Wine Varietals

wines

Impeccable protocol between the countryside and the cellar for a fixed point of the typology, played on the freshness and juiciness of the drink. Olfaction that attacks with juniper and redcurrant, lashes of rhubarb and wild fennel. A sip that highlights dense, velvety tannins, puffs of undergrowth.Luca Gardini | 98 LGAromas of sandalwood, dried flowers, black cherries and lavender follow through to a medium body with firm and silky tannins and a firm and crunchy finish. Needs three or four years to soften and come together, but the quality of the fine tannins is very impressive. Best after 2028.James Suckling | 96 JSCrushed ashen stones and dusty sage combine with rose petals and dried black cherries as the 2021 Brunello di Montalcino Mulino evolves in the glass. It splashes across the palate with mineral-infused wild berry fruits over a wave of soft textures as violet inner florals and cooling lavender tones accumulate toward the close. The 2021 is giving yet refined, leaving a tart blackberry concentration framed by sweet tannins and crisp minerality as hints of licorice fade. This is a more forward vintage for Mulino but with an energy that I find truly seductive.Vinous Media | 95 VM

A blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot, the Fattoria Le Pupille 2023 Saffredi represents a classic expression from a fresh vintage that ultimately performed far better than expected despite mid-season mildew pressure. The estate continues to refine its use of wood to emphasize brightness and fruit purity, a shift that is especially evident here. The wine shows notes of dark cherry, ripe blackberry, spice and hints of creamy chocolate. While the 2022 vintage emphasized harder tannins, this vintage is defined by generosity and luscious fruit. The Cabernet Sauvignon in particular appears crunchy, youthful and fresh, giving the wine energy and forward momentum.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98 RP

Very few vintages of this legendary Tuscan wine deliver the immediate joy, richness and complexity found in the Tenuta San Guido 2023 Bolgheri Sassicaia. Tasted both before and after its January 2026 bottling, this is a wine that feels uncannily open and generous in its youth, a rare trait for Sassicaia, which is famously inscrutable at this stage. The 2023 vintage was marked by a cold winter and above-average rainfall followed by a severe outbreak of downy mildew that damaged leaves, forcing brutal fruit selection and resulting in a 20% reduction in yields. Only the estates willing to make these sacrifices succeeded, and the best wines rank among the most compelling and elusive of recent years.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 100 RP