Producer: Dehours et Fils
The Dehours Champagne Brut Grande Reserve is the result of an assemblage of Meunier, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, with a great percentage of vin de rèserve, fermented according to Solera methods, embraced by Jerome in 1998.
Producer: Jacquesson
For the 2018 harvest in Aÿ, Dizy, Hautvillers (68%), Avize and Oiry (32%), the previous winter was exceptionally rainy, this was followed by a mild, stormy spring. The weather changed from June onwards, becoming fine and dry, resulting in a particularly early harvest: we started picking on 30 August and finished on 11 September. The vines were in perfect...
Producer: Jacquesson
NV Extra-Brut Cuvée No. 743 (2015 base) is soft, open-knit and caressing. The natural radiance of 2015 comes through in the wine's ample, creamy feel. Apricot, spice, dried flowers, hazelnut and lightly honeyed notes are all beautifully laced together.
Producer: Jacquesson
2019. Winter was mild and dry. Spring frost struck three times and mainly caused damage to our Chardonnay vines, hence the predominance of the Pinots in this cuvee. Summer was dry with heatwaves that caused sunburn. We harvested a very high-quality crop with moderate yields from 12th to 22nd September. The wines are structured, balanced, long and complex....
Producer: Bouquin Dupont Fils
A wonderful champagne, 100% Chardonnay of Avize from vineyards more than 60 years old. A base of citrus fruit melted with the scent, and taste, of a custard where there are also two drops of lemon juice. Delicious and enjoyable.
Producer: Jacquesson
2017, the harvest from Ay, Dizy, Hautvillers (66%) Avize and Oiry (34%). Winter and Spring were exceptionally dry; the beginning of Spring was mild but, in April, destructive frosts ravaged the vineyards, especially in the Côte des Blancs. Temperatures then rose and the weather was good until July. The end of the growing season was hot but very wet. The...
Producer: Dehours et Fils
The Champagne Rosè Oeil de Pedrix is the result of an assemblage of Meunier and Chardonnay from old vineyards. Flowery Champagne Rosè Extra Brut, particularly fine and fresh with a very limited production.
Producer: Podere Poggio Scalette
The 2021 Il Carbonaione is a regal, elegant wine. Silky, beautifully perfumed and persistent, the 2021 is everything I want from Il Carbonaione. All the purity of Sangiovese caresses the senses in a wine that is both textually intense and also light on its feet. Dark red-toned fruit, rose petals, cinnamon, new leather and cedar are some of the many...
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The 2021 Il Carbonaione is a regal, elegant wine. Silky, beautifully perfumed and persistent, the 2021 is everything I want from Il Carbonaione. All the purity of Sangiovese caresses the senses in a wine that is both textually intense and also light on its feet. Dark red-toned fruit, rose petals, cinnamon, new leather and cedar are some of the many nuances that open in the glass. Silky, polished tannins wrap it all together in style. I would give this a few years in bottle, or a healthy decant if that is not possible.
Producer: Jurij Fiore & Figlie
The 2016 Chianti Classico Lamole PuntodiVista is dense, pliant and super-expressive. A rush of sweet red cherry, pomegranate, mint and blood orange give the 2016 a decidedly exotic flair.
Producer: Jurij Fiore & Figlie
The 2021 Chianti Classico Sonocosì is fresh and light in body, all of which make it a good choice for drinking now and over the next decade or so. This north-facing site at 550 meters in altitude yields a lithe, aromatically expressive Classico loaded with character. Vinification and aging in oak keeps the flavors vibrant.
Producer: Tenuta Antinori
Tignanello, is always elegant, but 1990 brings a surprising richness that’s balanced by the wine’s piquant acidity. Absolutely stunning and drinking for the next decade or two.
Producer: Podere Poggio Scalette
The 2021 Il Carbonaione is a regal, elegant wine. Silky, beautifully perfumed and persistent, the 2021 is everything I want from Il Carbonaione. All the purity of Sangiovese caresses the senses in a wine that is both textually intense and also light on its feet. Dark red-toned fruit, rose petals, cinnamon, new leather and cedar are some of the many...
Producer: Jurij Fiore & Figlie
The 2022 Lassù a Lamole offers lemon oil, mint, jasmine and crushed rocks. A wild, eccentric white, the Lassù a Lamole is certainly compelling.
Producer: Tenuta San Guido
The 2020 Guidalberto is a gorgeous, classy wine. Less opulent than it can be, the 2020 impresses with its energy and drive. Sweet red cherry, plum, mint, rose petal, cedar and pipe tobacco all take shape in this super-attractive offering from San Guido.
Producer: Jurij Fiore & Figlie
The 2021 Chianti Classico PuntodiVista is a wild, savory wine. Dried herbs, leather, licorice, incense and scorched earth bring out that aspect of its personality.
Producer: Case Basse di Gianfranco Soldera
The 2007 Toscana Sangiovese is a highly unusual wine from Gianfranco Soldera because it spent much less time in oak than is the norm. Essentially, the 2007 is a small lot of juice that was aging in tank when Soldera's cellar was vandalized in 2012. The shorter time in barrel has resulted in an exotic, racy Sangiovese with intensely forward red-toned...
Producer: Fontodi
The 2019 Chianti Classico is bright, fresh and vibrant. Crushed flowers, spice, sage and red berry fruit give this bold, pungent 100% Sangiovese tons of aromatic and flavor intensity.
Producer: Podere Poggio Scalette
The 2018 Il Carbonaione is one of the most elegant editions of this flagship wine I can remember tasting. Il Carbonaione is usually a rich, bombastic wine, but the 2018 is sleek, gracious and remarkably refined.
Producer: Podere Poggio Scalette
The 2019 Il Carbonaione is silky and racy in the glass. Scents of new oak are a clear sign the 2019 doesn't quite have the density of the very best years, but Il Carbonaione has a brilliant track record of aging.
Producer: Montevertine
The 2020 Montevertine is shaping up to be a jewel of a wine. Dark, powerful and imposing, the 2020 impresses with its vibrancy and energy.
Producer: Montevertine
The 2021 Montevertine is a huge, potent wine. Dark, rich and explosive, the 2021 possesses tremendous depth, maybe too much. Readers will have to be patient. The inclusion of new vineyards in the Docciole sector have altered Montevertine; it's now a darker, more virile wine from mostly younger vines, in relative terms. In bottle, I find it a bit...
Producer: Podere le Boncie
The 2018 Le Trame is a wine of striking translucent energy and nuance. Lifted aromatics and silky tannins let the purity of the Sangiovese fruit come through beautifully. Bright acids and a sense of energy add to the wine's many virtues.
Producer: Tenuta Antinori
Antinori's 2003 Tignanello is a terrific effort. This is a delicious Tignanello to enjoy now and over the next decade. The high altitude of the vineyards was clearly an asset in 2003.
Producer: Montevertine
The 2018 Le Pergole Torte captures all the radiance and intensity of the vintage. Deep, powerful and resonant, the 2015 will be a racy wine once it emerges from its recent bottling.
The 2021 Il Carbonaione is a regal, elegant wine. Silky, beautifully perfumed and persistent, the 2021 is everything I want from Il Carbonaione. All the purity of Sangiovese caresses the senses in a wine that is both textually intense and also light on its feet. Dark red-toned fruit, rose petals, cinnamon, new leather and cedar are some of the many nuances that open in the glass. Silky, polished tannins wrap it all together in style. I would give this a few years in bottle, or a healthy decant if that is not possible.
