Acclaim

Intense reduction and some smokiness on the nose brings to mind bouncy balls and gasoline before turning over to citrus, flowers and sea air. The palate also plays well in the space between floral and savory, first with honey, tangerines and almond flowers and then bringing in toasted pumpkin seeds, wild herbs and seashells. Well integrated acid creates enjoyable depth and length.

A blend of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Merlot, the Castello di Querceto 2018 Cignale (“wild boar” in Italian) offers beautiful depth and balance. This is a boldly layered Tuscan red that ages in French oak for 18 months. Sweet baking spice, dark chocolate and blackberry confit emerge from the core of this nicely concentrated red. Production is 10,000 bottles.

Sweet herbs mix with plum and wild strawberry notes as the 2021 Rosso di Montepulciano Prugnolo opens in the glass. It’s juicy and round in style, with a stimulating core of bright acidity that enlivens its tart wild berry fruits. This finishes wickedly fresh yet potent, leaving a liquid floral staining that lingers on and on. The Prugnolo is a wonderfully zesty blend of 85% Sangiovese and 15% Mammolo. Drinking window: 2023 – 2026

The 2019 Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Selezione pulls me close to the glass with a dusty mix of dried rose and violets that gives way to dried black cherries. This is a soft and pure expression of Sangiovese fruit, swaying between savory and sweet with salty mineral tones but also vividly ripe red berries. While structured and classically dry, the 2019 remains incredibly finessed and fruit-focused, making for a gently grippy yet still satisfying sip today, but also with medium-term cellar potential. Nice. Drinking window: 2023 – 2027

The 2018 Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Selezione Il Nocio is incredibly pretty, with masses of dried violet florals, stone dust and black currants forming its darkly alluring bouquet. This washes easily across the palate, displaying mineral-tinged blackberries and hints of savory spice. It finishes only lightly structured and delicate in feel, like many 2018s, yet a twang of sour citrus and licorice keeps the expression interesting. Drinking window: 2024 – 2028

The 2018 Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Riserva Sotto Casa is spicy and perfumed; cedar box, incense, clove and ginger nuances complement the dusty black cherry fruit. It coasts across the palate, nearly weightless in feel, with pretty wild berries and a salty mineral underpinning. Lightly structured and delicate in feel, the 2018 finishes with silty tannins, which keep the expression fresh through a bump of residual acidity. While this isn’t the expression I would expect from the typically robust Sotto Casa, it is a very nice interpretation of the vintage. Drinking window: 2024 – 2028

The 2018 Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Riserva Costa Grande is darkly floral yet youthfully understated in the glass, with nuances of plum, crushed rocks and rubbed sage forming its bouquet. It’s soft and round on the palate with ripe black fruits that soothe as salty mineral tones slowly saturate toward the close. While structured, its tannins are sweet and slowly fade under a perfumed air of inner violet and rose. This is such a pretty vintage for Costa Grande, but one that will not require much cellaring to show its best. Drinking window: 2024 – 2030

A camphor hint pleasantly lifts depths of herbal-tinged blackberries, plums and savory spice as the 2018 Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Riserva opens in the glass. This is silky and elegant yet also cool-toned in feel, with ripe black fruits and a subtle touch of sour citrus that adds gravitas. It’s lightly structured through the purple-tinged finale, tapering off with chalky tannins that frame the expression nicely. Give the Riserva a short stay in the cellar to come fully into focus. With that said, as enjoyable and balanced as this is, I don’t expect it to make old bones. The Boscarelli Riserva is a classic blend of 85% Sangiovese and a 15% balance of Colorino, Canaiolo and Mammolo. Drinking window: 2024 – 2028

Lifted white pepper, raspberries, potpourri and a hint of nice, white-pepper funk on the nose. Juicy, light- to medium-bodied on the palate with crunchy berries and red cherries. Very mouthwatering, sappy finish. Attractive. From organically grown grapes. Drink now.

Dark, warming and seductive in the glass, the 2012 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva entrances with masses of cherry and plum sauce offset by cloves, hints of blood orange and a dusting of violet candies. Its textures are like crushed velvet, weighty yet refined, with a wave of ripe red and hints of blue fruit that coast along a core of energizing acidity. A tart twang of sour citrus adds further gravitas, as grippy tannins tug at the palate; and yet the mouth continues to water, as salty mineral tones and hints of red licorice slowly fade. This is a towering expression of the vintage, which will continue to impress for many years to come. I’m not sure how it’s possible, but the 2012 Riserva seems to get better every time I revisit it. Drinking window: 2022 – 2032