Italian Red Wine Over $100

I've been tracking the increasing percentage of Cabernet Franc in the blend of this iconic Tuscan wine. The 2019 Bolgheri Superiore Guado al Tasso is made with 25% Cabernet Franc, with 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Merlot.... Read More

The 2013 Tignanello represents the beginning of a new chapter for Italy's ultimate game-changer wine. The blend remains 80% Sangiovese with 15% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Cabernet Franc but Renzo Cotarella tells me stylistically-speaking,... Read More

First made in 1971, this legendary Italian wine now celebrates its 50th birthday. Happy Birthday, Tignanello! The Marchesi Antinori 2021 Tignanello (made with 79% Sangiovese, 13% Cabernet Sauvignon and 8% Cabernet Franc) pulls... Read More

The 2001 Barolo Riserva Bricco Boschis Vigna San Giuseppe is a great choice for readers who can be patient. Freshly cut flowers, mint, spices and violets are some of the many notes that flow from this structured, powerful Barolo.... Read More

Pajana represents the lower end of the same site that produces fruit for the Barolo Ciabot Mentin. The soils are a bit looser here and the temperatures are just a few fractions higher at this site. Winemaking for the 2013 Barolo... Read More

The Elvio Cogno 2015 Barolo Ravera Bricco Pernice delivers the depth, richness and concentration that are a hallmark of this pretty vintage. This wine is a pure expression of the productive Lampia clone of Nebbiolo. Generous layers... Read More

The 2015 Barolo Riserva Ravera Vigna Elena (with 4,000 bottles made) is coming along beautifully with lots of dark fruit packed tight within and a well-developed savory side, with leather, tar and cured tobacco. Now, with the... Read More

Made with whole-cluster fermentation, the Comm. G.B. Burlotto 2016 Barolo Monvigliero opens to distinctive intensity with floral notes backed by forest berry and bramble. Including the grape stems in fermentation imparts a slightly... Read More

The Gaja Winery was founded by Giovanni Gaja in 1859 and has been owned and operated by five generations of the Gaja family. Giovanni Gaja was the great-grandfather of Angelo Gaja, the Winery’s current owner. Currently,... Read More

Along the Tuscan seaboard extending south from Livorno lies the Maremma. For centuries a marshland, it has established itself over the last quarter century as one of Italy’s most prestigious wine regions. The area boasts... Read More

Conterno's 1999 Cascina Francia graces the palate with extraordinary depth and resonance. Sweet floral notes wrap around a core of super-expressive red stone fruits as the wine opens up in the glass. Over the last few years... Read More

Monfortino was not produced in 2016 nor was it made in 2017. The jury is out on whether will see it in 2018 (but I do know that Roberto Conterno is super excited about the 2019 vintage in Barolo, speaking generally). That means... Read More

The 2004 Barolo Cascina Francia boasts staggering depth and explosive intensity from the very first taste. One of the most broading, backward 2004s, the Cascina Francia is one of the only wines in this vintage that I am slightly... Read More

Gianni Brunelli, a man of many interests, established “Osteria Le Logge” in Siena (which has become one of the top restaurants of the city). In 1987 he returned to Montalcino and purchased Le Chiuse di Sotto, an estate... Read More

There is more purple and black fruit in the 2015 Barolo Aleste compared to past vintages from Luciano Sandrone and also fewer of those floral accents that characterize the Cannubi Boschis where this fruit comes from. All the same,... Read More

Luciano Sandrone is one of the leading producers in Barolo. Since their first harvest in 1978, Luciano and his brother Luca have devoted tremendous effort toward cultivating the finest fruit in their vineyards in the best parts... Read More

Luciano Sandrone is one of the leading producers in Barolo. Since their first harvest in 1978, Luciano and his brother Luca have devoted tremendous effort toward cultivating the finest fruit in their vineyards in the best parts... Read More