Italy

Showing 145–156 of 225 results

Pian dell’Orino Rosso di Montalcino 2018
£48.49
“Luminous red color. Perfumed red rose, violet, sour red cherry and minerals on the absolutely captivating nose. Then fresh juicy and very precise, with laser-like delivery of red cherry and raspberry flavors that linger long on the vibrant finish. Steel fermented only, differently from the 2017 Rosso (a year in which yields were so low that they were able to place all the wine in barrel and carry out fermentation there). Drinking window: 2021-2027. 93 points”
Ian D’Agata, Vinous (04/20)
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Pietracupa Taurasi 2017
£51.95
“The Pietracupa 2017 Taurasi is a brambly, mid-weight red with sour cherry and wild plum, followed by scorched earth, spice and toasted oak. There is a lot of tarry smoke and camphor ash in this hot-vintage expression of Aglianico, but the finish is balanced with some nice freshness too. The wine aged in stainless steel, cement and large oak casks. Only 2,600 bottles were made. Drink: 2023-2035. 92 points
Sabino Loffredo of Pietracupa in Montefredana can be counted on for some terrific white and red wines from Campania.”
Monica Larner, Wine Advocate (11/23)
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Podere Le Boncie Le Trame 2020
£49.95
“The 2020 Le Trame is fabulous. It’s the sort of wine that can be deceptive at first given its mid-weight structure and understated personality. But the intensity of the flavors and the wine’s persistence reveal themselves pretty quickly. Cedar, pipe tobacco, dried leaves, mint and blood orange play off a core of red-toned fruit. There’s plenty of depth and structure, but all the elements are so well put together that it is easy to look past the wine’s more serious side. Readers who can find the 2020 will not want to hesitate. It is very clearly one of the wines of the vintage. Drinking window: 2025-2040. 96 points
These are the most impressive wines I have tasted from proprietor Giovanna Morganti. Le Boncie is located in Castelnuovo Berardenga, in the southern part of Chianti Classico. At first, the wines can appear a bit light, but they open beautifully in the glass, showing tremendous persistence, finesse and understated complexity. At times, the 2020s reminded me of Gianfranco Soldera’s Brunellos, but naturally, with the more mid-weight body of Chianti Classico. Sustainable farming and minimalist winemaking are the signatures. I can’t recommend the 2020s highly enough.”
Antonio Galloni, Vinous (08/23)
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Poggio al Tesoro Dedicato a Walter 2016
£139.99
“Poggio al Tesoro’s 2016 Dedicato a Walter, 100% Cabernet Franc, exudes richness and power in all of its dimensions. Blackberry jam, chocolate, lavender, licorice and menthol all flesh out in an ample, potent wine that shows all the potential of Franc in Tuscany’s Maremma. I would give the 2016 another year or so in bottle, as the tannins are a bit imposing at this stage. Drinking window: 2022-2031. 95+ points
This is another strong set of wines from Poggio al Tesoro, an estate that has really turned a corner in the last few years. Sondraia and the pure Cabernet Franc Dedicato a Walter are the flagship wines, but I find the entry-level offerings every bit as compelling.”
Antonio Galloni, Vinous (01/21)
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Poggio al Tesoro Sondraia 2018
£59.95
“Made with 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc, this wine sees a combination of steel and wood. The vintage after this ferments and ages in wood only. The 2018 Bolgheri Superiore Sondraia is already quite toasty with vanilla and dark spice behind black cherry and plum. There is a lot of revved up energy in this vintage, and its tannic structure is important. So is the alcohol content that clocks in at 15%. Fruit comes from a 15-hectare site located just above sea level at about 25 meters in elevation. The soils are deep and well-draining with clay and loose sand. Annual production is 45,000 bottles. Drink: 2023-2037. 94 points
Poggio al Tesoro has various vineyards spread over four main sites. This gives the estate flexibility when it comes to making final blending choices. Daylight hours are long and luminous and Bolgheri sees soft offshore winds that blow steadily throughout most of the year. These conditions keep the vines healthy.”
Monica Larner, Wine Advocate (07/22)
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Poggio Scalette Capogatto 2020
£49.95
Review to follow
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Poggio Scalette Il Carbonaione 2020
£49.95
Review to follow
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Poggio Scalette Piantonaia 2020
£99.95
“The 2020 Piantonaia, 100% Merlot, is a wild, exotic wine. Super-ripe red cherry fruit, hard candy, mocha and sweet floral notes add to an impression of flamboyance that is impossible to miss. Time in bottle might help the elements come together a bit more fully. I imagine the Piantonaia will remain a pretty extroverted, flashy wine. Drinking window: 2024-2032. 89 points”
Antonio Galloni, Vinous (08/23)
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Praesidium Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Riserva 2018
£39.95
“The 2018 Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Riserva has a spicy and exotic bouquet, blending Indian curries with grilled sage, tomato leaf, ash and hints of smoked meat. It’s surprisingly juicy and lifted in feel with bright acids propelling mineral-tinged red berries and hints of tart citrus across the palate. The tannins are crunchy, yet they don’t get in the way; the 2018 finishes with a bitter twang of cocoa and sour cherry. The rustic touch that Praesidium usually manages so well is a bit too noticeable in the 2018. Drinking window: 2023-2028. 88 points”
Eric Guido, Vinous (10/22)
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Praesidium Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Riserva A Marianna 2012
£62.95
“The 2012 Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Riserva A Marianna is an impenetrable purplish red color with a seductively dark and rich bouquet, as crushed ashen stone, graphite and sage give way to black currants, sous bois and a lifting hint of cedar. It’s like pure velvet on the palate, seeming pliant and round at first, yet with a core of salty minerals that adds an edgy savoriness, as they mix with tart woodland berries and nervous acidity to create a push and pull of tension. For all of its power and intensity, the 2012 maintains an incredibly fresh character, even as a coating of gripping tannin firms the expression through the finale. That said, this well-muscled stallion needs time to mellow before revealing all of its charms. The A Marianna is only produced in vintages that the winery deems as special. It hails from a one-hectare parcel of old vines planted in 1962. The wine refines for a total of sixty-six months, with the first two years in stainless steel, followed by another three and a half years in Slavonian oak. Drinking window: 2024-2032. 94 points
Praesidium is located in the Peligna Valley, where the family tends to seven hectares of organically farmed Montepulciano and Trebbiano Abruzzese (that’s right, the true Trebbiano Abruzzese). Here, the climate is continental, and the terrain is certainly mountainous, which packs the wines full of character. Spontaneous fermentations, long macerations, extended aging, and late releases are all part of what makes these wines so special, but also that they are clean and precise, something that is too often lost in the “natural” and “traditional” winemaking category. When I taste through the portfolio of Praesidium, the producers that come to mind are the likes of Emidio Pepe, Paolo Bea and Arianna Occhipinti, which is some pretty good company to keep. Praesidium falls in the category of those producers that make more serious wines of depth, coupled with long-term aging potential, but without the overuse of oak. The style is old-school and traditional, yet far from rustic.”
Eric Guido, Vinous (11/21)
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Produttori Nebbiolo di Carema Carema Classico 2020
£27.95
“The Produttori di Carema cooperative is a terrific source for readers who want to explore the ethereal, classically built Nebbiolos of this tiny appellation on the Piedmont- Valle d’Aosta border.”
Antonio Galloni, Vinous (03/22)
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Produttori Nebbiolo di Carema Carema Riserva 2018
£32.95
“The 2018 Carema Riserva is classic wine from the appellation and this cooperative. Bright, aromatic and savory, the 2018 is a weightless beauty. Crushed red berry fruit, dried herbs, mint, orange peel, chalk and white pepper all run through this taut, finely sculpted Carema. Drinking window: 2023-2033. 93 points”
Antonio Galloni, Vinous (06/23)
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