The 2019 Rosso is very easy to like with its vibrant display of citrus-tinged sweet wild berries and violets. It’s soft in feel with juicy acids that usher in a balancing mix of tart red and black fruits. Energy remains high as this tapers off spicy with a hint of lime and green apple, which may seem out of place in a Rosso yet works well here. This is a blend of 60% Carignano, 30% Cannonau and 10% Muristellu (Bovale Sardo).

Notes of grilled game and tobacco balance this wine’s rich flavors of baked cherry, molten chocolate and licorice. Dark spices offset those flavors, and lively acidity cools the finish.

The 2017 Barolo Rocche di Castiglione shows all the signatures of this site, all turned up to the maximum. I am not sure I have ever tasted a Vietti Castiglione with this much heft. Super-ripe dark red fruit, rose petal, mocha, dried herbs and menthol all build in an ample, resonant Barolo. Readers should be prepared to cellar the 2017 for the next handful of years, perhaps longer. A whole range of floral and savory notes punctuates the explosive finish.

The 2019 Cannonau di Sardegna Naracu is incredibly pretty and perfumed, aromas of crushed stone giving way to violet pastille, blueberries and a dusting of confectioner’s spice. It’s silky and round, leading off with depths of ripe blackberry fruit, yet gaining in tension as a coating of minerals and fine tannin collects toward the close. This tapers off youthfully structured with echoes of licorice and lavender lingering long. The Naracu is so pretty and an excellent value as well.

Masses of purple-tinged peppery florals, crushed plums and smoky minerals lift up from the 2017 Cabernet Franc. It’s lean and focused in the mouth, coming across as salty and savory with tart wild berries that saturate all that they touch. That said, the 2017 maintains wonderful energy, even through its structured and almost-chewy finish. While this shows a bit of the warm vintage with its intense fruit and gruff tannin, it should still flesh out nicely and drink beautifully over the medium term.

The 2016 Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Riserva is rich and dark with a mix of ripe plums and cherries, complemented by sweet herbs, violets and hints of brown sugar. Its textures are silky, cast across a weighty framework, with a more savory display of red and black fruits, along with notes of roasted almond and mocha. The density and sheer heft of the 2016 is notable, yet the Riserva maintains balance throughout. There’s an underlying structure and acidity here to warrant cellaring, if you so choose.

Le Caggiole is fresh and lively, with chiseled tannins and lifted floral scents reflecting the vineyard's eastern exposition and sandy, marine-based soils. First produced as a single-vineyard wine in 1988, it was reintroduced in 2015 after 20-year hiatus. le Cagguike's subtle elegance provides a fascinating contrast to Poliziano's darker, more powerful Vino Nobile from the clay-laden soils of the Asinone vineyard.

Spicy, perfumed and loaded with character, the 2019 Sauvignon lifts up with a mix of crushed green apples, geraniums and savory spice. The textures are silky and refined, with a pure display of ripe orchard fruits and zesty citrus that contrasts between sweet and sour. Pretty inner florals, notes of chamomile, kiwi and peach resonate throughout the wonderful long finale.