Italy

• Abruzzo
• Alto Adige
• Apulia
• Basilicata
• Calabria
• Campagna
• Emilia-Romagna
• Friuli-Venezia Giulia
• Liguria
• Lombardia
  • Franciacorta
• Marche
• Molise
• Piedmont (Piemonte)
• Sicily
  • Mt. Etna
• Trentino-Alto Adige
• Tuscany
  • Brunello di Montalcino
  • Chianti
• Umbria
• Valle d'Aosta
• Veneto
  • Prosecco
  • Soave
• Sardinia

Love this wine but it is a monster that needs time or air.  i let a glass of this sit for over an hour for that purpose and that wasn't enough.  Still, its outstanding.  Purple in color.  The nose has cherries, dark cherries, sandalwood and tea.  On the palate, this has lots of fruit but not boisterous just intense.  Firm tannins.  Depth.  Great acidity.  Worked well with my pasta.  Long finish.  Needs probably another five to seven years and then should be good for another 15.  Or decant for eight hours now and enjoy over a meal.  Still some upside expected.  

There are a lot of Vin Santos out there.  Very few are very good and even less are outstanding.  This is one of the better ones.  Iced tea color.  The nose is very nice with slight chocolate covered raisins but also a bit of blood orange and caramel.  Clean and not oxidized.  On the palate, this is viscous.  Caramel, blood orange and raisins.  Complex.  It is sweet not cloying but a little goes a long way.  Long finish.  Worked well with a not too sweet dessert.  

This bottle was opened and decanted for a few hours.  Still young but really blossoming.  Ruby in color, clear and bright.  The nose is gorgeous with cherries, roses, slight tar and slight dried cherries.  On the palate, this has great cherry fruit.  Light tannins.  Layers of fruit, earth and dry forest floor.  Complex.  Long finish.  Good acidity.  Better with food.  This continued to improve for the 2 hours or so it was opened.  Still some upside but a great Barolo.  

Purple in color.  The nose is dusty with cherries.  On the palate, this has some medium tannins.  cherries and slight forest floor.  Good acidity.  This is food friendly and reminds me of a Sangiovese (Chianti) with more tannic structure.  $23 is fair.  

Purple in color.  The nose has dark cherries, spice, and cedar.  On the palate, this has nice acidity.  Big, black cherry fruit.  Fruit forward.  Some tannins.  Drinks easy.  Seems more modern in style.  Still has some development left in it though.  It should gain in complexity.  

Chianti.  The name for some evokes thoughts of cheap wine.  Not so fast.  This is one of the best Chianti's one the market.  Not so cheap but well priced at around $45 per bottle.  This is a world class wine.    Ruby/purple in color.  The nose is great.  Cherries when young but with time it develops tea leaves and forest floor notes.  Also some sandal wood.  On the palate, this has a great backbone of acidity.  It really needs a decade or so to hit its peaks but even young is delicious.  With time, it has layers of cherries, dried cherries, hay and earthy notes.  Great with food but can be

This is really drinking quite well right now.  I had been told it might be past prime, but this bottle, bought on release and well cellared was about as good as one could expect.  Ruby in color.  Very pretty nose of cherries, tar, and slight roses.  On the palate, this has layers of fruit, dried fruit and earthy forest floor.  Great acidity.  Nice finish.  Worked perfectly at the dinner table.  No hurry on this but this is at or close to peak.  

I wondered if this were past prime, but no, it is drinking beautifully (at least this bottle).  Ruby/purple in color.  The nose has cherries, dried cherries, sandalwood and tea leaves.  On the palate, this is medium bodied.  complex and layers of cherries, dried cherries and forest floor.  Great acidity.  Perfect at the dinner table.  Long finish.  Everything I want out of cellaring a wine for 20 years.  Still fresh and vibrant but also mature and complex.  Certainly no point in waiting on these.  

It can be hard to find a time to open these kinds of "orange" wines.  I love them but they are not for everyone.  This is a white blend of grapes that is fermented, on the skins in amphorae and then finished in barrels.  It has Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio and Riesling.  These kind of wines are best served at cellar temperature.  Golden brown in color.  The nose is oxidized but also has some apple cider, slight citrus and even a floral note.  If oxidized wines bother you, stay away.  I found the nose vibrant.  On the palate, this is also vibrant and full of energy.  Apple cider

This is always one of the best values out there in red wine.  It drinks like a mini-Barolo.  Ruby, clear and bright.  The nose has roses, slight earthiness and cherries.  With air, some sour cherries emerge.  On the palate this is complex and layers of sherries, earth and tobacco are found.  Great acidity.  Nice finish.  At eleven years from vintage, this seems at peak but has at least five or six years left.  Current vintages are still available all over for under $25 per bottle.  Great with food.