Wine Ratings

wines

A consistent Purple Angel that really delivers the carmenere’s plushness when ripened well. Dark olives, blackberries and red chili chocolate with a splash of spice and cigar box. Fleshy and concentrated with plenty of fine-grained tannins that extend to a very creamy finish. 92% carmenere, around half from Marchigue and half from Apalta, with 8% petit verdot. Better from 2025.James Suckling | 98 JSThe 2020 Carménère Purple Angel contains an dash of Petit Verdot (8%), also from Apalta, Colchagua. It was aged for 18 months in French oak barrels, 70% of them new. Purple in hue. The sun-kissed nose delivers plum and blackberry jam notes over nuanced layers of ash and spice against a balsamic backdrop. Indulgent and broad in the mouth. The expansive, voluminous palate is full of plummy flavor with a juicy flow and a lasting finish of ripe, fruity aromas. The warm year dialed up the sweetness.Vinous Media | 94 VMOpens with an elegant array of fresh raspberry, pink peppercorn and river mint flavors before turning broad. Vanilla bean and cassis notes cling to a richly textured blackberry core that lingers around fine tannins, echoing back to the core flavors and adding notes of dark chocolate. Carmenère and Petit Verdot. Drink now through 2034. 2,325 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 93 WS

Impressive aromas of fresh herbs from the Tuscan coast, such as sage, mint, rosemary and thyme. Blackcurrants, too. Full-bodied with fine, chewy tannins that show beautiful length and consistency. Racy and beautiful, with lots of subtle and refined character. Slightly more cabernet sauvignon this year, which adds class to the wine. 80% cabernet sauvignon, 10% merlot and 10% petit verdot. Give this about three or four years of bottle age. Try after 2027.James Suckling | 98 JSThe 2020 Saffredi is compelling. Deep yet quite structured, 2020 is unlike any Saffredi I can recall tasting because of its balance of intense dark fruit and vertical structure. Plum, blackberry, pencil shavings, lavender and spice saturate the palate. Readers will have to be patient, as the 2020 is not as showy as most vintages at the same stage.Vinous Media | 96+ VMThis was the newest vintage tasted as part of this retrospective at the estate. The Fattoria le Pupille 2020 Saffredi shows signs of the hot vintage, especially when tasted in context with the gorgeous 2019, the more candied 2018, the toasted 2017 and the classic 2016 vintages. The 2020 definitely shows a riper and fuller character with bold, big-picture terms and fewer tiny details as a result. Elisabetta Geppetti refers to this edition as a "return to the Taschis school," referring to the celebrated Tuscan consultant Giacomo Taschis, whose signature style embraced balanced ripeness. This wine offers end notes of savory tobacco and spice.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPSaffredi was first produced in 1987 and has rightfully forged its place in the pantheon of superTuscans. Elisabetta Geppetti’s son, Ettore now oversees the estate’s winemaking, and he told me that 2020 was ‘an Atlantic vintage’ with ‘left bank appeal’ – there’s not usually so much freshness evident in Saffredi. This could have something to do with the lower proportion of Merlot in the blend, down from the usual 20% to 10% since Merlot struggled in this vintage. Black fruit aromas are supplemented with violets and balsamic notes, while in the mouth plentiful tannins grip cassis and spiced plum. There’s a complexity of menthol, spice, chocolate and coffee, with a textured, woody mid-palate and a long, vibrant and youthful finish. Around 40,000 bottles produced.Decanter | 95 DECA rich, juicy nose presents handfuls of cherries and mulberries, along with slices of passion fruit, but a fresh savoriness keeps the sweetness in check. On the palate, dark chocolate brings depth, while tannins and acid attack in tandem. Bold and self-assured—a precise wine.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEThe 2020 Fattoria Le Pupille Saffredi has a much more directly fruity nose than the 2019, with leafy redcurrant and bramble aromas and a bit of spice. It is more fruit-focused and simple at the moment. Likewise on the palate the 2020 is much lighter, less concentrated than the 2019 but it is also not overly forced or extracted and it has a lovely weight and texture, great purity of fruit and very elegant and refined tannins. The 2020 has a slightly cooler, more green quality to the fruit but it is beautifully pure and transparent.The Wine Independent | 95 TWIWell-structured and linear, this red frames a core of black currant and black cherry fruit with accents of toasty oak, sweet spices, tobacco and iron. Refined and harmonious, with the stuffing to develop over the next decade. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot. Best from 2025 through 2035. 3,750 cases made, 1,000 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 94 WS

If there is a MGA which benefits from the volume of 2020 vintage it is Asili which is well known for its lean, pure elegance. Parma violet is wrapped up in watermelon fruit, leafy lightness and a floor of spices among smoky woodland, liquorice and roots. The lush fruit on the palate is sustained by crisp acidity and dense, silky tannins with a grippy finish due to its youth, soaked with a savoury blood orange aftertaste. A super-elegant Asili with volume. A great wine.Decanter Magazine | 98 DECThe Ceretto 2020 Barbaresco Asili (a certified organic wine) embraces purple fruit flavors with summer plum mostly and some blackcurrant. The wine opens to a dark garnet color with the benefit of that pretty transparency that comes with Nebbiolo. The Asili seems to carry a little more fruit weight and power in this warm vintage.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPThe 2020 Barbaresco Asili is quite simply textbook Asili. Fragrant and silky, with tremendous fruit purity and class to burn, the 2020 is so impressive. All the elements are so well balanced in a Barbaresco that impresses with its pedigree. A long, beautifully persistent finish rounds things out in style.Vinous Media | 95 VMExtremely spicy with rose stem, orange peel, and some cedar cuttings. Full-bodied, very chewy tannins. Almost leathery. Turns minerally and irony. This needs time to soften. Better after 2026.James Suckling | 95 JSAromas of black cherries and dried flowers flow along the top of the glass as notes of earth, truffle and incense swirl below. Elegant but firm tannins, with the first sip showing savory flavors of black tea and herbs macerating with wild red fruits that linger for what seems like ages. Drink 2025–2045.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WECherry, strawberry, juniper and wet earth aromas and flavors come to the fore, showing underlying mineral, tobacco and spice elements. There’s fine harmony, with ample structure for support in the way of refined tannins. Best from 2027 through 2042. 33 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 93 WS

Made from a blend of 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot, the 2020 Sorella is fresh yet restrained and has a focused and red-fruited core of spiced potpourri. The nose is slightly compressed at the moment and takes some spinning in the glass to coax some of the more delicate and seductive nuances, revealing layers of complexity. Medium to full-bodied on the palate, this is a gorgeous, world-class wine whose true power comes from not being bold and massive but rather from being delicate, finessed and focused. The wine is balanced on the palate, with a compact frame, elegant structure, succulent acidity and fine-grained tannins before uncoiling across the mid-palate. The wine glides to a seductive and lingering finish and will undoubtedly be well-received when it is released in early 2025. It’s a fantastic bottling of Sorella, and I’ll end with a parting note that I shared with Chris and Will Camarda: “Bigger isn’t better... BETTER is better! This may be one of the most delicate Sorella bottlings I’ve had in many years. Although it comes in a more compact frame, the 2020 is just as devastatingly gorgeous as any I’ve had.” Only 9,030 bottles were filled after the wine rested for 22 months in 30% new French oak barrels.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98 RPThe 2020 Sorella is darkly floral with a perfumed blend of dried violets and roses, giving way to hints of red plum, fig, stone dust and sage. This displays silken textures contrasted by a core of tart red and black fruits as tactile mineral tones add form. Brisk acidity maintains amazing freshness. The 2020 finishes long and potent, with grippy tannins tugging at the cheeks without detracting from the experience. The 2020 is a much softer and more approachable Sorella, but with that said, it has the balance for a long and harmonious evolution.Vinous Media | 94 VMI don’t think the 2020 Sorella is a match for recent vintages, but it’s clearly an outstanding wine. Offering ample red and black fruits as well as notions of gravelly earth, chocolate, and roasted herbs, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, bright acidity, and firm tannins. It shows the more challenging style of the vintage with its narrower, firmer style, but it should round into form with 2-3 years of bottle age and keep for 15 years or more.Jeb Dunnuck | 93 JD

One of the palest and most perfumed Barolos from Vietti with a transparent, ruby-orange hue. This is a super nuanced, elegant, expressive and ethereal Monvigliero that grows on me, with enchanting notes of grilled grapefruit, thyme, frozen raspberries and mineral. A subtle splash of white pepper and mezcal-like smokiness. Really refined and transparent, with some citrus and mineral tensions that are closely knit with the fine, crumbled tannins. So much finesse and detail here, and its complexity will continue to unwind. Really composed, soulful and mind-blowing! A big wow that deserves attention. Vegan. Best with a Burgundy glass. Can drink now or from 2027.James Suckling | 99 JSPrepare to be enchanted by a Barolo that effortlessly lifts out of the glass with aromas of crushed raspberries, wild strawberries, and succulent red cherries, intertwined with delicate rose petals and violets. A subtle hint of stem adds an alluring complexity to the bouquet, drawing you in. The palate is plush and forward, revealing layers of juicy red currants, pomegranate, and a touch of sweet spice. This beautifully crafted wine showcases the finesse and grace of Nebbiolo, with silky tannins and bright acidity that create a harmonious balance. This stunning Barolo is a testament to the skill of the winemaker and the unique terroir of the region. Drink now - 2035. Wine Enthusiast | 97 WEA relatively new departure for Vietti, the 2020 Barolo Monvigliero is soft and delicate with pretty floral aromas, dried iris, powdered spice and a hint of tar or road pavement. The inaugural vintage was 2018. Made with 60% whole-cluster fruit during fermentation, the wine has a moment of tartness, punchy highlights, sweet grenadine and cranberry jelly. It ages in large oak casks for 24 months. Production is 6,754 bottles.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPTop notes of rose, strawberry and cherry are underlined by earth, menthol, iron and tobacco flavors in this elegant yet intense red. Fluid, with a texture that borders on viscous and excellent definition on the long, complex finish. Best from 2027 through 2045. 510 cases made, 175 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 95 WSFirst produced in 2018, the 2020 Barolo Monvigliero sees 60% whole cluster fermentation, which contributes to a bit of spice that comes through in the wine. Offering notes of saline, cinnamon, cranberries, white pepper, and orange peel, it’s lean and weightless on the palate, an elegant and graceful red with supple, fine tannins and a clean mouthfeel. Highly refined, this very pretty wine is going to improve over the next 7-10 years. Drink 2025-2035.Jeb Dunnuck | 95 JDMonvigliero is one of the most elegant crus from Verduno, which is one of the coolest areas in Barolo, producing wines of rare grace. Vietti’s 2020 is a delight, characteristic of the year, full of cinnamon, violet, raspberry and vibrant depth. Zesty acidity seamlessly integrates with velvety, light but savoury tannins, and the wine only thins out a little on the finish.Decanter Magazine | 95 DECThe 2020 Barolo Monvigliero is a very pretty, ethereal wine. Crushed flowers, mint, bright, red-toned fruit, dried herbs and spice are nicely lifted. This pretty, nuanced Barolo is very classy, but also on the lighter side. The 2020 is beguiling, but also a bit ethereal—this fruit may have been picked too early.Vinous Media | 92 VM

A medium red hue, the 2020 Barolo Rocche Di Castiglione offers more complexity and is more nuanced in the glass, with notes of dried raspberries, tangerine, roses, dried herbs, and cedar. Medium-bodied, it is crunchy with an elegant feel but has balanced structure and retains a somewhat more chiseled feel that’s true to the vintage. It has a lot to enjoy now and also has a wide drinking window. Drink 2025-2050.Jeb Dunnuck | 98 JDThe Vietti 2020 Barolo Rocche di Castiglione is a very delineated wine with sharp ferrous notes, cherry cola, redcurrant and chalky mineral. It is extremely precise in terms of its aromas. The effect is direct and layered, showing different sides and increasing complexity as it opens in the glass. Dried floral notes, purple flower and iris also appear delicately. The chalky tannins feel abrupt at this young stage, but this wine is built to last nonetheless. Only 3,512 bottles were created.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPThe 2020 Barolo Rocche di Castiglione is a magical wine from a magical site. It marries finesse and volume to a degree that is not found in most of the other wines in this range. Castiglione Falletto is the center of the Barolo production zone, literally and figuratively, the place where many different soil types meet. As a result, the wines often possess mind-blowing balance, which is very much the case here.Vinous Media | 96 VMCharming and enticing with aromas of sweet cherries, strawberries, cedar, dried herbs and some baking spices. Sensational concentration with a vivid center-palate on the full to medium body. The fine and firm tannins are harmoniously balanced by the succulent red currants and crisp acidity. From organically grown grapes. Vegan. Try after 2028.James Suckling | 96 JSA dense, solidly built version, whose core of cherry and raspberry fruit is accented by iron, wild herb and juniper notes. Focused by vibrant acidity and underlined with chalky tannins, this red is long and detailed on the finish. Best from 2027 through 2045. 270 cases made, 100 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 95 WSVibrant raspberries and juicy red fruits take the lead, creating a lush and fleshy palate that’s impossible to resist. But wait, there’s more! A surprise twist of herbs and mixed spices keeps things interesting, adding depth and complexity to the fruity core. It’s like a blockbuster movie with a plot that keeps you guessing – thrilling, entertaining, and always leaving you wanting more. Drink Now - 2035 Wine Enthusiast | 92 WE