A polished, spicy wine focused on restrained fruit with a leafy touch and spicy depth. Juicy on the palate, this has a ripe and smooth attack, velvety tannins and a slightly leafy finish. Well-balanced. Drink or hold.

Lovely perfumes of flowers and rose stems to subtle red fruits and oranges follow through to a medium to full body. Tight, focused fruit and tannins lead to a crisp finish. Drink now.

This is a serious beauty that reminds us of the brilliant work underway at this leading estate. Yes, ownership has changed over recent years, but this wine remains "Rocche-solid." From an epic vintage, the Vietti 2021 Barolo Rocche di Castiglione is a classic with those elegant mineral notes of glacial till and flake salt followed by carefully ripened fruit, blackcurrant and a finely tuned floral note of fragrant tea leaf that hits the high notes. The effect is ethereal but also precise. Fruit comes from two parcels, one planted in 1958 and the other in 1969, and the blend is half of each fermented together. Fruit was picked on October 1st, and the wine saw 24 days on the skins. The first year this wine was produced is 1961. The Rocche di Castiglione site has 35% sand with marl soils that continue to evolve, kicking out more new sand. Only 3,728 bottles exist, and that's the bad news.

The dusty and floral 2023 Susumaniello Askos offers a refined bouquet of crushed blackberries, incense and exotic spice. Silky and round, its core of tactile minerals adds form toward the close. The 2023 finishes structured and long, leaving a coating of fine tannins and a lingering resonance of polished wild berry fruit. This could use some time in the cellar to come fully into focus, but it shows the complexity that Susumaniello can deliver.

The 2013 Brunello di Montalcino Vecchie Vigne is remarkably pretty, with a bright bouquet of rose petals, ground clove, dusty earth and wild strawberry. It is round and soothingly soft-textured, with a wave of saline minerals to balance as brisk acidity excites its tart wild berry fruit. This wine reverberates with zesty tension, long and intense, with edgy tannins and a saturation of primary concentration that lingers. The future is very bright, as the 2013 is just starting to come out of its shell.

Raspberry and kirsch aromas and flavors herald this aromatic red, along with iron, eucalyptus, wild herbs and spices. Impressive up front yet still needs time to resolve the assertive tannins. Sangiovese, Colorino, Canaiolo and Ciliegiolo. Best from 2028 through 2040.

Rose hip, pomegranate, strawberry, hay and eucalyptus aromas and flavors mark this linear, almost tart red. Offset by firm tannins, while the terrific finish leaves layers of flavor and a mouthwatering impression. Approachable now with food but better in a few years. Best from 2027 through 2043.