Italy

Sour cherry, tar and liquorice on the nose, plus a whiff of game. Quite sweet and expressive but with a firm spine of acidity giving shape to the very ripe flavours of cherry, dark chocolate, leather and menthol. Although this is already stylish and approachable, the wine's bracing acids and very good persistence suggest that it will be even better in years to come.

The 2008 Barbera d’Alba reveals terrific integrity of fruit and a racy personality. The very essence here is incredible purity and a great depth, which delivers from start to finish.

Made from old vines in around Neive this Barbera from Giacosa is intense ruby red in colour with a bouquet of black cherries and dark plums with hints of chocolate and spice. Rich cassis fruits and black cherry notes of the palate balanced with smooth tannins and a long, full finish.

94 Points - Antonio Galloni

The 2006 Syrah is a big, massive effort loaded with dark fruit, tar, licorice, earthiness and game. This is a decidedly powerful, intense wine that needs some time in the glass for the varietal notes to fully emerge. The wine’s balance is impeccable.

96 Points - Antonio Galloni

Il Marroneto's 2011 Brunello di Montalcino is one of the wines of the vintage. Silky, open-knit and gracious, the 2011 boasts superb elegance and all of the finesse that is typical of Montalcino's northern sector. Rose petal, sweet red berry and lifted, minty notes grace the palate in a sensual, silky Brunello endowed with class and pedigree. The classic sense of tannin and salinity comes through on the finish, but it is the interplay of classic structure and the ripeness of the vintage that is most compelling of all. Il Marroneto's 2011 Brunello di Montalcino is without question one of the wines of the vintage.

96 Points - Monica Larner (erobertparker.com)

Made strictly according to the Sangiovese playbook, the Il Marroneto 2012 Brunello di Montalcino shows that exacting Sangiovese precision and personality. This is Alessandro Mori's greatest talent. He takes this workhorse grape and gives it a platform to articulate its most hidden and intricate inner feelings and sentiments. This is a bright and very tight red wine that will benefit from more years to flesh out further. All those budding aromas of wild berry, licorice, cola, and blue flower are strategically in place and ready to explode in time. The wine opens to a luminous dark ruby color and a compact mouthfeel that is spicy and fresh on the close. This is an impressive annata wine that shows the personal evolution of a man and his estate.

Fresh and lively with peach, pear and rocky mineral scents, the palate is layered with conference pear, green apple, white blossom, a touch of soft spice and a mineral freshness. There is considerable concentration and structure alongside a delicious salty quality leading to a long and elegant finish. This extremely appealing wine would partner well with almost any seafood dish.