2022 Italian Wine

Like their Etna Bianco, Etna pioneer Benanti’s Etna Rosso is a blend of multiple vineyards on the volcano’s northern and southern slopes and is built for pure pleasure enjoyment! As Vinous says, it “wafts up... Read More

Organic/Bio As Vinous says, Gilberto Bonipert is one of the rising stars of Alto Piemonte, the region above Barolo and Barbaresco that reaches into the foothills of the Alps. This is his all-steel Nebbiolo and it’s a treat... Read More

“Gulpable” Chianti Classico isn’t really a thing, but maybe it should be? This blend of 90% Sangiovese plus Merlot and Colorino aged in big Slavonian oak casks would be a fine example. It’s bursting with... Read More

At any other winery, this would be their top Pinot Blanc, if not their top white overall. It's from a super-steep, mountainside, site with barren quartz soils and huge swings in day/night temperature. Wine Spectator describes... Read More

Organic/Bio Complex, stony and salty - what you'd expect from wine grown on a volcanic island in the middle of the sea! The Vinous 93 point review of the 2021 tells you what to expect here: wafts up with a rich bouquet that... Read More

Organic/Bio Complex, stony and salty - what you'd expect from wine grown on a volcanic island in the middle of the sea! The Vinous 93 point review of the 2021 tells you what to expect here: wafts up with a rich bouquet that... Read More

Organic/Bio Complex, stony and salty - what you'd expect from wine grown on a volcanic island in the middle of the sea! The Vinous 93 point review of the 2021 tells you what to expect here: wafts up with a rich bouquet that... Read More

Lower ABV A lovely rose of Montepulciano d'Abruzzo that's dry, soft, and welcoming with building intensity through the spiced cherry finish. As Wine Enthusiast says in the 93 point review, The nose is fresh and floral,... Read More

Built to age, this is Pecorino of enourmous presence and potential. As Vinous says in the 91 piont review, understated and a bit backward in the glass, with nuances of savory herbs, wildflowers and crushed green apples. It opens... Read More

Trebbiano d'Abruzzo is emphatically NOT the boring version found in Tuscany. Especially when grown with care and given a natural fermentation and raising like here. As Vinous says in the 93 point review, seduces from the first... Read More

Lower ABV The debut release from Francesco, Lorenzo, and Caterina Cordero—the grandchildren of Luciana Vietti and Alfredo Currado – after departing Vietti is very impressive. Even the label – done by the Cordero... Read More

The d’Angelo family specialize in site-specific and truly varietal expressions of southern Italy’s best red grape, Aglianico, but with more freshness, suppleness and immediate appeal than you’d find in Taurasi... Read More

D’Angelo was one of the first wineries in Vulture to experiment with aging Aglianico in small French oak, and as this shows, that extra expense creates something very special indeed! All of Aglianico’s earthy power... Read More

One of the finest Barbera in all of Italy whether enjoyed now or with a decade-plus in cellar. As Wine Advocate describes it in the 94 point review, Offering a level of aromatic clarity and elegance that is not always easy for... Read More

This is a fabulous bargain in very high-end Etna red. It's mainly Nerello Mascalese with a smattering of the softer Nerello Cappuccio from sites across the north slopes of the volcano. It’s wonderfully layered and complex,... Read More

Organic/Bio As Wine Advocate said last year, “Giuseppe Russo makes some of the best wines on Etna. Full stop.” And this is Doug’s favorite pretty much every year. From roughly 50 year-old vines at 500 meters,... Read More

Vinous describes this cheerful, fun, Abruzzo Montepulciano well: opens with a darkly floral blend of wilted violets and lavender, giving way to crushed blackberries and sage. It's soft and round with a silken texture and masses... Read More

While there’s a little bit of coppery-pink shine here, this isn’t really a “rosé.” Instead it’s purple-pink-skinned Pinot Grigio picked from Silvo Jermann’s oldest vines, all growing... Read More

Organic/Bio Lower ABV Consistently one of the finest and most complex examples of Marche Verdicchio, this moves beyond just fruit and minerality to add layers of nuttiess and dried floral notes. The complexity comes from old vines... Read More

Organic/Bio At just 37 years of age, this was Riccardo Baldi’s 19th commercial vintage, and it’s pretty clear from this stellar 2022 that practice has very much made perfection. From 100% organic grapes fermented in... Read More

It's tempting to market this with a Gaja connection - Giordano shares the amphitheater-sharped Cavanna vineyard with Gaja, who blends the wine into its normale Barbaresco. But the style here is kind of anti-Gaja, all about... Read More

Biodynamic Lower ABV In an ocean of Valpolicella, Agricola Montenigo stands out for its commitment to biodynamic farming and a noticeable sense of fun. Like here! This is the Valpolicella trio of Corvina, Corvinone and Rondinella... Read More

Organic/Bio Lower ABV From coastal south-eastern Sicily, Dario Serrentino works only with native grapes and in an organic, hands-off, style. This tiny production (100 cases) blend of Nero d’Avola, Grillo, Frappato, Insolia,... Read More

Organic Lower ABV The Veneto is best known for Corvina-based reds like Amarone or Valpolicella and the light Bardolino reds from around Lake Garda. But small growers working in the eastern part of the zone are doing something... Read More

The narrow, steep-sided, pass between Valle d'Aosta and the rest of Italy is a silly place to grow grapes. But Roman troops stationed here needed something to drink, so they terraced the nearly vertical valley walls, built... Read More