Italy

96+ Points! The 2009 D'Alceo is quite a bit firmer and more structured than the Sammarco. An exotic melange of dark cherries, plums, grilled herbs, cassis and new leather emerges from the glass, backed up by tons of structure. Over the last few months, the 2009 d'Alceo has softened a bit, releasing expressive, floral aromatics and brighter shades of fruit. This is a wonderfully deep, resonant d'Alceo. The 2009 will drink well with minimum cellaring within the context of prior vintages. According to Luca di Napoli, the trick to 2009 was harvesting on the early side. Judging by this effort, I would say Rampolla nailed the vintage. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media, 2013

95 Points! The 2009 Valtellina Superiore Inferno Riserva Sesto Canto is another powerful, expressive wine from Ar.Pe.Pe., and yet everything about the wine speaks to balance. Sweet tobacco, cedar, spice and a host of soil-driven inflections give the Sesto Canto a slightly darker feel relative to the other wines in this range. Muscular tannins reinforce an impression of gravitas in this beguilingly beautiful, inviting Valtellina Superiore. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media