Wines

94 Points! Tasted about three weeks after bottling, the Pecchenino 2019 Barolo Bussia opens to a beautiful ruby color that shines from inside the glass. There is a subtle note of candied cherry or fragrant rose, but once that lifts, the wine reverts to characteristic Nebbiolo aromas of tar, licorice and blood orange. Bussia delivers a classic progression of aromas that are elegantly reinforced by the extra intensity and concentration of the 2019 vintage. - Monica Larner, robertparker.com

93 Points! A fresh, juicy red highlighted by cherry, plum, tar, grass and eucalyptus flavors. Gains support from vibrant acidity and pliable tannins as this cruises to a long aftertaste of fruit, vegetal and mineral notes. - Wine Spectator

96 Points! Superb...These are the best Barbarescos I have tasted from Dave Fletcher. It is not easy for an outsider to establish themselves in Piedmont, which makes these wines doubly impressive. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

93 Points! The Duemani 2021 Cabernet Franc CiFRA is an entry-level wine that punches above its weight class (and its price point). This organic and biodynamic wine reveals dark, purplish fruit with a soft texture and velvety quality. It is layered with fresh blackberry, plum and tobacco, but the energy of the primary fruit is what stands out in this classic vintage. - Monica Larner, robertparker.com

Founded directly above the San Andreas Fault, DeRose Vineyards is located in one of the most active earthquake areasin the World. Furthermore, it is one of only a few wineries anywhere to have a major fissure dissecting its wine cellars. DeRose has vineyards on both sides of the infamous fault. Soils east of the break contain fragmented granite and crumbled sandstone while those on the west side are mostly granite and limestone. Some blocks lie precisely above the line, their tilled surfaces concealing the fissure far below. Cabernet Franc grows east of the fault in loosely packed loam where the drainage is excellent.

A temperamental grape variety in many locations, Cabernet Franc thrives on the DeRose estate, creating heavily extracted wines with wonderful viscosity. Winemaker Pat DeRose prunes each vine in the winter and later exposes the grapes to beneficial sunlight with careful leaf removal. Clusters are thinned after veraison to attain proper vine balance.

93 Points! Intense nose of fresh and dried red berries, together with dried leaves and dark, clove-like spice. Medium-bodied with firm tannins and a concentrated bead of bright fruit and minerals. The tannins pull hard on the finish for now, so wait for this one. It’s structured and layered and definitely built to last. Hold until 2024. - JamesSuckling.com

92 Points! Based on 81% Cabernet Franc, 8% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Sauvignon, and the rest Malbec, the 2021 Cabernet Franc sports a vivid purple hue to go with impressive aromatics of cassis, black raspberries, spring flowers, and chocolaty oak. It's medium-bodied and has a supple, elegant mouthfeel, fine tannins, and a great finish. A beautiful wine, it might even be better in another year or two as it integrates its oak. Regardless, it's a terrific value that I'd happily drink any time over the coming 8-10 years. - Jeb Dunnuck

92 Points! A rich and fruity cabernet franc with creamy berries, vanilla and sweet oak spices on the nose. Medium body with plush tannins. Creamy berries and mocha on the palate with dried herbs and cedar in the finish. Try after 2025. - JamesSuckling.com

96 Points! Notes of red berries, crushed herbs and orange blossom with hints of lilac and wet stones. Medium- to full-bodied. Meaty and mouth-filling with polished tannins that are a little chewy at the end. Refined and sleek. Hints of bitter spices in the finish. - JamesSuckling.com

95+ Points! Quite robust and powerful on first nose, the 2019 Barolo Ginestra Vigna del Gris needs more time in bottle to flesh out and move past this current youthful phase. This wine is definitely poised to give more to those who wait. It opens to a dark garnet hue and ripe aromas of cherry skin, plum, rose and orange peel. Within the span of a few minutes, it starts to show additional spice and nutmeg. - Monica Larner, robertparker.com

95 Points! The La Spinetta 2019 Barolo Campè Vürsù is balanced and bright with a little more heft and overall fruit concentration. Dried cherry, blackberry, spice and black licorice all appear on the bouquet. This is smooth in consistency but shows a long, polished mouthfeel that is especially tight and elegant in this vintage. - Monica Larner, robertparker.com

From the importer: Originating from vines planted on clay and chalk (tuffeau) soil, this wine offers the distinctive character of Cabernet Franc: deep and bright ruby color, fine aromas of red fruits (red current, cherry) and floral subtleties (violet, iris), fine and velvety tannin, with a fresh and balanced finish. Best served below room temperature (14 to 16º C), Clos des Cordeliers Cuvée Tradition is at its prime when young and is the perfect companion for cold meats, roasted meats, grilled fish and cheese.

94 Points! Sweet tobacco, currants and white pepper here, with a red-chili note. Medium-to full-bodied with seamless, ripe tannins on the palate. Flavorful, yet elegant. Extremely well made. Drink or hold. - JamesSuckling.com

A star is born! From the importer: ...a finely etched garnet gemstone of seductive red fruit with operatic red rose and lightly minted confiture notes that burst from the glass is surely his finest Nebbiolo to date.

Taken from various plots high on the plateau inside the località of San Grato and Zora, and at the top of Ravera and Terlo, tension is the backbone of this fresh-fruited Nebbiolo. With altitudes that range between 380-460 meters, the parcels, La Volta (410m), Zora (420-425m), and by the cantina in San Grato (445-460m) are on the gentler slopes and tilt toward the south and west and are fully exposed to sun all day. They share the blueish Sant’Agata Fossili marls, but La Volta has slightly reddish clay topsoil (perhaps due to the presence of more iron) while Zora has a topsoil of pale calcareous sand. By contrast, Ravera and Terlo sit between 380-430m and take a focused hit of the morning sun and miss the last hours of the sun’s intense heat, preserving even more tension and fresh minerally textures.

Daniele explains that the MGA La Volta’s clay gives a stronger tannic base and structure, Zora and San Grato more elegance, finesse and higher aromatic notes, and Ravera more softness and depth. The mix of these higher altitude sites, their varying degrees of phenolic ripeness and individual terroir complexities make for a diverse and impressively nuanced starting Nebbiolo.

During the vinification there is some inclusion of whole bunches but it’s typically less than 10%. The parcel selection changes from year to year based on the quality of their main Nebbiolo parcels, though Terlo is usually the smallest proportion. For example, in 2020 it was almost entirely La Volta, while the 2021 is mostly from Ravera’s upper section—the answer to why the 2021 plays at a different amplitude than many a Langhe Nebbiolo from celebrated growers and the 2020 is more power than finesse. The 2020 was aged in new 30hl botte, while the 2021 was aged in many different barrel sizes of varying ages. It’s fermented naturally in steel and concrete, and the macerations last about 25-27 days with daily pump-overs: three in the first days and one further into the maceration. Temperatures in steel are controlled while those in concrete are not.

After pressing, the wines are racked once or twice before going into 10-30hl concrete and wood vats for four to five months, selected for quality, then racked into steel for another two months before bottling. Sulfites are first added after malolactic, and it’s not fined nor filtered.

94 Points! The Fratelli Serio & Battista Borgogno 2019 Barolo shows a luminous ruby appearance and lean fruit weight. The bouquet follows up with crushed rose, dried cherry, licorice root and nectarine. I love the delicate, silky nature of the mouthfeel. This elegant wine has an accessible side, but it delivers a good value versus quality proposition. - Monica Larner, robertparker.com

From the importer: Fabio’s Coste della Sesia Nebbiolo grapes are entirely grown within the Lessona appellation, but due to an archaic technicality, it’s not labeled as such because the winery it’s made in sits only fifteen feet over the border of Lessona and primarily in Coste della Sesia appellation, so it can only be labeled as a Costa della Sesia; it’s obvious that a wine should be labeled by the origin of their grapes, not the location of the cellar it was crafted in. (I apologize for the repetition of this paragraph if you've read Fabio's profile as well.)

The details: Fermentation in stainless steel for over three weeks, followed by aging in old 225 liter barrels for thirteen months. Fermentation is spontaneous and the use of sulfites is kept to a minimum—only 30ppm at bottling, which is near half the average for handcrafted, boutique fine wine. The vines are a mix of young and old, with the average close to twenty-five years.

New blood at the former Cascina Ballarin in La Morra, biodyanmic vineyards, killer, silky, elegant, refined wines!

New blood at the former Cascina Ballarin in Barolo, biodynamic vineyards and thrilling, elegant wines!

One of the best Barbaresco deals in the store! I dare say you will not find another Nebbiolo out there with a finer, silkier set of tannins than this slinky wine. Slinky and Nebbiolo together? Well, not all the time, but in this case a resounding YES! Brimming with ripe strawberry and cherry fruit, supported by spice, roses and some mineral highlights, it’s been a loooong time since we’ve tasted a Barbaresco at this extreme quality level for so little money…and, as you know, we taste a lot of them. The insanely ripe, velvety tannins mean you can drink this one now but a decade in the cellar will be a breeze for this polished gem. In fact, it is unbelievably drinkable now, shockingly so.

95 Points! The 2019 Barolo Monfalletto (made with organic fruit selection from across the vineyards that surround the winery in La Morra) shows grit, density and rich texture. The house style prizes muscle and brawn in this vintage that lends itself handily to these qualities. Pressed cherry and blackberry cede to licorice, cured tobacco and iron ore. With 53,000 bottles released, this is the estate's most representative Barolo. - Monica Larner, robertparker.com

93 Points! Against all odds, the 2020 Cabernet Franc, from a warm and dry year, feels fresher and more harmonious than the two other vintages I tasted next to it, the cooler 2019 and 2021. It contains some 10% Malbec that fermented together with the Cabernet Franc, which feels very integrated and softened the tannins that feel velvety but without losing grip. It spent 15 months in ancient oak foudres, and the oak feels very integrated. - Luis Gutierrez, robertparker.com