Greg Sherwood MW (92+)

Produttori del Barbaresco makes its Langhe Nebbiolo with declassified Barbaresco fruit (often from parcels on lower slopes) so production volumes are notably reduced in the better vintages when more of the prime fruit finds its way into their delicious village Barbaresco DOCG or indeed one of the classy nine Cru Riservas. This young 2020 Nebbiolo certainly shows great promise with an immediately attractive array of aromatics that boast dark cherry, damson plum, sweet herbs, blood orange and a slight menthol top note. Always wonderfully intense and potent, the palate displays a medium bodied weight of red and black berry fruits, macerated strawberries and sweet cherries with an underlying cool, suave elegance and a fresh acid vitality. The finish is creamy and plush with soft plump tannins, subtle piquant black liquorice notes and a pure, weightless length. Delightfully streamlined and accessible, this 2020 continues a fine run of vintages for Produttori del Barbaresco. Drink from release and over 5 to 8 years.

Greg Sherwood MW (93+)

An impressively substantial wine yet again from Aldo Vacca and this world famous red wine Co-operative. The wine has a real presence showing complex aromatic layers of wild herbs, dried blood orange, botanicals, vermouth spices over pink musk, red cherry and candied red berry fruits. The palate is sumptuously muscular, plump and fleshy, but beautifully mellow and harmonious with a massive red and black berry fruit concentration, spicy herby tannins and an incredibly bold, vibrant acidity that once again underpins the fabulous depth of fruit and fleshy opulence. This is the real deal, a substantial Nebbiolo that simply sings in the glass. Bravo Aldo! I don’t know how you do it, year in and year out, but the Produttori del Barbaresco Langhe Nebbiolo 2021 is an absolute winner. Drink on release and over 10 to 12 plus years.

The collection case contains of one bottle each of:

1. 2017 Barbaresco Riserva Pora

2. 2017 Barbaresco Riserva Pajè

3. 2017 Barbaresco Riserva Ovello

4. 2017 Barbaresco Riserva Rio Sordo

5. 2017 Barbaresco Riserva Asili

6. 2017 Barbaresco Riserva Rabajà

7. 2017 Barbaresco Riserva Muncagota

8. 2017 Barbaresco Riserva Montefico

9. 2017 Barbaresco Riserva Montestefano

The case contains one bottle of each:

Produttori del Barbaresco Barbaresco Riserva Asili 2019 - 94 Vinous
Produttori del Barbaresco Barbaresco Riserva Montefico 2019 - 93+ Vinous
Produttori del Barbaresco Barbaresco Riserva Montestefano 2019 – 95 Vinous
Produttori del Barbaresco Barbaresco Riserva Muncagota 2019 – 93+ Vinous
Produttori del Barbaresco Barbaresco Riserva Ovello 2019 – 94 Vinous
Produttori del Barbaresco Barbaresco Riserva Pajè 2019 – 93 Vinous
Produttori del Barbaresco Barbaresco Riserva Pora 2019 – 92 Vinous
Produttori del Barbaresco Barbaresco Riserva Rabajà 2019 – 94 Vinous
Produttori del Barbaresco Barbaresco Riserva Rio Sordo 2019 – 93 Vinous

Produttori del Carema Riserva 2016 is a world-class red wine, originating from Carema, a small region in Piedmont, Italy. The wine's complexity and elegance are credited to the Neive soil, famous for its mineral content that adds to the wine's unique character. Typifying the workmanship of Produttori del Carema, a cooperative renowned for its consistent high-quality wine production, its Riserva edition 2016 reveals the exceptional vintage.

Produced from 100% Nebbiolo grapes, it delivers an elegant bouquet of roses, tar, and ripe red fruits. The taste, while full and harmonious, hints at vanilla, leather and spices. Aged for 36 months in Slavonian oak barrels, this adds to the wine’s deep complexity. Using traditional winemaking techniques, the hand-harvested grapes are fermented in stainless steel tanks, preserving the wine's authenticity.

Produttori del Carema Riserva 2016 offers a distinctive, mature and pleasant palate experience, proving itself a deserving addition to any connoisseur's collection.

Vinous (98)

The 2015 Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Riserva is classic Quintarelli to the core, with a vibrant cascade of exotic spices, dried flowers, citrus peels and fresh crushed cherries forming its seductive bouquet. Juicy in feel yet deep and complex, it sweeps across the palate with ripe wildberry fruits elevated by a whiplash of electric acidity as violet inner florals arc across the senses. Long and staining but also impossibly fresh, the 2015 leaves a web of fine-grained tannins as hints of plum skin and licorice slowly fade. This is a rockstar.

Wine Advocate (93)

The 2016 Chianti Classico impresses for the heightened level of vibrant freshness and aromatic precision that distinguishes it in a large playing field. Proprietor Maurizia di Napoli tells me that the 2016 growing season was not without its ups and downs. Farming was difficult, and not all sites came to ripeness with the same consistency because it was cooler toward the end of the growing season. Castello dei Rampolla avoids the use of sulfites in winemaking. However, these results are stunning, especially as this is positioned as a more affordable wine. The blend is 85% Sangiovese, 12% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Merlot.

James Suckling (93)

A classic Chianti Classico with plums, strawberries and peaches on the nose and palate. Medium-bodied with very fine tannins and a long, linear finish with brightness and focus. Juicy finish. Drinkable now, but even better in a year or two.

Vinous (96)

Rich, heady and exotic in its beauty, Corino's 2016 Barolo Rocche dell'Annunziata is a total stunner. In the glass, the 2016 Rocche is seamless and silky, with striking textural richness and persistence. Super-ripe red cherry, red plum, rose petal, mint and kirsch infuse the 2016 with layers of nuance. All the elements meld together in a rich, sumptuous Barolo that captures the essence of this great La Morra cru.

Here we have anything but your average Barolo classico... Renato expertly blends his best parcels in Rocche dell'Annunziata (50-year-old vines), Annunziata (26-year-old vines), Boiolo (24-year-old vines) and Villero (30-year-old vines) crus, making this something of a super cuvée. With incredible concentration, structure and balance through to the finish, this is a serious Barolo showing the intensity and classic profile that mark the 2016 vintage out as one of the best ever in Barolo.

Produced from Renato's prized 50 year old Rocche dell'Annunziata parcel. A clay and limestone terroir with a southern exposure. Delicate, perfumed, sweet candied light cherry fruit and so beguiling that for the long-standing disciples of Nebbiolo this Barolo will make you cry it is that sublime. A genius winemaker, a desert island wine.

Produced from Renato's prized 50 year old Rocche dell'Annunziata parcel. A clay and limestone terroir with a southern exposure. Delicate, perfumed, sweet candied light cherry fruit and so beguiling that for the long-standing disciples of Nebbiolo this Barolo will make you cry it is that sublime. A genius winemaker, a desert island wine.

Wine Enthusiast (97)

Iris, rose, botanical herb and dark spice aromas lead the way in this fragrant red, along with an enticing whiff of graphite. Elegantly structured and boasting youthful tension, the vibrant palate deliv- ers juicy Morello cherry, crushed raspberry, cinna- mon and star anise framed in taut, refined tannins. It’s balanced and focused, with bright acidity. Drink 2024–2036

Wine Enthusiast (97)

Glossy, elegant and full bod- ied, this beauty opens with aromas of dark berry, menthol, wild rose and exotic spice. The deli- cious, finessed palate doles out mouthfuls of juicy red cherry, raspberry compote, vanilla and licorice framed in taut, fine-grained tannins. Vibrant acidity keeps it focused and lends youthful tension.

James Suckling (100)

Earthy aromas of bark, sand, truffles, graphite, rust, terracotta and sandalwood rise up from the deep with Burgundian poise; fruitier orange zest and preserved lemons glimmer in their wake, while riper incense and tar lurk in this dense forest of aromas. Physics itself gives way as the line between reduction and oxidation is blurred. There’s such richness to the center palate, but the fruit there is vivacious and elegant, swaddled in robust but generous tannins that breach the outermost reaches of the mouth. The finish is hauntingly long, the after effects of the acidity unworldly. This is certainly in a quiet, reserved stage of evolution, and will need time to fully mature in bottle. Drink in 2025.

The Wine Independent (97)

This Barone Ricasoli 2018 Casalferro is a selection of the best Merlot from three different vineyards with different exposures, heights, and vine age. The first impression on the nose is of sweet red fruits with a slight green note but after time this melts into a background of sweet spice. On the palate it is soft and medium-full bodied with an elegant texture, gentle acidity and freshness and fine tannins. This is a lovely, graceful example of Merlot. Drink 2022 to 2035.

Decanter (94)

Since taking the reins at Riecine in 2016, winemaker Alessandro Campatelli has crafted a Riserva from the 2.6ha 50-year-old Gittori vineyard. It ferments in concrete Nomblot tanks and ages in large untoasted French oak casks from Burgundy cooper Grenier. Pretty strawberry notes provide a backdrop for cinnamon, cardamom and forest brush to shine through. The tannins are supple and powdery, while penetrating acidity rings out on the finish. Plenty of concentration for ageing.

Decanter (100)

Mocha notes on the nose, coffee, cola, vanilla, cinnamon and pink flowers. Fresh with a tannic hold, ample, massy and fleshy but with such clear definition - tannins are mouthfilling but detailed and nuanced so you feel the precision going on as well as the flavours themselves. Feels extremely well worked, all in its place. I love the chewiness, the concentrated ripeness and overall 'in your face' expression because you feel the detail behind it as well as the nuance ranging from primary blueberry, cherry and blackcurrant fruit to more tertiary elements of tobacco, coffee beans, leather, sweet exotic spices and peppery tones. It's lifted and sophisticated, powerful but poised. What a wine! Amazing potential here. It gives you the chills tasting a wine like this. From vines at 450m on schist-based Galestro soils.

Vinous (92)

The 2012 Barbaresco Montestefano is an excellent choice for drinking now and over the medium term, as it is already quite expressive. Soft, silky tannins wrap around a core of dried flowers, red cherries, mint, spices, licorice and leather. The 2012 is a relatively approachable young Barbaresco from Rivella. Drink it over the next 10-15 years.

Vinous (92)

The 2014 Barbaresco Montestefano is a dark, mysterious wine. Wild black cherry, lavender, cloves, menthol and leather add to the wine's somber personality. Readers should expect a potent, old-school Barbaresco built on structure. This is an especially raw, brooding wine for the year, and yet there is so much character.

Vinous (95)

The 2015 Barbaresco Montestefano is a glorious wine that captures Rivella's style at its best. Deep, fresh and full of energy, the 2015 shows a refined side of this highly regarded Barbaresco site, with soft edges that give the wine tremendous raciness as well as immediacy. This is a positively stellar, captivating wine from Guido Rivella.

Vinous (95)

The 2016 Barbaresco Montestefano is magical. Bright and translucent, the 2016 pulses with energy from the very first taste. This is about as classic as things get in Barbaresco today. Sweet rose petal, cinnamon, dried flowers, cedar and mint all give this ethereal, wonderfully nuanced Barbaresco ton of subtlety. A kick of bright Nebbiolo acids and tannins give energy and shape.