($89):  With an unusual blend of roughly 70 percent Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc, Campo alla Sughera’s Super Tuscan is remarkably well-balanced.  The unnecessarily heavy bottle predicts the weight of this 14.5 percent stated alcohol wine.  That said, it retains suaveness and poise. … Read more

($25, Vintus Wines):  The stunning 2020 Lucente could be the red wine buy of the summer.  This Merlot Sangiovese blend delivers a marvelous combination of black fruit and dark minerals wrapped in a suave, silky texture.  Black fruit character is evident, but this is not a fruity wine. … Read more

($78):  Arnione, a blend of roughly 40 percent Cabernet Sauvignon with equal parts of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot, is their Bolgheri flagship.  As much as I liked their Adèo, Arnione is just, well, a much better wine.  Here, minerals balance the lush black fruit and take center stage. … Read more

($37):  Founded in 1998 by the German Knauf family, Campo alla Sughera has become an estate to watch in Bolgheri.  Their ravishing reds represent a variation on Bordeaux blends.  Adèo, a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, delivers bright and juicy red cherry notes supported by mild tannins. … Read more

($19):  Tenuta Carretta’s Barbera d’Alba is a well-price robust red that’s perfect for hearty grilled meat this summer.  Supple tannins allow the immediate enjoyment of its juicy and ripe (15 percent stated alcohol) black fruit.  Barbera’s inherent acidity keeps this racy red lively and in balance. … Read more

($32):  Wines made from Barbera are all over the map regarding character and quality.  Alfieri’s complex Barbera d’Asti shows the potential of that grape and DOCG.  A dark minerality and a “not just fruit” character is a marvelous counterpoint to the lush and juicy black fruit flavors. … Read more

($94, Soilair Selection):  Podere Sapaio, founded in 1999, is making itself known among the Super Tuscan with their flagship wine, Sapaio.  A blend of organically grown Cabernet Sauvignon (70%), Petit Verdot (20%) and Cabernet Franc, the stylish Sapaio impresses with a plush, velvety texture that shouts, “I’m important.” … Read more

($21, Regal Wine Imports):  This zippy Grillo, made from an indigenous Sicilian grape, is a great accompaniment to seafood, even in a hearty tomato sauce, because of austere style and lively saline acidity.  Not an opulent or fruit-driven wine, it is light weight, with a modest 12.5 percent stated alcohol. … Read more

($41):  Made from one of Sicily’s native grapes, this robust red holds its 14.5 percent stated alcohol effortlessly, without a trace of heaviness.  Smoke and other savory accents complement its dark plum-like fresh and dried fruit notes.  Good balancing acidity keeps this mature beauty bright and fresh while fine tannins lend support without astringency. … Read more

($16):  Talented and hard-working producers, such as Inama, are resurrecting Soave’s image that was tarnished and virtually destroyed by innocuous swill of the past.  Now, wines from the Soave Classico DOC from top producers are frequently providing far more quality than their prices suggest. … Read more

($19):  Elisabetta Geppetti’s estate, Fattoria le Pupille, is one of the leading producers in the Morellino di Scansano, a DOCG located in southern Tuscany, near the coast.  Though Sangiovese provides the base for Morellino, as it does in Chianti Classico, the wines from Morellino are typically richer than those from Chianti Classico because of the warmer climate. … Read more

($16):  Verdicchio di Matelica, the smaller and lesser known than Verdicchio di Castelli Jesi, is landlocked, unlike its more famous sibling.  Despite its location, paradoxically, its wines have a more marine influence because this valley in the Apennine mountains was underwater in ancient times. … Read more

($35):  This is just one in the stellar line-up of wines that Mario Zanusso makes at I Clivi.  In the right hands — and Zanusso certainly has them — Friulano has depth, a suave texture, and bright acidity.  I Clivi’s 2021 has all of that and more. … Read more