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Fornace is located in Castelnuovo dell’Abate in the southeast at lower elevations than the rest of the single vineyards of the Le Ragnaie estate. The 2016 Fornace Brunello is perfumed with perfectly ripe cherry, dried roses, sweet herbs, and licorice. The aromatics move seamlessly to the palate and unfold with kirsch, blood orange, and stony earth. Upfront, there is juicy ripe cherry fruit, blood orange, and salty earth. Ordinarily I would gravitate toward the more tension-driven wines, but this was what I felt to be the most pleasurable and joyful wine on this tasting, so much so that I would keep going back to wanting more. There is a seamless integration through the whole experience, and I do feel there will be longevity despite its immediate gratification. Enjoy over the next 15-20 years. 2021-2041.Jeb Dunnuck | 98 JDThough muscular in style and rippled with firm, dusty tannins, this Brunello has the requisite ripe cherry and plum flavors to match, showing fine purity and finesse. Earth, Tuscan scrub and sanguine accents chime in on the long finish. Best from 2025 through 2047. 400 cases made, 50 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 96 WSOf the five new releases from Le Ragnaie, the 2016 Brunello di Montalcino Fornace is distinguished by its richness, its sultry dark fruit flavors and the firmness of the tannins. The wine is fermented in cement for up to 45 days on ambient yeasts. The fruit comes from 35-year-old vines. All these factors contribute to the rich concentration you taste here and the long impression the wine leaves on the finish. Production is a mere 4,470 bottles.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPThe 2016 Brunello di Montalcino Fornace is a dark, smoky and savory expression of southern Montalcino fruit. A beguiling display of earthy minerals encasing blackberry and cherry with exotic spice and sour citrus resonates in the glass. It’s deeply textural, silky yet verging on velvety, all carried by vibrant acids with ripe red fruits, savory herbs and inner florals which gain volume toward the close. Hints of dried orange peels and black tea linger through the long and youthfully tannic finale.Vinous Media | 94 VMWalnuts, bark, pine and cherries with dried flowers on the nose. Medium-to full-bodied with fine tannins that are very pretty. Fruity and refined. Very approachable and drinkable now, but better after 2023.James Suckling | 94 JSIn the balmy area of Castelnuovo dell’Abate, Fornace sits at a lofty altitude, reaching 400 metres above sea level. Riccardo Campinoti compares the soil to Châteauneuf-du-Pape as it’s rich in river stones. The warmth is palpable in the wine’s powerful fruit and tannins, yet it does not slip into over-concentration, remaining balanced in its proportions. Plum, tobacco and marjoram pervade throughout, with baked rocks and liquorice defining the finish.Decanter | 93 DEC

The 2016 Les Forts de Latour is the clear highlight among these new releases from Latour. The first thing that is evident about the 2016 is the pedigree of the vintage. Undisputedly great. Readers will find a potent, dark Forts de Latour endowed with massive concentration and tons of depth. The 2016 won’t be ready to drink anytime soon, but it holds tons of promise. Hints of gravel, sage, licorice and pencil shavings linger. The 2016 was impressive a few years ago. It is even better today.Antonio Galloni | 96 AGLots of blueberries, ripe blackberries, violets, peppercorns, olives and cloves on the nose. It’s medium-to full-bodied with firm, fleshy tannins. Beautiful blue fruit and flowers. Layered and long. Drink after 2023.James Suckling | 96 JSThe 2016 Les Forts de Latour is superb, unwinding in the glass with notions of blackcurrants, wild berries, sweet loamy soil, cigar wrapper and English walnuts. Medium to full-bodied, deep and layered, it’s concentrated and tightly wound, with superb depth at the core, lively acids and ripe, powdery tannins. This is an impeccably balanced, utterly classical Forts de Latour worth a special effort to seek out.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPThe second wine of this great château, the 2016 Les Forts De Latour continues to impress. I commented on release that it was the best wine in the vintage, and my opinion hasn’t changed. This beauty offers plenty of classic Latour character as well as notes of blackcurrants, saddle leather, lead pencil shavings, and dried flowers. Full-bodied, concentrated, and perfectly balanced, it’s just now starting to round into form and will no doubt continue drinking well for another 2+ decades. It’s a gorgeous Pauillac.Jeb Dunnuck | 95 JD(Château Latour, Les Forts de Latour, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pauillac, Bordeaux, France, Red) Violet scented dark black cherries and figs on the nose, quite powerful. Tannins are generous but they’re juicy and plump, soft almost chalky, they have a really great impact, filling the mouth together with the fruit. Everything has melded together, super balanced and all very harmonious - still clearly powerful with precision and sculpting of the fruit and a long finish with the flavours going on and on. Good acidity gives freshness and a real rush of strawberry and cherry juice on the first sip lifts and sustains the palate the whole way. Such a charming wine with great impact and presence. (Drink between 2021-2030)Decanter | 95 DECThis is a great wine, with superb tannins and rich fruit flavors that are in balance. Made from 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, the palate is dominated by black-currant flavor and a pleasant structure from the very fine tannins.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEA bit fleshier and more caressing than a typical Pauillac, this has flavors of warm fig, currant and blackberry preserves inlaid with charcoal and smoldering tobacco notes. There’s grip for sure and a twinge of warm cast iron on the finish, but the fruit detail keeps the upper hand throughout, showcasing the purity on the finish. Very, very solid. Best from 2023 through 2035.Wine Spectator | 94 WS

The beauty of this wine with elegant fruits and warm tannins shouldn’t entirely mislead. Those tannins also have a bite that promises aging potential. This ripe, full wine packed with black-cherry flavors and acidity will not be ready to drink before 2025.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEThe 2016 Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Fuées (Domaine Louis Jadot) opens in the glass with a pretty bouquet of pomegranate, raspberries, blood orange and toasty new oak. On the palate, it’s medium to full-bodied, deep and muscular, with excellent concentration, tangy acids and a fine-grained but firm chassis of structuring tannin that asserts itself on the youthfully chewy finish. This will demand some patience but it’s promising.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RPThe Chambolle Fuées is a highlight in the Jadot range in 2016, wafting from the glass with a pure bouquet of cherry, raspberry and a top note of peony, with a classy framing of new oak. The wine is full-bodied, multidimensional and deep at the core, with excellent concentration, its fine tannins cloaked in a crystalline core of fruit. This will develop beautifully in the cellar.Decanter Magazine | 93 DECThe 2019 Chambolle-Musigny Les Fuées 1er Cru is quite perfumed on the nose, offering small red cherries mixed with blueberry and light seawater aromas. This opens nicely in the glass and reveals hidden facets. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, fleshy and generous. Perhaps the most elegant of Jadot’s Chambolles, it will vie with the Feusselottes as their best from this appellation. Vinous Media | 92-94 VMBright mid purple. Clear crisp mid purple with a very classy fruit. This has real density to it, dark red fruit, good freshness, much more backward than Les Baudes, but the class and persistence are there. Tasted Oct 2017.Jasper Morris | 92 JMThere is plenty of wood/menthol influence to the notably more elegant nose that exhibits notes of plum, dark currant, orange pekoe tea and ample spice wisps. The rich and mouth coating flavors are finer and much more mineral-driven with a lovely sense of underlying tension adding lift to the beautifully persistent and complex finale where a touch of pit fruit bitterness appears. This is really lovely stuff and very Fuées in character.Burghound | 91-93 BH

Similarly colored, the 2016 Ermitage Le Méal Blanc comes from a warmer terroir of pebbly and more loess soils and was brought up in 10% new demi-muids. It’s a bigger, richer wine than the de l’Orée and boasts rocking notes of honeyed citrus, orange marmalade, baking spices, and licorice. Rich, powerful, and layered on the palate, it’s another rocking white from this team that will drink nicely for two decades or more.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDA two hectare plot of 50+ year old vines on a steep south facing slope of alluvial deposits and large stones. Deep gold in colour, this is fresh with a lifted apricot aroma. It’s very full and opulent in the mouth, almost too full - a point that’s emphasised by blocking malo. This is distinctly bright, refreshing yet powerful, with mineral notes and a saline finish. It has real relief and detail of texture despite its rich, flowing body. A wonderful wine, but be aware of the low acidity this year.Decanter | 96 DECThe 2016 Ermitage Blanc Le Méal is much more developed than the 2015 Ermitage Blanc De L’Orée tasted alongside. Deep straw-yellow in color, the 2016 exhales pronounced quince, hay, acacia honey, dried apple and toasted bread aromas. Powerful and deep, it hits the palate with full force. Opulent and flashy, the 2016 Blanc Le Méal closes with distinctive phenolic grip. Although it’s not the most elegant rendition, it does show the great potential that aged Marsanne can bring when made in the right hands.Vinous Media | 95 VMThe 2016 Ermitage le Meal Blanc is all Marsanne and all power, with ample weight and richness on the full-bodied palate. Grilled melon and tangerine flavors are big, bold and round yet balanced by a hint of bitterness on the finish. It should drink well for two decades or more.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RPSeductive and creamy nose with baked lemons, orange rind, rusks, flower honey, green apples and fresh flowers. Full body with such an ample, round dimension to it. It’s expansive and extensive with controlled power. It’s flattering with so much volume and weight on the palate. Long finish. From biodynamically grown grapes with Demeter certification. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 94 JS

Impressive aromas of fresh summer berries, slate and toasty oak. This has a very succulent array of ripe red plums and berries and delivers a smooth, long and appealingly grainy edge of very plush, flavorful tannins. A lot to like here. A blend of merlot, cabernet sauvignon and petit verdot. Try from 2021.James Suckling | 94 JSThe 2016 Marquis de Terme, picked from September 29 to October 14, is pure on the nose with lifted blackberry and iodine scents, wonderful delineation, and seamlessly integrated oak. The palate is medium-bodied with a gentle grip, but there is real backbone in this Margaux, and it feels more backward than the preceding vintage, with a dash of white pepper on the aftertaste. Excellent, but more classically in style. Tasted at the Marquis de Terme vertical.Vinous Media | 93 VMFresh and racy in feel, with a zip of acidity driving through the middle, lending support to the mix of blackberry, plum and cassis flavors. Dried anise, alder and lilac accents add range on the finish. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot. Best from 2022 through 2034. 12,165 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WSMedium to deep garnet-purple colored, the nose of the 2016 Marquis de Terme is earthy with damp soil and forest floor over a core of black and red currants, tobacco and bay leaves plus a waft of garrigue. The palate is medium-bodied, refreshing and softly textured with juicy fruit.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92 RPThis relatively little-known estate is now performing well. In this vintage the wine has gained weight as well as blackberry fruits and rich tannins. Its balance is already there and the wine should develop to be drunk by 2023.Wine Enthusiast | 92 WEThe outstanding 2016 Château Marquis de Terme is an attractive, elegant wine that has classic Margaux character. Black cherry and blackberry fruits, hints of graphite and smoke earth, and plenty of tobacco leaf all emerge from this medium-bodied effort, which has some firm tannins and a great finish. Give bottles 3-4 years to let these tannins chill out, and it should drink beautifully for 15+ years.Jeb Dunnuck | 91 JDA signature Bordeaux year - a ton of concentration but also balance - the magic combination that has built Bordeaux’s reputation over the centuries. This is a finely tuned wine, great tannic frame that holds the blackberry and bilberry fruit, laced through with grilled turmeric and smoke. 90% new vats at this point, as the winery was pretty much finished.Decanter | 91 DECThe 2016 Marquis de Terme has a deep garnet color. It charges out of the gate with exuberant scents of warm cassis, baked plum, and boysenberries, plus suggestions of camphor, cumin seed, and vanilla pod. Medium-bodied, soft and juicy in the mouth, it has elegant black fruit and spicy flavors, with a soft-spoken finish.The Wine Independent | 91 TWI

Mount Eden’s 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon represents the essence of what Cabernet Sauvignon is all about in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Deep, powerful and explosive, the 2016 simply has it all. A wine of tremendous depth and intensity. Readers, take note. This is world class Cabernet Sauvignon that in any other region would cost 2-3 times as much. Savory and expansive, with tons of mountain character and remarkable richness from low yields in 2016, the Cabernet Sauvignon is simply off the charts. It’s another utterly breathtaking wine from Mount Eden.Antonio Galloni | 98 AGThe 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate is blended with 12% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. The nose offers pure cassis finely layered with Chinese five spice, dried rose petals, graphite and pipe tobacco with a wild, game-like undercurrent. The palate is seamless, opening to an array of detailed fruits and spices, with a silt-like structure and expansive juicy uplift. It’s a wonderfully balanced Cabernet that offers immediate appeal plus everything it needs for a long life in the cellar. 1,582 cases produced.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97+ RPThe combination of high-elevation vineyards, oceanic influence and surrounding coniferous forest give Santa Cruz Mountains Cabernet a singular profile, and few show it off as well as Mount Eden. Aged 22 months in 50% new oak, a mixture of French and American. Contains 12% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Petit Verdot. American wood instils notes of candied orange rind and coconut flakes into an otherwise gravel-driven nose. The palate has a graceful, buoyant quality that gently floats across the palate. The finish is very dry and wound up like a spring, which will continue to be the case for the next several years. This is a wine to slowly let unfurl, both when ageing and consuming; open several hours in advance. Drinking Window 2024 - 2054.Decanter | 96 DECDried dark fruit, toasted cedar, shaved cocoa and sappy redwood tones make for a very dry expression on the nose of this classic bottling. Those elements meet with dense and dry blackberry and black plum on the sip, where dried herbs, black-pepper and soy flavors also arise. The elegant structure is such that this wine just doesn’t die, even after more than a week of sitting open. Drink 2022–2046.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WENo written review provided. | 95 W&SThis shows a zesty mix of sage and grilled savory notes, backed by a sleek black currant, plum and black cherry core. The singed alder and mesquite frame shows on the finish, which is tightly focused and youthfully closed for now, with just a bolt of iron showing. When this rounds into form, it will be a winner. Best from 2023 through 2036. 1,259 cases made. Wine Spectator | 93 WS

This is a fantastic white. The greatest Ornellaia white so far. Very complex and dense yet, at the same time, energetic and vivid. This shows so much richness and density with a pretty, phenolic texture that keeps you entranced. Full-bodied with lots of honeysuckle, green-melon and cooked-apple character. Very long and flavorful. Dynamic and great wine. Drinkable now, but better in 2021.James Suckling | 99 JSThe star of the show with regard to the whites is unquestionably the 2016 Ornellaia Bianco. It’s reminiscent of a great vintage of Domaine de Chevalier with its incredible purity, precision, and length, displaying notes of clean citrus, melon, white flowers, and honeyed minerality. Fresh and vibrant as well as rich and powerful, it’s medium-bodied, seamless, and flawlessly balanced on the palate, with a thrilling finish. While it’s beautiful today, it should keep for 10-15 years or more. The 2016 is 100% Sauvignon Blanc that was brought up in 30% new French oak.Jeb Dunnuck | 98 JDA cooler but drier year than 2015, making an interesting comparison between Ornellaia Bianco’s only two 100% Sauvignon Blanc vintages. Smoky lanolin notes lead to a concentrated, intense and juicy palate with creamy nectarine, grilled pineapple and citrus zest. Despite heading towards all-out exoticism, however, the 2016 is corseted and refined, demonstrating a push-pull between juicy, ripe tropical fruits and mineral restraint, suggesting there is much more to come from this wine. The individual base wines were fermented in barriques (30% new) with no malolactic fermentation, then aged on the lees for up to 18 months with occasional batonnage. A final three months on steel was completed before blending and bottling.Decanter | 96 DECThe 2016 Ornellaia Bianco is a beguiling wine, even a bit deceptive when you get down to facts. This is indeed the central part of its irresistible charm. For one, this edition is a mono-variety wine made solely with Sauvignon Blanc. (The other protagonist of the blend, Viognier, is said to return in 2017.) However, the complexity of the bouquet could mistakenly make you think the blend is more intricate. You get white rose, crisp apple, saffron, toasted pine nut, cinnamon and wild sage. The aromas show brilliant detailing. In addition, the wine is expansive and creamy in terms of mouthfeel. However, none of the whites at Ornellaia—including this wine—undergo malolactic fermentation, though the creamy and richly textured mouthfeel might lead you to conclude otherwise. This classic vintage is especially generous and rich. The wine does see barrique aging, but only a third of the wood is new. Those spicy endnotes serve to frame the beautiful fruit that sits squarely at center stage.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPThe 2016 Ornellaia Bianco has more nuance, freshness and layers of flavors than the 2015 tasted alongside it. I very much like the delineation and energy that are such signatures of the 2016.Vinous Media | 93-95 VMThe 2016 Ornellaia Bianco looks more mature than the 2015 and Heinz comments that it may have had a little too long in oak - 18months - which was longer than in other vintages. Although 2016 was cooler than 2015 - so you might expect more freshness - it was also much drier than 2015. This 2016 has an orange-gold tone to the color and a slightly, nutty, dried fruit aromatic profile with lightly perfumed spice notes. The texture is great, more of a full, voluptuous style with a medium-long finish. The 2016 is 100% Sauvignon Blanc, perhaps lacking a little freshness and vibrancy, but has a lovely silky weight and a gentle savory finish.The Wine Independent | 93 TWI

The 2016 Brunello di Montalcino is a fruit-focused and high-energy effort, lifting up with a spicy and slightly exotic display, showing sour cherry, wild strawberry, savory herbs and hints of animal musk. It’s silky in texture with fleshy red berries further excited by juicy acids, giving way to salty minerals and pretty inner florals. Tannins saturate through the finish, yet this remains balanced throughout with a resonating note of black licorice. The 2016 Piancornello is very impressive. Well done!Vinous Media | 94 VMA firm, linear red with cherry, plum and hints of chocolate, as well as bark. Some fruit-tea leaves as well. It’s full-bodied and layered, chewy and intense. Fine tannins. Drink after 2023.James Suckling | 94 JSThe aromas recall dark-skinned fruit, underbrush and cooking spice. The concentrated palate offers dried black cherry, clove and licorice alongside dusty tannins. Drink 2023–2030.Wine Enthusiast | 90 WE

The 2016 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Lupi e Sirene emerges from the bottle with lots of pretty aromatic intensity and purity. The bouquet is laced with bold cherry, sweet raspberry, red rose, earth, balsam herb and sweet almond. It boasts a beautiful appearance in the glass with a dark, shiny ruby color. On the palate, it produces a silky, glossy texture that lasts long and is fueled by the fresh acidity you always get with Sangiovese.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPAn enticing mix of exotic spice, crushed violets, medicinal black cherries and sweet mint wafts up from the 2016 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Lupi e Sirene. Its textures are silky and rich, nicely matched by depths of ripe red and blue berries, plus an enriching hint of almond paste. This stops just short of decadence, as salty minerals and bright acidity add a more savory twang, and fine-grained tannins slowly take hold. While structured, the long, dramatic finale is packed full of dark primary fruits, savory herbs and hints of mocha. I expect the 2016 Riserva Lupi e Sirene to be firing on all cylinders after only a short stay in the cellar. There will be no 2017 due to the drastic loss of fruit in that extremely dry and warm vintage.Vinous Media | 96 VM

The 2016 Amarone della Valpolicella Morandina is dark and youthfully understated in the glass, as crushed rose petals and stone dust give way to red currants. This is silky-smooth, nearly velvety in feel, with masses of mineral-tinged black cherry and spice contrasted by a twang of sour citrus. The 2016 finishes with outstanding length and depth yet is also remarkably fresh, leaving hints of hard red candy and the slightest touch of bitter cocoa. The Amarone of Prà is always so unique but in the best possible way. The 2016 is a total gem but needs cellaring to come fully into focus.Vinous Media | 96+ VMA savory and complex expression of Amarone with some dried cherries, red dates, stewed herbs, orange peel, tobacco and white pepper. Some bold green peppercorn, too. A svelte delivery of Amarone with a medium body, showing tobacco, cedar and chocolate on the palate. Long, cedary finish. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 94 JSInspired by Dal Forno, renowned Soave producer Graziano Prà purchased 13 hectares high up in eastern Valpolicella’s Mezzane Valley in 2001. The previously unplanted parcel is protected by forest and has been farmed organically from the start. A relatively restrained nose shows dried garden herbs with plum and floral nuances. On the palate, fig and prune flavours are laced with cigar smoke. Velvety, malleable tannins enfold the easy to please package and the finish is bright with a pleasantly bitter edge.Decanter | 93 DECThis elegant red is medium- to full-bodied, with creamy tannins providing a fine frame for flavors of brambly red currant and blackberry fruit, pine, orange peel and crushed pink peppercorn. A subtle, savory overtone of cured tobacco and smoky bacon fat echoes on the fresh finish. Corvina, Corvinone, Rondinella and Oseleta. Drink now through 2030. 833 cases made, 250 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 92 WS

This is a ripe and fruity yet strucutred wine that has amazing aging potential. It offers a strongly floral element that contrasts with the tense, mineral texture and dense tannins. It is an immensely concentrated wine that will not be ready until 2029. ROGER VOSSWine Enthusiast | 99 WEThe 2016 Quinta do Noval Naçional Vintage Port comes (of course) from the famous parcel of ungrafted vines. Comparing it side by side, the Naçional does not have the immediacy of the regular Noval. It is darker, more introspective, more complex and beguiling, the black fruit complemented by subtle desiccated orange and marmalade aromas. What strikes first on the palate is the fineness of the tannins. This is utterly harmonious, silky in terms of texture, and extraordinarily cohesive. You don’t know whether to drink this or stroke it. It is an understated Naçional that almost deceives you into thinking that there is not power, but that crashes across the senses in the final third and on the aftertaste. It is a Naçional with a latent effect, its virtues becoming apparent not during but after imbibing. It is a quite profound Port, even though at this juncture you are just reading the first couple of pages of a very long and engrossing novel. Drinking Window 2034 - 2080Vinous Media | 98 VMThis is distinctive from the start, with a youthfully rambunctious display of dark currant, fig and blackberry fruit paste flavors liberally spiked with bramble, Turkish coffee and ganache notes. As the fruit pumps through the finish, a tarry spine adds a bristling, mouthwatering edge. Sports more obvious grip and is a touch drier in style than most of its peers. Best from 2035 through 2055.Wine Spectator | 98 WSThis is a superb baby Noval that reminds me of the 1966. Chewy yet so polished. The light sweetness suggests an overall dialing back of the sugar content. Stemmy and lightly green. A truly classic Noval. Almost all from Pinhao. Buy. Better in 2025.James Suckling | 98 JSThe 2016 Vintage Port is a field blend, mostly Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinto Cão and Sousão, aged for 18 months in old wood. It comes in with 82 grams of residual sugar. This was in bottle for only about seven weeks when seen, but I made sure at least some of it had a lot of air. It looks super, with plenty of room to grow in the cellar. Christian Seely likes to say that this regular Noval and the Nacional are not better than one another, just different. In fact, I usually prefer Nacional, but in this vintage I make a case for equality and endorse that view.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RP

The 2016 Viña Cubillo Tinto Crianza was surprising, spectacular, elegant, clean and fresh like few vintages before. It was a superb year, with quality, quantity and freshness. It’s quite the opposite from the previous 2015, which was a much warmer and riper year. The 2016s have moderate alcohol and especially the perception of less ripeness (even though the alcohol is very similar). It feels very young, still quite primary. Mercedes explained, "Cubillas, a 24-hectare plot, is a vineyard that could produce Gran Reserva wines. It’s a very good vineyard, but we would miss the Crianza in our range". In fact, the comment was that this vintage is even a challenge for the Viña Tondonia red "because of its price." It is indeed a bargain. "But it doesn’t have the finesse of Tondonia," concluded María José. Anyway, it’s super tasty. 92,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in November 2022.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RP

From the second I tilted the glass, I knew that the 2016 Amarone della Valpolicella was a total knockout. Macerated cherries are contrasted by a whiff of tangerine that gives way to vibrant rose tones and autumnal spice. This soothes with glycerol waves of spicy red fruits complemented by cinnamon, clove and dark, dark chocolate tones. There’s tremendous balance here with bright acids and a totally sexy and exotic style. This just goes on and on and finishes structured and firm yet incredibly fresh, leaving the palate stained in concentration as violet floral tones fade. For all of its heady depth and concentration, there are only two grams per liter of residual sugar. You don’t need to save this riveting Amarone for the dessert course.Vinous Media | 97 VMOwner Marco Sartori has slowly modified his winemaking over the years. He dries the grapes for less time these days, especially in hot years, and ferments at cooler temperatures for a more gentle extraction. And, as of 2016, a portion of the wine ages in large Slavonian oak casks (instead of 100% barriques) for less oxidation of the fruit. The 2016 is deeply coloured and youthful with wood spice and smoke dominating the nose. Compact, concentrated fruit is wrapped up in dense tannins, and hints of blackberry and anise emerge on the palpably dry palate. This definitely needs time to unfurl. Release date: January 2021. Drinking Window 2022 - 2032.Decanter | 90 DEC

An enticing mix of incense, black tea, cracked pepper and red wild berries emanate from the 2016 Valpolicella Superiore. This is undeniably elegant, with its silky textures that seem to coat the entire palate in a seductive layer of violet-tinged fruits and suave lavender and chocolate notes. That said, this is not sweet nor overly rich; in fact, the 2016 is truly harmonious and poised, boasting tremendous concentration that‘s lifted by saline-infused acids. It leaves the palate completely saturated with cloves and allspice, as it tapers off structured and long. This is next-level Valpolicella Superiore, and it may even one day warrant a higher score. Marco Sartori uses 30% appassimento grapes in his Valpolicella, which are dried for twenty days. The wine is refined in a 50% - 50% mix of large oak cask and barrique, of which only about 20% are new.Vinous Media | 94+ VMThe oak-aged Roccolo Grassi 2016 Valpolicella Superiore is a sharp and tight red wine with candied aromas of cherry and plum. The wine is dark and rich at its core with big fruit weight that wraps over the palate. Mild tannins and balanced acidity give the wine immediate drinking appeal. There is some dusty spice on the close. Production is 33,000 bottles.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 91 RPEarthy and peppery nose with very ripe red and black cherry nuances. Cedary on the palate, soft, with a crisp acidity.Decanter | 91 DEC

Complex aromas of fresh flowers and cherries follow through to a full body, firm and very silky tannins and a long, long finish. Driven and fine. Drink from 2022.James Suckling | 96 JSThis is all about purity, finesse and energy. A line of cherry and raspberry flavors runs through this red, with grace notes of leather, tobacco, graphite and underbrush. Reined-in and firm, yet balanced, with a lingering aftertaste of cherry, mineral and spice. Best from 2021 through 2045. 5,000 cases made, 50 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 95 WSA pure expression of Sangiovese, the Tenuta Sette Ponti 2016 Valdarno di Sopra Vigna dell’Impero opens to brambly notes of forest floor and wild cherry, followed by crushed flowers and scorched earth. There is a warm-climate element to this wine that is specific to Tuscany, and that is presented with extra ripeness and spice. The wine finishes with some bitter almond and grilled rosemary. I tasted bottle 3,490 of the 9,767 bottles produced in this vintage.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92 RP

Such wonderful opulence and beauty. The nose shows dried flowers and minerals with blackberries and black cherries. Purity is the word. Full-bodied with incredible depth and structure and polished, silky tannins that envelop your palate. The length is really impressive. Try after 2025.James Suckling | 97 JSThe 2016 Vecchie Vigne Brunello is introspective and complex on the nose, with tobacco, baked earth, dried black plum, cedar, and lavender. The palate is concentrated and brooding, with cola, balsamic black fruit, and tea leaf, and the wine is full-bodied, with chiseled structure, powerful tannin, and balanced acidity. Spending two years in French oak of 225 liters, the oak influence is present but has finesse and is well-integrated for the style. This wine warrants time in the cellar and will be fantastic drinking for those who gravitate to a more polished, modern style. 2025-2040.Jeb Dunnuck | 96 JDThe 2016 Brunello di Montalcino Vecchie Vigne from Siro Pacenti is dark and youthfully folded in upon itself. This pulls you closer to the glass, as it slowly reveals a nuanced display of olive-tinged blackberry and plum, with hints of mocha, balsamic spice and tanned leather. It’s deeply textural, with velvety waves of ripe black fruits laced with tactile minerals, propelled by vibrant acids which carry its medium-bodied weight with ease. Youthfully dense, poised and geared for the long term, the 2016 Vecchie Vigne will require a good amount of cellaring to show all of its charms. Hints of licorice and violet florals echo throughout the long and structured finale.Vinous Media | 95 VMMenthol, new leather, French oak and spiced blueberry aromas come to the forefront. Full bodied and concentrated, the firmly structured palate delivers dried cherry, grilled Porcini, vanilla and licorice set against assertive, close-grained tannins before closing on a coconut note. Give it time to flesh out in the bottle. Drink 2026–2036.Kerin O’Keefe | 95 KOMenthol, new leather, French oak and spiced blueberry aromas come to the forefront. Full-bodied and concentrated, the firmly structured palate delivers dried cherry, grilled Porcini, vanilla and licorice set against assertive, close-grained tannins before closing on a coconut note. Give it time to flesh out in the bottle. Drink 2026–2036. Wine Enthusist | 95 WEI tasted this wine from barrel a few years back, and it’s great to follow up on its evolution. Looking back at my notes, I remarked on the generosity, depth and fruit-driven bounty of the Siro Pacenti 2016 Brunello di Montalcino Vecchie Vigne. Those are the same words I would use to describe the wine today. Indeed, they could sum up the house style that underlines concentration, careful berry selection and an elaborate oak regimen with new French barrique. Fruit from old vines represents a blend of two sites, one with rocky soils to the south and another with clay soils to the north. This wine opens to a nicely saturated appearance with dark berry, spice and tobacco. The wine is structured and firm, owning its tannins to both the fruit and the barrique. I do find the tannins to be astringent at this young stage, so I would hold off from opening this 25,000-bottle release for a long while. Like many of the other producers in Montalcino, Giancarlo Pacenti has captured the linearity and focus of the vintage, but his house style ultimately leaves a bigger mark on the fruit.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RPBroad and dense, this red reveals power behind the plum, cherry, earth, leather and underbrush flavors. Will need time to shed its beefy tannins, but the fruit keeps pace on the long finish. Best from 2025 through 2047. 1,800 cases made, 700 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 94 WSLike the Pelagrilli, the Vecchie Vigne - a selection from vines older than 35 years - blends fruit from the estate’s two sites: one just northeast of the town of Montalcino, and the other near Castelnuovo dell’Abate. Generous new oak is still at the fore but not completely domineering. Star anise, clove and chocolate share the spotlight with forest floor and cedar. Ample in ripe fruit, power and extract, this is surprisingly supple, though dry tannins definitely stick to the edges of the mouth. It retreats into its shell as it sits in the glass.Decanter | 92 DEC

The 2016 Veneroso is one of the most elegant wines I have tasted from Ghizzano. Bright, effusive aromatics lift a core of red Sangiovese fruit, all framed by nervous tannins that give the wine its shape. Sweet tobacco, dried leaves, mint, cedar and incense develop later, adding further shades of nuance. The purity of the flavors is simply striking. Magnificent.Vinous Media | 97 VMBlueberry and raspberry aromas follow through to a medium body, lightly chewy tannins and a flavorful finish. Needs a year to soften. Better in 2020.James Suckling | 91 JS

This special steak wine bears the signature of company founder Giovanni Folonari on the front label. The Folonari family is a historic presence in modern Tuscan wine. Their 2016 Tenuta di Nozzole Chianti Classico Gran Selezione comes from a classic vintage that is known for the balance and power displayed in its elegant wines. This bottle opens to dark cherry and blackberry with rich nuances of spice and dried flowers at the back. This is a terrific effort from a winery with a big presence across the region.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RPWhat immediately strikes you about this wine is its richness and density, showing lots of cherry, chocolate and bark character. Full-bodied, layered and flavorful. Lots of fruit. One for the cellar, but delicious now.James Suckling | 93 JSDeveloped nose showing mushroomy notes, oak nuances, and crushed rocks. Smooth and full on the palate, savoury finish.Drinking Window 2022 - 2030Decanter | 91 DEC

Sweet berries and orange peel with flowers and cedar on the nose. Full-bodied with firm, velvety tannins and juicy texture. It’s long and focused. Walnut, mushroom and wet-leaf character to the dark fruit. Flavorful and tight. Give this at least three or four years to open. Try after 2024.James Suckling | 95 JSEnticing aromas of fragrant blue flower, ripe woodland berry, menthol and star anise are front and center on this full-bodied red. The firm palate features crushed raspberry, blood orange, underbrush and coffee bean while tightly wound, fine-grained tannins show up at the close and carry through the coffee-bean finish. Drink 2024–2031.Wine Enthusiast | 93 WEThe 2016 Brunello di Montalcino from Tenuta La Fuga is very pretty and sweetly spiced, showing wild strawberries with hints of mint and cedar. It soothes the palate with a mix of ripe cherry and blackberry, laced with orange citrus. Rounded tannins come through toward the close, yet the focus here remains on fruit and balanced sweetness. It’s a very pleasant and somewhat-immediate Brunello for the near term.Vinous Media | 91 VMFrom an estate situated in the south-west of the region in the village of Camigliano, the 2016 Brunello di Montalcino is classic with lifted, herbal aromatics of fresh mint and rose petal, oregano, and tart red cherry. Medium-bodied and vinous, the palate is savory with tangy red cherry fruit and salinity. Its more tertiary characteristics make this ready to drink now, while its vibrant structure will also welcome time in cellar. Enjoy over the next 15 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 91 JD

This is the debut vintage of this wine from the esteemed Bordeaux owner, Alfred Tesseron, who bought the property in the Napa mountains in 2016. Aromas of plums, wet earth, fresh herbs and tobacco. Some green olives. Turns to blueberries and blackberries. Full-bodied, yet reserved and layered with chocolate, walnuts and plums. Firm yet polished tannins give a framed sense to the wine. Savory. Racy and beautifully structured, it’s extremely drinkable already. Real wine.James Suckling | 98 JSA blend of 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot and 7% Cabernet Franc, the 2016 Pym-Rae displays a deep garnet-purple color and reveals wonderfully fragrant notes of candied violets, wilted roses, damp soil and black tea over a core of red and black currants, black cherries and warm blackberries plus touches of cigar box and camphor. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is evocatively singular, offering that rock-solid structure of mountain fruit, yet these are wonderfully ripe, silt-like tannins that beautifully support the elegant red and black fruit layers, finishing very long and very perfumed.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RP(Tesseron Estate Pym-Rae) The 2016 Pym-Rae continues to show well, with a rich, meaty, powerful style as well as loads of chocolaty black fruits, tobacco, black olive tapenade, and leather-like aromas and flavors. It’s beautiful on the palate, with massive concentration and depth as well as terrific balance. This gorgeous, deep, opulent beauty is going to benefit from another 4-6 years of bottle age and live for 3-4 decades. (Drink between 2025-2067)Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JD

This is an absolutely gorgeous expression, very full and generous. The 2016 Syrah Per Sempre spent a little less time in oak compared to other vintages, just 16 months, and the results are excellent. This area’s Syrah always does best in hot years, such as 2009 and 2007, and this vintage is reminiscent of the latter. There is lovely black fruit, surrounded by milled black pepper and hints of charcuterie. The key to hot-vintage Syrah is to keep the extraction low: This wine saw a 20-day maceration period, but still, the Syrah Per Sempre is thick and highly concentrated, and the 15% alcohol content is unmistakable. This would be a perfect accompaniment to a filet mignon and potatoes au gratin. This Syrah is a true standout.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RPTua Rita’s 2016 Syrah Per Sempre is fabulous. Crème de cassis, lavender, licorice, plum and blueberry jam are all beautifully delineated. Savory, powerful and also structured, the 2016 has plenty of intensity, but it also is not as dense or obvious as has been the case in the recent past. Readers should be prepared to cellar the 2016 for at least a few years.Vinous Media | 97 VMThis is very exotic and seductive with dark berries, incense, citronelle and hints of sandalwood. Full-bodied, chewy and intense with a powerful palate and a long finish. Very fresh and muscular syrah. Needs three or four years to come around.James Suckling | 96 JSFocused flavors of black cherry, blackberry, licorice and black pepper are wrapped in toasty oak, but this intense red remains balanced and on the elegant side, with a long, fresh and spicy aftertaste. Decant now, or give it a year or two to absorb the oak. Syrah. Best from 2022 through 2032. 250 cases made, 15 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 93 WS

This is really beautiful with complex black cherry, berry, walnut and dark chocolate. Some mushroom and smoke. It’s tight and reserved with polished tannins and wonderful balance and finesse. Persistent and intense. Drink after 2025.James Suckling | 97 JSThe 2016 Brunello di Montalcino blends richness, ripeness and refinement to create a model of total balance. At first, it’s dark, earthy and herbal; yet with time in the glass, a massive wave of black cherry, raspberry, sage and a grounding note of undergrowth comes forward. In the mouth, it coats all that it touches in silky, cool-toned textures, giving way to ripe red/black fruits complemented by spiced citrus, as nuances of lavender and tobacco form. While this feels round and pliant throughout, fine-grain tannins slowly saturate, sneaking up and reminding you of just how young the 2016 really is today. Hints of baker’s chocolate, licorice and a twang of tart blackberry resonate - wow, does it ever end?Vinous Media | 96+ VMThe Uccelliera 2016 Brunello di Montalcino opens to dark fruit and wild cherry with warmer tones of cured tobacco, spice and potting soil. It shows the extra density, darkness and richness that comes so beautifully to fruit grown on the sun-drenched southern side of Castelnuovo dell'Abate in the southern half of the appellation. What Uccelliera delivers so carefully, vintage after vintage, is a truly exceptional sense of mouthfeel with textural richness and lingering creaminess. It is also one of the wines that consistently shows a sense of place. This is a touchstone estate for this specific Montalcino microclimate. Production is 29,000 bottles.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPThe 2016 Brunello di Montalcino is sourced from three vineyard sites in Castelnuovo dell’Abate and spent three years in French and Slavonian oak of various sizes. It offers very pretty, soft floral aromatics of violet, black raspberry, and sweet baking spice. Structurally, the palate is plush and round on the mid-palate, with soft tannins and generous warmth, but without excessive weight. Enjoy over the next 15 or more years.Jeb Dunnuck | 95 JDBurly tannins put a grip on the black cherry, black currant, plum, earth and tobacco flavors in this dense version, yet it's also vibrant, building to a lingering finish. All the components are in the right place, so this should come together nicely over time. Best from 2024 through 2045. 2,000 cases made, 300 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 95 WS

Located just to the east of Angélus and bordering Canon, the 2016 Vieux Château Mazerat is 65% Merlot and 35% Cabernet Franc brought up in 80% new oak. Huge blackcurrant, smoke, and barbecue notes along with some hints of meat, licorice, and spice all emerge from this rich, full-bodied, fleshy, meaty effort. It displays plenty of underlying minerality, some charcoal, and gravelly minerality, building tannins, and a long finish.Jeb Dunnuck | 97+ JDA blend of 65% Merlot and 35% Cabernet Franc aged in 80% new French oak, the deep garnet-purple colored 2016 Vieux Chateau Mazerat rocks up with nonchalant, bold, expressive scents of baked black cherries, plum pudding and baked blueberries with touches of molten chocolate, star anise, cardamom, cast iron pan and tapenade plus a waft of balsamic. Full-bodied, rich and seductive in the mouth, the voluptuous fruit is framed by plush tannins and just enough freshness, finishing long and laden with exotic spices.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPThe 2016 Vieux Château Mazerat has a ripe bouquet of black cherries, blueberry, crème de cassis and vanilla – powerful but in need of more delineation and terroir expression. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy black fruit and much better grip than, say, Les Astéries. Touches of brine and sea salt lend complexity toward the finish. This is a bold Saint-Émilion at the moment but it should age well over the next 15 to 20 years.Vinous Media | 93 VMDespite only being 35% of the blend, the tight Cabernet Franc fruit dominates at this early stage with real sapidity and freshness. This is a rich wine that tends to plump up further over time, and I like the potential enormously. It has a tension to it and the tannins have a life, breathing through the structure of the black fruits. 65% Merlot and 35% Cabernet Franc from clay over limestone soils, fermented in 80% new oak. 3.82pH.Decanter | 93 DECFresh, juicy and focused, with a nice ball of cassis, plum and raspberry fruit that has yet to unwind fully, backed by mouthwatering bramble and tobacco accents. Light juniper and black tea hints flicker through the finish. Best from 2021 through 2031. 833 cases made.Wine Spectator | 92 WSA very intense wine with a rich, ripe dark-plum core, as well as chocolate and very rich, ripe dark peaches. There’s a riper edge to the full-bodied palate with plenty of extract, depth and drive. Some chew at the finish. A little extracted. Needs time. Try from 2023.James Suckling | 92 JSA perfumed wine, this combines elegant tannins, acidity and structure. Its spice and mineral texture reflect the Cabernet Franc in the blend as well as the prime terroir. Drink this wine from 2024.Wine Enthusiast | 92 WE