Vinous (90+)

The 2013 Morellino di Scansano Riserva offers good depth and intensity, even if it still appears to be a bit shocked post-bottling. Time in the glass helps some of the signature sweet red cherry, herb, tobacco and cedar nuances emerge. I would prefer to give the 2013 another year or two in bottle to fully come together.

Wine Advocate (94)

The 2011 Barbaresco Albesani is the wine that surprised me most among Cantina del Pino's new releases. It shows an exceptional level of focus and clarity with tight tannins at the back that keep it stitched together tightly. It shows an impressive level of unity and precision. The bouquet is slow to start, but once it does it delivers a steady stream of dark fruit, licorice, balsam herb and crushed mineral. The Albesani cru, with its thick clay soils, evidently had enough underground moisture to avoid heat stress on the vines during the hot summer.

The Wine Independent (100)

Deep ruby in color, the 2021 Ornellaia has an irresistible nose of violets, cherry cordial, salted caramel, cracked pepper, and fertile soil. The palate is incredibly nuanced, with a beautiful through-line of balletic tannins, freshness, and a finish laced with mulled spices and dark berries. A glass I will not soon forget and an accomplishment to be lauded for the team at Ornellaia. The blend is 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc, 7% Petit Verdot.

Wine Enthusiast (96)

New leather, balsamic herb, rose, truffle and woodland berry aromas take shape in the glass along with a whiff of charcuterie. The focused, savory palate has a great depth of flavor, doling out raspberry compote, cinnamon, crushed mint and a hint of cocoa alongside a backbone of firm tannins and fresh acidity. It still needs time to fully develop.

Vinous (94+)

The 2019 Aglianico del Vulture Titolo is stunning. It opens with a bit of an exotic flair, mixing smoky plum and lavender with animal musk, crushed ashen stone and a whiff of sour citrus that lights up the senses. Then it enters the palate silky and pliant, quickly gaining in youthful tannic tension, but not before providing a preview of mentholated herbal tones and depths of mineral-laden dark fruits that will take center stage after a few years of cellaring. This finishes incredibly long yet structured, leaving a staining of primary concentration to linger under an air of pretty inner florals and savory spice. I believe the 2019 may one day rank among the best vintages ever produced of Elena Fucci’s Titolo.

Matthew Jukes (20+)

An long-forgotten image flashed into my mind when I first tasted this wine. It took me back to a visit, as a child, to a stately home. Goodness knows where this place was, but I remember walking down a long corridor when a huge door opened to my left. As I walked past, I caught a glimpse of the most glamorous and beautifully decorated room beyond the person holding the door ajar. The door closed, and I passed by, but this image has stuck with me ever since. This momentary glimpse of incredible splendour is echoed in this magnificent wine. It starts midnight black in the glass, then as one focuses on the surface, can one see stars? Interestingly, it finishes black, too, in the form of ultra-fine sooty tannins that caress the taste buds as the flavour senesces. Between these two moments of perfect calm, there is layer upon layer of splendour and magnificence. The keyword for this vintage is ‘proportion’, as I found out half an hour through the presentation. It is an inspired choice because every element of 2020 Ornellaia is in scintillating proportion. 2020 Ornellaia represents more than harmony or balance and more than composure and equilibrium – it is truly in perfect proportion. In fact, I have never tasted a vintage of Ornellaia like it. There is a sense of greatness here, both in the intensity of the fruit and also its freshness and lift on the nose and palate – it is astonishing. The Cabernet theme (the blend is 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot) is dominant both in the primary fruit notes but also in the signature flavours. Merlot adds glossiness and also traction, while Cabernet Franc appears to add grace and also crispness and aromatic flourishes. Petit Verdot acts as the invisible welds that pin this magnificent structure together – a complete three-dimensional flavour with no apparent flaws whatsoever. This wine will undoubtedly drink early in its life, given the silkiness and generosity on display, but it will not genuinely get into its stride for a decade, and I feel it will take another decade for it to blossom fully. My childlike fascination with today’s glimpse into the glass will no doubt grow into a full-blown stroll around this wine with the door flung open wide in years to come. This wine will prove to those with the good fortune to own it that its best is yet to come, so be patient in spite of its early allure. Until then, I do not doubt that it is a work of perfect proportion, so I am delighted to award it my first-ever perfect score for Ornellaia.

Jancis Robinson (18+)

Barbaresco. Palish ruby. Embryonic, tight nose with savoury minerally hints and just a shimmer of red fruit. A core of sweet raspberry fruit framed by firm, ripe and polished tannins. Spectacular tannic structure that is totally captivating and with youthful, focused red fruit.

Vinous (90)

The 2015 Barolo Perno Vigna Santo Stefano is a very pretty, aromatic wine laced with the essence of crushed rose petal, spice, red berry, mint and dried herbs. I would prefer to drink it on the early side, as it is a bit fragile.

Vinous (90)

The 2006 Barolo Case Nere is a hulking wine packed with dark cherries, spices and French oak. It is the most imposing and backwardly tannic of these 2006s. While the concentration is impressive, ultimately the Case Nere is missing some of the delineation that make's Boglietti's finest wines so compelling.

Jeb Dunnuck (96)

The 2022 Guado Al Tasso has a saturated purple/magenta color and is 44% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Merlot. The nose shows off ripe primary fruit of fresh blueberries, blackberries, leather, violets, wet stone, and Mediterranean herbs. Full-bodied, it fills the palate but remains fresh and even, with plush, ripe tannins, delicate warming spice, and a long finish. While it has the richness and ripe fruit one comes to expect from this estate, it offers exceptional refinement as well. Drink 2027-2050. 138,480 bottles produced.

Vinous (92)

Very good deep red. Slightly roasted, floral aromas of strawberry jam, plum and licorice. Rich and chewy in the mouth, with the brightness and firm grip of the vinage. The wine strong material handles the new oak gracefully. Finishes quite long and ripe, with chewy tannins.