comes pretty close. Succulent dark fruit, clove, gravel, mocha and incense are all front and center. This dense yet mid-weight Barolo will drink well with minimal cellaring.Vinous Media | 96 VMA rich style for the vintage, this dense red exhibits cherry, raspberry, earth, leather and wild herb aromas and flavors. Ripe and spicy, with a vibrant structure and a wide swath of tannins on the energetic finish. Still needs time. Best from 2026 through 2043. 208 cases made, 25 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 96 WSForest floor, new leather, blue flower and exotic brown spice aromas come to the forefront on the deeply-hued 2018 Vite Talin along with whiffs of crushed mint. Full-bodied and firmly structured, the still rather austere palate offers layers of dried cherry, prune, bitter orange, licorice and tobacco before closing on a note recalling almond liqueur. A backbone of tightly knit, fine-grained tannins provides support. Drink 2028–2038. Abv: 14.5% Kerin O’Keefe | 95 KOGrown on the top of the Cannubi Boschis vineyard, this wine bowls out of the glass with aromas of black cherry, crushed raspberries, black tea and a melange of spices. Driven, polished and well-crafted, the palate is firm yet the generous fruit shines through as savory herbs and compelling hints of earth peek through, giving insight into how the wine will age. Drink now through 2045.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEThe aromas of dark fruit, mushrooms, tar and and asphalt come through clearly. It’s medium-bodied with integrated and polished tannins and a savory and juicy finish. Already open and very drinkable, but it will age nicely. Better from 2026 and onward.James Suckling | 94 JS

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

A complex and minerally wine with aromas of crushed stones, graphite, red cherries, licorice, dried flowers and aromatic herbs. Full-bodied, tense and crisp on the palate, with firm, velvety tannins and a juicy, chalky yet ripe finish with fruity and gamy flavors. Best from 2028.James Suckling | 96 JSThe Pieve Santa Restituta 2021 Brunello di Montalcino Rennina delivers power and a full-bodied style shaped by a warm vintage and carefully calibrated oak aging under the Gaja family’s expert hand. It shows notable volume and texture, with an open-knit feel that reveals black fruit and spice on the close. Tightly wound at present, it requires more time to age and fully integrate its elements. This is a production of 14,400 bottles.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPThe 2021 Brunello di Montalcino Rennina boasts a dark ruby hue and a bouquet of crushed blackberries, dusty sage, talc, nuances of mint and orange zest. It’s racy with bright acidity and crisp wild berry fruits that slowly saturate the senses, further enhanced by an array of grippy tannins. This Brunello finishes with excellent length and heroic structure, leaving a cascade of inner florals and subtle licorice twang.Vinous Media | 95 VMCurrently resting in concrete, the 2021 Brunello Di Montalcino Renina is a jeweled ruby hue and offers aromatics that are compact and pure with liqueur of red cherries. It’s more consistent on the palate, with ripe tannins, seamless acidity, crystalline freshness, and a very even and long finish, but it’s not lacking for ripeness. I predict this will be a very successful vintage for this wine, which is more similar to 2019 in terms of its more noble structure.Jeb Dunnuck | 95-97 JD

A sleek and graceful wine with aromas of Parma violets, licorice, red fruit and a touch of mint. Full-bodied, it shows elegant tannins with freshness and well-tamed power. Amazing length, with a polished cherry pit aftertaste. Drinkable now, but intended for aging. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 98 JSA layered and complex expression, the Pieve Santa Restituta 2021 Brunello di Montalcino Sugarille combines dark fruit and oak with a deep plummy core accented by delicate hints of exotic spice. A precise mineral line runs through the wine and leads to fine, powdery tannins. The overall profile remains tightly wound at this young stage and will benefit from time to settle into a more integrated and complete expression. Sugarille is known to make wines with a subtle sweet-edged richness and supple yet structured tannins, shaped by soils rich in galestro and white clay that lend both age-worthy structure and mineral complexity. Production totals 9,500 bottles.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96+ RPThe 2021 Brunello di Montalcino Sugarille bursts from the glass with masses of thyme, incense, rosemary and cedar before giving way to dried strawberries. It presents a subtle inner sweetness and elegant texture, coming across as weighty yet refined, with polished red berry fruits swirling throughout and leaving a bitter licorice tinge to linger on the palate. A complex web of fine-grained tannins flexes on the palate as a tart wild berry saturation lingers incredibly long. The 2021 is youthfully dense and tightly wound today, with the balance for a long and glorious evolution.Vinous Media | 96+ VMThe 2021 Brunello Di Montalcino Sugarille was also resting in concrete when I tasted it in November of 2024. (The blend was completed in July.) It displays a darker red color and is deeper and more layered on the nose, with darker cherry fruit liqueur, sappy herbs, and fresh earth. It’s juicy and ripe at this early stage, with very nice balance, ripe tannins, a full, rounded feel, and a deeper mineral richness.Jeb Dunnuck | 95-97 JD

Plenty of red currant, cedar, iron and terra cotta aromas follow through to a medium to full body with graphite, sandalwood, red currants and fresh Mediterranean herbs such as thyme and rosemary. The tannins are chewy but polished in texture. This is a Sassicaia that needs three or four years of bottle age to come together and soften. A structured wine for the cellar. Try after 2029.James Suckling | 98 JSThe 2022 Sassicaia is simply brilliant in this vintage, showing a remarkable level of poise and freshness. It opens with a captivating bouquet of ripe blackberries, plum, florals and subtle herbs, underscored by a touch of spice, tobacco and minerals. On the palate, it is medium to full-bodied and well-structured, with velvety tannins and a lively acidity that provides perfect balance. Rich flavors of red/dark fruits, tobacco and spices unfold beautifully, leading to a long, persistent finish that is both refined and elegant. A stunning example of Sassicaia’s pedigree and resilience to thrive year after year.International Wine Report | 98 IWRThe Tenuta San Guido 2022 Bolgheri Sassicaia reveals a beautiful fruit profile with fresh blackberry, tart cherry and Mediterranean tones of blue rosemary blooms and lavender sachet. I tasted this wine several times over the course of a few months, and it has already shown a happy evolution coming into slow focus like the faint colors that emerge from a Polaroid photograph. Indeed, the bouquet appeared more closed just a short while ago. The wine’s strongest suit is its elegantly streamlined mouthfeel and its contained 13.5% alcohol content. These qualities add to the silky cleanness of the mouthfeel and the accessible freshness of this vintage. I am confident that this bottle will improve with time. It requires patience.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97+ RPThe wine is tightly coiled and concentrated. It feels almost cinched at the waist, with a fascinating tension between the weight of raspberry, blackberry and strawberry coulis fruit and the wine’s verticality, as if it’s trying to burst out. Lovely mid-palate sapidity is allied to fresh acidity and fine but dense tannins, making for a dark horse of a Sassicaia that isn’t giving much away today but will greatly reward those who can cellar it for 12 years and more. ‘What is sure is that 2022 will need a lot of time, but will also have a long life,’ said Priscilla Incisa della Rocchetta. A hot vintage, 2022 caused the team to work in the newly completed refrigerated warehouses in San Guido, even moving the sorting table inside. Shorter macerations and 23 rather than the more typical 24 or 25 months of ageing in wood helped to maximise the freshness.Decanter Magazine | 97 DECOpening with aromas of menthol, dark spice, blue flower and dark-skinned berry, the 2022 Sassicaia is impressive and defied my expectations. Hailing from what was a notoriously hot, dry year, the estate’s location, including its hillside vineyards, vicinity to the woods plus much-needed rain in August preserved freshness and aromas as did harvesting somewhat earlier than usual, shorter skin maceration and slightly less time in oak. Showing elegant restraint, it’s balanced and tense, delivering flavors of ripe blackberry, wild cherry, licorice and mint. It’s still quite tight and youthfully austere, with a backbone of firm, refined tannins and fresh acidity. Give it time to fully unwind. Drink 2030–2042. Abv: 13.5% Kerin O’Keefe | 97 KOThe 2022 Sassicaia is a very pretty, expressive wine. There’s a bit more Cabernet Sauvignon (and less Franc) in this year’s blend, and that really comes through in the wine’s flavor profile and slightly bruising tannins. Dark cherry, plum, leather, licorice, graphite and incense give the 2022 striking aromatic presence to match its rather brooding personality. There’s a bit of tension in the tannins that needs time to resolve. Yields were down about 20% because of intensely cold weather in spring, variable conditions during flowering and set, and then searing heat and drought throughout the summer.Vinous Media | 94+ VM

Very few vintages of this legendary Tuscan wine deliver the immediate joy, richness and complexity found in the Tenuta San Guido 2023 Bolgheri Sassicaia. Tasted both before and after its January 2026 bottling, this is a wine that feels uncannily open and generous in its youth, a rare trait for Sassicaia, which is famously inscrutable at this stage. The 2023 vintage was marked by a cold winter and above-average rainfall followed by a severe outbreak of downy mildew that damaged leaves, forcing brutal fruit selection and resulting in a 20% reduction in yields. Only the estates willing to make these sacrifices succeeded, and the best wines rank among the most compelling and elusive of recent years.The blend includes 13% to 14% Cabernet Franc alongside Cabernet Sauvignon, with the Franc playing a decisive phenolic role that reinforces elegance, linearity and brightness. Aromas unfold with wild sage, rosemary and dark fruit before moving into crushed stone minerality, rose petal and a finely spiced spectrum of pink peppercorn, nutmeg, anise, cardamom, bergamot and blood orange, joined by a delicate note of mentuccia romana, sweeter and gentler than classic mint. The palate shows beautiful softness framed by chalky tannins and mineral tension. Its acidity shines bright and guarantees long cellar aging potential. The wine remains fluid and flexible in the glass as different facets of the bouquet emerge. Like the legendary 1985, 2023 was a difficult and stressful vintage shaped by a cold winter, yet it stands as proof that great pressure can indeed give birth to diamonds.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 100 RPVery cool, complex and pretty aromas of black currants, fresh herbs such as sage and rosemary, with lavender and violet undertones. Medium- to full-bodied with crunchy and layered fruit delivering currant, plum, spice, cedar and bark flavors as well as polished and velvety tannins. A very clear and distinctive Sassicaia with true character of the estate. Drink in two or three years and beyond.James Suckling | 99 JSSassicaia 2023 will divide drinkers. While its quality is without question, it takes the idea of finesse and elegance to another level. In truth, this is more a reflection of the vintage conditions than a winemaking decision – but that’s what all great wineries aim to show in the glass, isn’t it? For some, this will be too light, too floral, and too far removed from ‘classic’ Bolgheri. For others, especially those who have been following this estate for several years, it’s a dream come true; a true-to-life model for the future of Italian reds. Me? I’m on the fence. It almost pales in comparison to the depth of fruit and chewy tannins of 2022, while the 2019 tasted alongside emphasises juiciness and silkiness. Supple, lifted and fragrant, 2023’s pure, crunchy bramble fruits, succulent, sapid mid-palate and prolonged freshness make you think differently...in a very good way. 87% Cabernet Sauvignon and 13% Cabernet Franc.Decanter Magazine | 98 DECThe 2023 Sassicaia is elegant and supremely polished. Dark, ample and mysterious, the 2023 has much to offer once it opens up a bit. Blackberry, gravel, incense and new leather convey tons of somber intensity. Cabernet Sauvignon speaks quite loudly in the 2023, despite the wine’s midweight structure. Tenuta San Guido’s 2023 Sassicaia is one of the wines of the vintage, an accomplishment that is even more impressive given the challenges of the growing season. Early April frost lowered yields in Merlot and Cabernet Franc by about 20%. Rain during flowering and fruit set resulted in loose bunches, perhaps not ideal for production but decidedly positive for air circulation, essential in a year with elevated disease pressure. The 2023 saw as much as 20-25 days on the skins, with the oldest parcels getting the longest vatting times. Malolactic fermentations were intentionally delayed; about 60% of the lots were done in barrel. The 2023 spent five months in used barriques, then 21 months in a combination of 44% new, 40% once-used and 16% twice-used barrels. This is an impressive showing. I can’t wait to see how the 2023 ages.Vinous Media | 97 VMCassis, graphite, lavender and dark exotic spice aromas are just some of the aromas you’ll find on the stunning 2023 Sassiacaia. Smooth, delicious and all about finesse, the velvety palate delivers succulent black currant, raspberry, cassis, vanilla and star anise before a minty finish. Tightly knit, fine-grained tannins provide support while fresh acidity keeps it nicely balanced. Even in what was a complex vintage due to a challenging growing season, Tenuta San Guido did an amazing job. Drink 2028–2038. Abv: 14% Kerin O’Keefe | 97 KO