Wine & Spirits

Winemaker Notes #5 Wine Spectator Top 100 of 2022 Tignanello 2019 is an intense ruby red color. Complex notes of red fruits give rise to delicate aromas of apricots and peaches with sensations of vanilla, dried flowers, chocolate and spice. Its bouquet is complemented by notes of coffee, caramel and Mediterranean herbs. On the palate, the wine is rich and vibrant with silky tannins. Its lengthy finish and aftertaste bring back coffee and chocolate notes perceived on the nose. Blend: 80% Sangiovese, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Cabernet Franc Critical Acclaim RP96 Robert Parker's Wine Advocate The Marchesi Antinori 2019 Tignanello was born in a classic growing season that saw some cooling summer rains and relatively stress-free conditions. This is an elegant and extremely polished wine made with mostly Sangiovese and smaller parts Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Here too, the small blending element of Cabernet Franc has been slowly increasing in recent years. The 2019 vintage was born with a good amount of power and tannic structure, and maceration times were slightly reduced as a result. This less extractive approach shapes a polished and elegant wine with plenty of bright berry fruit, cherry, dried mint, blue flower, blood orange and rusty earth. The palate is more compact and streamlined. It shows beautiful grace.

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Winemaker Notes Le Vigne is a wine created from four different vineyards, each of which brings its own contribution. The first vineyard, Vignane, issituated in the historical part of the Barolo appellation and shares many characteristics with Cannubi but does not possess the latter'saromatic complexity. The Merli vineyard is located in Novello, with the Sandrone section in a south-southwest facing bowl thatcaptures the afternoon light perfectly. The wines made from here are earthy and robust but with good aromatic complexity. The thirdvineyard, Baudana, is a newly acquired site in Serralunga d'Alba, and gives the wine an additional depth and richness. As of 2011, LeVigne also includes fruit from Villero, a newly acquired vineyard in Castiglione Falletto. Critical Acclaim Wine & Spirits This vintage marks the first time Luciano Sandrone has included fruit from a 3.7-acre plot in Castiglione Falletto’s Villero cru in Le Vigne. Sandrone acquired the site via a long-term lease in early 2011, just in time to manage it through the growing season. It joins fruit from Merli in Novello, Baudana in Serralunga, and Vignane in Barolo, which Sandrone has vinfied separately and woven into a seamless, opulent wine. Polished tannins create a glide path for vibrant raspberry and cherry flavors accented with clove, nutmeg and vanilla. While the rich flavors and silky texture are alluring now, this has long cellaring potential. James Suckling A wonderfully tight and polished young red with dark berry, plum and citrus character. Roses too. Full body, firm tannins and a bright finish. Better in 2017.

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Tasting notes The peculiar growing season of 2011 – a relatively cooler spring and summer, then torridly hot from early August thru the end of the harvest – gave textbook examples of warm-season Nebbiolo character.   The nose is seductive, very fruit forward with great floral and licorice notes. On the palate it is voluptuous and seductive, with long, sweet red fruit, fine tannins and beautiful balanced freshness. As the wine opens, balsamic and spice notes emerge. There are plenty of ripe, soft tannins and subtle hints of wood. The finish is long and clean. This is a Cannubi Boschis to enjoy relatively young, though a few more years in the bottle will not hurt.

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Winemaker Notes Straw yellow. Aromas including hints of pear, pineapple, acacia, hazelnuts, and citrus fruits, with some hawthorn and floral notes. Balanced acidity and soft on the palate, with white peach and grapefruit leading to dried fruits. Pair with seafood salad, fresh, young cheeses and baked or grilled fish. Critical Acclaim James Suckling Lots going on on the nose, with ripe cedro and lemon together with notes of mild ginger, dried white flowers and a streak of dry mineral. Medium- to full-bodied with the same cornucopia of flavors, the lemon and mineral elements showing more and more and sustaining the long finish. This is quite a punchy fiano, and irresistible. Drink or hold.

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Winemaker Notes The 2016 La Jota Merlot encompasses all that is mountain Merlot with a structure to relish. Notes of espresso, dark chocolate, and toast follow ripe blackberry, minerality, and weight on the palate. Critical Acclaim Jeb Dunnuck One of the top Merlots in the report is certainly the 2016 Merlot Howell Mountain from La Jota. This fabulous wine boasts a deep purple color as well as a true “wow” nose of blackberries, ripe cherries, spice, bay leaf, and ample savory, complex herbal notes. It’s medium to full-bodied, has a layered, balanced style, ripe tannins, and a great finish. Drink it any time over the coming two decades. Wine Spectator An elegant style, featuring lilting flavors of red currant and dried raspberry that show hints of cedar and paprika. Fine-edged, with savory richness midpalate. Dried green herbal notes emerge on the minerally finish. Drink now through 2026.

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97 points Luca Gardini: "One of the essential products of the Langhe. From vineyards in Cannubi,San Lorenzo and Ravera, nose of red currant, touches of blood orange and peony. The mouthfeel is juicy, with brackish tannins and a citrus and floral finish. (May 2022)"94 points Antonio Galloni (Vinous): "The 2018 Barolo Tre Tine is a super-classic wine. It reminds me so much of a wine Beppe Rinaldi might have made. Readers will find an austere, taut Barolo built on energy and tension more than primary fruit. It's the sort of Barolo that blossoms only with time in bottle. Spice, cedar, sweet pipe tobacco, dried cherry, macerated red cherry and anise start to open with a bit of coaxing. This is an intriguing wine, to say the least. Drink: 2028-2043. (Feb 2022)"

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94 points Jeb Dunnuck  The 2017 Barolo Bussia has an inviting bouquet of dried apricot, crushed roses, leather, and ripe raspberry. Fresh with cranberry, dried orange peel, and bitter herbs, the palate has driving acidity to match its angular tannins and warming backbone. There is a lot to love in the lineup of 2017s from the Einaudi estate, and the Bussia is no exception to finish out the flight. (AF)  (5/2021) 94 points James Suckling  A creamy and juicy young red with lots of cherry, dried strawberry, black-tea and bark character. Full and polished with chewy tannins.  (5/2021) 94 points Vinous  The 2017 Barolo Bussia is complex and ethereal in the glass. A whole range of floral and spiced notes give the Bussia its striking aromatic presence. Silky and harmonious, the Bussia is already very easy to enjoy. Even so, my impression is that the 2017 is holding back some of its potential. I would give it a few years in bottle. The long, persistent finish is a thing of beauty. There is a lot of wine here. (AG)  (1/2021)

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The 2018 Barolo Monvigliero is a fabulous wine, especially for a first release and in this tricky vintage. Intensely aromatic, lifted and ethereal, with striking complexity, the 2018 captures all of the essential signatures of this great Verduno site. Silky tannins give this weightless, wonderfully translucent Barolo a real feeling of finesse. Barolo Monvigliero Docg 2018 125° Anniversario - Poderi Luigi Einaudi In edizione limitate per il 125 esimo anniversario. Uve: Nebbiolo. Nasce dalla Vigna di Monvigliero in Verduno. Matura in botti di rovere di grandi dimensioni, e successivo riposo in bottiglia ne completano l’affinamento. Colore rosso granato, con sfumature rubino. Profumo di aromi floreali e frutti rossi, ben amalgamati con essenze e spezie. Il gusto è pieno ed elegante, con tannini morbidi e avvolgenti. Presenta tannini netti ed avvolgenti con un lungo e consistente retrogusto. Alcol 14,5%  Bottiglia 750 ml.

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Winemaker Notes Garnet ruby red in color with orange reflections. The bouquet is ample and embracing, with pronounced fruity notes of cherry and plum and notes of tobacco, licorice and cocoa. On the palate, the wine is harmonious, pleasantly dry with soft tannins, broad and full-bodied. Persistent finish. Cannubi is a sumptuous wine, perfect with the full-flavored Piedmontese cuisine such as white truffle -based dishes and braised meat. Ideal with the refined dishes of the great international gastronomy. Critical Acclaim James Suckling Sweet berries, tar and hazelnuts on the nose with some iodine and dry earth. Full-bodied with a solid center palate of juicy fruit and powerful, fine tannins. It’s racy and very long. Needs time to soften. Better after 2023. Decanter A classy, elegant wine packed full of dried fruits, dates, fragrant wild berries, warm spice, and mocha with firm yet chewy tannins. Needs time.

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Winemaker Notes The grapes used to make "Il Favot" come from vineyards which have undergone periodical implantations, and so have a maximum age of 15 years. The skin contact is limited to 6-8 days so to extract few tannins and more colour from the skins themselves, with the result of getting a well-coloured wine with a remarkable softness.

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Aldo Conterno Barolo Bussia 2018 Pleasant dried red berries, pressed flowers and some brazil nut on the nose. Medium-bodied with spicy fruit flavors. The tannins are more in the back seat this year and this gives the mid-palate quite an open-knit mouth-feel. Finishes a little tighter with good fruit and spice. Best after 2023.James Suckling | 93 JS A ripe style, this reveals macerated plum, cherry, spice, hay, tobacco and mineral flavors. This has an elegant feel, despite the dense, refined tannins, with a lasting mouthwatering impression. Best from 2025 through 2042. 1,250 cases made, 720 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 93 WS

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93 points Vinous  Rinaldi's 2003 Barolo Brunate Le Coste is another gorgeous wine. Fresher than the Barolo Cannubi/S. Lorenzo Ravera, the Brunate impresses for its freshness and overall balance. Here the aromatics retain an attractive sense of lift, while the tannins are nicely integrated, especially considering the year. The heat of the vintage is evident, but with some decanting, the 2003 freshens up a bit. This is a wine to open, drink and enjoy without a lot of fanfare. In 2003, the Brunate Le Coste absorbed the punishing heat a little more gracefully than the Barolo Cannubi/S. Lorenzo Ravera. (AG)  (6/2014) 91 points Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar  Medium amber-red. Distinct notes of surmaturite on the nose: plum jam, damp earth, black truffle. Then lush, fat and wonderfully sweet, with liqueur-like red fruit and brown spice flavors showing plenty of energy. A strong, highly concentrated wine finishing with rich, surprisingly suave, horizontal tannins and enticing lingering sweetness. (ST)  (11/2007) 90 points Wine Spectator  Shows wonderful aromas of ripe strawberry, with hints of nectarine. Full and silky, with pretty fruit and a caressing finish. Racy. (JS)  (12/2007)

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