Donnafugata Tancredi Dolce & Gabbana 2019

“The 2019 Tancredi Dolce & Gabbana is dark and intense, with an air of smoky crushed rocks and savory herbs that gives way to black currant and balsamic spice. Silky yet racy in style, this impresses further with depths of mineral-tinged red and black fruits that saturate. A web of fine-grained tannins mounts toward the close. It finishes dramatically long, structured and potent, with graphite nuances and a mentholated herbal freshness that helps to lift the experience. The Tancredi is going to need time, and a lot of it, yet it will be time well spent. It’s a radiant beauty. This is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Nero d’Avola and Tannat. Drinking window: 2025-2033. 93+ points

These new releases from Donnafugata are very strong overall, showing a continued increase in overall quality across the board. However, the 2021 Ben Ryé lacks the soaring aromatics and textural depths of the 2019 I tasted last year. Of course, this is likely to do more with the arid conditions of the vintage than anything else. Still, it’s a wonderful effort and remains what I consider to be one of Italy’s greatest dessert wines. The balanced 2019 vintage is on full display through the Cabernet-dominated Dolce & Gabbana Tancredi and Nero d’Avola-dominated Mille e una Notte. Both wines show tremendous potential. I’m not a huge fan of marketing partnerships in the wine world, such as emblazing “Dolce & Gabbana” on the label, but this is a serious wine, and it’s obvious that Donnafugata is putting a lot of effort into making it very special. Their continued efforts on Mount Etna are also noteworthy and are starting to come into their own.”

Eric Guido, Vinous (09/23)