Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
Pretty aromas of black cherries, wild raspberries, crushed violets and savory spices flow from the glass of this elegant Sagrantino. The palate is well-balanced and structured with ample black fruits supported by notes of dried herbs, licorice and black tea, finishing with lifted acidity. Drink 2025–2040.
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James Suckling
This is spicy and a little earthy with ripe dark berries, iron and flinty minerality. Slightly tarry, too. Full-bodied with firm, chewy tannins that build the backbone of the wine. It has a tense minerality and steady acidity that frames and highlights the fruit. Well made. Complete and balanced. From organically grown grapes. Drink or hold.
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.