Wine & Spirits - April 2020 - 140

IMPORTED NEW RELEASES
notes of cedar, tobacco and porcini. The Gaja
family has worked extensively on canopy
management since the warm 1997 and 2003
vintages, and this shows in the pleasantly tart
flavors of black cherry and strawberry they
achieved in the warm, dry 2015 growing season. The flavors weave together in a suave,
seamless texture, expanding with air while
maintaining precision and freshness. -S.J. §
Terlato Wines Int'l, Lake Bluff, IL
276286

98 | Gaja

$290

2015 Barolo Sperss ^ In the 2015 vintage,
Sperss is like a strong and supple thoroughbred, balancing Serralunga's muscular tannins with taut, fluid red-fruit tones. Notes of
thyme, fennel frond and orange peel bring it
freshness, while the girding of cool iron and
graphite tones promise that this will reward
a decade or more of cellaring. -S.J. § Terlato
Wines Int'l, Lake Bluff, IL
274215

93 | Paolo Scavino

$49

2015 Barolo (Best Buy) ^ This Barolo combines fruit from seven crus to make a balanced, attractively bright wine. Taut tannins
cinch the ripe and generous flavors of dark
cherry and plum, as the wine takes on notes
of licorice, crunchy herbs and orange peel.
Approachable now, it has plenty of verve to
keep the flavors fresh for the next several
years. -S.J. § Skurnik Wines & Spirits, NY
275987

87 | Prunotto

$17

87 | Caldera

$22

2018 Dolcetto d'Alba (Best Buy) ^ This
tangy, easy-drinking dolcetto offers mixed
berry flavors with hints of dark chocolate and
savory smoke. Great for barbecue. -S.J. § Ste.
Michelle Wine Estates, Woodinville, WA
275436
2018 Ruché di Castagnole Monferrato
Xenio (Best Buy) ^ Rose and violet scents lift
the flavors of seeded raspberry and cherry in
this fruity wine, ending with a savory note
that would match up well with duck paté.
Serve it lightly chilled to emphasize the floral
tones. -S.J. § HB Wine Merchants, Hartly, DE

TUSCANY: CORTONA
275990

$22

2017 Cortona La Braccesca Achelo (Best
Buy) ^ This inky wine offers violet scents and
flavors of peppery purple plum. Its snappy
acidity and smoky notes will complement
a grilled burger. -S.J. § Ste. Michelle Wine
Estates, Woodinville, WA

140

WINE & SPIRITS

276704

88 | CampiNuovi

APRIL 2020

$23

2016 Montecucco Sangiovese (Best Buy) ^
Danielle Rosellini and Nadia Riguccini farm
their 31 acres using organic and biodynamic
practices, and ferment this wine spontaneously on ambient yeasts. It offers flavors of
seeded raspberry and red cherry laced with
notes of wild thyme and lavender. Decant it
before serving to soften the meaty tannins.
-S.J. § Ideal Wine & Spirits, Medford, MA
276234

86 | Basile

$15

2016 Montecucco Sangiovese Cartacanta
(Best Buy) ^ A sangiovese with ten percent
merlot, this feels snappy and fresh, with
rosemary scents and flavors of red cherry and
plum. -S.J. § Golden Ram, Miami, FL

R O S S O D I M O N TA L C I N O
275669

92 | Biondi-Santi

$118

2016 Rosso di Montalcino ^ Produced with
fruit from the estate's young vines (less than
ten years old), this Rosso is firm, its flavors
of cherry and raspberry gripped by cool, ferrous tannins. The flavors flesh out with air
to reveal notes of savory herbs and cherry
tomato that balance the fruit tones, but this
will benefit from a few years of cellaring.
-S.J. § Wilson Daniels, St. Helena, CA
276491

90 | Pietroso

DOLCETTO & RUCHE

88 | Marchesi Antinori

MONTECUCCO

$40

2017 Rosso di Montalcino ^ A blend of fruit
from Montalcino's central and southern sectors, this shows ripe flavors of red and black
cherry underlined by notes of tobacco leaf,
thyme and sage. The wine gains energy with
exposure to air, staying juicy and precise
through the bright finish. -S.J. § North Berkeley Imports, Berkeley, CA

VINO NOBILE DI
MONTEPULCIANO
276701

94 | Boscarelli

$53

2015 Vino Nobile di Montepulciano
Riserva ^ A blend of estate-grown sangiovese
with 12 percent colorino, this aged in large
Slavonian and Allier casks for 32 months. It's
elegant and poised, its taut black-cherry flavors accented by notes of sage, tobacco and
orange zest. Fresh, lively and firmly tannic,
it will only get better over the next decade.
-S.J. § Empson USA, Alexandria, VA
275907

93 | Avignonesi

$69

2016 Vino Nobile di Montepulciano
Pogetto di Sopra ^ Pogetto di Sopra leads
off a fine set of Avignonesi releases from the

2016 vintage, a warm season during which
heavy rain and hail required strict attention and selection in the vineyards. Entirely
sangiovese from 38-year-old vines rooted in
limestone-rich blue-clay soils, this was fermented in whole berries with ambient yeasts.
It's juicy and bright, with vibrant red cherry
and raspberry flavors punctuated by notes of
sweet spice. -S.J. § Tabaccaia, Manhasset, NY
276702

93 | Boscarelli

$45

92 | Avignonesi

$45

92 | Trerose

$43

91 | Avignonesi

$45

91 | Salcheto

$35

2016 Vino Nobile di Montepulciano ^ This
is Boscarelli's flagship wine, first produced in
1968 and matured for up to two years in Slavonian and Allier oak casks. The 2016 opens
with high-toned scents of fresh cherry and
orange peel that carry through to the flavors,
which are cinched by taut tannins and propelled by brisk acidity. Appealing now for its
bright fruit tones, it has good aging potential.
-S.J. § Empson USA, Alexandria, VA
275906
2016 Vino Nobile di Montepulciano
Caprile ^ This is the second release of Caprile,
one of four single-vineyard, pure sangiovese
wines that Avignonesi vinifies identically to
highlight distinctive sites on its estate. The
2016, from soils of marine origin with varying levels of sand, silt and limestone, is elegant and supple, with dark cherry flavors and
hints of anise, cedar and toasted almond.
-S.J. § Tabaccaia, Manhasset, NY
275837
2016 Vino Nobile di Montepulciano
Vigna Santa Caterina ^ From a hill of sandy
clay and silt, this is a densely concentrated
wine packed with flavors of black cherry, licorice and dried thyme. Aging in barriques
and larger casks burnished the tannins and
imparted notes of sweet spice. -S.J. § Taub
Family Selections, Boca Raton, FL
275905
2016 Vino Nobile di Montepulciano
Oceano ^ This is reticent and powerful, the
product of dense blue-clay soils rich in limestone. Its dark flavors of cherry and dried
plum are dense and compact, enclosed by
meaty tannins. The wine picks up notes of
tobacco, iron and sun-dried tomato with
exposure to air, lingering on savory and
saline tones. -S.J. § Tabaccaia, Manhasset, NY
276797
2015 Vino Nobile di Montepulciano
Riserva ^ From a biodynamic estate that's
been fully energy independent since 2011,
this is produced according to the governo
method, in which some of the grapes are

Wine & Spirits - April 2020

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