Wine Producers

wines

Rose petal and ripe fruits on the nose. Full-bodied, with well-integrated tannins and a citrus undertone. Lemon rind texture. Juicy and delicious. Give it a year or two to soften. 50% Merlot and 50% Cabernet Franc, aged 15 months in French barrels.James Suckling | 90 JS

The 2011 Barolo Villero exhibits a full body and thick concentration. Ultimately, this is one of my favorite wines from Brovia in this vintage. I love the muscle and heft that the wine shows, and the fact it delivers that power with the utmost elegance. Nothing is heavy or overdone here. You really get a sense of the quality of fruit achieved in the Villero vineyard. The wine shows integrated tannins and impeccable dark fruit balance.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93+ RPThe 2011 Barolo Villero is one of the most structured wines in the range. Here the firm tannins and ample frame both suggest the 2011 will drink well for many years, once the tannins start softening. Orange peel, wild flowers, red stone fruits and spices flesh out on the creamy finish. It’s always interesting to taste the Villero next to the Rocche, as the two sites are pretty close to the other, yet the wines are remarkably different. Here the heat of the year is quite evident, while the Rocche benefits from greater ventilation and therefore a bit more freshness.Vinous Media | 93 VMAttractive berry and fresh herb character with hints of rose petals. Full-bodied, tight and chewy. Needs three to four years to soften.James Suckling | 92 JSAromas of wild berry, underbrush, and a whiff of camphor emerge in the glass. The palate delivers tart cherry, red raspberry, clove, anise and ground pepper alongside youthfully assertive but refined tannins and fresh acidity. Kerin O’Keefe | 91 KOAromas of wild berry, underbrush and a whiff of camphor emerge in the glass. The palate delivers tart cherry, red raspberry, clove, anise and ground pepper alongside youthfully assertive but refined tannins and fresh acidity. Wine Enthusiast | 91 WEAnother terrific wine from this sunny, hot vintage, the 2011 Barolo Villero offers a similar medium ruby color as well as notes of caramelized cherries, dried herbs, toasted spice, and serious amounts of minerality. It too is beautifully balanced and layered. This is a terrific Barolo to drink over the coming 15-20 years as well.Jeb Dunnuck | 90 JD

The 2016 Valpolicella Classico Superiore is wild and exotic in the glass, with a spicy burst of citrus and hints of graphite that give way to crushed blackberries and incense. This is a juicy and vibrant interpretation of Quintarelli Valpolicella, with a wave of mineral-tinged wild berry fruit that washes across the palate, guided by stimulating acidity. It tapers off on a note of refinement, still quite mineral and classically dry, with a coating of fine tannins that add a pleasantly crunchy sensation. Since no Amarone was produced in 2016, the Valpolicella received a percentage of that fruit, propelling this beauty to the next level.Vinous Media | 93 VM

Cabernet franc makes up 60 per- cent of Magari, bolstering the blend’s structure and freshness (it no longer includes merlot). The wine’s flavors of blackcurrant and plum show a pleasant tangy edge, its earthy tannins firmly guiding the fruit tones without overwhelming them. Hints of licorice and graphite emerge with air, and the dark fruit mingles with iodine notes on the long, seamless finish.Wine & Spirits | 95 W&SThe Ca’ Marcanda 2019 Bolgheri Rosso Magari offers a surprisingly subtle side to the three very powerful grapes that make up the blend. These are Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot. The bouquet is generous and full, with an intricate embroidery of lavender flower, garden herb, black fruit, spice and tobacco. You might even detect a hint of black olive. Magari is structured and solid but never heavy, and it offers a good sense of fresh acidity that makes for a lively and bright finish. That more acidic vein is neatly folded into ample fruity sweetness and flavor.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RPThis is a firm yet velvety-textured red with blackberry, sage, pine-needle and dried-flower aromas and flavors. It’s medium-to full-bodied with a lovely mouth feel and a long finish. Drink after 2023, when everything will have come more together.James Suckling | 93 JSStarts out rich, yet underscored by vibrant acidity and a line of refined tannins, which provide the support for this red’s black currant, black cherry, wild herb and iron flavors. Finishes lean and firm. Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot. Best from 2023 through 2030.Wine Spectator | 91 WS

The 2019 Barolo Castiglione is elegant, translucent and classy. Crushed red berry fruit, orange peel, mint and cinnamon all grace this elegant, wonderfully nuanced Barolo from Vietti. I especially admire the energy here. In many vintages, the Castiglione is easygoing and quite accessible, but I see the 2019 needing a few more years to come into its own. I especially admire its focus and cut.Vinous Media | 94 VM

The Ornellaia 2020 Bolgheri Rosso Le Serre Nuove dell’Ornellaia (a proprietary blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot) is a generous and darkly toned red blend that has the extra fruit fiber, sweetness and generous plumpness of a warm vintage. The fullness of the fruit is on full display, but in a very relaxed and natural manner. The wine never feels like too much. The tannins are yielding and velvety, and this purebred Tuscan red wraps thickly over the palate. It’s poised for near- and medium-term drinking.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RPProduced from 44% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, the 2020 Le Serra Nuove Dell’Ornellaia is expressive with floral notes as well as dried lavender, sage, and black cherry. The oak (30% of which was new) is present but not out of balance and will benefit from another 6-12 months in bottle to integrate. The palate is full bodied, with fine tannins and refreshing acidity. It is long on the palate and cleans up with a soft texture, and there is ripe fruit through the mid-palate. This wine offers tremendous value packed in dollar-for-dollar. Drink 2024-2034.Jeb Dunnuck | 93+ JDThis muscular red is saturated with cherry, plum, vanilla and earth flavors. As solid and sinewy as the tannic structure is, the fruit matches it step by step on the long finish. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Best from 2025 through 2043. 3,000 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 92 WS

The 2021 Dolcetto d’Alba Vignavillej is deep, potent and explosive. A super-Dolcetto, the 2021 packs a serious punch. Blackberry, cloves, new leather and mocha all saturate the palate in this sumptuous, full-bodied Dolcetto. Superb.Vinous Media | 93 VM

Rich and savory in the glass, the 2022 Bramìto della Sala slowly opens to show hints of young peach and apricot, crushed rocks and hints of cardamon. This is silky yet lifted in feel with ripe white pit fruits complemented by hints of vanilla bean and lemon custard. The 2022 finishes with admirable length and potency, as a bump of residual acidity maintains a lovely freshness. Bramìto della Sala remains one of the best values in Italian Chardonnay.Vinous Media | 92 VMThis fresh white shows fine interplay between rich hints of creamed apple, persimmon, vanilla and biscuit, with notes of Meyer lemon peel and tangy salinity. Light- to medium-bodied and creamy on the palate, with a well-cut finish. Drink now through 2027. 10,000 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 90 WS