La Fortezza Brunello di Montalcino 2019, Italy

Beautiful color of ruby with a brick hue.

Elegant nose of red fruits with light wood, licorice, chocolates, tobacco, herbs, spices and black pepper.

Medium plus in body with medium acidity.

Dry on the palate with cherries, sweet raspberries, light plums, chocolates, light oak, spices, licorice, herbs, light vegetables and peppercorn.

Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy raspberries.

This is a delicious Brunello di Montalcino. Complex and inviting from the first sip. A good quality wine. Elegant and smooth.

This 5 year old is drinking beautifully now, and will continue to drink nicely in the next 7 years.

A lovely wine to drink by itself, as a sipping wine. Easy drinking and well balanced. Drinking it in Montalcino, made it taste even better…

14.5% alcohol by volume.

92 points.

$40.

Inserrata Intrigo Bianco Toscana Chardonnay IGT 2022, Tuscany, Italy

This is a very interesting take on Chardonnay from Tuscany.

Pale lemon in color.

Dry on the palate and medium in body with medium acidity.

Showing lemons, apples, pears, light earth, herbs, ginger, spices and minerals.

Easy drinking and engaging. Elegant and entertaining.

Showing good balance, and a little creamy. A touch of bitterness makes it interesting. Smooth, with nice complexity. 

I had the 2020 vintage a couple of years ago, and it is very consistent.

Good by itself or with food. A nice sipping wine.

100% Chardonnay grapes were aged in stainless steel vats for 6 months (4 months on its lees). A tiny production of only 2,000 bottles.

14% alcohol by volume.

91 points.

$60.

Tenuta Meraviglia Bolgheri Rosso 2020, Tuscany, Italy

It is time for my #FridayCabernetfix.

Dark ruby in color with a wide reddish rim.

Nice nose with red and blue fruits, light wood, spices, tobacco leaf, herbs and light vegetables.

Medium bodied with medium plus acidity.

Dry on the palate with cherries, plums, raspberries, spices, dark chocolates, black pepper and earth.

Short and bitter finish with fine grained tannins.

This is an interesting take on Cabernet Franc from Tuscany. Doesn’t drink like one, but easy drinking and good by itself or with food. Elegant and tangy.

100% Cabernet Franc grapes were aged for 12 months in large Chianti wood barrels.

14% alcohol by volume.

89 points.

$30.

Omina Romana Merlot IGP 2021, Lazio, Italy

It is time for some Merlot on this #MerlotThursday. Let’s bring Merlot back!

Ruby in color with a wide reddish rim.

Spicy nose with light oak and dried meats.

Medium bodied with medium acidity.

Dry on the palate with nice complexity.

Showing red and black fruits with wood, earth, light vegetables, herbs, light earth, tobacco leaf and light black pepper.

Tangy finish with soft tannins and raspberries.

This 3 year Merlot is still young and already drinking nicely.

Easy drinking right out of the bottle, and better with airtime, so be patient.

A good quality wine. Elegant and soft. Good by itself or with food.

100% Merlot grapes were aged for 12 months in French oak barrels.

13.5% alcohol by volume.

90 points.

$40.

Tenuta Azienda Agricola Bosco de Medici Dressel 19.2 Amphora 2023, Pompei, Italy

Dark yellow in color with a golden hue.

Full-bodied with medium acidity.

Dry on the palate with nice complexity and mouthfeel.

Showing lemons, red and yellow apples, apricots, light citrus, nuts and light earth.

Tangy finish with almonds and sea salt.

This is a very tasty orange wine from Pompei. Elegant and fruity. Buttery and round.

100% Caprettone grapes. A very small production of only 1,900 bottles.

13% alcohol by volume.

90 points.

$90.

Il Poggione Brunello di Montalcino 2010, Italy 90

Ruby in color with a wide brown/ brick rim.

Medium bodied with medium acidity.

Dry on the palate with nice complexity.

Showing black fruits with wood, earth, vegetables, spices, tobacco leaf, bitter herbs and peppercorn.

Nice finish with fine grained tannins and tangy raspberries.

This 14 year old Brunello lost a lot of its fruits at this point. Soft and elegant. Earthy and better with food.

I paired it with a prosciutto and arugula pizza.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

90 points.

$100.

Azienda Agricola Poggio al Grillo Rezeno Aleatico Passito 2023, Tuscany, Italy

This is a delicious sweet wine from Tuscany.

Medium bodied with high acidity and a long finish.

Sweet on the palate with red fruits, spices, chocolates and light earth.

Nicely balanced with enough acidity to balance the sugars. 

Needs a few years to mature properly, but already enjoyable.

Has good potential to become a 94+ point wine. Would be nice to revisit it in 7 to 10 years.

100% Aleatico grapes were dried for one month, and then fermented, leaving 150 g/l of sugar. A tiny production of only 800 bottles made.

15% alcohol by volume.

92 points.

$45.

Podere Sapaio Volpolo di Sapaio Bolgheri Rosso 2022, Tuscany, Italy

Sitting for lunch in the heart of the city of Bolgheri, at a great restaurant, I had to try something I never had before. This entry level Bordeaux blend was a nice surprise.

Purple in color with a purplish rim.

Medium plus in body with medium acidity.

Dry on the palate with nice complexity.

Showing blueberries, plums, black currants, cherries, light oak, spices, light earth, herbs, tobacco leaf, dark chocolates, licorice and a touch of vanilla.

Tangy finish with round tannins and tangy raspberries.

This young Bordeaux blend from Tuscany is already drinking nicely, even right out of the bottle. Spicy and rich.

Opulent with lots of fruits, but also some earth notes to compliment the fruits.

Tannins show up after 30 minutes of airtime. A great nose shows itself after 90 minutes in the decanter. Much better once it opens up, so be patient.

Will continue to age nicely in the next 5 to 10 years.

Good by itself as a sipping wine, or with food. Tangy, spicy and entertaining. I paired it with beef stew.

A blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot and 15% Petit Verdot. Aged in oak barrels for 14 months.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

91 points.

$30.

Marchesi Antinori Le Terrazze di Guado al Tasso 2021, Tuscany, Italy

Purple in color with a wide purplish rim.

Pretty and prominent nose with blue and black fruits, light wood, spices, coffee, tobacco and earth.

Medium plus in body with medium plus acidity.

Very dry on the palate with cherries, plums, light oak, spices, earth, espresso and peppercorn.

Short finish with fine grained tannins and tangy cranberries.

This is an experimental red wine from the house of Antinori. Very unique. Tangy and engaging, but not very elegant. 

Needs time to open up properly, and better with food.

Not necessarily my style, but it’s always nice to try these kind of unique wines.

100% Vermentino Nero grapes were aged for 14 months in French oak barrels. A tiny production of only 700 bottles made.

13% alcohol by volume.

88 points.

$50.

Azienda Agricola Poggio al Grillo Rosatico 2023, Tuscany, Italy

This is a new grape variety for me, from Tuscany.

Pretty color of light salmon.

Nose of flowers, raspberries and strawberries.

Dry on the palate with limes, citrus, green apples, bitter herbs and light earth.

Light to medium in body with medium acidity, and a spicy finish.

Fresh and easy drinking. Soft and smooth. Not too biter, with mild complexity. Good by itself or with food.

Would be nice to revisit it in a few years.

100% Aleatico grapes. A small production of only 3,500 bottles. Organic.

13.5% alcohol by volume.

89 points.

$25.