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CRU/JRM - Superbly made, elegant, long, balanced and delicious. Top shelf CDR. Super value.  Grenache and Syrah.

Maker's Notes - Beautiful garnet-red robe. The nose offers a superb aromatic bouquet with notes of red and black fruit such as cherries and blackcurrants mixed with floral notes, spices and "garrigue". With elegance, the mouth develops into fine and silky tannins with aromas of small red fruit and a beautiful aromatic and racy finish with subtle notes of tobacco.

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Wine Spectator 90 - A well-balanced red in a medium-bodied frame, offering flavors of black fig reduction, leafy tobacco and fresh, loamy earth that show good concentration, with a piercing note of black licorice. Ends with fine tannins on the finish. Drink now through 2025.

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Vinous 89 - The 2019 Chianti Colli Senesi is laced with sweet red berry fruit, mint, spice, tobacco and dried flowers. This is an especially perfumed style of Chianti from the Colli Senesi.

Wine Advocate 88 - The easygoing Castello di Farnetella 2019 Chianti Colli Senesi delivers bright and lifted aromas of ruby cherry and tart forest berry. The wine shows a main focus on freshness and ease of drinking, but it also has the acidity and the mild, lean-bodied texture that you'd want next to an epic plate of cacio e pepe pasta. This 2019 vintage is slightly more concentrated compared to past editions.

Wine Spectator 88 - A hint of sweet wood smoke graces the strawberry, cherry and earth flavors in this gentle red. It firms up on the finish. Drink now through 2024.

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Vinous 89 - The 2018 Chianti Classico is a bold, rustic wine. Dark cherry, tobacco, leather, cedar and game bring out the

wilder side of Chianti Classico, and yet the

2018 retains the essential translucence of

Sangiovese. The 2018 is very much a wine for the dinner table.

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Vinous 92 - The 2018 Nobile di Montepulciano is pretty and understated in the glass, wafting up with a mix of black currants, savory herbs and worn

leather hints. This is round with a balanced inner sweetness, displaying mineral tinged wild berry fruit and nuances of confectionary spice. The 2018 leaves only a gentle coating of fine tannins while finishing with citrus nuances and a hint of hard red candies. The Avignonesi style lent quite well to this warm and rainy vintage; as a result, they

created a very delicate yet likable Nobile.

Wine Spectator 91 - A powerful red, with savory eucalyptus, tobacco and tomato leaf aromas and flavors offset by cherry and plum notes. Beefy tannins set the stage for a lingering, grainy finish.

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WS 91 - Intense and complex, this combines cherry and berry fruit with earth, iron, leather and spice flavors, finishing with sour cherry, leather and tobacco notes. Drink now through 2022.

WA 90+ - Piancornello does a great job with its lower-end Rosso. Indeed, the 2016 Rosso di Montalcino makes a great impression in the glass, thanks to its beautifully dark ruby color. The bouquet offers black cherry, spice, tar and licorice. The mouthfeel is simple and crisp. It makes the perfect pairing partner to wood-fired pizza with extra mozzarella cheese melted on top.

CRU/JRM  Once again and not surprisingly, very hard to tell this from a full-blown Brunello.  A magnificent effort and a steal of a bargain.  The yields are less but the quality is stunning. Claudio Monaci is the little master of Montalcino.  Delectably complex and long.  Bravo.

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Wine Advocate 90 - The 2016 Cap de Faugeres (composed of 85% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon) has a medium garnet-purple color and reveals notions of warm plums, blackberry pie and black raspberries with touches of pencil shavings and sautéed herbs. Medium-bodied with a velvety texture and good core of black fruits, it finishes on a long-lasting earthy note.

Wine Spectator 90 - This is racy and fresh, showing a beam of loganberry and red currant coulis flavors driving along, laced with subtle savory detail and tobacco and iron notes. The racy finish is carried by mouthwatering acidity. Drink now through 2028.

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Vinous 88 - The 2012 Le Sartre is juicy and exuberant, with lovely mid-palate depth and terrific overall balance, especially at this level. Sweet tobacco, menthol, licorice and dried flowers add nuance in a racy, hearty red to drink over the next few years.

Wine Spectator 88 - Juicy and enticing, with raspberry and plum fruit forming the core while anise and fruitcake notes fill in the background. A tarry spine holds the finish, letting the fruit play out.

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Wine Advocate 90-92 - The 2016 Fourney has an attractive, slightly earthy bouquet that opens nicely in the bottle, well defined and full of charm. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, quite classic in style with plenty of tobacco and smoke towards the structured finish. Give this two or three years in bottle and you should have a fine Saint Emilion.

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Vinous 92 - The 2011 Brunello di Montalcino is one of the more successful wines of the vintage. Sage, lavender, iron, smoke and dark red cherry notes flesh out in a supple, inviting Brunello. A kick of Mediterranean warmth gives the 2011 its generous texture, with all of the elements very much in the right place. I would prefer to drink the 2011 over the next handful of years or so. This is a strong showing from Piancornello.

WA 91 -  Here's a pretty, ruby-colored Sangiovese from the heart of southern Tuscany. The 2011 Brunello di Montalcino shows a lot of purity and red fruit intensity with wild berry and dried cherries in pole position. The wine offers a good sense of depth and balance thanks to those warmer notes of light tobacco and spice that add complexity in a subtle and lasting way. This Brunello is also distinguished by the mouthfeel that is tonic and bright without feeling too ripe or thick. This is a silky and elegant wine with a medium finish.

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Wine Advocate 91 - The 2011 Barolo Arborina delivers a tight and austere personality. The wine was slightly shut down upon release but has since gained in volume and depth. It shows sharp lines and great definition with plenty of dark fruit, cassis and dried cherry. The tannins are ripe and dry. Only 6,000 bottles were produced.

Vinous 91 - The 2011 Barolo Arborina is dark, fleshy and supple on the palate, with lovely overall presence. Wild flowers, spices, new leather and tobacco all add shades of nuance. The firm Arborina tannins kick in on the finish, giving wine an attractive burst of energy and persistence.

Wine Spectator 90 - A rich version, displaying sweet cherry, strawberry, licorice and spice flavors, this borders on chewy, with dense tannins gracing the finish. Best from 2018 through 2030.

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Vinous 93 - Deep red. Smoke- and spice accented cherry and vanilla aromas are complemented by hints of dried flowers, camphor and pipe tobacco. Sweet and seamless on the palate, offering juicy red fruit, spicecake and mint flavors that deepen with air. Shows very good energy and appealing floral character on an impressively long, penetrating finish that's given shape by discreet tannins.

Wine Advocate 92 - The 2006 El Puntido Gran Reserva is pure Tempranillo grapes from the Puntido vineyard that are selected from the eastern-most part of the vineyard close to Laguardia, which is more exposed to the north winds and gives a wine of marked tannins that needs more time in barrel and is ideal to create a Gran Reserva. This wine ages for 24-26 months in barrel and is kept in bottle for a further five years. The 2006 is still dark ruby-colored, with an open and expressive nose of leather, cold bonfire, incense and steak tartar notes and a medium-bodied palate with some gritty tannins and very pure flavors where the leather and meaty notes linger in the aftertaste. This is the most classical wine I’ve ever seen from the Eguren family, and an exceptional effort for the 2006 vintage. Modernity meets tradition!

Wine Spectator 92 - This rich red delivers a mouthful of black currant fruit, with strong notes of espresso, tar and mineral. Full-bodied, backed by muscular tannins and balsamic acidity. A modern style. Drink now through 2026.

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Vinous 92+ - Tobacco, sage, menthol, licorice, leather and dark-fleshed fruits are some of the signatures in the 2013 Barbaresco Ovello Vigna Loreto. Nuanced and expressive throughout, the Ovello is another striking wine from Albino Rocca.

Wine Spectator 92 - A broad, rich style, with dense tannins shoring up the sweet plum, cherry and berry flavors. The tannins are assertive and will need some time to resolve, but everything is in the right place. Best from 2020 through 2032. 216 cases made.

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Vinous 93 - Deep violet. An expressive bouquet displays aromas of fresh red and dark berries, pipe tobacco and peppery spices, with vanilla and floral nuances emerging quickly. Smoke and spice-tinged black raspberry and cherry vanilla flavors convey appealing sweetness and a spicy flourish adds lift and back-end cut.  Soft, even tannins shape the finish, which shows fine clarity and repeating spiciness.

Wine Spectator 89 - This toasty red offers cocoa-lined cherry and red plum notes, backed with cedar, anise and savory spice undertones, with burly tannins. Drink now through 2027.

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Vinous 95 - The 2013 Barbaresco Ronchi is superb. Ample and large scaled, as wines from this clay-rich site often are, the Ronchi is firing on all cylinders today.

Layers of dark red stone fruit fill out the wine's ample frame effortlessly. Pine, menthol, anise, citrus peel and tobacco add attractive aromatic overtones, but it is the wine's balance that is most impressive today. Simply put, the Ronchi is a standout.

Wine Advocate 91 - The 2013 Barbaresco Ronchi shows richness and density that grounds this wine firmly to the palate. This is a lasting and enriched expression that offers the intensity and the natural length that characterizes this vintage. Dark cherries and spice segue to balsam herb and cola. This is an elegant and nicely articulated expression from the Ronchi cru.

Wine Spectator 91 - A tightly wound red, with firm, raspy tannins that make the future difficult to predict. With air, sweet cherry, licorice and spice flavors emerge. Fans out nicely on the lingering finish. Best from 2019 through 2032.

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Robert Parker - 89-91: Probably the finest basic Cote Rotie he has made since 1991 is the 2006 Cote Rotie Les Becasses. Dark ruby/purple with notes of cassis, bacon fat, smoke, and tapenade, the wine is medium to full-bodied, ripe, chewy, and long. This is heady stuff, a classic Cote Rotie that can be drunk now or cellared for 12-15 years.

Wine Spectator - 91: Edgy, with lots of green pepper, tobacco, olive and sage notes laid over a core of black currant fruit. Briary finish. This has plenty of range, but just needs to settle into itself.

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Wine Advocate 96 - The 2016 Chianti Classico Riserva Rancia knocks it out of the park. Like the other new releases from Fèlsina, this pure expression of Sangiovese needs more time to evolve and improve with bottle age. But even at this young stage, you are made fully aware of the beautiful intensity and complexity of the quality fruit at its core. There is so much energy and tension here, further reinforced by the fresh acidity of the vintage. There are vibrant tones of wild cherry, raspberry and spice, followed up by white truffle and tilled earth.

Wine Spectator 94 - This features ripe, juicy black cherry and black currant fruit, with licorice, earth and tobacco flavors. Firm tannins frame the elements, imparting structure and complexity for the long haul. Terrific texture. Best from 2022 through 2042.

Vinous 94-97 - The 2016 Chianti Classico Riserva Rancia is yet another magnificent wine in this range from Fèlsina. Silky, gracious and inviting, the 2016 starts off gradually and then builds, gaining volume and explosiveness with air. A wine of breadth, textural intensity and pure power, the 2016 Rancia is shaping up to be epic. That's pretty much all there is to it.

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Vinous 93 - The 2014 Barbaresco Cottà, often a big, bombastic wine, is unusually refined in this vintage. The deep center of fruit that has always defined this wine is present, but there is more freshness and less of the heaviness that often marks this wine. Hints of blood orange, mint and rosewater give the 2014 an exotic upper register. Shades of blue/purplish fruit, lavender, mint and savory herbs add the closing shades of nuance.

Wine Advocate 93 - The 2014 Barbaresco Cottà does not offer the acute high notes that you get with the other beautiful Barbarescos from Sottimano in this vintage. The intensity is broader and flatter, so to speak, but overall, the wine's intensity is just as bright and compelling as the others, albeit in a more subdued manner. Dark cherry and blackberry segue to spice, anise and cured leather. The wine feels soft and rich in texture as well. Some 10% of the wine is aged in new oak barrel.

Wine Spectator 93 - Pretty cherry, floral, mineral and tobacco flavors line this racy red. There is an underlying density to the structure and a lingering aftertaste of fruit, iron, underbrush and tobacco. Best from 2020 through 2033.

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Vinous 95 - The 2014 Barbaresco Pajoré is broad, ample and super-expressive. Dark cherry, spice, lavender, licorice and leather flesh out in a multi-dimensional, complex Barbaresco endowed with myriad shades of nuance. Here, too, the tannins are fully ripe, which allows all the purity of the fruit to come through loud and clear.

Wine Advocate 94 - The 2014 Barbaresco Pajorè is a lovely wine with a firm and convincing sense of inner intensity and elegance. Red cherries and cassis rise from the bouquet, which is delivered with almost musical pulses of brightness that keep time and tempo. The wine's concentration is dark ruby and luminous. Dried mint, anise and licorice appears on the silky finish. The 1.5-hectare Pajorè vineyard is located in Treiso. Vines are up to 70 years old.

Wine Spectator 92 - Fresh thyme, cherry, tobacco and mineral flavors are the hallmarks of this firm, linear red, which is shy aromatically, but there is a core of sweet fruit. Fine length and freshness. Best from 2020 through 2032.

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Wine Spectator 96 - Pretty cherry, strawberry and floral aromas and flavors define this elegant, supple red. Firmly structured and beautifully integrated, leaving a lingering aftertaste of iron, tobacco and underbrush. Best from 2022 through 2042.

Wine Advocate 92+ - Of the three single-vineyard expressions of Barbaresco from Albino Rocca tasted this year, the 2015 Barbaresco Ovello (with 2,500 bottles made) exhibits the most defined mineral note. The bouquet shows dark fruit, spice and medicinal herb. It also delivers a very pretty and defined note of crushed granite or pencil shaving. The Ovello is also distinguished by a sweet and more succulent mouthfeel. Of these three wines, including the Barbaresco Cottà and the Barbaresco Ronchi, this is my favorite.

Vinous 92+ - The 2015 Barbaresco Ovello Vigna Loreto is beautifully lifted in the glass. Even in this warm vintage, the Loreto retains the nerve and tension that are such signatures of this Barbaresco vineyard. Crushed flowers, dried herbs, mint and chalk are all nicely delineated in a precise, finely sculpted Barbaresco endowed with real character. Readers should plan on cellaring the 2015 for at least a few years before diving into bottles.

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Wine Spectator 94 - Pure, exhibiting rose, cherry and raspberry aromas. Elements of tobacco, eucalyptus, mineral and tar chime in on the palate. Elegant and long on the finish. Firms up and shows fine balance overall. Best from 2022 through 2037.

Vinous 92 - The 2016 Barbaresco Montersino is marked by distinct floral overtones, bright red berry fruit and gracious, mid-weight structure. Clean mineral notes add energy to a Barbaresco that stands out for its tense, crystalline personality.  Pine, mint, chalk and crushed rocks give the 2016 its distinctive aromatic upper register to balance things out. This is such a vivid and expressive wine.

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Wine Advocate 93 - Elio Altare gives me a bit of his winemaker's wisdom: "Wine is like a marriage—it needs to be consummated early." With that in mind, the 2015 Barolo is engineered for near- and medium-term drinking with lots of plump fruit that jumps right out. The wine is open and inviting. Dark fruit is followed by warm tones of tilled earth and cured tobacco. Grapes are harvested from different parcels in four vineyard passes. In 2015, the team had the time to wait for each parcel to mature properly because the harvest was relaxed and spread over more comfortable timing. This Barolo would match up nicely with a mild liver dish.

Wine Spectator 92 - A ripe style, boasting plum, black cherry and sun-kissed hay flavors, with a hint of vanilla. The lush fruit and texture is offset by dense tannins. All the components converge on the long finish. Best from 2021 through 2038.

Vinous 92 - The 2015 Barolo is an absolutely glorious wine. Sensual, silky and polished, the 2015 has so much to offer. Bright red berry fruit is nicely complemented by an array of floral and spiced notes that add nuance. Polished tannins add to the wine's considerable near-term appeal, but the straight Barolo also has a track record h ere of aging exceptionally well.Vineyard sites include Pernanno, Sarmassa, Rochettevino and Cerretta. Don't miss it.

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Wine Advocate - 96: The 2007 Malleolus de Sancho Martin is a bit more reticent aromatically than the Valderramiro but with a very similar profile. On the palate it has greater volume as well as a bit more structure. Opulent, rich, and concentrated, it will reward extended cellaring and offer prime drinking from 2016 to 2037.

Wine Spectator - 95: This powerful red delivers traditional character with a modern swagger. This is packed with black cherry, licorice, tobacco and mineral, yet accents them with cola, toast and vanilla. The tannins are rugged yet well-integrated, carrying the fruit and spice through the long finish.

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