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96 Points! The 2017 Barbaresco Riserva Montestefano is darkly concentrated and among the richest wines in this series of single-vineyard Riservas. Montestefano is angular, textured and bold with dark fruit aromas, dried blackberry, toasted almond and cured tobacco. With this vintage, you get an age-worthy wine that offers brawn and power for drinking in the medium term, but it will become increasingly silky and slender with time. Dusty tannins and crushed stone appear on the long finish. - Monica Larner, robertparker.com

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95 Points! The Produttori del Barbaresco 2017 Barbaresco Riserva Montefico is especially broad and thick in texture. It feels generous to the senses, wrapping thickly over the palate with a pretty mix of firm tannins and soft fruit fiber. These elements help to increase both the volume and the persistence of this classic wine. There is some dryness on the finish (and 15% alcohol), and you also taste crushed mineral and stone.I give this wine an edge in terms of future aging potential. Best After 2025. - Monica Larner, robertparker.com

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95 Points! The 2017 Badia a Coltibuono Chianti Classico Riserva has youthful, transparent, much brighter aromas than many earlier vintages with spice, oak, cream and ripe, red-fruits like cherry on the nose. On the palate, there is a much better intensity of sweet red fruits and the tannins are gentle and more refined. The palate feels unforced with a lighter touch overall and a better harmony and balance. There is a very long finish with mouth-watering acidity and fine tannins giving a savory, salty finish. - The Wine Independent

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93 Points! This is a robust and unflinching red wine with a succulent core of ripe cherry fruit. The 2012 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Vigna Montosoli is more restrained and elegant compared to many of its peers from this hot vintage. Those scorching summer temperatures have been expertly absorbed, and the wine never feels jammy or heavy. The mid-weight finish is fine and graceful. Only 2,493 bottles were produced. - Monica Larner, robertparker.com

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95 Points! Aromas of dried flowers, black cherries and dried strawberries follow through to a medium to full body with very fine tannins that coat the mouth. From organically grown grapes. Fresh, bright and very drinkable now, but will be even better in 2023. - James Suckling

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96 Points! Le Lucére is a single vineyard of 3.5ha planted in 1996 below Salvioni and La Cerbaiona in Montalcino and producing about 13,000 bottles annually. Gentle fruit handling and a short maceration contribute to the graceful style of this Brunello. It ages in a combination of big oak casks and small barrels for a total of two years. What, in my opinion, could explain the exceptional freshness and the unwavering elegance of this Brunello is the eastern exposure of the vineyard on the northern side of the village. The dried cherry fruit is lifted with thyme and blood orange, a touch of wax and deep hints of smoky woodland. The palate is dense and velvety, with greatly refined tannins and predominantly floral flavours. Organic. - Decantyer Magazine

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94 Points! So beautiful to smell with subtle dried flowers, ripe strawberries, cedar and sandalwood. Medium-to full-bodied with tight, chewy tannins that are fine-grained and firm. Succulent acidity at the finish for such a ripe year. Give this three to four years to come together. Better after 2022. - JamesSuckling.com

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94 Points! Like the 2019 vintage also reviewed here, the Sassotondo 2017 Maremma Toscana Ciliegiolo San Lorenzo boasts dark color saturation and concentrated fruit, but in the case of this wine, you get softer, more open-knit tannins. Ciliegiolo can famously live up to the hot vintages, especially when the variety is planted in cooler volcanic soils like the kind found in this vineyard cru. The slightly evolved bouquet shows cherry liqueur, almond paste, blue flower and crushed stone. There is a lively, almost nervous quality of the fruit that keeps things edgy and fresh. The mid-weight finish is silky and long. - Monica Larner, robertparker.com

 

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97 Points! The 2017 Geremia is a revelation. It might be even better than the 2015 or 2016, which is saying a lot. Soaring aromatics make a strong first impression. In 2017, the fruit profile leans more into the red fruit end of the spectrum. The warm, dry year yielded a Geremia that is unusually open. I doubt too many of the estate's fans will have a problem with that given how long these wines usually take to open. Today, the 2017 Geremia is a total pleasure bomb. Don't miss it. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

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94 Points! The 2017 Barolo del Commune di Monforte d’Alba is a gorgeous, beguiling wine. Readers will find a Barolo that expresses all of the balsamic, spiced character typical of Ginestra Barolos but without the heft that can make some wines forbidding. Transparent, gracious and super-expressive, Conterno's 2017 is all class. Don't miss it.

Diego and Stefano Conterno have put their small estate on the map in a relatively short amount of time. These beautifully translucent, traditionally made Barolos have so much to offer. I would start by exploring the entry-level Barolos, as they do a wonderful job of conveying the house style and the personality of Monforte, while also being relatively approachable. - Antonio Galloni, Vinmous Media

 

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94 Points! The Paitin 2017 Barbaresco Serraboella Sorì Paitin shows a level of finesse and elegance that is rare to find in this hot and dry vintage. The wine delivers seamless transitions with aromas of wild fruit, ferrous earth, licorice, tar and crushed flowers. Those nuances are delivered with enormous purity and focus, rendering a super delicate and finessed expression. There is a touch of tannin tightness here, this being the only sign of the summer heat, but the wine unfolds smoothly nonetheless. - Monica Larner, robertparker.com

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96 Points! The purity and brightness of nebbiolo is so impressive here. Strawberries and blue fruit abound. Full-bodied, yet tight and very polished with a long, persistent finish. Very transparent and appealing. Drink in 2025 and onwards. - JamesSuckling.com

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94 Points! Here's a new wine that reflects the enthusiasm for comune-focused wines that are now gaining much traction across the Barolo appellation. The Fratelli Alessandria 2017 Barolo del Comune di Verduno shows beautifully even in its youth and most especially after the bottle has been opened for a bit or double decanted. Like all these wines from this vintage, it needs a little extra breathing room. The results are precise and focused with a good balance of light spice, mineral and tar. - Monica Larner, robertparker.com

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96 Points! The 2017 Barolo Monvigliero marries the raciness of the year with the floral lift and elegance of this great Verduno site. More than anything, the 2017 is a Barolo of pure and total sensuality. Even so, there is more than enough tannin to allow the 2017 to drink well for many years to come. It is very clearly one of the wines of the vintage. The rich, substantial finish is a thing of real beauty. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

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97 Points! Extremely perfumed with plums and dried flowers, as well as walnut and hazelnut undertones. It’s full-bodied with a solid core of fruit and chewy, polished tannins. This has gorgeous linear drive with solid tannins. Really excellent. Give it four to five years to come together. Best after 2025. - JamesSuckling.com Learn More

96 Points! Vietti's 2017 Barolo Lazzarito is absolutely gorgeous. Whatever the challenges of the growing season, they appear to have been no problem here. More than anything else, the Lazzarito impresses with its magnificent depth and stature. Super-ripe red fruit, white pepper, mint, tobacco, cured meat, spice and rose petal open gradually with time in the glass. I would not be in a rush to open bottles anytime soon. The Lazzarito has been one of the most improved wines at Vietti for a number of years. The 2017 is so captivating. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media Learn More