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Frankly, it’s hard to put this glass down. The 2018 Aglianico del Vulture Superiore Riserva Titolo seduces with a bouquet that pulls the taster down to the earth, blending musky animal tones, incense and grilled herbs offset by mint and spiced-orange. It envelopes the palate with textures of pure silk, seeming to hover with its medium weight. A saturation of citrus-tinged black fruits slowly forms, elevated by inner sage and lavender tones. The 2018 feels nervous through the finish, structured and poised yet full of tension, like a bomb waiting to explode. Sweet spice and licorice notes slowly fade. Elena Fucci has taken the Superiore Riserva Titolo to a whole new level. Forty-eight hours later, this just keeps singing. While still a baby in terms of evolution, the 2018 is nearly impossible to resist now.Vinous Media | 98 VMOn the nose, deep fruit notes of dried figs, plums and mulberries both accentuate and push back on dominant aromas of grilled meat and pepper. The fruit brightens on the palate, but an enduring earthy spiciness maintains depth, while strong yet polished tannins glide into an unexpectedly fresh, saline finish.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEA rich, focused red, with a savory, sanguine edge to the crushed cherry, black plum and raspberry fruit flavors. Offers a lively profile that drapes the firm, chewy tannins to good effect, while accents of stone, dried thyme and sage, orange peel and cracked pink peppercorn linger on the finish. Best from 2025 through 2033. 50 cases made, 50 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 93 WS

The 2018 Bruno Giacosa Barolo is very rich and hedonistic, with ripe strawberries and rose hip and notes of incense, lilies and violets. It is a lovely nose, persistent, intense and enticing and on the palate it is like falling into a soft velvety bed of rose petals. It already has such beautiful harmony and poise. It has a lush, sensual texture of crushed velvet, and is full-bodied without feeling heavy. There are plenty of dense, savory tannins extending the very long finish, creating a combination of seductive charm and power. This is something special, a great achievement in this vintage. Wait 2-3 years at least but I would not want to miss that young fragrance.The Wine Independent | 98 TWIA 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.James Suckling | 94 JS

The 2018 Il Caberlot is a stunning wine. It’s not the most immediate nor explosive Caberlot, but it is such a tremendous example of this wine. The bouquet alone is mesmerizing. Crushed herbs, rose petal, mint, blood orange, incense and sweet pipe tobacco all build in the glass. Imagine Cheval Blanc, but with a good dose of Tuscan sun. Readers who can find the 2018 should not hesitate, as it is magical. I imagine it will be even better in the commercial magnums than this 750ml tasting sample.Antonio Galloni | 100 AG(Il Caberlot “Trentesimo”- Podere Il Carnasciale) The 2018 is the thirtieth vintage of Il Caberlot ever produced by Podere Il Carnasciale, so the Rogosky family has naturally noted this on the label with the “Trentesimo” moniker to mark the occasion. I have to also note my satisfaction at receiving a sample of this wine in a regular-sized bottle (remember that Il Caberlot is only commercialized in magnums), with the label dutifully reporting it as a “demi-magnum”. The wine is an absolute classic in the making, offering up a pure and complex nose of cassis, dark berries, a touch of Tuscan herb tones, Cuban cigar wrapper, a beautiful base of soil tones and a deft framing of cedary new oak. On the palate the wine is pure, refined and full-bodied, with a fine core of black fruit, lovely soil inflection, ripe, buried tannins and a long, superbly balanced and seamless finish. I love the sense of grace here, as the wine comes in at 13.5 percent octane and shows a beautiful synthesis of perfectly ripe fruit and classical aesthetic sensibilities. What a wine to mark the thirtieth anniversary vintage of Il Caberlot! (Drink between 2032-2080)John Gilman | 96 JGCompelling aromas of truffle, violet, raspberry and cherry draw you in, while the supple texture and vibrant structure hold your attention. Balanced and open, this red is appealing from beginning to end. Caberlot. Drink now through 2029. 800 cases made, 120 cases imported. Wine Spectator | 94 WSImpressive aromas of sage, mint and currants follow through to a full body with round, fine tannins that are nicely integrated into the wine. Fresh and vivid finish. Very balanced and attractive. Drink in 2023 and onwards, but already very attractive.James Suckling | 94 JS

The 2018 Giorgio Primo represents a new level of finesse at La Massa. Powerful and dense in the glass, with tremendous structure, Giorgio Primo is a terrific example of how compelling international varieties are in Panzano’s Conca d’Oro district. Crème de cassis, spice, new leather, chocolate and sweet spice build into the textured, palate-staining finish.Antonio Galloni | 97 AGThe Fattoria La Massa 2018 Giorgio Primo is a wine of richness, volume and texture. The blend is 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot, and maceration times last 26 to 28 days to add the lovely depth and creaminess you taste here. Black fruit, crushed stone, truffle essence and toasted spice emerge from the bouquet. The wine’s full-bodied structure and its freshness promise a long cellar-aging future.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPGorgeous aromas of blackcurrants and blackberries with hints of crushed stones and walnuts. Full body, firm and chewy tannins with blackberries and hints of chocolate and spice. Flavorful and intense at the end. Better after 2023, but better already very pretty.James Suckling | 95 JS

The 2018 Vespolina is a wine of pure and total pleasure. Ripe red cherry and plum fruit literally burst out of the glass. Sweet tobacco, mint, dried herbs and cedar show the strong savory character that is such a Vespolina signature. The 2018 is endowed with a sense of exuberance that is hard to fully explain. All I can say is that this is the sort of wine that is opened at the dinner table and finished immediately. I loved it.Antonio Galloni | 92 AG

Super balance to this intense red with exquisite spice to the mixed berries on the nose, following through to a full body with fine, well-integrated tannins, succulent fruit and a long, elegant and flavorful finish. All in place and lovely to drink now, but best from 2023.James Suckling | 94 JS

Vibrant straw-green. Liquid minerals, jasmine, green apple and thyme on the enticing nose. Then rich and multilayered but also bright and fresh on the zingy mouthfeel. This outstanding, nuanced Müller-Thurgau finishes long, clean and mineral. Not likely to be the longest-lived Sass Rigais made by this estate, but will provide wonderful drinking over the next five years or so.Vinous Media | 94 VM

Vibrant and delicious, this textbook Rosso has enticing aromas of woodland berry, rose, tobacco and a whiff of eucalyptus. On the smooth, savory palate, polished tannins and bright acidity accompany succulent wild cherry, raspberry compote and licorice. Drink through 2023.Wine Enthusiast | 92 WEIn the southern part of the appellation, close to the Orcia river and benefitting from its influence, this estate produces a great Rosso, exquisitely true to its terroir. The relatively cool 2018 vintage in this warmer subzone of Montalcino has amplified the fruity character and the supple style of Rossofonte, without losing complexity. Alluring floral notes of roses and macerated violets are joined by liquorice freshness and a touch of smoky woodland. The palate is focused on cherry and raspberry fruit, with good tension balancing the supple fruit with velvety tannins and refreshing acidity. Slightly chalky on the finish, it is otherwise a clear example of generous Rosso drinkability. Drinking Window 2021 - 2025.Decanter | 91 DECThe 2018 Rosso di Montalcino Rossofonte is dark and youthfully brooding in the glass. With coaxing, a mix of black cherries dusted in exotic brown spices, hints of tobacco and violets comes forward. This is silky and polished, with textural waves of ripe red fruit laced with licorice and salty minerals giving way to a collection of fine tannins toward the close. There’s plenty of structure here for medium-term cellaring. The 2016 will require another year or two to come fully into focus, as this tapers off to notes of blackberry and plum, yet with a slightly monolithic feel.Vinous Media | 90 VM

The Fontanabianca 2018 Barbaresco is taut and elegant, showing the kind of bright primary fruit that should accompany this wine as it begins and completes its aging trajectory. The wine is very silky and fine, and it shows a nuanced texture that gives this bottle its competitive edge. Fruit comes from a 4.5-hectare site with south and southeast exposures and calcareous clay soils. Production is an ample 30,000 bottles.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RPSourced from three vineyards within Neive, the 2018 Barbaresco was aged for 20-22 months in a combination of large barrels and barriques. The 2018 leads with medicinal herbs of Amaro, sour cherry, barnyard, and apricot. Fresh with tangy pomegranate pulp on the palate, orange peel, and turned earth, with building tannins on the finish, there is a natural feel and sensibility to the wine that is full of energy. Drink 2021-2032.Jeb Dunnuck | 92 JDRed cherries with hints of cassis and earth, against a background of solid, spicy oak. Medium-bodied with firm oak and fruit tannins and a rather chewy finish. Give this two or three of years to even out. Best from 2024.James Suckling | 92 JSPacked with plum, cherry, earth, tobacco and iron flavors, this red is as savory as it is fruity. Firms up on the finish, with mouthcoating tannins leaving their mark on the finish. Eucalyptus and rosemary accents linger. Best from 2025 through 2045. 2,800 cases made, 1,200 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 91 WSAromas of camphor, red berries and dark spice lead the way along with a whiff of toasted nut. Racy and rather austere, the linear palate offers sour cherry, blood orange and raw coffee bean framed in taut, close-grained tannins that leave a firm finish. Give it a few more years to fully integrate. Drink 2024–2029.Wine Enthusiast | 90 WE

This vineyard site has dark marlstone soils, which are rare here. Most of the rest of the appellation sees white soils instead. The 2018 Gavi del Comune Gavi Rovereto opens to fragrant aromas of citrus, anise, crushed rock and even a tangy touch of spring onion. The bouquet of this wine is full and generous, with candied orange skin and preserved lemon, ending with a dusty mineral signature that is characteristic of the Rovereto vineyard site. You can no longer write "Gavi di Gavi" on the label. Now it must read "Gavi del Comune di Gavi."Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 90 RPAromas of ripe yellow stone fruit and Spanish broom mingle with a smoky note. Reflecting the nose, the linear, elegant palate offers yellow peach, citrus and flinty mineral alongside vibrant acidity.Wine Enthusiast | 90 WE

The 2018 Rosso di Montalcino lifts up with a dark and layered bouquet of dusty roses and smoky minerals, giving way to blackberry, plum and exotic spice. It’s silky and pliant in feel, with depths of ripe red and black fruits offset by cooling mineral tones, while turning more savory and floral toward the close. Round tannins coat the senses under a display of violet florals and lavender. This is a Rosso that dreams of being a Brunello; cellar it for another year or two, and reap the rewards.Vinous Media | 93 VM

Bright straw. Lemon ice, orange peel, balsamic oils and herbs on the complex nose and in the mouth. Savory but juicy, with a very clean, sneakily concentrated mouthfeel and lots of density on the long, juicy finish. Another knockout from this estate in 2018.Vinous Media | 92 VMVery perfumed and quite intense pears and baked apples with some bright fragrance, too. The palate has a very smooth, supple texture and some bright, punchy pear and apple flavor. Smooth-honed and balanced. Drink now.James Suckling | 92 JSThe Köfererhof 2018 Alto Adige Valle Isarco Sylvaner shows some extra plushness and softness in this vintage, with summer peach, lemon blossom, honey and cantaloupe melon. Whereas most of the white varieties in the Köfererhof portfolio present lifted and vertical aromas with many flinty mineral nuances, this Sylvaner offers a tad more opulence and fruity richness. That extra texture opens this wine to spicy exotic foods like Singapore chili crab.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92 RP

The 2018 Barolo Perno is a wild, exotic wine. The bouquet alone is captivating. Leather, orange peel, sage, mint, dried flowers and mulling spices all soar out of the glass. Deceptive in its mid-weight structure, the 2018 packs a serious punch. Sinewy tannins play off a core of inner sweetness and bright saline notes. This heady, racy Barolo is an exotic beauty. The volatile acidity is on the higher side, but it works within the context of this very old-school style.Vinous Media | 94 VM

This edition from the legendary Tenuta San Leonardo estate in Trentino is presented with an artist-signed label. The special release of 999 bottles features the surreal artwork of Simone Berti. From a cool vintage, the 2018 San Leonardo is incredibly fine and beautiful with a filigree of aromas that recalls wild blackberry, tobacco, pressed rosemary, cherry tartlet and orange marmalade. The wine’s elegance is extraordinary, and the mouthfeel is very fine and precise. This classic vintage will certainly appeal to San Leonardo purists. I recommend giving it a long runway to age.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98 RP‘In July, we finally saw a brilliant sun, whose welcome heat warmed a season that was quite wet up to that point and with below-average temperatures,’ said Anselmo Guerrieri Gonzaga of the 2018 vintage. The newest release of this standout northern Italian red offers complex scents of tobacco, spices, earth and rich, wood-imbued black berries. In the mouth it combines intense concentration with freshness in a vertical sensation of poise and sapidity. Dark, plummy, spicy hedgerow berries are perfectly balanced by bright, moreish acidity and ripe, grainy tannins, with spicy cedar, dried currants and a touch of balsam in depth. Still has so much to give.Decanter | 95 DECA mentholated freshness introduces the 2018 San Leonardo as it slowly blossoms in the glass. Swirling unlocks depths of dusty sage and violets, giving way to white pepper and black currants. This is elegant, lifted and potent. Sour citrus elevates ripe wild berries and savory spices. The 2018 doesn’t miss a beat, finishing long and lightly structured, with a framework of fine tannins that gently tug at the senses as blackberry and inner rose notes slowly fade. The 2018 is an understated and youthful beauty that will reward medium-term cellaring. That said, hands off for now because the best is yet to come.Vinous Media | 94 VMA graceful red, beginning quietly with a pure note of ripe black currant, with the palate slowly expanding to weave in flavors of bay leaf and cured tobacco, bitter cherry reduction, mineral, graphite and cigar box spices. The finely knit flavor range shows supple tannins, which emerge to define the elegant finish. Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenère and Merlot. Drink now through 2033. 5,900 cases made, 1,300 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 93 WSRoasted red chili pepper with tapenade, berries, cedar and tobacco leaves. Very juicy on the palate with plush, silky tannins and a long, fluid finish. Cool and gastronomic. Drink now.James Suckling | 93 JSThe 2018 vintage is a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Carmenère (a high percentage for any grower) and 10% Merlot. The wine opens with aromas of ripe plum mixed with tart blueberries, worn leather, sweet spices and dried flowers. The palate is expansive and rich, showing the 24 months of aging in French barriques, both new and used. Firm yet opulent, the wine will continue to develop and retain its mark as one of the best Bordeaux-style blends from Italy. Drink 2025–2040. Wine Enthusiast | 93 WE

Blackberry and spice character – white pepper to be precise. Full-bodied, layered and chewy with a dusty texture and a black-olive undertone. It’s rich and chewy. Drink after 2022.James Suckling | 95 JSA blend of Petit Verdot and Merlot, the Tua Rita 2018 Lodano Rosso is another wine that I had tasted in a preview capacity at the beginning of this year. The wine is seamlessly integrated with dark fruit, blackberry and plum that is rounded off nicely by the smoke and tobacco from French oak and a smaller part of American oak. The Merlot is sourced from the estate’s celebrated old vines, and a theme of flashy or contemporary concentration and richness is found in this wine and throughout the estate portfolio. This vintage was cool and wet during the spring months but turned much warmer and drier toward the end of the growing season.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RPThis is one of the best expressions of Petit Verdot I have tasted in a long time. While always intriguing, the variety is often very linear and structural whereas here it has some richness, roundness and charm. It opens slowly to reveal dark fruits, gunsmoke and spice, with finely textured, silty tannins. Perhaps the old-vine Merlot helps coax this more edgy variety into showing its more sensual side. Drinking Window 2022 - 2028.Decanter | 94 DEC

The Gavarini Chiniera vineyard is shaped like an amphitheater with thick forests at the back (which protects from cold air currents) and sandy chalk soil at 380 meters in elevation. This is a special site, and the Elio Grasso 2018 Barolo Gavarini Chiniera is always one of Grasso’s most easily recognized wines. This vintage is exceptionally bright and vibrant with lifted tones of cherry, plum, blue flower and sweet blood orange. Those primary notes are framed by sensations of dusty white mineral. This mid-weight wine exhibits the deep elegance that was achieved in this vintage. Production is 12,000 bottles.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPDried-cherry, strawberry and tar aromas follow through to a full body with intense, chewy tannins that frame the wine nicely. Flavorful finish. Juicy. Not a big wine, but shows structure and class for the vintage. Try after 2026.James Suckling | 95 JSA bright, cherry-laced red, with a fruity core framed by tobacco, earth, eucalyptus and iron flavors. Firm and dense on the finish, yet this remains elegant and vibrant through the lingering aftertaste. Best from 2025 through 2042. 1,000 cases made, 50 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 93 WSThe 2018 Barolo Gavarini Chiniera has shut down massively since I tasted it last year, which is probably a very good thing for its medium and longer term prospects. Time in the glass releases some of its inner sweetness, but this classically austere, young Barolo is going to need time. I would not dream of touching a bottle anytime soon.Vinous Media | 91 VM

The Altesino 2019 Brunello di Montalcino boasts a rich and savory side that this wine wears very well. There is a beautiful level of dark fruit that folds into the wine’s velvety texture. Blackberry and plum envelop the palate, adding elegant full-bodied volume and fine tannins along the way. The wine is aged in traditional Slavonian casks, and production reaches 110,000 bottles annually (which is very ambitious considering this level of quality).Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPA dark ruby color in the glass, the 2019 Brunello di Montalcino opens with a beguiling blend of dusty earth, crushed rocks, savory herbs and dried roses. This is racy and sleek, with vividly ripe wild berry fruits elevated by orange and sage, all guided by vibrant acidity. Grippy tannins take control through the finish, yet the mouth is left watering for more as a bitter licorice tinge and dark chocolate adds a crunchy sensation.Vinous Media | 94 VMA medium-bodied red with pretty plum and berry aromas and flavors. Fine tannins and a fresh finish. Very fine and focused. Not the most structured but this is all about finesse and polish. Drinkable but better in two or three years.James Suckling | 93 JSPlum, fragrant blue flower, exotic brown spice and crushed mint are just some of the aromas you’ll find on the polished and perfumed 2019 Brunello from Altesino. Full-bodied and enveloping, the palate features ripe black cherry, blood orange and licorice before closing on a hint of almond liqueur. Velvety tannins and fresh acidity provide seamless support. Drink 2027–2034. Abv: 14.5% Kerin O’Keefe | 93 KO

The 2019 Brunello di Montalcino is a spice box of a wine, opening with a burst of camphor and dried flowers, giving way to crushed blackberries, sage and cloves. This is surprisingly energetic and racy in style. Vibrant acidity propels depths of dark red fruits and inner floral as salty minerals saturate. The 2019 finishes structured and long yet still lively, leaving violet inner florals and hints of currant to taper off slowly. The combination of power, depth and energy makes this impossible to ignore.Vinous Media | 95 VMTo the northwest of the town of Montalcino, Pertimali’s 12 hectares extend over a single block, surrounding the Montosoli hill. Despite a relatively cool microclimate, the limestone-rich clay and estate’s old clones yield a vigorous, muscular Brunello. Picked at the beginning of October, the intensely savoury 2019 wafts with iron, sage and bay leaf. The ripe brawny palate is packed with dry, assertive tannins backed up by sweet black cherry and spiced currants. Acidity is brisk. A rustic rather than elegant offering. Ageing is in Slavonian oak casks of 30 hectolitres.Decanter | 90 DEC

The 2019 straight Brunello from Ciacci Piccolomini d’Aragona is a beauty, starting with its heady scents of red berry, dog rose, spice and Mediterranean scrub. Full-bodied and loaded with finesse, the smooth palate delivers juicy red cherry, cracked peppercorn and licorice alongside tightly-woven, refined tannins. Juicy acidity keeps it balanced and fresh. Drink 2027–2039. Abv: 15% Kerin O’Keefe | 98 KOThere’s no mistaking this wine for anything but Brunello. The Ciacci Piccolomini d’Aragona 2019 Brunello di Montalcino shows beautiful continuity, crescendoing on the nose and palate in synchronicity. There are aromas of grilled watermelon, red cherry, garden herb and violet, and there is a charred note that recalls the toasted oak. The bouquet balances out beautifully, but you do get considerably more power on the palate thanks to the oomph of 15% alcohol and young tannins that get under your gums. Give this wine a few more years of bottle age. Production is 66,915 bottles in addition to 4,500 smaller formats.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPSour cherries with stone and bark undertones to the aromas. Medium body, firm tannins and a long, linear finish that ends tight. But this will soften with some age. Subtle bark and dried mushroom character at the end. Drink after 2025, but already pretty.James Suckling | 94 JS

Smooth and delicious, the 2019 Podere Le Ripi Cielo d’Ulisse has captivating aromas of violet, ripe plum, exotic spice, new leather and a whiff of truffle. Full-bodied and enveloping, the palate shows ripe black cherry, raspberry compote, licorice, blood orange and tobacco alongside a backbone of tightly woven, fine-grained tannins. Fresh acidity keeps it balanced while a salty note lingers on the close. Drink 2028–2039. Abv: 14% Kerin O’Keefe | 98 KODark and intense, the 2019 Brunello di Montalcino Cielo d’Ulisse entices with a burst of exotic spice, zests of tangerine, cedar shavings and rum-soaked cherries. This is cool-toned and racy in style, with crisp wild berry fruits enhanced by vibrant acidity. Violet inner florals arch across the palate. This maintains momentum even as crunchy tannins descend upon the senses, leaving a stain of tart cranberry and orange slowly fading. I expect that three to five years of cellaring will reveal a Brunello of boundless energy. The Cielo d’Ulisse is a single vineyard wine that hails from vineyards in the extreme southwest of Montalcino.Vinous Media | 94 VM

This is one of the icon wines of southern Italy. It maintains its timeless nature throughout the years, in good vintages and in bad. The 2019 Montevetrano embraces the radiance and elegance of the very good vintage this was in Campania, with cool nights, good moisture and average summer temperatures. The blend is 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Aglianico and 20% Merlot sourced from a five-hectare site with clay soils. Some 20,000 bottles are made. The bouquet reveals dark cherry and black plum with baker’s chocolate and exotic spice. There is an especially black fruit quality that is almost tarry from the Aglianico, and that grape really pops from the blend, as it should, since this is one of the original "super Campania" wines.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPThe 2019 Montevetrano captivates with a rich mix of brown spice, tobacco, rum-soaked cherries, menthol and mint. This is classy and polished, with textures of pure silk and a massive core of dark red and black fruits that slowly saturate the palate. The 2019 finishes classically dry and incredibly long, leaving fine-grained tannins framing wild blueberry and sage nuances. What a beauty. Cellaring will be required to unlock all of its charms. The 2019 Montevetrano is a beautifully composed blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Aglianico and 20% Merlot.Vinous Media | 95 VMA bold red, with lush layers of blackberry reduction and crème de cassis enriched by toasty smoke and tarry mineral threads. Features fine-grained, well-knit tannins that provide sculpted structure, with fragrant black licorice, fig cake and wild sage notes lingering on the chewy finish. Aglianico. Best from 2023 through 2029. 1,000 cases made, 200 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 93 WSThis famed red, a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Aglianico and Merlot, finds a greater balance in 2019 than in the past couple of vintages. Purplish in the glass, its rich nose packs a punch: ripe blackberry, clove, dark chocolate and an almost-curry scent. Although powerful and concentrated, it seems to be more polite than usual, with soft tannins, moderate extraction and extremely good balance. The tannins are firm and polished on the mid-palate, well balanced with the fruit despite a slightly austere finish.Decanter | 91 DEC

Tightly wound and dense, this red features pure flavors of black currant and blackberry that show accents of iron, cedar and oak spices, with tannins flexing their presence on the long finish. Energetic and fresh, with a lasting impression of sweet, ripe fruit. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Best from 2026 through 2045. 1,666 cases made, 250 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 96 WSThis has a subtle and exotic wasabi-like piquancy and freshness to the olives, cassis and currant leaves. Rich, flavorful and pretty full-bodied on the palate with firm, polished tannins and bright acidity helping to chip away the heaviness here. Really vivid and mouthwatering finish with a lengthy closure. Bravo! Drink or hold.James Suckling | 95 JS

Aromas of cherries, cacao and dried flowers follow through to a medium body with fine tannins and a fresh and savory finish. Better in a year or two.James Suckling | 93 JS

A really focused and rounded Brunello with lovely velvety tannins that give this length and grandeur. It’s medium- to full-bodied with a lovely intensity and texture. Lasts for minutes. A beautiful young Brunello. Better than the excellent 2016. Drink after 2026.James Suckling | 96 JSA youthful red/ruby color, the 2019 Brunello Di Montalcino Poggiotondo is ripe and expressive with aromas of cherry pie, baking spices, cedar, and mossy earth. Medium to full-bodied, it builds in structure, with ripe tannins, fresh acidity, and a mouthwatering finish. It’s a charming wine with grippy structure to drink over the next 4-5 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 90 JDNew leather, underbrush and eucalyptus aromas form the nose along with whiffs of lavender. Firm and linear, the palate features dried cherry, orange zest, licorice and mocha alongside taut, fine-grained tannins. Drink 2027–2034. Abv: 14.5% Kerin O’Keefe | 90 KO

The Castello Romitorio 2019 Brunello di Montalcino Filo di Seta reaches a whole other level of intensity and brilliance with dark fruit, blackberry, an etched mineral quality, petrichor and wet slate that gives this wine an incredibly etched and lively presentation. The tannins are velvety and perfectly match the generous texture of this beautiful Sangiovese. Only later, you start to notice the delicate tones of purple flower and iris root that give this wine such an elegant finish. This is a cellar keeper. There are 9,000 bottles of this wine.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98 RPThe 2019 Brunello di Montalcino Filo di Seta tempts the imagination with a burst of mentholated herbs that give way to sweet violet florals, crushed blackberries and mint. This is deeply textural, nearly creamy in feel, with a core of vibrant acidity to balance as a wave of ripe red and traces of blue fruit flood the palate. Its minerality comes through the finish, mingling with edgy tannins, tart cranberry and orange, yet the mouth is left watering for more. This truly seductive rendition of Filo di Seta will surely win many hearts. While more accessible out of the gate, in the context of how austere it can often be, the balance here guarantees a long and beautiful evolution over time.Vinous Media | 96+ VMBlack cherries, plums and floral notes with subtle, underlying citrus character. Full-bodied and structured. Chewy yet fine-grained tannins. Healthy and vibrant. Persistent length and depth. Give it more time to soften. Better after 2028.James Suckling | 94 JS