A vertiginous tight-rope walk between savory and sweet on the nose, from white tea leaf to tart blackberries to bing cherries to damp earth and gunpowder on the nose somersaults into ripe blackberries, black cherries...

The most impressive aspect of the Castello della Sala ethos is its ability to reinvent itself. This latest edition of Umbria's headline white is a true delight. Renzo Cotarella and his team have created an Italian...

Served blind, I'd think this was a top Hermitage due to its smoky character, topped with mint, peppery herbs, barbecued meat, black currants, blackberries, along with a hint of blueberry. The palate is rich, full-bodied...

Crushed dark berries are complemented by violets and underbrush with a gentle touch of tobacco. The sophisticated palate shows exceptional definition and polished tannins that are seamlessly integrated into a core of...

95+ The 2021 I Sodi di San Niccolò is a powerhouse. Many recent vintages have been showier, but not the 2021. It's a wine that is going to require many years to shed its baby fat. Dark fruit, lavender, rose petal, menthol...

Elegant, sweet, juicy, and fresh, there is a purity to the sweet kirsch that defines the wine. The finish focuses on its mineral characteristics that accompany the raspberries, kirsch, and cherries. This is a knockout...

The 2023 HGIII is a tasty entry-level Merlot-based blend from Hourglass. Forward and bright, with lovely upfront fruit, this mid-weight, juicy red is a delight. Drink it over the next few years. -- Antonio Galloni

A particularly pretty and floral expression of Clos Apalta, the 2022 Clos Apalta is beautifully lush and expressive on the nose, combining a deep core of black and blue fruit aromas with pencil lead, camphor and bramble...

An assemblage of 60% Grenache and 40% Mourvèdre, both aged in demi-muids, the 2019 Chateauneuf du Pape Collection Charles Giraud features a hint of brown sugar on the nose, then waves of blueberries, black cherries and...

The 2012 Dominus is a wild, exotic wine. Harvest began on October 9 and finished on the 21st, very late by present-day standards. Ripe red cherry, kirsch, cinnamon, rose petal, incense and rose petal soar out of the...

This enticing red is fluid and silky on the palate, offering a core of plumped cherry fruit accented by notes of licorice root, rooibos tea, vanilla and milled pepper. There’s length and expression without overpowering...

Aromatically complex and intriguing, this offers a spiced plum pastry note that melds with petrichor, pine, dried violet and cocoa powder elements. The palate is round and richly textured, with Szechuan peppercorn accents...

Lush and powerful, yet with lively underlying acidity, this red evokes black cherry, blackberry, mineral and wild herb flavors, all wrapped in an embrace of vanilla and toasty oak. Shuts down on the finish, where the...

Spicy, peppery, black raspberries, flowers, smoky herbs, and kirsch notes are all over the aromatics. The palate is even better with its layers of sweet, ripe, dark red fruits, spices, herbs, elegant, supple-textures, and...

Deep ruby-purple, the 2017 True Believer Reserve features pure scents of red and black currants, potpourri, aniseed and exotic spices. The palate offers generous, graphite-laced fruits supported by abundant, pixelated...

The 2021 Le Petit Clos is composed of 68% Carménère, 16% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot and 1% Cabernet Franc, aged in 50% new oak. It features black and red fruit with a distinct floral bouquet, contrasting with the more...

The pedigree and purity of this red are evident immediately from its black currant, blackberry, pomegranate, violet and wild herb aromas. Saturated with red and black fruit and picking up licorice and mineral elements...

Beautiful stuff and one of the gems in the vintage, the 2022 Châteauneuf Du Pape Cuvée Réservée shows ripe black cherries, scorched earth, sandalwood, and incredibly peppery garrigue and spice. It's medium to full-bodied...

Made with Merlot and a tiny part Alicante, the Tenuta degli Dei 2022 Le Redini shows a dry delivery that is reinforced by dusty tannins and desiccated fruit tones of currant and Fig Newtons. The effect is soft and...

The 2012 Gran Reserva Especial Castillo Ygay is 81% Tempranillo and 19% Mazuelo from Rioja Alta. Delicate and complex, it delivers aromas of soft mint, fine cherry, red fruit, undergrowth and evolved oaky flavors such as...

2017 was infamous in much of Italy for its hot and dry conditions, and the vines here did not miss out. 'It was hotter in 2022,' says Giovanni Mazzei, 'but there was less hydric stress'. The balsamic stamp of so many...

Seductive. Picked just before the Yquem harvest, ripe grapes on the cusp of noble rot, delivering crisp acidity and juicy fruit, a voluptuous mid palate, and a touch of bitterness at the finish, linking back to Yquem. An...

The 2007 Fonseca is maturing nicely, with a perfumed, high toned, rich bouquet of macerated black cherries, blueberry, creme de cassis and vanilla. The palate is very harmonious with plush dark cherry fruit, fresh fig...

Packed with ripe, juicy cherry, blackberry, pomegranate and floral aromas and flavors, this red is supple and beautifully integrated. Earth, iron and tobacco accents add detail as this winds down on the lazy, resonant...

Macerated cherry, blackberry and black currant fruit is shaded by mint, iron and spicy oak in this dense, linear red. Quickly takes on the character of its chewy tannins, yet the ripe fruit lingers. Though balanced and...

The Tenuta degli Dei 2021 Cavalli is a blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Cabernet Franc and 35% Petit Verdot aged in both barrique and tonneaux for 18 months, followed by a brief time in cement. This is an inky dark...

The 2016 Vintage Port is a field blend sourced from the typical three quintas (Panascal in the Tavora Valley and Quinta do Cruzeiro and Quinta de St Antonio in the Pinhão Valley). When last seen, this was in fine form. It...

A blend of Tempranillo and Cabernet Sauvignon, this wine has aromas of black cherry, dark chocolate and violet candy. Flavors of blackberry, Mission fig, mint tea, anise and lavender are intertwined with velvety tannins...