Italian REDs
Italy
Piemonte
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Tenuta Arnulfo
Tasting Notes
A classic ruby red Barbera with the right degree of spiciness and with wild strawberry notes, fresh with a persistent, enveloping aftertaste.
Blend: 100% Barbera
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Tasting Notes
A ruby red color with hues of violet. An elegant and intense nose, with notes of fresh mature red fruit, such as cherry and currant.
Blend: 100% Barbera
Alba & Asti
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Winemaker’s Notes
The 2011 Barbaresco opens to a dark garnet color and shows immediate opulence and intensity where its aromas are concerned. There’s an undeniable level of finesse and focus here that goes against all the things you might assume about a warmer vintage like 2011. The mouthfeel is perfectly tempered and smooth with an incredible sense of liveliness and dimension. Fruit is sourced from Gaja’s many vineyard holdings.
95 points James Suckling
Extremely perfumed with roses, dark berries, ash, asphalt, and sliced plums. Full body, ultra-fine tannins and a juicy, savory finish. Orange and lemon peel undertones. Gorgeous finish. Hard not to drink now. A beautiful wine.
Blend: 100% Nebbiolo
Ratings: James Suckling 95 points, Decanter & Wine Enthusiast 94 points, Robert Parker 93 points
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D.O.C.G. - Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita
Barbaresco is one of the most noble and prized wines in Italy. The charming garnet red colour with orange reflections, the intriguing and distinctive bouquet and full-bodied flavour, complex and persistent, make Barbaresco wine uniquely elegant.
Tasting Notes
A beautiful, full-bodied, elegant, juicy, and complex wine with aromas of plum, black cherry, berry, licorice, tobacco, leather, and cocoa.
Blend: 100% Nebbiolo
Rating: 92 points Wine Enthusiast
Barbaresco
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Tenuta Arnulfo
Winemaker’s Notes
Our Barolo D.O.C.G. has the light ruby red color typical from Nebbiolo. Excellent harmonic of tastes and tannins, silky and persistent, with hints of rose that make it unique. It is inviting and spicy.
Tasting Notes
Classic and inviting, spicy, with the soft ruby red color typical of Nebbiolo. Excellent harmony of flavors and tannins, silky and persistent; the rose notes make it unique.
Blend: 100% Nebbiolo
92 points Falstaff
Medium bright garnet red with an orange rim. Intense fruit of cherries, strawberries and raspberries on the nose, with a light herbal aroma on the finish. Present tannins and acidity on the palate, with a fruity core and a slightly drying finish.
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Tenuta Arnulfo
A special format dedicated to the founder of the estate Luigi Arnulfo. A 3 liter squared bottle that recalls the design of the original bottle of the vintage 1883 sent by Arnulfo in California for the first time in the Barolo history. Intense garnet red color. Hints of ripe red fruits and jam together with notes of tobacco and sweet spices In the mouth soft and velvety, the tannins are fine, elegant and sweet on the finish.
Blend: 100% Nebbiolo
Ratings: 92 points James Suckling, 90 points Wine Enthusiast
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Winemaker’s Notes
Medium bright garnet red with an orange rim. Intense fruit of cherries, strawberries and raspberries on the nose, with a light herbal aroma on the finish. Present tannins and acidity on the palate, with a fruity core and a slightly drying finish.
Blend: 100% Nebbiolo
Rating: 94 points Wine Enthusiast, 93 points Wine Advocate
Barolo
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Tasting Notes
Ruby red, intense and delicate on the palate. Delicious presence of vanilla and spices together with aromas of redcurrants. Enveloping sweet, velvety tannins with a silky soft finish in the mouth.
Langhe
VEneto
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D.O.C. - Denominazione di Origine Controllata
Winemaker Notes
The bright, transparent ruby color of this wine best expresses the characteristics of the traditional vines, underpinning an aromatic profile where spices play the leading role alongside morello cherry. The palate is dry and medium-bodied, making it agile and compellingly drinkable.
Ruby red in color with purplish hues, it expresses a fragrant fruity note dominated by cherry, echoed by fresher nuances of aromatic herbs.
Blend: Corvina Veronese, Rondinella
Rating: 91 points James Suckling, 90 points Wine Enthusiast
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Winemaker’s Notes
Deep ruby red with brilliant reflections. Intense and elegant aromas of cherry and plum jam with hints of cinnamon and cloves. Firm structure, but soft on the palate. Velvety tannins and round acidity. The wine boasts a long and full fruity finish with a soft spiciness at the end.
Blend: 70% Corvina, 25% Rondinella, 5% Molinara
Ratings: 93 points James Suckling, 91 points Wine Spectator
Valpolicella
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Winemaker’s Notes
This wine is elegant and well balanced, with a good structure and aroma. Ruby red in color with purple hues, it offers light hints of raisins, sophisticated notes of vanilla, black pepper, cloves and cinnamon. It has a long, velvety finish and soft tannins.
93 points James Suckling
Intense nose with hints of coffee and black chocolate to the raspberry jam and dark cherries. Nicely dry and bitter with dark-chocolate character that extends to the long, polished finish with silky tannins.
Blend: Corvina Veronese, Corvinone, Rondinella
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Winemaker Notes
Rich, smooth and velvety, yet approachable and versatile at table. Marrying simplicity and grace with strength and majesty. Born in 1964, Campofiorin is one of the world’s best-loved traditional Italian classics, internationally recognised as a 'wine of stupendous size and complexity,' the creator of a new category of Veneto wines inspired by the Amarone technique
Tasting Notes
The wine displays a deep, intense ruby-red color. The bouquet reveals ripe cherry aromas accompanied by sweet spices. On the palate, the wine is expressive with a round, generous texture. Silky, well-integrated tannins accompany intense flavors of cherry and red fruits. The present acidity brings freshness, while the finish offers good aromatic persistence.
Blend: Corvina, Rondinella, Molinara
Veronese
Tuscany
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Tenuta San Guido
Winemaker’s Notes
The 2020 is a beautiful vintage of Sassicaia that presents itself at a young age with a marked acidity and freshness and beautiful complexity both on the nose and in the mouth. It well identifies the style of elegance typical of Sassicaia in which the structure never dominates the elegance and flavor of the wine. The bouquet is especially intriguing with a very lively plummy fruit element that is enhanced by baker's chocolate, pepper spice, iron ore, caramel, and pie crust. The tannins, although noble and silky, require a longer period of maturation in glass compared to other previous years, but already at a young age the wine presents itself with a beautiful freshness and very harmonious.
Blend: 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Cabernet Franc
Ratings: 97 points Decanter, Jeb Dunnuck, James Suckling, Vinous, Wine Spectator
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Poggio al Tesoro
Winemaker’s Notes
This is Poggio al Tesoro’s flagship wine, produced with the best grapes from the parcels on the estate. This is a new kind of Supertuscan, successfully expressing the richness of an extraordinary territory, combining tension, complexity and great finesse.
Tasting Notes James Suckling
Aromas of fresh herbs such as parsley and nettles, blackcurrants. Pure and focused. Full-bodied with lovely polished tannins that are tailored and focused. Delicious finish.
Blend: 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc
Ratings: 95 points Wine Advocate, 94 points Decanter, James Suckling, Wine Enthusiast
Bolgheri
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Winemaker’s Notes
The 2008 Brunello di Montalcino Cerretalto comes from a more challenging vintage for Casanova di Neri with a cooler growing season and more moisture. In fact, the mouthfeel here is noticeably thinner compared to the stunning wines made from this vineyard in 2007 and 2006. Cerretalto is so immensely soft and luscious it is almost too much of a good thing. Rich spice, cherry, chocolate and crushed granite wrap thickly around the palate.
Blend: Sangiovese
Ratings: 96 points Falstaff, James Suckling, 94 points Wine Advocate
Brunello di montalcino
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Castello di Gabbiano
D.O.C.G. - Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita
Winemaker’s Notes
The Riserva del castello comes from the best grapes of the estate’s vineyards.
This wine respects and cleanly offers the most traditional characteristics of Chianti Classico, refined by a balanced maturation in wood.
A fruity palate, with tobacco and further earthy and spicy notes; balanced firm tannins and fresh acidity. A wine of good nerve and great balance.Tasting Notes
A perfumed, vibrant wine with an almost mint-like whiff, this shows red cherries, strawberries, violets and ash. Light- to medium-bodied, it shines with fruit definition. Chalky tannins and crisp acidity.
Blend: Sangiovese
Rating: 92 points James Suckling
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Frescobaldi, Castello Nipozzano
D.O.C.G. - Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita
#31 Wine Spectator Top 100 of 2025
Tasting Notes
Nipozzano 2022 has an intense and vibrant ruby-red colour. On the nose it presents delicate fruity hints that recall both red and black berries and the fresh sensations of citrus fruits, the bouquet then continues with a crescendo of flowers with notes reminiscent of violet and rose, followed by an elegant spiciness. On the palate, it is well-balanced, harmonious, fresh, fruity and mineral, with a dense and silky tannic texture. The finish is persistent with a fine taste-olfactory correspondence.
Blend: Sangiovese and complementary varieties
Ratings: 92 points James Suckling, 90 points Vinous, Wine Spectator
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Frescobaldi, Tenuta Perano
D.O.C.G. - Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita
Tasting Notes
Tenuta Perano Chianti Classico 2020 has a wonderful clear red colour. On the nose it has floral notes of violets combined with hints of red fruits, such as raspberry and cherry, not least the hints of wild berries such as blackberry. Also interesting is the spiciness, reminiscent of cloves and some peppery notes. On the palate, the freshness combined with the minerality is simply stunning. Harmonious, dry and savoury. The tannin is notable.
Blend: Sangiovese and complementary varieties
Ratings: 93 points James Suckling, 92 points Decanter, 91 points Wine Advocate
Chianti
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Winemakers Notes
The elegance of Sangiovese variety is always the main character of Testamatta wine. This vintage shows how Sangiovese can be fresh, fruity on one hand, elegant, long and persistent on the other. 2018 is rich of blackberries and blueberries, earthy hints and light mineral undertone. It has a pronounced intensity accompanied by silky and important tannins that make the wine long and persistent. This Testamatta is persistent and rich of finesse, one of the greatest they have ever made.
Decanter 100 Points
Finely textured, with a nuanced perfume that fills the glass and takes you to the intense underbrush of Tuscany. Succulent and yet savory, this has a lilting freshness that is overlaid with ripe berry fruits, sage and white pepper spice, and clear minerality in terms of its scraping texture that makes your mouth water on the finish. Feels light and sculpted and yet has an intensity that skewers you to the spot. This is a great wine, with scope and imagination that doesn't want to let you go. Genuinely stands out among the wines of this tasting, and these are a fine array of wines. As with Colore, Bibi Graetz selects only old vines, the youngest 50 years old from five different vineyard sites across Tuscany, all farmed organically. Fermentations in open 225l barrels with natural yeasts and manual punch downs.
Blend: 100% Sangiovese
Ratings: 100 points Decanter, 97 points James Suckling, 93 points Wine Enthusiast, 92 points Robert Parker
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Tenuta Luce
Winemaker’s Notes
Lucente shows a ruby red color. On the nose, it expresses the sunny character of the vintage with notes of pomegranate, blackberries, and violets that combine with elegant spices. On the palate, the entry is enveloping, balanced by a lovely freshness with perfectly ripe tannins that leave a savory and vibrant finish.
Blend: Merlot, Sangiovese
Ratings: 94 points James Suckling, 90 points Decanter, Wine Advocate
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Winemaker’s Notes
Masseto 2019, harvested slightly later than usual has benefited from the sunny but mild weather in early September, giving a dense yet harmonious expression. The youthful colour suggests a rich and intense wine, the nose shows textbook scents of ripe cherries, violet, liquorice and dark chocolate. The palate is broad and dense with velvety and refined tannins that coat the palate, while leaving a fresh and vibrant finish.
99 points James Suckling
Intense aromas of blackberries and black olives, together with hints of rosemary bush and lavender. Perfumed and nuanced. Full-bodied, yet so tight and integrated, with weightless tannins that frame the wine in a precise and curated fashion. Very structured and built for aging. It’s rather shy now, but will reward those who are patient. A kind of stealth in its nature. A more thought-provoking edition of Masseto. Needs time to show its true self.
Blend: Merlot, Cabernet Franc
Ratings: 99 points James Suckling, 98 points Wine Advocate, Wine Spectator
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Frescobadi, Castello Nipozzano
Winemaker’s Notes
Mormoreto 2017 is warm, enveloping and enigmatic, like the season that produced it. It boasts an intense yet clear ruby-red color that is beautifully rich and concentrated. It is pleasantly fresh with a bouquet that hints of blackberries, blueberries and raspberries. On the palate, balsamic and minty notes balance out beautifully with hints of bergamot and jasmine. Spicy notes of clove and vanilla are just around the corner. Tertiary aromas of tobacco, cocoa powder and coffee bean are remarkably well-integrated. The taste is smooth yet wonderfully fresh, with silky, well-rounded tannins. The finish is long and persistent.
Blend: Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Sangiovese, Petit Verdot
Ratings: 95 points James Suckling, 93 points Decanter
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Winemaker Notes
Galatrona is Petrolo’s most acclaimed wine, a Merlot cru made exclusively with grapes from the Galatrona-Feriale vineyard planted in various phases during the 1990s with low vigor Bordeaux clones. The unique microclimate allows the concentration of the noble components of the grapes that are fundamental for the great structure, elegance, balance, and persistence that has made Galatrona one of Italy’s most coveted wines.
James Suckling 97 points
This is incredibly fresh for a 2017 with a well-executed, reductive edge; it opens with rosemary, thyme and tea leaves, before moving through blackcurrants, dark cherries, bramble berries, ash, tobacco and citrus. Dense, full-bodied and very chewy, this remains incredulously fine and elegant. Robust and enveloping tannins coat the mouth and mold the wild fruit into a sleek, pliable package. Finally, a string of refreshing acidity lifts the finish long and complex.
Blend: 100% Merlot
Ratings: 97 points James Suckling, 95 points Robert Parker, 92 points Wine Spectator, 91 points Decanter
Toscana
