"Dogliani" is a new DOCG which denotes highest quality wines produced from Dolcetto grapes in this cooler, higher elevation growing area in this southern part of Piemonte. Pronounced "TETCH" as in 'Einaudi have the touch' with Dolcetto. Produced from 100% Dolcetto fruit from select marl/calcareous and clay soils from 2 hectares of favored old hillside vineyards on the estate near the village of Dogliani, Einaudi Vigna Tecc Dogliani is a Dolcetto of superb concentration and breed: deep ruby in color with glimmers of violet; suggestive aromas of fleshy berry fruit, underbrush, Alpine-informed Piemontese soils, truffle and liquirizia; ample, almost richly textured on the tongue, with gentle rounded tannins and tantalizing and intense berry fruit flavors and that telltale hint of bitter almond stretching out long on the finish. La Dolcetto Vita, indeed!

The 2006 Brunello di Montalcino is another superb Brunello from Il Poggione. The ripeness of the vintage meets a classic sense of structure as this bold, full-bodied wine takes shape in the glass. The 2006 doesn’t have the elegance or finesse of the 2004, instead it offers a decidedly more virile, masculine expression of Sangiovese. Dark cherries, tobacco, smoke and underbrush wrap around a wall of tannin as the finish builds to a majestic close. Il Poggione’s Brunello remains one of the best values in fine, cellar-worthy wine. Anticipated maturity: 2016-2036. Rated 94. ‑ Antonio Galloni, Robert M. Parker, Jr.’s The Wine Advocate Issue 194, May 2011

Saturated, bright deep red. Knockout perfumed nose offers redcurrant, sour cherry, menthol, licorice and minerals, with darker berry notes emerging with air. Superconcentrated, sweet and vivid, with chewy primary fruit flavors lifted by an element of candied rose. This full, extract-rich wine finishes with broad, serious, noble tannins, strong minerality and outstanding thrust and length. A pristine Brunello that should evolve slowly and enjoy a long life in bottle. Rated 94(+?). ‑ Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar July/August 2011

The 2006 Brunello di Montalcino is a pretty, mid-weight offering graced with crushed flowers, dried cherries, spices and sweet herbs. Menthol, licorice and roses add complexity on the high-toned, feminine finish. Already pretty approachable, the estate’s 2006 Brunello looks to be an excellent choice for near and mid-term drinking. The Brunello spent 36 months in large Slavonian and French oak casks. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2024. Rated 91. ‑ Antonio Galloni, Robert M. Parker, Jr.’s The Wine Advocate Issue 194, May 2011

The single-vineyard 2004 Brunello di Montalcino La Casa is a sweet, layered offering that blossoms on the palate with notable elegance and class. The wine continues to build, showing terrific volume and density as its dark fruit accompanies the tannins all the way to the finish. This is an intense, brooding Brunello in need of bottle age, but its qualities are impossible not to admire even at this early stage. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2024. Rated 93. ‑ Antonio Galloni, Robert M. Parker, Jr.'s The Wine Advocate Issue 183, June 2009

Good deep red. Flamboyantly lively aromas of maraschino cherry, minerals, licorice, flowers and building Christmas spices. Round, sweet and pliant; a sexy, rather modern-style fruit bomb, with rich, sappy flavors of cherry, raspberry and spices. Finishes with dusty tannins and impressive energy. Rated 91. ‑ Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar July/August 2009

A floral and perfumed nose, with raspberries and blackberries. Full-bodied, with racy tannins and a dense yet refined palate. A little tight still. Give it a little more bottle age. Best after 2010. 1,665 cases made. Rated 93. ‑ JS, Wine Spectator

Shows a complex nose of blackberry, tanned leather, sandalwood and cedar. Fascinating. Full-bodied, with supersilky tannins and a long, long finish. Concentrated yet balanced. Beautiful and complete. Best after 2011. 17,000 cases made. Top 100, 2009. Rated 95. ‑ JS, Wine Spectator

The 2004 Brunello di Montalcino is a big, super-ripe wine bursting with fruit. This deep, concentrated Brunello is incredibly fresh and vibrant. Although the sweet tannins make the wine very accessible at this stage, readers in search of a more complex drinking experience will want to give this Brunello a few years in bottle. The 2004 Brunello from Castelgiocondo is a lovely effort from the Frescobaldi family and one of the finest vintages to be produced at the property. Anticipated maturity: 2011-2022. Rated 90. ‑ Antonio Galloni, Robert M. Parker, Jr.'s The Wine Advocate Issue 183, June 2009

Silky and elegant, offering cherry, raspberry, currant and violet aromas and flavors. Detailed and firmly structured, with refined tannins and a lingering aftertaste of red fruits. A Brunello of finesse and harmony. Best from 2012 through 2028. 2,900 cases made. Rated 95. Collectibles. ‑ Bruce Sanderson, Wine Spectator, August 31, 2011

When Andrea Costanti’s wines are on – as they are here – they are among the most enjoyable of the entire appellation. The slightly updated yet traditional style is immensely appealing... The 2006 Brunello di Montalcino is a dazzling wine. The aromatics alone are haunting. Sweet red cherries, rosemary, sage, tobacco and cedar are woven into a fabric of nearly indescribable elegance. Costanti’s straight Brunello can sometimes lack a little depth in its fruit, but not in 2006. This totally complete, harmonious Brunello is shaping up to be one of the wines of the vintage. It is a stunner. As delicious as the wine is now, it really needs at least a handful of years for the firm tannins to start melting away. Anticipated maturity: 2016-2031. Rated 95+. ‑ Antonio Galloni, Robert M. Parker, Jr.'s The Wine Advocate Issue 194, May 2011

Bright medium red. Knockout nose suggests a wine of strong extract and extends one's Brunello vocabulary: cherry, peach pit, licorice, lead pencil, honey, jasmine, botanical herbs, you name it. Dry, classic and sharply delineated, conveying a strong impression of energy allied with great delicacy. This manages to be very ripe, broad and silky and at the same time virtually weightless. Finishes sweet, pliant, minerally and very long. With aeration, though, this shut down dramatically in my glass and showed a leathery element. One for the cellar. Rated 93(+?). ‑ Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar Issue 145, July/August 2009

High-toned aromatics lead to a firm, taut expression of fruit in Costanti’s 2004 Brunello di Montalcino. Wild herbs, red cherries, tobacco and flowers are just some of the nuances that emerge from this chiseled, traditionally-made Brunello. The wine possesses gorgeous length and finessed tannins that provide lovely balance. Today the wine is clenched and unexpressive, but it should come together in bottle. That said, numerous bottles of this Brunello have failed to deliver the magic I found when I tasted the wine from tank prior to bottling. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2024. Rated 90. ‑ Antonio Galloni, Robert M. Parker, Jr.'s The Wine Advocate Issue 183, June 2009

Fuligni’s 2006 Brunello di Montalcino is one of the stars of the vintage. Sweet floral notes weave through a core of expressive red fruit as the wine opens up in the glass. The 2006 shows incredible purity and finesse, most notably in its silky, polished tannins. This isn’t a blockbuster, but rather a wine that conquers through its sheer finesse. The wine spent 27 days on the skins. The volume and weight are influenced by the modern school, everything else is traditional all the way. The 2006 is the first vintage in which the percentage of French oak has been dropped to 25%, which has allowed the purity of the fruit to shine through to a degree that I have seldom, if ever, seen here. Rain during June naturally lowered yields and may partly explain why Fuligni’s 2006 is so phenomenal. Simply put, readers won’t want to miss this superb Brunello. Drink: 2016-2031. Rated 96. ‑ Antonio Galloni, Robert M. Parker, Jr.’s The Wine Advocate Issue 194, May 2011

A younger and more accessible Tuscan red from one of our favorite producers of Brunello di Montalcino: Il Poggione Rosso di Montalcino is produced from 100% Sangiovese grapes handpicked from younger vines on the estate — a baby Brunello, if you will. This 2008 vintage is brightish ruby red in color and decidedly red-fruited on the nose, with aromas suggestive of red berry, tart cherry, saddle leather, sun-drenched underbrush and dusty earth; medium-full in body (fuller still with some air), almost velvety in texture with substantial fine, crisp dusty tannins and red-fruit flavors that burst with a kind of Mediterranean warmth toward the mouthwatering finish. Baby Brunello? Sure! But this Il Poggione Rosso is in and of itself an absolutely delicious Tuscan red wine!

The 2007 Fontalloro is round, sweet and inviting, very much in keeping with the style of the vintage. The fruit tends towards the redder end of the spectrum vis-a-vis the Rancia and the Fontalloro seems to possess a touch more freshness. Floral, spiced notes add lift on the finish. As attractive as the 2007 Fontalloro is, and it is very pretty, the wine does not have a particularly bright track record of developing the noblest aromas and flavors in bottle. In my experience, it is better to err on the side of youth in deciding when to drink Fontalloro. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2022. Rated 93. ‑ Antonio Galloni, Robert M. Parker, Jr.'s The Wine Advocate Issue 191, October, 2010

The 2007 Chianti Classico Riserva Rancia bursts onto the palate in a big, brooding expression of Sangiovese from Castelnuovo Berardenga. Muscular and dense to the core, the 2007 powers all the way through to the long finish. Hints of smoke, tar, leather and scorched earth emerge over time, but only with great reluctance. In a vintage where so many wines are open, the Rancia comes across as quite stubborn and in need of at least five more years in bottle. That said, it is a standout, not to mention one of the greatest values in fine, age-worthy wine. In a second tasting the 2007 Rancia came across as decidedly more elegant and restrained in style, so it will be interesting to see where this ultimately settles within the context of recent vintages. Today I don’t think the 2007 has the elegance of the 2004 nor the power and ageworthiness of the 2006, but we will see. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2027. Rated 94. ‑ Antonio Galloni, Robert M. Parker, Jr.'s The Wine Advocate Issue 191, October, 2010

The house of Antinori has produced Chianti Classico, one of the most widely known wines in the world, for centuries. Villa Antinori Chianti Classico was introduced in 1928 by Niccolò Antinori, Piero Antinori's father, as the first Chianti produced specifically to improve with age. This venerable bottling has been renovated in recent years from Chianti Classico to something a bit more super-Tuscan, now co-mingling the cherished Sangiovese together with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah from Antinori estate vineyards in Tuscany, melding the warm-blooded, passionate qualities of fine Tuscan Sangiovese with the suavity and cool sophistication of the international. Aged for 12 months in French, Hungarian and American oak barrels and another 8 months in bottle prior to release, this 2007 Villa Antinori Toscana Rosso is deep ruby red in color with aromas that would suggest dried cherries and saddle leather with a wisp of cassis, tobacco leaf and vanillin from oak-aging; medium-full in body with just a touch more richness than the most recent vintages, finely-polished in texture and then expansive on the tongue, with ripe round tannins and flavors that last long to the finish.

The 2009 Pinot Grigio is a soft, floral white graced with pears, jasmine and all types of flowers. Enjoy this open, expressive offering over the next two to three years. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2012. Rated 88. ‑ Antonio Galloni, Robert M. Parker, Jr.'s The Wine Advocate Issue 190, August 2010

Made from 100% single-vineyard Trebbiano di Lugana harvested from the San Benedetto parcel on the south shore of Lake Garda and fermented in temperature-controlled stainless steel. Pale straw yellow in color with emerald highlights; aromas of peach, citrus, and herbs; round and ripe, supple and flavorful on the tongue; beautifully sustained by a crisp fresh acidity.

This splendid Veronese red wine from Zenato is long a favorite here in the greater beautiful downtown Austin, Texas area. Produce of 80% Corvina Veronese, 10% Rondinella and 10% Sangiovese grown in the southeast-facing hillsides of the commune of Sant’Ambrogio, the wine takes its name from the method in which it is produced, after the old fashion of the greatest red wine of the Veneto region, Amarone della Valpolicella Classico, wherein selected lots of Valpolicella are "repassed" over the lees of Amarone, initiating a second fermentation, increasing the volume, breadth and depth of flavor in the wine, taking it from something really good to something more approaching greatness. Deep ruby red in color with inviting aromas suggestive of dried cherries and raisined grapes with hints of rose petal and white pepper; smooth and velvety-textured on the tongue with gentle but firm grip of ripe, rounded fruity tannins and a lingering warm and flavorful finish.

A blend of 80% Corvina, 10% Rondinella and 10% Sangiovese from the Valpolicella Classico area. Ruby-red in color to garnet at the rim; fleshy aromas of wild berries, currant, black cherry and spice, with hints of chocolate; robust, full and dry on the tongue with characteristic velvety texture.