Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
Forest floor, leather, tilled soil, ripe berry and balsam are some of the aromas you’ll find in this delicious red. The smooth, dense palate delivers blackberry jam, espresso, licorice and ground pepper flavors, blanketed with soft, silky tannins. Tobacco and graphite notes linger on the finish.
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James Suckling
Lots of tar, spice and dried-herb character in the nose. Full body with chewy tannins and lots of stone, black pepper and berry on the aftertaste. Stony soil.
Italian Red Wine
While picturesque hillsides, endless coastlines and a favorable climate serve to unify the grape-growing culture of this country. The apparent never-ending world of indigenous grape varieties gives Italy an unexampled charm and allure for its red wines. From the steep inclines of the Alps to the sprawling, warm, coastal plains of the south, red grape varieties thrive throughout.
The kings of Italy, wines like Barolo and Barbaresco (made of Nebbiolo), and Chianti and Brunello di Montalcino (made of Sangiovese), as well as Amarone (mostly Corvina), play center stage for the most lauded, collected and cellar-worthy reds. Less popular but entirely deserving of as much praise are the wines made from Aglianico, Sagrantino and Nerello Mascalese.
For those accustomed to drinking New World reds, the south is the place to start. Grapes like Negroamaro or Primitvo from Puglia and Nero d’Avola from Sicily make soft, ammicable, full-bodied, fruit-dominant wines. Curious palates should be on the lookout for Cannonau (Grenache), Lagrein, Teroldego, Ruché, Freisa, Cesanese, Schiopettino, Rossese and Gaglioppo to name a few.