Decanter (98)

2016 was a later harvest, with picking interspersed with rain showers. 18 micro-vinifications took place in 25% new tonneaux and 75% stainless steel tanks, using wild yeast for the first time (the 2015 was inoculated). It was also the first year of using large barrels as the team sought to reduce overt oakiness in the wine, and so the 2016 was matured for 24 months in new tonneaux and one large 15hl barrel, followed by five months in cement before bottling. It has a darker profile with more black cherry character compared to 2015, grippier, more powerful and silky in the mouth. It has great freshness, showing plenty of balsamic influence and raspberry acidity, finishing with flourishes of wood, herbs, spice and earthiness. 3,600 bottles produced.

Decanter (97)

The 2018 vintage appears to be a combination of 2015 and 2016, showing the ripeness of 2015 - red cherries and plums - with the freshness of 2016. The tannins are tight and still evolving, while the acidity is crisp. The red fruit is underpinned with oak notes. Hold for a couple of years before opening.

Wine Enthusiast (98)

Pressed rose, forest berries, crushed mint and dark spice are front and center on this fragrant, stunning red, which also has whiffs of new leather. Showing the estate's hallmark of finesse and structure, the delicious palate delivers crushed raspberry, ripe Morello cherry, baking spice and licorice framed in tightly wound, refined tannins. Fresh acidity keeps it balanced. This is one of the few 2017s that show some serious aging potential. Drink 2025–2037.

Wine Enthusiast (99)

Released after 10 years aging in the estate's cellars, this drop-dead gorgeous, classy red shows its celebrated pedigree. Made from vineyards that once supplied grapes for the famous Biondi Santi Riservas, this stunning red opens with classic aromas of red berry, rose, dark spice and crushed herb, while the radiant, elegantly structured palate delivers juicy red cherry, orange zest, licorice and crushed mint before a mineral note graces the long finish. Taut, refined tannins and fresh acidity keep it impeccably balanced.

Vinous (97)

The 2008 Messorio is simply marvelous in this vintage. Layers of dark fruit take shape beautifully in the glass as this reticent Messorio shows off its pedigree. The 2008 is a decidedly inward wine that, once again, stands apart from some recent vintages. The 2008 is a mid-weight, refined Messorio endowed with tons of balance and sheer finesse. It will be a fascinating wine to follow in the coming years. The 2008 Messorio was aged for 14 months in the standard French oak barrique (75% new), a move away from the smaller barrels that had been used in past years.

James Suckling (98)

This is the best Messorio in years with such wonderful richness and race with chewy tannins. Plenty of subtle dark chocolate and berry character. It’s very complex with undertones of rosemary, spices and sea salt. Savory. Super long and powerful. What fruit. Leave it until at least 2016. Not released until 2013.

James Suckling (97)

This wine shows beautiful clarity and class on the nose with roses, tar, currants, green and black olives and plums. It’s exceptionally fine-tannined with such polish and finesse. So sophisticated and intense for this vintage. Long, chewy finish, yet this is mouth-filling and caressing. Pure merlot. Try after 2024.

Wine Advocate (93)

The 2003 Scrio (100% Syrah) is another terrific effort from Le Macchiole. Packed with clove, cinnamon, sweet dark fruit, toasted oak and mint notes, it is opulent and concentrated yet light on its feet, boasting extraordinary length and an eternal finish defined by a lingering note of sweetness. It, too, has improved considerably over the last few months and there is plenty of fruit to balance the tannins of the vintage. Simply put, it is a knock-out effort from this very challenging harvest. Anticipated maturity: 2007-2015.

Indulge in the renowned Lorenzo Accomasso Barolo Rocche dell'Annunziata Vigna Rocchette 2014, a celebrated selection hailing from the Piedmont region in Italy. Testament to Accomasso's dogged devotion to traditional viticulture, this Barolo embodies the artisan's touch, with manual harvest and minimal intervention in the winemaking process.

Crafted from the Nebbiolo grape – in the frost-prone vineyards of the Annunziata district in La Morra – this tantalising red matures for 3 years in large Slavonian oak barrels, imbuing every bottle with a profound depth of character. Opening with a full-bodied bouquet of dried rose, forest berries, and scents of undergrowth, it's distinguished by its harmonious balance of acidity and tannins, holding promise for rich maturation.

A nod to the visionary that is Lorenzo Accomasso, the Barolo Rocche dell'Annunziata Vigna Rocchette 2014 is a triumph of viticulture tradition, offering a true taste of Piedmont's wine heritage.

Delight in the enchanting Magia Brunello Montalcino Ciliegio 2017, a masterpiece of exquisite Italian wine from the hallowed vineyards of Tuscany. This distinguished wine is the fruit of relentless toil and unfaltering dedication of the craftsmen at Magia, a revered, family-run, boutique winery renowned for producing wines of great character from their awe-inspiring Montalcino estate.

The Magia Brunello Montalcino Ciliegio 2017 is a stunning embodiment of Sangiovese Grosso, matured for 30 months in both Slavonian Oak barrels for a refined finish, it delivers a plush sensation of dark berries, infused with robust earthy undertones tied together with a balanced acidity and impressively long finish.

Magia's relentless devotion to purity and precision, coupled with Montalcino's fruitful terroir, makes the Magia Brunello Montalcino Ciliegio 2017 an impressively structured bottle that serves as an apt representative of its kind. An elegant expression of tradition and homemade artistry, one glass of this extraordinary wine is an experiential journey into the heart of Tuscan wine country.

James Suckling (100)

Amazing aromas of crushed berries, cherries, flowers, black truffles and wet earth, turning to violets and black tea. Extremely aromatic. Full-bodied, deep and profound with fantastically strong tannins that just melt into the wine. Fantastic length and intensity. Truly great. Drinkable, but better in 2024 and onwards.

James Suckling (98)

Ripe, decadent aromas of blackberries, black truffles and black cherries with hints of violets. Dark, wet earth, too. Full-bodied with a solid core of beautiful, pure fruit and creamy, round and fine tannins. Tight and reserved, but showing wonderful potential. Try after 2025.

Introducing the distinguished Margherita Otto Barolo 2019- a testament to the mastery of exemplary winemaking. This exquisite Barolo, a product of Italy's renowned Piedmont region, is a wine connoisseur's delight. Lovingly nurtured, handpicked Nebbiolo grapes from 40-year-old vines are vinified traditionally at controlled temperatures, with fermentation followed by a long maceration to extract the quintessential complexity and structure.

The wine matures in Slavonian Oak barrels for a minimum of three years, resulting in an elegant and full-bodied wine with an extraordinary longevity. Unmistakable in its ruby red robe, Margherita Otto Barolo 2019's nose unveils engrossing aromas of red berries, violet, and spices, unfolding on the palate with finesse and balanced tannins. Margherita Otto, the producer, is renowned for delivering high calibre, bold wines, illuminating the authenticity and terroir of Piedmont's crown jewel, Barolo. Experience the sublime symphony of tradition and perfection with Margherita Otto Barolo 2019.

Vinous (100)

The 2004 Masseto, one of my personal favorites, is positively stellar. I have always adored the 2004 for its silky tannins, stunning aromatic presence and total finesse, all of which are on display today. Beautifully pure to the long finish and profoundly beautiful in every way, the 2004 has it all. It was a textbook vintage that only presented one real challenge, and that was moderating the naturally high yields that resulted from an unblocking of energy the vines had held in store from the previous year. Where producers moderated yields, the wines are often stunning, as is very much the case here. If forced to choose only one vintage of Masseto I could own or drink it would be the 2004.

Wine Spectator (96)

Smells like chocolate mousse, with crushed raspberry and hints of flowers. Full-bodied, with chewy tannins and a rich, fruity finish. This is powerful and structured Merlot, with layers and layers of everything. Needs time to come around. Best after 2014. 2,660 cases made. -JS

Wine Advocate (100)

The wine that most delighted me at this historic tasting of Tuscany's most iconic wines was the 2006 Masseto. This is a wine of sheer power, bliss, opulence, infinity and sublime seduction. This Merlot-based masterpiece hits all your senses with the grace of a ballerina and the power of a heavyweight. It is steady on its proverbial feet, but it also glides over the palate with a profound sense of elegance, harmony and rhythm. Among the prized vintages of Masseto, including 2001, 2004 and 2007, this edition is my favorite. The wine delivers an extra sense of tightness or firmness at the back that serves to stitch together its fleshy richness and general sumptuousness. The personality is sunny, expansive, articulate and sophisticated. You'll remember that the 2006 vintage is celebrated for the elegance of its wines. In the coastal Bolgheri appellation, it is also remembered for the power of its wines. You get the best of both worlds with this stunning creation: elegance and power. These traits are particularly well suited to the versatile grape variety at the heart of this Tuscan all-rounder. This is a true Renaissance wine.

James Suckling (99)

Opulent and complex, with dark fruits such as plums and blackberries. Milk chocolate. Dried herbs too. Black olives. Stunning nose. Full bodied, with firm and chewy tannins, but a very creamy texture, and lots of milk chocolate, berry and mineral character. It goes on for minutes. Clear and powerful. Savory and salty. One of the best Massetos ever.

Vinous - Antonio Galloni (100)

A wine of extraordinary purity, silkiness and finesse, the 2010 Masseto has it all. The flavors are bright, precise and exceptionally pure, but it is the wine’s total balance that is utterly compelling. What more can I ask from a wine? Absolutely nothing. There is often something magical about cooler, later-ripening vintages at the estate. The interplay of more moderate conditions with the inherent power of these sites can yield wines of profound beauty and brilliance. The 2010 is all that, and more.

James Suckling (100)

Wow. Fabulous aromas of currants, rosemary, mint and orange peel. Perfect nose. Full body with perfectly integrated tannins. It's long and incredible with tangerine, toasted-oak, berry, terracotta and chocolate flavors. It lasts for minutes on the palate. This needs at least five years to soften but so spellbinding now.

James Suckling (99)

Fantastic aromas of lavender, rosemary, violets and currants. Full body, a wonderful concentration of fruit yet tense and taunt energy. The new wood is exposed now but will become integrated and polished. Give it three or four years together. The pure merlot magic is there. The 2011 was a perfect wine, and this is very close indeed. Drink in 2019.

James Suckling (98)

Aromas of blueberries, violets and roses turn to black truffles. Full body, ultra-fine tannins and great length. So gorgeous and persistent. It goes on for minutes.

Wine Advocate (100)

The release of this wine comes at a very happy time for the Masseto brand. The stunning 2015 Masseto is hitting the market just as the final touches are being made to the new Masseto winery. I'm told that Masseto might one day see other wines made under that same roof, so we can't exclude a future enlargement of the Masseto portfolio. The Masseto vineyard now covers seven hectares (divided into three plots), and the vines range from 30 to 40 years old. The wine is absolutely teeming with sensorial spirit that is transmitted through the bounty of the bouquet and the solid tannins of the mouthfeel. Nothing about the wine goes unnoticed or unchecked. Its many working pieces fit together with precision like a well-oiled machine. The 2015 vintage is characterized by a level of sheer exuberance that also defined the 2004 and 2007 vintages. Yet, it also reveals similar power, directness and linearity that we saw in the 2010 vintage. The 2015 Masseto takes the best of all those past vintages and confines those qualities to this single, spectacular bottle.

Falstaff (100)

Rich ruby. Deep dark nose, concentrated, but also very accessible with blackberry and mulberry fruit and savoury garrigue notes. Multi-layered palate with fine-meshed tannin, compact and juicy, followed by lots of tobacco. It literally dances across the tongue, very long with fine savouriness at the back.