The bouquet is intense, leading off with a rush of black cherries, cassis, plum, and sweet violets, as the 2018 Bonera blossoms in the glass, becoming more lifted and refined. Its silky textures give way to fleshy, ripe red and black fruits, zesty spices and inner florals. This tapers off long, washing the senses in currants and berries, with hints of grippy tannins that tug at the cheeks, kept fresh through mineral-tinged acids. The Bonera, a blend of equal parts Nero d'Avola and Cabernet Franc, is fruit-forward but also quite balanced, providing a lot of upfront appeal.

The intense nose of the 2018 Timperosse leads off with a mix of crushed cherry and raspberry, offset by peppery florals and sweet exotic spices, and then blossoms in the glass, gaining a refreshing lime-tinged minerality. Silky textures flesh out across the palate, joined by blue and purple woodland berries, cooling acids and a sweet note of violet pastille. This tapers off medium in length, resonating on dark ripe fruit, and still remarkably balanced, leaving a clean yet lasting floral impression. This varietal Petit Verdot, vinified completely in stainless steel, is easy to like from start to finish.

Exotic spices, sour melon and hints of mango make for a captivating display on the 2020 Perricone Rosé Costadune. It’s silky-smooth and rich, delivering ripe cherry-berry fruits and sweet spice, all energized by juicy acidity. A subtle coating of fine tannins mounts toward the close, framing the experience nicely, as this finishes with notable length and purple-tinged inner florals. While it’s a bit extroverted in character, there’s a beautiful symmetry here as balance is maintained throughout. Well done.

The 2015 Barolo Riserva exudes notes of cherry lozenge, leather, dried rosemary, and black truffle. It offers ample fruit up front of red plum, cedar, tobacco leaf, followed by a resinous finish. This is a sturdy wine that feels a touch blocky at this point in its youthful development. Drink 2024-2036.

There are more concentrated aromas in the 2017 Barolo, with strawberry fruit leather, cedar, and dried violet floral tones. The structure is classic and powerful, with tannic grip, notes of burnt orange and plum skin, and an Amaro-like finish. Hold 3-5 years and drink 2024-2042.

Very rich nose with red berries and a dense bead of savory elements, such as fresh earth, mild spice and dried flowers. Full-to medium-bodied with rather sweet and spicy fruit flavors and tannins that are just starting to submerge. Drinkable now, but will continue to improve.

A crisp, nimble red with ripe red berries and some floral notes. Hint of cocoa powder, too Long, clean and fresh finish. Always a good barbera. Drink now.

Super clean nebbiolo with red cherries and berries, fresh acidity, fine and lightly firm tannins and a fruity and nutty finish. Drink now.

Easy-going moscato with clean peaches and pears. Light fizz, creamy texture and a pleasant, medium-sweet finish. Enjoy now.

A sprightly Gavi here with nicely perfumed citrus and chalky aromas and flavors. Medium-bodied and crisp with a tight, clean finish. There’s subtle complexity to this. Well done. Drink now.

Nice aromas and flavors of wild strawberries, almost strawberry jam, with a hint of mild spice. Medium-bodied with fine, lightly firm tannins and a crisp finish. Drink or hold.

Gold

Double Gold, Italy Vermouth Producer of the Year

Black-fruit aromas are ripe and come with hints of rubber and road tar. On the palate, this is snappy and lively, with healthy acidity and dry tannins. A mix of black plum, blackberry, prune and spice flavors finishes firm and dry; drink through 2022. 

Ripe dark-fruit aromas mix with an oaky vanilla note on the nose. This Malbec from the high-elevation SanPablo section of the Uco Valley feels lush and thick, thus blackberry, prune and cassis flavors are not surprising. This runs at max fullness through the finish, with a hint of oaky coconut at the end.

This deep ruby colored wine has aromas of black currant and Mediterranean herbs. It is pleasantly spicy on the tongue, with lush tannins and flavors of black cherry, cranberry, eucalyptus, clove and nutmeg that subside into a remarkably bright finish.

Deep violet red in the glass, this wine proffers aromas of black cherry, juniper, and brush fire. It is lush on the palate, with opulenttannins and flavors of blackberry, cassis, anise, and lemon thyme. The finish offers a parting display of spice and bright cherry flavor.

This red-violet hued wine has a nose of black currant and licorice. It is simultaneously bright and spicy on the palate, with flavors of black cherry, raspberry, anisette, sage and a whiff of marjoram. Deep set tannins cost the mouth, slowly dissipating into a finish marked by an unexpected note of white peach.

This red-violet hued wine has a nose of black currant and licorice. It is simultaneously bright and spicy on the palate, with flavors of black cherry, raspberry, anisette, sage and a whiff of marjoram. Deep set tannins cost the mouth, slowly dissipating into a finish marked by an unexpected note of white peach.

Dark garnet in color, this wine offers aromas of black plum and lavender. Flavors of raspberry, blackberry, sage, violet and pencil lead play on the palate among velvety tannins. There is a splash of Valencia orange on the finish.

This violetred hued wine features aromas of strawberry, pomegranate and violet. It is sophisticated onthe palate, with flavors of black cherry, blueberry pie, thyme and chocolate covered espresso bean. Lush tannins slowly drop away to reveal a slightly salty note on the finish.

Dark ruby to the eye, this wine has aromas of black cherry, violet and gunpowder. The palate offers slightly drying tannins and flavors of ripe summer cherry, black currant, salted toffee, fennel pollen and a soft brambly note. The lingering finish is remarkably bright.

A hint of grilled nut imparts a toasty edge to well-cut flavors of ripe and grainy pear, lemon zest and dried white cherry in this balanced Cava, with a lacy bead. A tangy streak of salinity plays on the finish. 

Balsamic notes of wild rosemary, pine and juniper join the plum and blackberry fruit in this dense, well-proportioned red. The oak is nicely integrated and this cruises to a long, menthol- and mineral-tinged finish. 

From a warm vintage, the Awatere-sourced 2019 Single Vineyard Pinot Noir seems to have benefited, as it doesn't show much of the region's typical green edge. On the nose, black cherries accented by hints of cola and spice abound, while the medium-bodied palate is concentrated and silky-textured, with a gently tannic finish that should support at least a few years of aging.

The 2020 Single Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc boasts potent, pungent scents of boxwood, passion fruit, and grapefruit balanced by riper hints of nectarine and fig. Medium-bodied and plump on the pea-tinged mid-palate, there's an intriguing soft chalkiness to the texture on the citrusy finish. It's a solid effort that captures the complexities of the Awatere Valley.

Pleasant, plummy fruit here with a medium body, light tannins and a clean finish. Fresh blackberry comes through on the palate and then some fresh licorice on the finish. Nice to drink now.

The 2018 Special Reserve red is a blend of 38% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Syrah, 10% Petite Sirah, 10% Carignan and 5% Marselan all aged for 18 months in 50% new French oak. It comes in at 13.7% alcohol. This is really the only place in the lineup where the tannic edge might make you want to cellar this for a year or two. Though even here the tannins are not too hard—just give it some air. Still, this is where the winery pulls out the stops. As time has gone on, this bottling has become very elegant, always demonstrating finesse and focus. So, too, this year. The precision is impressive. It is tightly wound, and there is a promise that both complexity and more harmony will come if you cellar it for a few years. It will become far more expressive. Also bright and fresh, this should be a pleasure to drink with food. At the same time, it is much more intriguing than the rest of the lineup. It has the best structure and the longest finish. Overall, this looks super. Let's start here in evaluation, and we'll see where it goes in time.

The 2015 Primus Cabernet Sauvignon (in reality written Pr1mus), also labeled as Primum in some markets, is a 50/50 blend of wines fermented in new French oak barrels and in 7,000-liter oak vats with dry yeasts. It matured in French oak barrels for 18 months. It's balsamic, with black rather than red fruit, herbal and spice aromas and the characterful tannins from the variety. 2015 was not an easy vintage for Cabernet, and here they had to lower yields after a bad experience in 2014 when they didn't release this bottling. A very good effort for the vintage conditions. 17,500 bottles were filled in December 2016.

The 2017 Single Vineyard Malbec La Pampa was sourced from the estate vineyard in Los Árboles at 1,300 meters in altitude, planted with an ungrafted massal selection at 2,500 plants per hectare in 1997 on alluvial soils from the Las Tunas River in San Pablo. The wine is only 13.5% alcohol despite showing quite ripe on the nose, something that is consistent with the warmer year. It has a wild character and is stony and a tad riper than the Los Jabalíes, also from San Pablo but a little higher in altitude. It's powerful and has abundant tannins. 11,394 bottles were filled in July 2019.

The 2017 Primus Malbec is clearly marked by the warmer character of the vintage even in the higher-altitude places of the Valle de Uco, where the grapes were sourced for this cuvée. It's ripe and has very tasty and developed flavors and still some oak and spice. It has abundant and slightly grainy tannins that would welcome powerful food or a little more time in bottle. 35,280 bottles produced. It was bottled in February 2020.

Despite being marked by the élevage of 16 months in French oak barrels, the 2017 Los Javalíes Vineyard San Pablo Malbec is the finest of the Single Vineyard range in the warm and challenging 2017 vintage. Not surprisingly, this is only 13.5% alcohol and feels lighter than the other vineyard-designated Malbecs. It has the warm and ripe character of the year but cushioned by the freshness of the high-altitude vineyard (1,400 meters above sea level). Wait a little longer before pulling the cork. There is stuffing and balance to make it age nicely in bottle. The chalky tannins make it nicely textured. 5,520 bottles were filled in February 2019.

The nose of 2017 Los Cerezos Vineyard Malbec Gualtallary is full of wild herbs and shows some Mediterranean character, corresponding to a warmer year. The wine is ripe, but less than the 2016. It's medium to full-bodied, with abundant tannins, a slightly rustic character and a finish still marked by the élevage of 16 months in oak barrels. 9,600 bottles were filled in February 2019.

The luxury cuvée 2017 Gran VU Blend was produced with 67% Malbec and 33% Cabernet Sauvignon from Los Árboles in the Valle de Uco. It's a ripe and powerful red with abundant ripe fruit and tannins that would make it stand up to powerful food, and it should provide for good aging potential in bottle. The varieties fermented separately in oak, and the wine matured in French barriques for 24 months. This should be a long-distance runner. 7,800 bottles were filled in June 2019.

A single-vineyard Malbec that feels riper in 2017, the 2017 El Tomillo Vineyard Malbec Paraje Altamira has a character of boiled vegetables and earth. The palate reveals more freshness, and the tannins are fine, with the chalky character from the limestone soils. It's ripe without excess and has a medium to full body. 11,600 bottles were filled in July 2019.

Aromas of raspberry jam follow through to a medium body, picking up a little spice on the way. Lightly firm tannins, but fairly easy going. Delicate expression this year. Drink after 2022.

A medium-to full-bodied red with intense red-fruit character, as well as a tight, fresh-cedar note. Fresh, tasty palate with fine, lightly firm tannins and an almost citrusy, fresh finish. Best after 2022.

Very reserved at the moment, but dig deep and there’s some good dried cherry and wild strawberry character, together with a hint of spice and herb. Medium-bodied, tight and tidy, though not very expressive for this top Barolo site. Should broaden out a bit in time. Try after 2022.

Very ripe, balsamic-tainted red fruit and plum jam, colored by lots of dried petals, such as violets and roses. Full-bodied, round and very silky with fine, lightly firm tannins that have already begun to sink into the fruit on the palate. Long, almost plummy finish. Very gung-ho Barolo with lots going on and more to come. Drink from 2023.