Wine Advocate (96)

Made with a special selection of Sangiovese, the 2020 Fontalloro is generous and rich, and the wine sports medium-dark color and concentration. The winemaking team has succeeded in bringing out an especially elegant side to this vintage. The wine offers pronounced notes of cherry and wild plum with delicate spice at the back. Like the other wines in this portfolio, there is a pretty mineral note that makes for a consistent through-line in all these new releases.

Wine Advocate (96)

The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Maestro Raro is a lovely expression with deep layers of dark fruit and savory spice that are woven tightly together to form a solid core of primary and secondary flavors. This vintage is especially tight and concentrated, showing terrific balance and freshness and impeccable fruit ripeness that is generous and full. There are no green elements in this vintage. Instead, the fruit is beautifully rich and velvety.

Richly bestowed with an incredible pedigree, Ferrando Carema Etichetta Bianca 2017 is a masterfully created, Italian Nebbiolo hailing from Piedmont's majestic Alpine vineyards. Rooted in vineyards planted in the commune of Carema on the steep, rocky slopes of the Alps, this fine wine is the artistic embodiment of third-generation winemaker Luigi Ferrando's deep commitment to classically structured and balanced wines.

Ferrando Carema Etichetta Bianca 2017 boasts a meticulously achieved complexity and elegance. Its unique character evolves from a two-year maturation in large Slavonian oak barrels, resulting in exquisite layers of wild cherry, Alpine herbs, roses, and minerals, adorning a beautifully structured, mid-weight body. This rare vintage, with its linear precision and powerful thrust, testifies of Ferrando's impeccable vinification techniques, and the region's terroir, marked by a continental climate and soils composed of moraine deposits.

Savour the generous palette of this singular wine, Ferrando Carema Etichetta Bianca 2017, a testament to the Ferrando family’s unwavering dedication to winemaking excellence.

Crafted by the globally lauded producer Giulio Ferrando, Ferrando Carema Etichetta Nera Black Label 2017 encompasses the elegance and stark depth of Carema's mountainous terroir. Derived from 80-year-old Nebbiolo grapevines grown on terraced slopes straddling the border of Piedmont and Valle d'Aosta, this exquisite wine showcases the fine art of winemaking.

Adhering to traditional methods, this unique red wine undergoes slow fermentation, followed by 48 months of aging in Botti. These practices imbue Ferrando Carema Etichetta Nera Black Label 2017 with a seductive robust crimson hue and a harmonious balance of tannins and acidity. Its tasteful notes of wild berries, dried rose petals, and subtle undertones of tobacco, offer a captivating and prolonged finish.

As a hallmark of biodynamic viticulture, Ferrando Carema Etichetta Nera Black Label 2017 stands as a testament to the Ferrando family's commitment to producing wines that resonate with authenticity and distinct character, promising a remarkable experience for discerning wine connoisseurs.

Caramel, vermouth rosso colour. On the nose slight hints of sandalwood, with undertones of toasted almonds, pine nuts and dried apricots. The mouth is very light, opening on Oloroso sherry characters, walnut, balsamic and dried fruits. The mid pallet reveals a little sweetness with notes of black cherries and oriental spices. Finish raw cocoa nibs and tamarind with an interesting balance of bitterness and savouriness.

Wine Advocate (97)

No, the vintage date of this wine is not an error. Just released, it is a selection of old-vine Primitivo grown south of Taranto and only now hitting the market. No one seems to know whether the fermentation was stopped by fortifying the wine or if it just stopped on its own as a result of the superlative richness of the must, but the fact remains that, with close to 14% of alcohol, it is as sweet as a great Recioto, a wine which it greatly resembles. Still an amazingly fresh ruby color, it features a decadent nose of blackberry jam, raisins, chocolate, and licorice, a texture of sheer satin, great warmth and roundness, a sweetness which never becomes cloying, precise and focused flavors, and a finish as long as the fade-out to "Hey Jude". The producer is negotiating with an importer for this and other wines, but it is presently available at Piero Selvaggio's Valentino restaurant in Santa Monica and at Alain Ducasse's Louis XV restaurant in Monte Carlo, for those willing to fling a few shekels around.

Humbly presenting Fertuna Maremma Messiio 2016, a quintessentially Italian marvel from the renowned Tuscany region. Fertuna, being a most dexterous producer in Maremma, has birthed this sumptuous blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Sangiovese. This illustrious 2016 vintage is a testament to Fertuna's penchant for blending tradition with innovation, evident in the wine's amendable texture and harmonious complexity.

For Fertuna Maremma Messiio 2016, Fertuna vinifies each variety separately in temperature-controlled stainless steel, ageing the elixir for 18 months in French oak, followed by a rich 6-month slumber in the bottle. The result? Layers of intricate flavours - black cherry, plum, and hints of spicy clove- intricately braided with supple tannins and luscious acidity.

Radiating a dark ruby colour, Fertuna Maremma Messiio 2016 strikes with an exquisite floral nose, smoothly dovetailing into an elegant, full-bodied wine. It is, without a doubt, a tapestry of Tuscan enchantment.

Wine Advocate (97)

I tasted this wine twice over the course of six months, in advance of its commercial release. The 2016 Pàtrimo is quite a wine and needs all the extra bottle time it can get. Indeed, I would suggest putting it at the back of your cellar for another 5 years (at least). It opens to a black and impenetrable appearance. This is an elaborate and beautifully constructed wine that is put together piece by piece like a jigsaw puzzle. When viewed as a whole, all those tiny pieces create a beautiful portrait of a grape as the protagonist and of a region as its context. This full-bodied Merlot has made important strides since I first tasted it. Today, it is more expansive and exuberant. It shows lots of volume and depth with elegance and finesse.

Wine Advocate (92+)

The 2003 is a fascinating Serpico. The wine boasts impressive concentration in its dark, rich fruit. This is an incredibly primary Serpico, with little in the way of tertiary development. Ideally, it is best left alone for another few years, but readers fortunate enough to own this are in for a thrilling ride once the wine opens up a bit. Today it remains tightly coiled but full of potential. Anticipated maturity: 2013-2023.

Vinous - Antonio Galloni (90)

The 2017 Dolcetto d'Alba Superiore is quite the powerhouse. Bold and explosive, the 2017 saturates the palate with intense dark red fruit, game, incense, iron, tobacco and lavender. At nearly ten years of age, the 2017 is shockingly dense and youthful. There's just a touch of volatile acidity that might disturb some palates, but also a ton of character that goes with it.