2021 Castello di Ama Haiku Siena, Tuscany

2021 Castello di Ama Haiku Siena, Tuscany

with No Comment $70-$80ItalyKevin VogtSangioveseTuscany

Castello di Ama

Haiku 2021
Siena, Tuscany

2021 Castello di Ama Haiku Siena, Tuscany

Castello di Ama’s 2021 Haiku draws you in, line by line, with precise elegance. Rooted in tradition, Sangiovese, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot move in measured harmony, each voice distinct yet seamlessly intertwined. The wine unfolds with a natural cadence, where structure and emotion meet, and every detail arrives with intent.

From hillside vineyards rising between 420 and 500 meters, the wine gains a lift that defines its character. Clay-limestone soils drive a firm mineral spine, while elevation sharpens freshness and aromatic detail within the fruit. Under the direction of Marco Pallanti, each decision serves the wine’s voice, guiding the vineyard to speak fully and shaping a wine that feels both grounded and expressive.

In the cellar, that same discipline carries through. Fermentation follows a measured path, capturing structure, while élevage frames the wine with balance, allowing oak to support finite details in balance. Texture builds with intention, fine tannins threading through layers of depth, carrying the wine forward in a steady rhythm to a long, composed finish that lingers with precision.

Castello di Ama
Haiku 2021
Siena, Tuscany

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“Blackberries, black cherries and graphite on the nose. It’s full-bodied with very polished and lightly chewy tannins and a tangy finish. Minerally and citrusy at the end. Solid wine that needs two or three years of bottle age to soften.”

95 Points

2021 Renato Ratti Marcenasco Barolo Piedmont Italy

2021 Renato Ratti Marcenasco Barolo Piedmont Italy

with No Comment $70-$80BaroloBaroloItalyKevin VogtPiedmont

Renato Ratti

Marcenasco Barolo
Piedmont, Italy 2021

2021 Renato Ratti Marcenasco Barolo Piedmont Italy

In the hills of La Morra, where Nebbiolo finds its most articulate voice, Renato Ratti Marcenasco stands as both history and living expression. Long before “cru” entered Barolo’s common vocabulary, Ratti was mapping the Langhe with conviction, arguing that each hillside possessed a distinct identity. Marcenasco became the clearest proof of that belief.

 

The vineyard itself carries documented depth, its name appearing in records that trace Nebbiolo cultivation here back centuries. From these rolling slopes, Marcenasco expresses La Morra’s defining signature: aromatic precision, measured authority, and a tensile structure that lingers well beyond the first impression. It is elegance anchored by underlying strength.

 

In the cellar, tradition sharpens rather than softens that identity. The 2021 matures for about two years in oak barrels before an additional year of bottle refinement, building structure while preserving aromatic detail. The aging shapes the wine without imprinting upon it. What remains is unmistakably Marcenasco, a Barolo rooted in place, lineage, and disciplined craft.

Renato Ratti
Marcenasco Barolo
Piedmont, Italy 2021

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“Assertive aromas of graphite, violets, mint and chalky minerality. A stunning, precise wine focused on elegance, with citrus flavors, a full body and lavish, velvety tannins supported by freshness. Long, youthful and savory aftertaste. Try from 2026, but best after 2030.”

97 Points

2023 Idda Etna Rosso Sicily Italy

2023 Idda Etna Rosso Sicily Italy

with No Comment $70-$80ItalyKevin VogtRosso

Idda

Etna Rosso
Sicily, Italy 2023

2023 Idda Etna Rosso Sicily Italy

Great wines are often born from a singular vision. Rarely are they shaped by two that move in complete accord. IDDA unites Italian icon Angelo Gaja with the Graci family, whose work has helped define Etna’s modern ascent. The 2023 Etna Rosso proves this is more than collaboration. It is convergence, capturing the volcano’s raw mineral force and refining it through discipline.

Etna is anything but passive. Its soils, layered with ancient lava and ash, are mineral-rich and naturally free-draining, compelling vines to root deep into volcanic stone. In Biancavilla, on the southwest slope, IDDA farms at an elevation where light is intense and ripening deliberate. The 2023 reflects that terrain with precision, offering red-toned fruit, savory nuance, and a structural spine that feels inseparable from the black earth beneath it.

The architecture points toward longevity. Acidity remains vivid, tannins composed, fruit tightly knit within a persistent mineral core. Time will bring further dimension, yet even now the wine carries authority. It presents Etna as one of Italy’s most serious and distinctive terroirs, rendered with intent.

Idda
Etna Rosso
Sicily, Italy 2023

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The aromas of cranberries, pears, honeysuckle and other white flowers are enticing. The palate is medium-bodied with firm tannins and a fresh, bright finish. A little closed now but already very enjoyable. Drink or hold.”

94 Points

2020 La Rasina Brunello di Montalcino Tuscany Italy

2020 La Rasina Brunello di Montalcino Tuscany Italy

with No Comment $40-$50BrunelloBrunelloItalyKevin VogtTuscany

La Rasina

Brunello di Montalcino
Tuscany, Italy, 2020

2020 La Rasina Brunello di Montalcino Tuscany Italy

The 2020 La Rasina Brunello di Montalcino reflects precision under pressure. In a year that challenged even the most experienced growers, this wine emerged not through excess or generosity, but through balance achieved by careful decisions at every stage. Its poise reveals a producer deeply attuned to vineyard and vintage, crafting a Brunello that favors brilliance, elegance, and authenticity over overt power.

La Rasina’s vineyards, positioned on the northeastern slopes of Montalcino, played a critical role in navigating the season. Higher elevation, cooler nights, and steady air movement helped moderate the warmth of 2020, preserving freshness and structure. Farmed organically, these vines benefit from a philosophy that prioritizes observation and patience, allowing the vineyard’s natural balance to assert itself.

Aging for more than two years in traditional large oak casks, the wine settles into a rhythm defined by balance and clarity. The wood frames the fruit without dominating it, preserving the wine’s natural tension and energy. What emerges is a Brunello of regal confidence, layered and precise, offering immediate appeal alongside the promise of long-term reward.

La Rasina
Brunello di Montalcino
Tuscany, Italy, 2020
Retails at: $55

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“Some complexity here with smoky-woodland and licorice-root notes. Lead pencil is mixed with blood orange. The attack is tense and firm with crisp acidity and tight, chalky tannins. Yet, it’s ripe on the finish and quite warming. This will improve with age. Drink from 2025.”

93 Points

2021 Casina Bric Nebbiolo Cuvee 970 Origo Ginis Brut Rose

with No Comment $30-$40Champagne/SparklingItalyKevin Vogt

Casina Bric

Nebbiolo Cuvée 970
Origo Ginis Brut Rosé
Spumante d’Alba 2021

Sparkling Nebbiolo remains one of Italy’s most compelling outliers, and Casina Bric’s Nebbiolo d’Alba Cuvée 970 Spumante Brut Rosé stands among its most convincing expressions. Drawn from the rare Nebbiolo d’Alba Spumante designation, the wine reframes expectations, showing how Nebbiolo’s structure and energy can translate into lift and finesse rather than weight.

Cuvée 970 reflects a deliberate, measured approach to sparkling winemaking. Extended time on the lees builds depth and cohesion, while careful handling preserves brightness and freshness. The result is a wine with natural composure, where texture and precision work together and elegance never comes at the expense of character.

Nebbiolo seldom appears in sparkling form, and that rarity lies at the heart of Cuvée 970’s appeal. Casina Bric resists softening the grape’s identity, instead preserving its natural tension and vitality. Freshness, structure, and lift move in concert, yielding a sparkling rosé that feels articulate and precise, carrying Nebbiolo’s unmistakable verve in a form that is both unexpected and entirely convincing.

Casina Bric
Nebbiolo Cuvée 970
Origo Ginis Brut Rosé
Spumante d’Alba 2021

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“The Cascina Bric 2021 Cuvée 970 Nebbiolo d’Alba Spumante Rosé has a fine, persistent mousse,and opens with aromas of white strawberry, ripe peach, and pink grapefruit, layered with hints of raspberry and maraschino cherry. On the palate, delicate red berry fruit takes center stage, with hints of strawberry shortcake. The fruit feels pure and is carried by just enough acidity for a crisp, refreshing finish.”

93 Points

2022 Antinori Tignanello Tuscany Italy

2022 Antinori Tignanello Tuscany Italy

with No Comment $100 and overChiantiItalyKevin VogtSangioveseTuscany

Antinori

Tignanello 2022
Tuscany, Italy

2022 Antinori Tignanello Tuscany Italy

Few wines have altered the course of Italian winemaking as profoundly as Tignanello. Born on a sunlit hillside in the heart of Chianti Classico, this legendary bottling challenged tradition at a time when convention ruled. The 2022 Tignanello offers a modern expression of that breakthrough, shaped by decades of vision and a relentless pursuit of excellence.

That transformation took shape through deliberate and radical choices. Tignanello was among the first Tuscan wines to age Sangiovese in small oak barrels and to incorporate Bordeaux varieties, decisions that challenged prevailing doctrine and unlocked new layers of depth and precision. Together, these choices established a style that balanced tradition with innovation and set a new global benchmark.

The 2022 vintage brings that pioneering spirit into sharp focus. An extended growing season allowed the fruit to reach full maturity, resulting in a wine defined by balance rather than force. Sangiovese leads with energy and structure, while Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc add dimension and contour. Aged for sixteen months in French and Hungarian oak, the wine emerges layered and composed, its power carried with ease by polished perfection.

Antinori
Tignanello 2022
Tuscany, Italy

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“Rich and fruit-forward, the Marchesi Antinori 2022 Tignanello very much respects the vintage that tends to deliver more concentration and volume overall. It delivers extra fruit weight with a velvety, satiny feel over a generous mouthfeel. Tignanello offers blackcurrant and cherry, but there is a mineral note that keeps things focused. This is a beautiful expression of the vintage, with excellent work done to execute soft tannins, texture and length.”

97 Points

2020 Siro Pacenti Brunello di Montalcino Pelagrilli Tus cany Italy

with No Comment $60-$70BrunelloBrunelloItalyKevin VogtTuscany

Siro Pacenti

Brunello di Montalcino
Pelagrilli 2020
Tuscany, Italy

From the slopes of Montalcino, the Pelagrilli vineyard tells a story that few Brunellos can match. Rooted in the land Giancarlo Pacenti’s father purchased in 1970 and shaped over decades into a modern icon, the 2020 release channels this lineage with singular precision. It reflects the focus of a winemaker who has devoted his life to shaping Sangiovese into something unmistakably his own.

At the core of the wine’s character are vines that have matured over decades, their roots threaded deep into Montalcino’s varied soils. These older plantings lend natural concentration and a purity of fruit that only time and thoughtful farming can produce. Pacenti captures their voice with uncommon finesse, crafting a wine that feels both grounded and vibrant.

As the wine settles on the palate, it becomes clear why Pelagrilli remains a cornerstone of the Pacenti legacy. The interplay of red fruit, savory spice, and cool mineral depth leaves a lasting imprint that resonates long after the final sip. This is Sangiovese articulated with precision and heart, shaped by a vineyard that speaks with uncommon vividness and a winemaker who has spent a lifetime learning how to listen.

Siro Pacenti
Brunello di Montalcino
Pelagrilli 2020
Tuscany, Italy
Retails at: $80

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“A round and juicy red with berry, cherry, mushroom and wet-earth character on both the nose and palate. It’s full-bodied with integrated tannins that are soft and luscious. Long, flavorful finish. Drinkable now, but better in two or three years.”

96 Points

2013 Valadorna by Tenuta di Arceno Super Tuscan Tuscany

2013 Valadorna by Tenuta di Arceno Super Tuscan Tuscany

with No Comment $50-$60ChiantiItalyKevin VogtTuscany

Valadorna

by Tenuta di Arceno
Super Tuscan
Tuscany 20132013 Valadorna by Tenuta di Arceno Super Tuscan Tuscany

Some wines age gracefully, and others seem to defy time altogether. The 2013 Valadorna belongs firmly to the latter. It’s a luminous example of how meticulous craftsmanship and patient cellaring can sculpt a wine into a timeless masterpiece. More than a decade after harvest, it remains astonishingly vibrant, capturing the essence of Tuscany with grace, poise, and authenticity.

Behind this remarkable longevity stands Pierre Seillan, the Bordeaux-born master whose touch defines some of the world’s most revered wines. His deep understanding of micro-crus, perfected at Vérité, finds a new voice here in Tuscany. In Valadorna, Seillan channels Merlot’s supple depth and marries it to the verve of Cabernet Franc, the backbone of Cabernet Sauvignon, and the finesse of Petit Verdot.

Drawn from the estate’s cooler Valadorna and Capraia parcels, where sandy-clay soils meet morning mists, the 2013 unfolds with haunting precision. Firm yet silken, expansive yet composed, it culminates in a finish that lingers like memory itself. The 2013 Valadorna is a rare alignment of time, terroir, and talent: a wine not merely crafted, but composed, into something enduringly profound.

Valadorna
by Tenuta di Arceno
Super Tuscan
Tuscany 2013
Retails at: $75

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“The 2013 Valadorna (mostly Merlot with Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot) is yet another home run in this blockbuster collection of new releases from Tenuta di Arceno in the southern part of Chianti Classico (Castelnuovo Berardegna). This is a firm and tightly knit expression that is packed tight with black fruit, tobacco, tar and dark chocolate. The wine shows enormous aromatic intensity, but then it slims down just a touch in the mouth to offer an elegantly tapered finish.”

95 Points

2020 Bibbiano Gran Selezione Chianti Classico Tuscany Italy

2020 Bibbiano Gran Selezione Chianti Classico Tuscany Italy

with No Comment $40-$50ChiantiChiantiItalyKevin VogtTuscany

Bibbiano

Gran Selezione
Chianti Classico
Vigna del Capannino
Tuscany, Italy 2020

2020 Bibbiano Gran Selezione Chianti Classico Tuscany Italy

From a mere seven hectares of the storied 19th-century estate of Bibbiano rises the 2020 Vigna del Capannino: an extraordinary expression of Tuscany’s soul. Perched atop a compact, clay-rich plateau, this vineyard captures the drama of one of Italy’s most revered terroirs. The naturally dense soils lend the wine profound structure and a chiseled mineral backbone, while the west-facing exposure coaxes the depth and intensity that define this vintage.

The power of Vigna del Capannino begins with its singular focus: 100% Sangiovese Grosso. This clone, selected and refined over decades, produces fruit that embodies both the energy of the vintage and the elegance of its lineage. In 2020, the grapes achieved perfect balance, allowing the wine to capture a full spectrum of flavor.

After harvest, the wine underwent a patient élevage of 24 months, divided between neutral cement and fine French and Slavonian oak, followed by a half-year of bottle rest. This unhurried maturation refined the wine’s natural intensity into harmony. The result is a Chianti Classico of rare depth, with tannins that are taut yet silken, framing a finish that lingers with quiet authority.

Bibbiano
Gran Selezione
Chianti Classico
Vigna del Capannino
Tuscany, Italy 2020

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“Ripe strawberries, raspberries, red licorice, moist bark and wet stones on the nose. Medium- to full-bodied, tense and juicy with crunchy tannins and chalky texture. Vivid acidity keeps the wine nervy. Racy finish. From organically grown grapes. Drink or hold.”

94 Points

NV Derafica Grotta Del Gelo Etna Rosso DOC Sicily Italy

NV Derafica Grotta Del Gelo Etna Rosso DOC Sicily Italy

with No Comment $30-$40ItalyKevin VogtRosso

Serafica

Grotta Del Gelo
Etna Rosso DOC
Sicily, Italy NV

NV Derafica Grotta Del Gelo Etna Rosso DOC Sicily Italy

High on the southern slopes of Mount Etna, where molten rock meets chilled alpine air, Serafica’s Grotta del Gelo Etna Rosso captures the elegance born from hardship. The vines root deep into fractured basalt, their struggle translating into purity and precision. It’s a red that feels both elemental and precise, channeling the power of Sicily’s most extreme terroir into a wine of haunting elegance.

Grotta del Gelo distills Etna’s raw, shifting energy into harmony. Although bottled non-vintage, this wine hails from the 2021 vintage and is drawn from vines perched nearly 900 meters above sea level. Days drenched in Sicilian sun ripened the fruit to vivid concentration, while cool nights sculpted vibrant mountain purity and freshness. 

This wine’s core of Nerello Mascalese brings precision and lift, while Nerello Cappuccio adds depth and spice, their partnership weaving a tapestry of red currant, tobacco leaf, and crushed herbs. Its tannins are polished but resolute, as though shaped by wind and stone. It’s a wine that feels composed, orchestrated by nature and refined by hand.

Serafica
Grotta Del Gelo
Etna Rosso DOC
Sicily, Italy NV

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“The Serafica Grotta del Gelo Etna Rosso is composed predominantly of fruit from the 2021 vintage, and paints a picture of its volcanic origin with aromas of graphite and pencil lead, juicy red and black cherries, pomegranate, dried herbs, savory spices, and sunbaked clay. On the palate, the wine is bright with juicy, red fruits, truffles, cracked pepper, and a mineral-driven tension balanced by smooth, velvety tannins. The wine’s concentration and complexity unwind as the wine opens up and reveals more and more with a friendly approachability.”

94 Points