A round and juicy red with berry, cherry, mushroom and wet-earth character on both the nose and palate. It’s full-bodied with integrated tannins that are soft and luscious. Long, flavorful finish. Drinkable now, but better in two or three years.

The 2020 Brut Alta Langa Oudeis opens in the glass with an herbal tinge that gives way to notes of crushed stone and yellow apples. It possesses an inner sweetness and creamy bead of bubbles contrasted by crisp mineral tones and tart orchard fruits. This displays a lovely balance, finishing fresh with hints of almond custard and zests of lime that fade slowly.

Wine Spectator 37 Brunellos from Montalcino's 2020 Vintage

A dark, distinctive version that veers toward black currant and blackberry fruit, showing fine concentration and structure. Iron, earth, eucalyptus and Mediterranean scrub notes augment the fruit, delivering an anomaly for the vintage. Almost feels more like '19 than '20. Best from 2028 through 2045.

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.

Bright with strawberry, cherry, rose, wild rosemary and iron aromas and flavors, this red is expressive but also firmly structured, harmonious and elegant, lingering with a complex aftertaste of fruit, mineral and savory elements. Best from 2028 through 2047. 165 cases made, 25 cases imported.

Past vintages of this wine were called Roncaglie Masseria, but the word Masseria has been removed. The Vietti 2021 Barbaresco Roncaglie draws its fruit from inclined vineyards that produce fruit with finesse and elegance. This pretty wine opens to a note of fragrant flower or heritage rose that accompanies you over a long, silky close. In a good vintage like 2021, vintners could push skin macerations a little longer. This wine saw 25 days on the skins compared to 22 days in the 2022 vintage. Vietti recently purchased land in Rabajà, a site that produces profound wines, and this plot in Roncaglie has a greater presence of sand in its soils, creating more floral and delicate expressions instead. This matures in large oak casks for 24 months, and production is 6,066 bottles.

Cherry and eucalyptus flavors lend a tug between the fruit and savory elements in this fresh and complex red. Rose, tar, tobacco and leafy notes add interest as this turns dry on the finish. Best from 2027 through 2043.

Deep purple in hue, the 2023 Vecchia Modena Nero opens with a bouquet of crushed blackberries, sage and orange sorbet. It’s savory within yet full of energy as vibrant acidity motivates its tart wild berry fruits and violet inner florals toward the close. This leaves chalky mineral tones to linger through the perfumed finale, tapering off with cheek-puckering tension that begs the taster to take another sip.