This is a captivating Montepulciano d’Abruzzo with freshly picked blackcurrants, bright elderberries, citrus, bark, dried nutmeg and tea leaves. Medium to full body, racy but structured tannins, linear acidity and a gliding, polished finish. Drink from 2021

10 STELLAR PIEMONT REDS AT 90+ POINTS  

High-toned black currant, black cherry and violet aromas and flavors are accented by vanilla and toast notes in this suave red. Supple and intense, with a lingering aftertaste of dark fruit, licorice and spice. Drink now through 2024. 6,000 cases made, 3,000 cases imported. ~ Bruce Sanderson    

"This is the 13th edition that Vietti has come out with, over the span of 38 years, of this stunning Riserva, a wine that ultimately is produced only about once every four years or so. It was not made after the previous harvest, in 2011. The recent editions have been nothing short of spectacular, earning 100-point scores in both 2007 and 2009 and 99 points in its latest appearance, 2010. It's a series that has set the bar extraordinarily high, and this 2012 Barolo Riserva Villero is a little less exciting in comparison. However, the wine holds its own as one of the most beautiful in the entire appellation and one of the best in the somewhat lackluster vintage. Balsamic and truffle notes pepper the palate of this handsome Barolo, but it's just really hard to reproduce that magic, release after release, for a wine regularly expected to sell at several hundred dollars apiece. 3300 bottles "

Bright black cherry, blackberry, graphite, earth and sweet spice aromas and flavors highlight this firm yet expressive red. Everything is in the right place and lingers with a complex aftertaste. Drink now through 2033. 500 cases made.  

Pianodario is the coolest and highest of the three vineyards, at 800m above sea level. Terraced with dry stone walls to enable farming on the steeply sloping terrain, the soils are shallower here and rich in minerals consisting of volcanic sands, small- to medium-sized rocks, and pumice. The average temperature is 3˚C lower than in the Rampante vineyard, and the wine is marked by higher acidity and tannins – a marked austerity. Vinified in the same way as Rampante, with 12 months in Slavonian oak, this is fresh, cool, aromatic and tightly mineral, displaying characteristics of rose petal and redcurrant. Fantastic length and power.

Lovely purity of fruit here, which ranges from citrus to hibiscus to bright herbs and raspberries. Medium-bodied but spicy and serious, knitting a finely woven texture of tannins and fruit together in harmonious style. Drink now.

The daring nose here beckons you in, captivating with its wide range of dried oregano, rosemary, thyme, dried cranberries, tamarind and lemon drizzle cake. Then it seduces you with its athletic build, casting a steely net of crafty tannins over soft fruit, like chain mail over supple skin. A spattering of acidity rises from the midst, electrifying the whole palate and turning any remnants of dried fruit into raindrops of mineral citrus. Not a hugely powerful wine, but an essay in structure and elegance. Drink from 2024.    

WINE SPECTATOR 2019 TOP 100 #54 

Bright black cherry, plum, earth, vanilla and toasty oak flavors are the hallmarks of this well-crafted red. Balanced, this needs a year or two to integrate more fully and extend the finish. Firm grip. Sangiovese, Colorino, Canaiolo and Merlot. Best from 2021 through 2033. 16,000 cases made, 2,600 cases imported.