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Gaja's 2013 Sperss is fabulous. Deep and powerful, yet also wonderfully translucent, the 2013 hits all the right notes. Graphite, game, smoke, licorice, plum, black cherry and dark spice are some of the signatures, but as is always the case with the best vintages, Sperss is a wine of vertical intensity and muscle. The 2013 won't be anywhere near ready to drink for a number of years. All the pedgiree and character of these Serralunga sites come through in an exceptionally beautiful and vivid Barolo from Gaja.Antonio Galloni | 97 AGThe gem of the 2013s is the 2013 Barolo Sperss which comes from limestone-dominated soils. The 2013 is deep, concentrated, and structured, with a fabulous sense of minerality in its black cherry, leafy herbs, damp earth, and licorice aromas and flavors. From a late, cool vintage, it has awesome purity of fruit, plenty of tannins, and a huge finish. It’s a brilliant wine any way you look at it. I’d happily drink this elixir today, but it deserves at least 3-4 years and will keep for 25+.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDAmazing aromas of cherries, oranges and light prunes with hints of wet earth and mushrooms. Very perfumed. It's medium-bodied, firm and direct. Great vino. Needs at least five years to come together but already a joy to taste.James Suckling | 96 JSThis wine shows the quintessential attributes of the Serralunga d'Alba appellation with dark fruit flavors and powerful intensity. The 2013 Barolo Sperss paints a very authentic picture of its unique territory with rich layers of black fruit, wet earth, black truffle, licorice and spice. The wine's tannic structure is firm and lasting. It shows broad shoulders and rich texture overall. This beautiful Barolo boasts a dark color and thick concentration with the aromatic elegance obtained in the 2013 vintage. This important wine is now part of the Barolo DOCG family.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPUnderbrush, toast, menthol, grilled herb and star anise aromas lead the way. Firmly structured but loaded with finesse, the taut palate delivers Morello cherry, raspberry, licorice and a toasted note while assertive, close-grained tannins provide the framework. It's still young and austere so give it time to fully develop. Drink 2023–2033.Wine Enthusiast | 96 WETextbook rose, tar and cherry aromas and flavors, with accents of oak spice, licorice and tobacco, are the hallmarks of this complex red. Powerful yet harmonious, showing fine structure and a lingering finish. Best from 2022 through 2040. 375 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 96 WS

The 2013 Barolo Ravera is a real stunner. An exceptional, brilliant wine, the 2013 Barolo Ravera possesses breathtaking aromatics, translucent fruit and energy to burn. In 2013, the Ravera is dark and brooding, with fabulous intensity and the linear, focused precision that is the signature of this site in Novello. I have tasted and followed the 2013 Ravera for a number of years. It has never been anything less than thrilling. It is all that and more today. Readers who can find the 2013 should not hesitate, as it is tremendous.Vinous Media | 100 VMThis is a stunning wine. The 2013 Barolo Ravera is a jaw-dropping creation that boasts soaring intensity with absolute clarity and purity of its aromatic impact. The bouquet is layered and rich with dark fruit, soft spice and cured tobacco. The integration of its aromas is seamless, polished and silky. But the wine is also compact and tightly wound around itself, meaning it still needs time to peel back like the opening petals of a rose bud. Give it at least five more years of cellar aging. The wine imparts a perfect Nebbiolo mouthfeel, showing intensity and firmness with an incredibly long and smoky finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98 RPFresh and viivid with strawberry, rose petal, and sandalwood. Full body, firm and silky with a beautiful balance and length. A fabulous young Barolo. Try in 2020.James Suckling | 97 JSA fruity style, boasting pure and expressive cherry and raspberry flavors, shaded by floral, chalk and tobacco elements. Elegant yet intense, with a lingering finish echoing fruit and tobacco notes. Terrific energy. Best from 2021 through 2038. 300 cases made, 100 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 95 WSDark berry, chopped mint, sage, tobacco and a balsamic note are some of the aromas you’ll find on this. Firmly structured and youthfully austere, the palate delivers red cherry, raspberry compote, anise and clove framed in vibrant acidity and tightly-woven tannins that give it a firm finish. It needs time to fully come together and develop complexity. Drink 2025–2043.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WE

Aromas of juniper, rosemary, thyme and Szechuan peppercorn segue to strawberry, cherry and rose hip flavors in this elegant red. Intense and balanced, with the structure to develop over the next two decades. Shows excellent depth and length. Best from 2022 through 2043. 833 cases made, 500 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 97 WSCompared to 2014, the 2013 vintage was a breeze from a farming and winemaking point of view. A relatively stress free growing season tends to transmit more clarity and intensity to the finished product. That's the impression I get when I taste the savory, rich and sophisticated 2013 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva. Some 10,000 bottles were released. This wine delivers thick ripeness with bold cherry aromas that are folded into spice, leather and tangy black licorice. This wine achieves a higher level of aromatic intensity compared to the elegant Altesino 2014 Brunello di Montalcino Montosoli (which I actually preferred at this tasting). However, my impression is that this riserva from 2013 will ultimately offer a more fruitful and interesting bottle evolution five to ten years from now.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RPThis offers an array of light and bright cassis and other blue-fruit notes with wild herbs and raspberry leaf. Then, a smooth, fresh and approachable palate carries a supple, smooth and velvety core on fine, even tannins. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 93 JSLinear and made in a focused style, this fragrant red has aromas of camphor, rose, thyme and new leather. The racy palate offers sour cherry, star anise, menthol and wild herb set against taut fine-grained tannins and vibrant acidity. Drink 2023–2033.Wine Enthusiast | 93 WE

A blend of crushed plums and cherry sauce is complicated by sage and hints of camphor as the 2013 Brunello di Montalcino opens in the glass. Silky and refined, the 2013 is significantly more energetic and sleek than expected, with masses of tart wild berries and inner herbal tones that saturate. It finishes with medium length and is still lightly structured, leaving a saline tinge and hints of tangerine to slowly fade. This is entering a lovely place in its evolution.Vinous Media | 93 VMMastrojanni’s 2013 Brunello di Montalcino reveals a very precise and focused aromatic profile. This is a signature touch from this outstanding estate that, year in and year out, produces some of the best Brunello you can buy. Wild berries and cherries rise from the bouquet in an elegant flutter. Those tones are followed by spice, leather, rosemary and medicinal herb. The wine is streamlined, polished and smooth in terms of mouthfeel. Some 54,000 bottles were produced.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92 RPThis is plump, with cherry, plum, iron and tobacco flavors, nicely balanced by a dense matrix of tannins. Tips slightly toward the dry side on the finish, yet stays fresh and long. Best from 2022 through 2036. 1,170 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 92 WSAgronomist/oenologist Andrea Machetti has been managing this property since 1992, although it was purchased by the Illy coffee group in 2008. The vineyards are close to Castelnuovo dell’Abate, where the soil is predominantly clay with a complex mix of marine salt, tuff, river pebbles and sand. Besides flavours of tobacco, dried sage and forest berries, this has a saline edge and a tanginess that gives plenty of vibrancy and length. Nicely framed by well-managed tannins.Decanter | 92 DECPlenty of dried fruits on the nose with cedar and flowers that follow through to a full body, layered tannins and an intense finish. Hints of raisins. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 92 JSForest floor, tobacco leaf, new leather and balsamic aromas unfold in the glass. The structured palate delivers dried black cherry, prune marinated in spirits and star anise framed in firm fine-grained tannins. Drink 2021–2028.Wine Enthusiast | 91 WE

The 2014 Barbaresco Montestefano is fabulous. Rich, ample and explosive, as the best wines from this site are, the 2014 covers every corner of the palate with intense fruit, bright acidity and structure. Super-ripe dark cherry, plum, orange peel, spice, tobacco, leather, smoke and licorice infuse the exotic, resonant finish. The Montestefano is always a wine of breadth. That is exactly what comes through here.Vinous Media | 96 VMAromatic herb, woodland berry, violet, citrus zest and tilled soil scents take shape in the glass. The succulent, linear palate doles out cranberry, red cherry white pepper and star anise flavors, bolstered by a backbone of firm, refined tannins and bright acidity.Wine Enthusiast | 93 WE

The 2014 Barbaresco Crichët Pajè is an absolutely exquisite wine that shows how compelling this vintage is in Barbaresco. Fresh, vibrant and wonderfully deep, the 2014 races out of the glass, showing tremendous depth, energy and pedigree. Crushed red-toned fruit, orange peel, rose petal, anise and mint are some of the many aromas and flavors that develop, but its really the wine’s balance that impresses more than anything else. It’s a super classic wine from Alfredo and Luca Roagna.Vinous Media | 97 VMA solidly structured red, delivering macerated cherry and plum flavors accented by eucalyptus, spice, mint, iron and earth notes. Turns lean and sinewy on the lingering finish for now, yet a thread of ripe fruit lurks underneath. Best from 2025 through 2043. 136 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WS

Perhaps the most robust and solid of the three wines by Roberto Voerzio tasted this year, the 2015 Barolo Rocche dell’Annunziata is built like a little tank, or motor, that keeps moving forward no matter what. You taste that spirit and determination thanks to the elegantly aligned fruit and spice flavors that make up the wine’s elaborate profile. However, I also taste the 2015 vintage characteristics of rich and concentrated fruit to a greater degree in the Rocche dell’Annunziata. There is a point of softness here that you don’t get in Fossati or Cerequio. I tasted the open bottle again 24 hours later and was treated to beautiful notes of mint and balsam herb.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RPSimilar notes of mulled black cherries, menthol, toasted spices, tobacco, and licorice emerge from the 2015 Barolo Rocche dell’Annunziata. It has the ripe, sexy style of the vintage, medium to full-bodied richness, an elegant, seamless texture, and a great finish. There are plenty of tannins here, yet they’re sweet and polished, and this beauty already offers pleasure. Nevertheless, it’s going to benefit from 4-5 years of bottle age and should have three decades of overall longevity.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDThe 2015 Barolo Rocche dell’Annunziata is laced with the essence of crushed raspberry, flowers, cedar, spice and tobacco. Silky and lifted in the glass, with a real sense of translucent beauty, the 2015 hits all the right notes. It’s a super classic Barolo from one of La Morra’s greatest sites.Vinous Media | 94 VM

Here’s a little hop, skip and a jump back in time to a vintage with great personality and character. The Sottimano 2015 Barbaresco Currá is a majestic expression that unfolds to reveal dark fruit, spice and carefully evolved aromas of tar, licorice and spent embers. Past vintages of this wine have started off slow and closed (that’s one of Currá’s age-worthy attributes), but the warm and sunny 2015 vintage starts with high aromatic intensity. The wine is aged in neutral oak (with only 10% new barrel) and fruit comes from 50- to 60-year-old vines in Neive. The mouthfeel is young and spicy, so this wine won’t be fully accessible for another 10 years or so. A mere 2,500 bottles were made.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPThe limestone and clay soils of the Currà cru tend to produce wines with muscular tannins, which is why Andra Sottimano releases this bottling later than his other Barbarescos. The wine rested in French oak barrels (15 percent new) for two years, giving the tannins the firm feel of new leather. The red-cherry flavors are vibrant, infused with notes of cardamom and anise.Wine & Spirits Magazine | 96 W&SThe decision to release the 2015 Barbaresco Currà two years later than the other wines has paid off handsomely, as the incisive young Currà tannins have now had time to start to soften, which in turn gives the wine tremendous openness that is on display today. Blood orange, pomegranate, sweet red cherry, star anise and cinnamon imbue the 2015 with an alluring sense of exoticism that is impossible to miss. Bright and lifted, the 2015 is just starting to develop the first signs of aromatic nuance. It will drink well for many years to come.Vinous Media | 95 VMFragrant and focused, this offers tantalizing aromas of rose, violet, woodland berry and Asian incense. Firm and linear, the chiseled palate evokes red cherry, cranberry, star anise and a hint of white pepper set against tightly wound, fine-grained tannins. It’s still young and austere but balanced, with vibrant acidity. Give it ample time to fully develop. Drink 2023–2038. Kerin O’Keefe | 95 KOFragrant and focused, this offers tantalizing aromas of rose, violet, woodland berry and Asian incense. Firm and linear, the chiseled palate evokes red cherry, cranberry, star anise and a hint of white pepper set against tightly wound fine-grained tannins. It’s still young and austere but balanced, with vibrant acidity. Give it ample time to fully develop. Drink 2023–2038.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEThis red is concentrated and packed with cherry, plum, tar, iron and underbrush flavors. It’s fluid and supple, with a mass of sinewy tannins guarding the finish. Best from 2024 through 2045. 208 cases made, 75 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 93 WS

Black fruit, spice, tar and cured tobacco open the bouquet of the 2015 Montefalco Sagrantino Valdimaggio. You also get slightly more mature aromas of rum cake or cherry liqueur from this warm and sunny vintage. This is a complete and generous wine that shows tight tannins at the back. Despite that evident muscle and brawn, the tannins are carefully managed so that they don’t taste bitter or astringent. In fact, quite the opposite.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RPThough tightly knit and well-defined by sculpted tannins, this fresh red shows overall elegance, featuring a lovely, fragrant range of plumped cherry and strawberry fruit, with star anise, graphite and cardamom notes, ashy smoke accents and hints of dried mint and marjoram. Creamy finish. Drink now through 2030. 1,000 cases made, 250 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 93 WSFrom 4.9 acres of 40-year-old vines that surround the winery, this is impressively ripe and concentrated. A two-year spell in French oak barriques added notes of clove, dark chocolate and baking spice to its blackberry and plum fruit. Notes of tobacco and fresh loam balance the rich flavors, though the gun-metal tannins call for several years of cellaring.Wine & Spirits | 93 W&SThe plush elderberries and hints of peperoncino and balsamic work rather well with the dried cedar and dark chocolate. Full-bodied and nicely indented in furrows of chewy tannins revealing dark fruit and detailed acidity. Drink now.James Suckling | 92 JSAromas of blueberry brandy, underbrush, dark spice and eucalyptus take shape in the glass. On the tightly knit, brawny palate, assertive, close-grained tannins support dried black cherry, licorice and clove alongside the heat of evident alcohol. Wine Enthusiast | 91 WE

The 2015 Barbaresco Riserva Rose delle Casasse is one of the most distinctive wines in all of Piedmont. It emerges from a tiny parcel in Neive first planted in 1913 with the Rose clone of Nebbiolo known for its aromatic intensity, that is rarely seen these days. Deeply bright and perfumed, the 2015 offers up an exotic mélange of sweet red cherry, blood orange, mint, spice, rose petal and kirsch. There’s terrific depth and plenty of substance to wrap it all together. The 2015 spent four years in wood, a combination of small barrels and medium-sized casks. I wonder what this wine would like taste like if it was aged in more neutral oak, as there is a bit of oak tannin here. Even so, the 2015 is an exquisite wine and a Barbaresco of real character.Antonio Galloni | 96 AG

Just bottled, the 2015 Barolo Riserva Cascina Dardi is a real powerhouse. This full-bodied, potent Barolo packs a huge punch. It won’t be ready to drink anytime soon, that much is obvious. Time in the glass brings out aromatic intensity and inner perfume. Spice and blood orange accents lend an exotic quality to this dark, layered Barolo. The Riserva is a wine for readers who appreciate the natural fragility of artisan wines, wines that aren’t perfect but that perfectly embody the human spirit.Vinous Media | 96 VM

Love the balance and finesse to this young Brunello with very soft, creamy-textured tannins that frame the pretty palate, which shows chocolate, spice and cherry character. It’s full-bodied, yet polished and balanced. This needs another two or three years to come together. Try after 2023.James Suckling | 95 JSThe Tenuta la Fuga 2015 Brunello di Montalcino needs a little extra time to open, as the wine is initially shy. There are some flinty notes that lift quickly to reveal mild fruit aromas of blackberry and dried raspberry. The fruit feels a little closed, and the mouthfeel is silky and dry. I’d recommend capturing that fruit while it lasts and drinking this Brunello within the next 10 years or so. Some 20,000 bottles of it were made.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 91 RPLots of balsamic and ethereal notes, charming dry red fruits, and an abundance of spices. Soft juicy and elegant on the palate with depth of ripe red fruits. Mocha and chocolate finish. Drinking Window 2021 - 2025.Decanter | 91 DEC

This is a very well balanced Brunello with sharp and classic lines. The Val di Suga 2015 Brunello di Montalcino offers attractive energy and brightness that is transmitted through the cherry fruit and wild berry aromas at its core. That primary fruit is surrounded by light spice, grilled herb and potting soil. There is a nice purity and linearity to this wine that reminds you of the natural depth and complexity of Sangiovese when given a little time to age. (Brunello is always released five years after the harvest.) This is an ample 120,000-bottle release.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RPThe 2015 Brunello is lifted with aromatics of candied cherry, raspberry fruit leather, vanilla, and sweet baking spices. As one would expect with the warmth of the 2015 vintage, the palate is rounder and more generous than the racier 2016. The palate is ripe with fresh cherry, tea leaf, and pleasant orange peel bitterness. It will provide welcome enjoyment over the next 15 years. Drink 2022-2036.Jeb Dunnuck | 93 JDAs of the 2015, all of Val di Suga’s wines spend less time in wood to curb Sangiovese’s tendency to oxidise. This wine brings together grapes from all three of Val di Suga’s distinct vineyard sites in equal proportions. Fragrant orange and raspberry notes progress into darker, earthier nuances. There is a saline edge and a gentle grip holding together lush fruit. It’s a touch short but still bright and tangy on the finish. Drinking Window 2021 - 2029.Decanter | 92 DECA dense and linear red with medium to full body, chewy tannins and a slightly extracted finish. Needs time to soften. Better after 2022.James Suckling | 92 JSThe 2015 Val di Suga Brunello di Montalcino is spicy and intense, leading off with dried cherries, cedar spice box, savory herbs and dusty rose. Silky, almost creamy textures flood the palate with ripe red and black fruits, contrasting saline minerals with cooling acids, as fine tannins slowly settle upon the senses. The finish is long and structured, mixing youthful tension with pretty inner florals, yet the best is yet to come with medium-term cellaring.Vinous Media | 91 VMElegant, offering cherry, sanguine, iron, earth and tobacco flavors. Sleek and vibrant, with a lingering aftertaste of mineral and tobacco. Best from 2023 through 2038. 10,000 cases made, 1,000 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 90 WS

The 2015 Valadorna (65% Merlot, 11% Cabernet Franc, 19% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Petit Verdot) is a dark and thickly endowed red wine that boasts a rich and lasting grip on the palate. The bouquet offers depth and complexity with dark fruit, leather, cured tobacco and spice. There are also softer notes of chocolate and ground espresso beans. The wine’s seamless integration of flavors leads to increased momentum and intensity as the wine continues to open in the glass.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95+ RPThis rich, powerful red, packed with blackberry and blueberry fruit, is beginning to mellow, offering a woodsy panoply of mushroom, humus and autumn leaves in the background. There are still some tannins to resolve. Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Drink now through 2032. 1,500 cases made, 1,000 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 93 WSBig and rich wine with lots of fruit and tannins. Plenty of wood, too. Full body. Needs two or three years to soften. Try after 2021.James Suckling | 92 JS

A dusty Brunello with dried berries, walnuts, caramelized orange, felt-tip pen and dried tobacco. Full-bodied and warming on the palate, which reveals a sweet-and-sour character, created by the interplay of solid acidity and dried fruit. Drink from 2023.James Suckling | 95 JSHere’s a confident and genuine expression of Sangiovese that manages to be both accessible and complicated at the same time. Brunello is one of the few Italian wines to bridge the gap between those two extremes. The Voliero 2015 Brunello di Montalcino offers a steady stream of small berry fruit and cherry aromas. But there is width to this bouquet and deeper layers of spice, tar and licorice also play important roles. This Brunello ages in oak for 36 months in order to find harmony and balance. Some 7,866 bottles were made. Those bottles were filled in July 2019 and the wine hit the market in January 2020.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RPVery charming and elegant enticing nose, earthy with leather and spiced notes. Rich and full bodied on the palate with plenty of jammy notes, dry flowers, and red forest fruits. Classic. Drinking Window 2021 - 2025.Decanter | 94 DECHere I’m finding a spicy display of Sangiovese fruit, as dusty dried florals give way to mineral-laced bright cherry, with hints of cedar, leather and white smoke. On the palate, soft textures wash across the senses, ushering in pure red berry fruits, as brisk acids firm up the experience, leaving saline-minerals and fine tannin in their wake. The finish is medium in length and a bit angular, resonating on savory spice with licorice, dried black cherries, inner florals, and a lingering twang of acid. The Voliero needs time to fully come together, yet it is likely to always remain a spicy, acid-driven effort.Vinous Media | 92 VM

The full name of this estate is Baricci Colombaio Montosoli, and indeed it is one of the protagonists of the celebrated Montosoli vineyard. The Baricci 2015 Brunello di Montalcino is highly distinguished by its mineral side (with marl, marine fossil, schist quartz and Galestro soils), and that is truly the magic of this wine. There is a pungent note of raw grape at first, but it lifts to reveal forest berry, camphor ash and subtle touches of sweet spice. These elements come together like a tightly fitted mosaic. The wine is balanced and fresh, with just enough structure to add firmness and considerable length to its polished mid-weight frame. In fact, mouthfeel is this wine’s strongest suit. Acidity is never a problem in Montosoli, located on the north side of Montalcino where day and night temperature shifts play an important role in slow fruit ripening. This warm vintage shows higher extract, but the overall balance allowed Baricci to bottle using very little sulfur (which could account for that little tangy note you get on first nose). The wine went into bottle in July 2019, and 15,000 bottles were made. It was released in January 2020.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPGood full ruby-red. Captivating nose combines, ripe red cherry, black plum, minerals, herbs, mocha and sexy brown spices. Juicy and sweet, with refined, suave blackberry, raspberry, minerals and tobacco flavors dominating. Finishes extremely long, with a steely quality, fine-grained tannins and a multifaceted personality. Another great Brunello from Baricci.Vinous Media | 96 VMAll 5ha of Baracci’s vines are contained in one single vineyard on the hill of Montosoli. With a southeastern exposure, the vineyards are cooled by breezes from the north and east and the soils are a complex mix of marl, schist and quartz. The 2015 is effortlessly balanced, starting with suitably mellowed but still radiant aromas of fennel blossom, tobacco and crushed stone. It flows smoothly on the palate, demonstrating its cunning power with well-honed tannins. For now, underlying tasty red cherry is highly gratifying but this will express so much more in years to come. Drinking Window 2023 - 2037Decanter | 95 DECA textbook Sangiovese, in the ripe style, boasting cherry, leather, iron, earth and tobacco aromas and flavors. Firm and lively, with a lingering aftertaste of fruit, mineral and savory elements. Best from 2022 through 2040. 1,250 cases made, 125 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 94 WSSubdued aromas evoking underbrush, baked plum and scorched earth form the nose along with a balsamic whiff of camphor. Full bodied and chewy, the brawny, enveloping palate features dried cherry, licorice, coffee bean and the warmth of alcohol alongside firm, noble tannins. Drink 2022–2030.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WE

Woodland berry, blue flower, sunbaked soil and a whiff of dark spice shape the nose. Structured and extremely elegant, the focused, impeccable palate doles out juicy red cherry, strawberry, baking spice and star anise set against taut polished tannins that provide seamless support. It’s well balanced, with fresh acidity. It’s already tempting but hold for even more complexity. Drink 2022–2032. Wine Enthusiast | 96 WEA combination of savory and fruit elements, this red reveals cherry, berry, eucalyptus, menthol, tar and mineral flavors. Firms up, with monolithic tannins locking this tight. Patience is required. Best from 2023 through 2042. 900 cases imported. Wine Spectator | 95 WSA rich and layered Barbaresco with cedar and plums, as well as light leather and rose aromas that follow to a full yet balanced palate and a chewy finish. Very polished. Drink in 2020, but already beautiful.James Suckling | 95 JSGaja’s 2015 Barbaresco is gorgeous. Deep, pliant and resonant, the 2015 exudes class from the very first taste. Today, the aromatics are not especially open or expressive, but it is the wine’s depth and overall sense of harmony that really carry the day. Hints of orange peel, spice and rosewater give the 2015 an exotic aromatic top register that is hugely appealing. Readers will have a hard time keeping their hands off this gem. The 2015 is a wonderfully complete and harmonious wine, but it really does need a few years in the cellar to fully unwind.Vinous Media | 94 VMThe 2015 Barbaresco was to be bottled a week after I tasted this sample for review. Gaia Gaja was waiting for the right moon before commencing bottling. This vintage is not unlike the 2005 growing season that saw a good amount of rain in spring and scorching heat in the summer. The risk of downy mildew made vintners extra vigilant. Although the 2015 vintage was not ideal for color fixing Nebbiolo (indeed, this wine is slightly less intense in terms of its color saturation), it did prove an important year for power, structure and dry extract. This is a full and generous expression with a fine, loose texture and rich fruit flavors.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RPClassic Nebbiolo perfume of violet and raspberry, followed by red cranberry and cherry fruit. Sweet, slightly creamy oak; this is approachable and – although it lacks the depth of the single vineyard wines – it’s still impressively long with gorgeous charm. (Drink between 2018-2032)Decanter | 92 DEC

Forest floor, red berry, leather and pipe tobacco aromas are front and center. The intense, full-bodied palate offers impressive structure and finesse, delivering succulent Marasca cherry, cinnamon, star anise and a hint of hazelnut alongside assertive but noble tannins and vibrant acidity. It already shows focus and depth, but give it time to fully bloom.Wine Enthusiast | 97 WEThe 2016 Barbaresco Montestefano is simply magnificent. Bright floral overtones and red/purplish berry fruit give the Montestefano a feeling of focus and explosive energy that is compelling. Hints of mocha, leather, smoke, lavender and a whole range of balsamic inflections open up in the glass, revealing a Barbaresco of power, structure and complexity. Ample in feel and yet wonderfully vibrant, the Montestefano is wonderfully complete. It is also one of the very best wines I have ever tasted from La Ca' Nova. The Montestefano is a bit more showy today than the Montefico, but both wines are remarkable.Antonio Galloni | 96 AG

The 2016 Barbaresco Montefico Vigna Bric Mentina is dark, dense, powerful and super expressive. Black cherry, mocha, leather, licorice and menthol are some of the many notes that take shape in a Barbaresco that is bursting with energy. Chalk, orange peel, dried flowers and mint add layers of nuance as the wine opens up in the glass. This brooding, potent Barbaresco needs time to be at its best, but it is clearly a great wine in the making.Antonio Galloni | 95+ AG

Aromas of rose, red berry and eucalyptus mingle with whiffs of exotic spice on the gorgeous, fragrant red. Loaded with finesse and tension, the elegant, structured palate delivers crushed raspberry, white pepper and star anise set against fresh acidity and taut, lithe tannins. It's already compelling, but hold for even more complexity. Drink 2022–2036.Wine Enthusiast | 98 WEThis is all about finesse with power. Such great length here with ever so refined tannins and precise strawberry, cedar, dried-rose and mineral character. Medium body. Fresh and vivid finish. Hard not to drink now, but wait until at least 2021.James Suckling | 96 JSI tasted this wine over two sittings, one at the winery and one at my home office a few weeks later. Although I can't claim any extraordinary differences between the two sessions, I noticed a few minimal shifts that are essential to understanding the wine's future aging ability. The 2016 Barbaresco starts off slow at first, showing a small margin of aromatic evolution in the glass. But come back two hours later, and you can almost hear the soft sounds of the symphony playing just below the surface. The 2016 vintage is characterized by the solid intensity and firmness of its aromas, which transcend fruit and veer toward balsamic herb, licorice, tar and smoke instead. The tannins offer a moment of sweetness and softness, before you are aware of their undeniable firmness. In all, there is a certain glossiness or satiny quality to the mouthfeel that underlines the wine's carefully crafted integration. I would describe this as a classic and also a somewhat austere Barbaresco that fully deserves extra cellar time to stretch those tight muscles and grow in volume. This wine will award those who wait.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPGaja's 2016 Barbaresco is positively stellar. A wine of poise and grace, the 2016 has so much to offer. Expressive spice and floral notes open up first, but what really stands out is the wine's nuance and delineation. There is a sense of translucency to the 2016 that is impossible to miss. Sweet red cherry, mint, cinnamon and rose petal develop in the glass, adding further shades of nuance. Quite simply, the 2016 is one of the very finest Gaja Barbarescos in recent memory. This is such a gorgeous wine. Don't miss it.Vinous Media | 96 VMThe Gaja family calls 2016 one of the best vintages they have ever experienced, with a long, slow ripening period without heat stress or disease pressure. That balance comes through in this suave, elegant Barbaresco. It smells of soft rose petals and tastes of juicy cherries and spiced raspberries, the flavors gliding along smooth, ripe tannins. With air, the wine picks up energy and depth, moving into a long, vibrant finish.Wine & Spirits | 96 W&SThis gorgeous red evokes rose, strawberry, raspberry and cherry fruit, shaded by tobacco, tar and wild thyme notes. Pure, sleek and intense, with a firm base of tannins and vibrant acidity for support. This should evolve beautifully. Be patient. Best from 2022 through 2043. 1,800 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 96 WSThe 2016 Barbaresco showed beautifully, with a classical yet seductive and sweetly fruited style that's going to evolve gracefully. Medium ruby-hued, with a core of sweet red fruits balanced by classic dried flowers, licorice, asphalt, and medicinal herbs, it hits the palate with medium-bodied richness that carries impress sweet fruit as well as building tannins. Barbaresco doesn't get more classic, and while it has a sunny, sweetly fruited style, it also has ample underlying tannins and structure, so give bottles 4-5 years. It should deliver the goods for two decades or more.Jeb Dunnuck | 94 JDThe nose is poised, displaying very ripe raspberry and black berry aromas. The attack has intensity, partly thanks to its pungent acidity, but there's no rawness and the tannins are ripe. This is taut and structured and needs time. While concentrated, it's not excessively so, and the wine retains its delicacy through the very long finish. Drinking Window 2020 - 2040.Decanter | 93 DEC

The 2016 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Aluigi Campo ai Peri is fabulous. Bright, vibrant and intensely aromatic, the 2016 is total seduction right out of the glass. Intense floral/spiced aromatics, red/purplish berry fruit, spice, tobacco and mocha all race out of the glass in a wine that brilliantly marries power with finesse. The Aluigi is a Gran Selezione for the first time in 2016. It’s quite simply one of the finest wines I have tasted from Le Cinciole.Vinous Media | 96 VMAt the northern limits of Panzano, Le Cinciole is Luca Orsini and Valeria Viganò: he a geologist from Rome, she an architect from Milan. They purchased the property in 1991 and were early adopters of organic viticulture. In support of the recent changes to the Gran Selezione regulations, specifying a higher minimum of Sangiovese (90%) and only indigenous grapes, the couple have upgraded this single vineyard bottling as of 2016. It hails from a limestone-rich, southeast site reaching 450m. Michaela Morris: Roasted notes, with plum and sweet earth aromas. A well-packed palate, with lots of fruit, quite chewy, robust tannins, and a leather finish. Sara Bachiorri: Dried herbs and mint. Good concentration of fruit (ripe red berries) with spices and a hint of coffee on the palate. Michelle Cherutti-Kowal MW: Toasty notes with red fruit on both the nose and the palate. It has firm but fine tannins, and a persistent finish.Decanter | 95 DECDig deep for the aromas of ripe berries, violets, black truffles and flowers. Medium-to full-bodied with a very relaxing, fine-tannined texture on the palate and lots of creamy fruit flavor. From organically grown grapes. Delicious now, but will continue to improve.James Suckling | 93 JS

The 2016 Amarone della Valpolicella Monte Lodoletta keeps me at the edge of the glass to take in its darkly alluring bouquet of dusty black currants and dried flowers, with hints of blood orange offset by sweet rose. While currently youthful and understated, it continues to open and deepen with each swirl. This is silky and cool-toned in feel, savory to the core, with a dense wave of mineral-tinged dark red fruits carried across a core of vibrant acidity. Autumnal spices form toward the close. The 2016 is inward and saturating, building in fine tannins that clench the palate through the finale, promising a long, long life. This is a masterpiece in the making, and while already bottled, it will not be released until 2023. Production was again down by 50% in 2016 due to hail.Vinous Media | 96-98 VMReleased after the 2017 vintage, because it was decided that this dense, concentrated vintage would benefit from more time in the bottle, the 2016 is fuller and broader in the shoulders compared to the 2017 Amarone. There’s more of everything – body, concentration, tannic presence, richness, spiciness...And while there’s a reductive note of petrichor, its aromatics still soar, carrying wafts of wild black fruits and balsam out of the glass. Enticing already, its future looks very bright indeed.Decanter | 98 DECThe 2016 Amarone della Valpolicella Monte Lodoletta takes wine intensity to almost unthinkable levels. That’s the magic of this estate, and without a doubt, this wine occupies a category that makes it totally unique on the Italian wine scale. Made with a traditional blend of 60% Corvina, 20% Rondinella, 10% Croatina and 10% Oseleta (aged in French and American new oak for two years), the wine feels even richer, bolder and more concentrated in this classic vintage. That general intensity is applied to the tightly wound and firm tannins as well. The alcohol reading is 16.5%. This Amarone hits the market in 2023, but you’d do well to age it for another decade at least. Black fruit, baked plum, tobacco, soy sauce, grilled herb and sweet spice are generously folded into the wine’s full-bodied texture. The 2016 vintage saw 17,000 bottles created.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RP

Dried leaves and roots, bark, walnut husks and black olives. Plenty of savory notes. Great depth of flavor, too. On the palate there’s more walnut, chocolate, black cherry and olive. It’s full bodied with firm, fine-grained tannins. Wonderful depth here. Drink after 2024.James Suckling | 96 JSThe 2016 Vigna Spuntali Brunello di Montalcino is the most brooding of the lineup from Val di Suga and is sourced from the southwest of the region on sandy soils. There are aromatics of black raspberry, licorice, menthol, sage, cinnamon, and iron-rich earth. Its Mediterranean influence is felt on the palate with ripe black cherry, dried herbs, and sun-baked earth. This is the fullest bodied and most savory of the Val di Suga lineup, with more roundness and grip. Its structure will benefit from cellaring for several years and will be great drinking over the next 20 years or more. 2026-2040.Jeb Dunnuck | 96 JDThe 2016 Brunello di Montalcino Vigna Spuntali from Tenimenti Angelini - Val di Suga opens up slowly in the glass. Its understated bouquet focuses on bright red fruits and florals with hints of cedar and a dusting of confectioners’ spice. Silky in texture, cast upon a medium-bodied frame, the 2016 impresses more on purity than power, with a display of wild strawberry and salty minerals which pepper the senses. Tension builds, as crystalline tannins penetrate deeply, clenching the palate in youthful poise yet with a coating of concentrated primary elements here that tempt the imagination. The Spuntali spends one year in barrique, followed by another in large French casks.Vinous Media | 95 VMFull of ripe cherry, plum and floral aromas and flavors, this red delivers plenty of energy and focus. Backed by a dense swath of tannins, this remains balanced and elegant through the lingering finish. The fruit element is the lasting impression. Best from 2024 through 2045. 250 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 95 WSOn the luminous slopes of Montalcino’s southwest, Vigna Spuntali is characterised by sandy soils. Winemaker Andrea Lonardi explains that this yields bigger berries than schist or clay. In some vintages, like 2016, he bleeds off 10-15% of the juice to give more density. Very Mediterranean in personality, it explodes with thyme, oregano, mint and sage blossom. There’s a lusciousness to the palate which exhibits exotic red fruit and a salty lick. Sandy tannins lend textural complexity to this radiant Brunello. Drinking Window: 2024 - 2038Decanter | 94 DEC

Dusty notes with crushed gravel and dried tea leaves are a prelude to aromas of fresh button mushrooms and hints of fennel. Savory mushrooms and olives, followed by firm, fine-grained tannins. Structured and full-bodied...James Suckling | 94 JSAromas of iron, blood and cherry lead off in this smooth and vibrant red, with a well of dark fruit—black cherry and blackberry—settling in on the palate. Offers a dusting of dark chocolaty tannins on the finish. Best from 2023 through 2043. 1,500 imported cases.Wine Spectator | 93 WSThere’s something savory and slightly rustic about the 2016 Brunello di Montalcino that I find quite attractive. Baked black cherries, balsamic spice and hints of animal musk form up to create a beguiling display. The textures are silky-smooth, with cooling acids and salty minerals lifting the expression while giving way to tart red fruits. Tannins mount, slowly drying out the senses yet there’s still plenty of pleasure to be found here today, as the 2016 comes across as both youthfully structured but also spicy and fresh. This is a blend of Val di Suga’s vineyards throughout Montalcino, refined all in large Slavonian oak.Vinous Media | 92 VMBringing together grapes from diverse vineyards throughout Montalcino, this midweight, almost-approachable Brunello is focused and vibrant. It takes a bit of coaxing on the nose then divulges sage, orange rind and fennel. Brisk acidity and chalky tannins meet crisp red currant and cranberry, cleansing the palate nicely. A delightful jumping off point to Val di Suga’s single-vineyard offerings, which COO and winemaker Andrea Lonardi has been refining since 2012.Decanter | 91 DECSavory and bright, this has delicate, pretty aromas recalling woodland berry, forest floor and cedar. On the already accessible palate, lithe tannins accompany red cherry, coffee bean and white pepper before a drying finish. Tangy acidity keeps it fresh. Drink through 2026Wine Enthusiast | 90 WE