($35, Folio Fine Wine Partners): 
Pantelleria is not an appealing place to make wine. An island off the coast of Sicily closer to Africa than to Rome, it’s been described as “a volcanic rock jutting from the sea” where the major activity is “listening to the wind.” … Read more
Category Archives: WRO Reviews
Planeta, Etna Bianco DOC (Sicily, Italy) 2018
($29, Taub Family Selections): 
Planeta is so consistently reliable that consumers can basically pick any of their wines and be thrilled with the choice. Their Etna Bianco, made from Carricante, a grape indigenous to Sicily, is stunning and dispels any notion that Sicily is incapable of making great wine. … Read more
Planeta, Cerasuolo di Vittoria DOCG (Sicily, Italy) 2019
($19, Taub Family Selections): 
Cerasuolo di Vittoria, Sicily’s only DOCG wine, is a blend of Nero d’Avola and Frapatto, two of Sicily’s autochthonous grapes. Planeta’s is simply marvelous. Refined, it delivers a balanced combination of minerals and cherry-like fruit. Weighing in at a modest 13 percent stated alcohol, it is not particularly opulent, but it is particularly penetrating. … Read more
Vivera, Nero d’Avola DOP (Sicily, Italy) 2020
($23, Montcalm Wine Importers): 
I was unfamiliar with this producer until samples arrived on my doorstep. Now, with this Nero d’Avola and their equally impressive Etna Rosso, Vivera is a name I will remember. The fleshy character of this Nero d’Avola presents a great counterpoint to the sleek austerity of their 2019 Etna Rosso. … Read more
Concha y Toro, Valle del Limar (Chile) Pinot Noir Quebrada Seca Vineyard Marques de Casa Concha 2019
($25): 
Valle del Limari, in the north of Chile, is hot and dry, not exactly the conditions that Pinot Noir loves. But Concha y Toro’s shines, in part, because of the vineyard’s location on the banks near the Limari River, which cuts through the coastal range of mountains and allows cooling Pacific Ocean air to bath the grapes. … Read more
Concha y Toro, Peumo (Cachapoal Valley, Chile) Carmenere Marques de Casa Concha 2019
($25): 
Carmenere (often spelled Carménère), originally and still planted in Bordeaux, has taken off in Chile. Growers there confused the grape with Merlot (which was often planted in the same areas long before precise record keeping became the norm) and wound up harvesting it too early, which led to weedy, green flavors in the wine. … Read more
Sonoma-Cutrer, Russian River Valley (Sonoma County, California) Pinot Noir 2019
($30): Sonoma-Cutrer, a leading Sonoma producer, bottles a bevy of Pinot Noirs. T
his, their “entry level” offering, is a good example of Russian River Pinot Noir. Though fruit-focused, attractive earthy, leafy notes appear with air and add complexity. Its fruitiness comes through in the finish as a hint of sweetness. … Read more
Las Moradas de San Martin, Vinos de Madrid DO (Spain) Garnacha “Initio” 2011
($25): 
First, please note that this decade-old wine is the current release. Secondly, if you read the label and note its 15 percent stated-alcohol, you might be put off. Don’t be. I can’t explain it, but Garnacha can carry that level of alcohol beautifully, as this wine shows. … Read more
Pasqua Vigneti e Cantine, Amarone della Valpolicella DOCG (Veneto, Italy) “Famiglia Pasqua” 2016
($45): 
Amarone, by type, is a big wine because regulations require that it be made from partially dehydrated grapes. Its power comes from the concentration of sugar, resulting in higher alcohol, acids and everything else that occurs as the grapes dry and shrivel. … Read more
Pasqua Vigneti e Cantine, Amarone della Valpolicella DOCG (Veneto, Italy) “Mai Dire Mai” 2012
($105): 
Never say never, the translation of Mai Dire Mai, as in “I never like Amarone,” is appropriate for this massive wine. I’m not usually a fan of Amarone because they can be overwhelming. And that’s what you’d expect from one with a stated-alcohol of 16.5 percent. … Read more
Tenuta Carretta, Roero Riserva DOCG (Piedmont, Italy) “Bric Paradiso” 2016
($35): 
The red wines from the Roero DOC, just across the river from Barolo and Barbaresco are under-rated and fly under the radar as Michael Franz, my friend and colleague at WineReviewOnline.com, has pointed out. Juicy and succulent, this youthful example shows just how impressive the wines from this DOC can be. … Read more
Tenuta Carretta, Barbaresco Riserva DOCG (Piedmont, Italy) “Cascina Bordino” 2015
($55, Consortium Wine and Spirits Imports): 
With prices of Barolo and Barbaresco going higher and higher, this wine should be on every Piedmont-lovers list. Its relative bargain status — I hate to call a $55 wine a bargain, but it is — could be due to the 2015 vintage, an excellent year overshadowed by the hype justifiably afforded the 2016s. … Read more
E. Guigal, Crozes-Hermitage (Rhône Valley, France) Blanc 2018
($28): 
Guigal, an undisputed leader in the Rhône, shows his considerable talents with this white wine from what is best known for its reds. White wine from Crozes-Hermitage comprises less than ten percent of the appellation’s total production. This one, a blend of mostly (90+ percent) of Marsanne with Roussanne providing the remainder, delivers delicate and refined stone fruit flavors with wonderful acidity, a characteristic often lacking in Rhône whites. … Read more
Coen, Uco Valley (Mendoza, Argentina) Malbec 2020
($25): 
Full disclosure: I’m prejudiced against Malbec because all too often it produces a plodding, hit-you-over-the-head red wine. But, that’s why you keep tasting. This one does not fit my prejudicial paradigm. It’s a big wine, to be sure, but balanced and, most importantly, fresh. … Read more
Peconic Bay Vineyards, North Fork of Long Island (New York) Riesling 2020
($28): 
Move over Finger Lakes. Here is a terrific Riesling from Long Island. It delivers a masterful blend of delicate fruitiness — think subtle peaches — offset by zesty acidity. Clean and pure, it gives the impression of sweetness, then it disappears. … Read more
Dominique Piron, Coteaux Bourguignons (Burgundy, France) 2016
($12): 
Coteaux Bourguignons, a relatively new appellation in Burgundy, has few rules, allowing growers broad latitude. They can blend Burgundy’s Pinot Noir and Beaujolais’s Gamay, along with a couple of obscure varieties, grown anywhere in Burgundy from Chablis in the north to Beaujolais in the south. … Read more
Dominique Piron, Beaujolais Blanc (Burgundy, France) 2019
($20, Baron Francois): 
Yes, some Beaujolais is white. And it’s worth looking for because it frequently delivers great value. As white Burgundies, even from the Mâconnais, rise in price, consumers need to search elsewhere for value for French Chardonnay-based wines. Made exclusively from Chardonnay, white Beaujolais accounts for only about five percent of the region’s production. … Read more
Résonance, Willamette Valley (Oregon) Pinot Noir 2017
($37): 
Résonace is just another example of how the Burgundians believe in the potential of the Willamette Valley, especially for Pinot Noir. Drouhin started what is now a trend with establishment of Domaine Drouhin Oregon three decades ago. Maison Louis Jadot, another stellar Burgundy producer, purchased the 20-acre Resonance Vineyard in the Yamhill-Carlton AVA in 2013 and expanded by buying the Découverte Vineyard in the Dundee Hills AVA. … Read more
Résonance, Willamette Valley (Oregon) Pinot Noir 2018
($37): 
The 2018 Résonance Pinot Noir is Jadot’s eighth vintage. Unsurprisingly, the wines just get better and better. Their 2018 is riper and slightly more robust — black cherries rather than red ones — than their 2017, yet conveys the same lovely freshness and vivacity. … Read more
Ravines Wine Cellars, Finger Lakes (New York) Dry Riesling 2018
($17): 
Despite its northern location and frigid winters, the Finger Lakes region of New York State is well suited for Riesling and other European grape varieties. The lakes are remarkably deep, so the water moderates the temperature of the surrounding shores, allowing Vitus Vinifera planted close by the waters’ edge to survive the winter. … Read more
Dr. Konstantin Frank, Finger Lakes (New York) Dry Riesling 2018
($17): 
The story of the founding of the Dr. Konstantin Frank winery is nothing short of phenomenal. He went from arriving in the U.S. in 1951 as an emigrant from the Ukraine, speaking no English and with virtually no money, to making one of America’s finest Rieslings from a place where no one had thought of planting that grape. … Read more
Ravines Wine Cellars, Finger Lakes (New York) Dry Riesling Argetsinger Vineyard 2017
($32): 
Ravines may not have the storied history of Dr. Konstantin Frank, but they are making sensational Rieslings as well, as demonstrated by this single vineyard bottling and their “regular” one. Morton Hallgren, winemaker and owner with his wife, Lisa, identified the Argetsinger Vineyard as a top spot for Riesling shortly after establishing their winery in 2001 and have produced a single-vineyard bottling every year.… Read more
Bodegas Muriel, Rioja DOC Reserva (Spain) Fincas de la Villa 2016
($18, Quintessential Wines): 
One of the many charms of Rioja is the ability to find wines with aged character at a reasonable, dare I say, bargain, price. This one displays the balanced combination of fresh and dried fruits, the latter of which comes from bottle age. … Read more
Viña Eguia, Rioja DOC (Spain) Tempranillo 2018
($13, Quintessential Wines): 
Bargain alert. Light, bright and zesty, this Rioja would fit into my category of “pizza wine” if it came from Italy. So, call it a tapas wine instead. But you get the point. Though it’s a lightweight red, its lively red fruitiness allows you to serve it with barbecued chicken. … Read more
Vivera, Nero d’Avola DOP (Sicily, Italy) 2020
($23, Montcalm Wine Importers): I was unfamiliar with this producer until samples arrived on my doorstep. Now, with this Nero d’Avola and their equally impressive Etna Rosso, Vivera is a name I will remember. The fleshy character of this Nero d’Avola presents a great counterpoint to the sleek austerity of their 2019 Etna Rosso. … Read more
Vivera, Etna Rosso DOC (Sicily, Italy) 2019
($34, Montcalm Wine Importers): 
Wines made from grape grown on the lava-rich slopes of Sicily’s Mount Etna transmit their origins beautifully and precisely. The cherry-like fruitiness of this Etna Rosso takes a back seat to its angular lava-tinged character. Wonderfully austere, this sleek wine delivers a saline-like freshness. … Read more
Canavere di Giacosa Fratelli, Barbera d’Alba DOC (Piedmont, Italy) Bussia 2019
($24, Montcalm Wine Importers): 
The versatility of Barbera helps explain its popularity. Typically bright and fresh, like this one, they are a “go-to” choice for many tomato-based pasta dishes. This one’s raspberry-like fruitiness and mild tannins means that it could take a chill nicely in the waning days of summer. … Read more
St. Innocent, Willamette Valley (Oregon) Chardonnay Freedom Hill Vineyard 2018
($36): 
The Freedom Hill Vineyard, located in the foothills of the Coast Range ten miles southwest of Salem, benefits from the warmth of the valley floor (which aids ripening) and night time ocean breezes (which lower temperatures and allows grapes to hold acidity). … Read more
St. Innocent, Willamette Valley (Oregon) Chardonnay Freedom Hill Vineyard “Cuvée La Liberté 2018
($53): 
The Cuvée La Liberté is a cellar selection of the best barrels of St. Innocent’s Freedom Hill Vineyard Chardonnay. They consider it their top Chardonnay, making fewer than 100 cases of it compared to 1,100 cases of Freedom Hill Vineyard Chardonnay. … Read more
Jordan, Russian River Valley (Sonoma County, California) Chardonnay 2019
($36): 
Jordan continues to do what they have always done and do best. They make two wines, a Cabernet Sauvignon and this one, a Chardonnay. There are no reserve wines, no special bottlings, no block selections. All their talents and energy go into those two wines. … Read more
Ornellaia, Toscana IGT (Tuscany, Italy) “Le Volte” dell’Ornellaia 2019
($26, Folio Fine Wine Partners): 
No one needs an introduction to Ornellaia, a Bordeaux-blend and one of Italy’s greatest wines. But some explanation about Le Volte is important since even Ornellaia’s website reveals few details of this wine. Ornellaia took a giant leap in quality in 1997 when they introduced Serre Nuove dell’Ornellaia, a second wine, also a Bordeaux-blend. … Read more
Bertinga, Toscana IGT (Tuscany, Italy) 2016
($75, Massanois): 
Located in Gaiole in Chianti in the heart of the Chianti Classico region, Bertinga is a new venture. The 2016s are their first release. After tasting their wines, I have a feeling their success is not beginner’s luck. Their 50 or so acres of vineyards are planted exclusively with Sangiovese and Merlot. … Read more
Bertinga, Toscana IGT (Tuscany, Italy) “Volta di Bertinga” 2016
($169, Massanois): 
This 100 percent Merlot is equally expressive and explosive as Bertinga’s Punta di Adine, just in an entirely different way. While Punta displays red fruit qualities, Volta di Bertinga is all about black fruit complemented by tar-like minerality. It’s a wonderful red-black contrast. … Read more
Bertinga, Toscana IGT (Tuscany, Italy) “Punta di Adine” 2016
($119, Massanois): 
This gorgeous wine comes exclusively from Sangiovese planted in a six-acre vineyard in Gaiole in Chianti that sits at an altitude of about 1,800 feet. The elevation moderates the temperature, especially at night, which allows the grapes to retain more acidity. … Read more
Villa Vignamaggio, Chianti Classico Gran Selezione (Tuscany, Italy) “Monna Lisa” 2017
($55, Montcalm Wine Importers): 
Gran Selezione is a relatively new quality category, aiming to represent the pinnacle of a producer’s Chianti Classico production. This gorgeous wine certainly achieves that distinction. It’s all the more impressive considering Villa Vignamaggio managed to produce such a stellar wine in 2017, a difficult year for Chianti Classico. … Read more
Villa Vignamaggio, Chianti Classico DOCG (Tuscany, Italy) “Terre di Prenzano” 2018
($25, Montcalm Wine Importers): 
Villa Vignamaggio’s 2018 Chianti Classico is textbook Chianti Classico and reminds us why that category is so popular. Made entirely from Sangiovese, this mid-weight wine delivers the ideal combination of dark fruit and savory nuances, all wrapped in a suave texture. … Read more
Lunae Bosoni, Liguria di Levante IGT (Liguria, Italy) Ciliegiolo 2019
($35, Montcalm Wine Importers): 
Ciliegiolo, named supposedly because of cherry-like flavor, is a grape variety common in Tuscany where it is sometimes blended with Sangiovese in Chianti or its subzones, such as Chianti Classico. Bosoni has done a marvelous job with it as a varietal wine in Liguria, not surprisingly since this is such a talented producer. … Read more
Guicciardini Strozzi, Maremma Toscana DOC (Tuscany, Italy) “MoMi” 2018
($35, Montcalm Wine Importers): 
Unsurprisingly, given the stature of the producer, this wine manages a presence without being powerful or in your face. Its unusual blend, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese, Petit Verdot and Montepulciano, speaks to the experimentation going on in the Maremma. … Read more
Paolo Manzone, Barolo DOCG (Piedmont, Italy) Meriame 2016
($50, Romano Brands): 
Paolo Manzone is a top producer of Barolo who happens to fly under most peoples’ radar. This Barolo, from the Meriame cru in Serralunga, is his top wine. Though Serralunga is known for tannic, structured wines, Manzone’s Meriame is immediately engaging. … Read more
Cantina di Tortona, Colli Tortonesi Bianco DOC (Piedmont, Italy) “Piccolo Derthona” 2020
($24, Matchvino): 
Jan Novak, the knowledgeable sommelier at Il Capriccio, one of Boston top Italian restaurants, recommended this wine to me. Jan has not only forgotten more about Italian wine than most people know, she has an incredible palate for discovery lesser-known wines. … Read more
Malgrà, Nizza Riserva DOCG (Piedmont, Italy) Mora di Sassi 2017
($37, Erie Beverage Solutions): 
This is the big brother to Malgrà’s Giaina. Far weightier, with more apparent tannins at this stage, it weighs in at 15 percent stated alcohol. It still conveys an attractive dark mineral component and has an alluring hint of bitterness in the finish. … Read more
Malgrà, Nizza DOCG (Piedmont, Italy) Gaiana 2017
($19, Erie Beverage Solutions): 
Italian wine authorities promoted Nizza, formerly a part of Barbera d’Asti DOC, to DOCG status in 2014 because it was clear the wines had the capability of being unique. Malgrà’s Gaiana shows the wisdom of that decision. … Read more
Tenuta Carretta, Langhe Nebbiolo DOC (Piedmont, Italy) Podio 2018
($19, Consortium Wine and Spirits Imports): 
The regulations for Langhe Nebbiolo do not require exclusive use of Nebbiolo. Growers are permitted to include a small amount, up to 15 percent, of some other varieties. Indeed, the famed Angelo Gaja felt that adding a bit of Barbera to Nebbiolo improved the wine and when he did so was forced to re-classify what he formerly labeled Barbaresco and Barolo to Langhe Nebbiolo. … Read more
Caposaldo, Prosecco Rosé DOC (Veneto, Italy) Brut 2020
($14, Kobrand Wine & Spirits): 
It may sound like a brilliant marketing ploy, but Prosecco Rosé is a new recognized category with its own DOC. As with all Prosecco — and wine in general, for that matter — there will be an enormous range of quality and style. … Read more
Viña Tarapaca, Valle del Maipo (Chile) Gran Reserva, Organic Wine 2018
($18, Vinecrest Co): 
Made with organically grown grapes, this is a hearty and well-balanced blend of Cabernet Franc (31%), Syrah (26%) and Carmenere (22%), with the balance filled out by equal amounts of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. It’s a powerhouse, to be sure, but thankfully it is not over the top. … Read more
Emiliana, Valle de Colchagua (Chile) “Coyam” 2018
($39): 
This robust blend of mostly Syrah (42%) and Carmenere (39%) works beautifully. For those who are interested in things like this, Cabernet Sauvignon, Garnacha, Malbec, Carignan, Tempranillo, and Mourvèdre fill out the blend. There’s red and black fruit flavors, spice, and herbal notes, all wrapped in silky tannins. … Read more
Quinta dos Roques, Dão (Portugal) Reserva, Tinto 2011
($35): 
The Dão region, located in north central Portugal, is among the first to receive official delineation, in 1908. The quality of the wines suffered under the Salazar dictatorship, but quality and distinctiveness has improved notably over the last three decades. … Read more
Herdade do Rocim, Alentejo DOC (Portugal) “Amphora” 2019
($18, Shiverick Imports): 
Portugal remains the source of beautifully priced reds and whites, as this mid-weight red shows. It’s a blend of autochthonous grapes whose names are unfamiliar to most, Moreto, Tinta Grossa, Triccadeira and Aragonez, so unsurprisingly, the flavors that emerge from the glass are unique. … Read more
Herdade de São Miguel, Alentejo DOC (Portugal) Alicante Bouschet 2014
($20): 
Unlike almost all other red grapes whose juice is clear and whose color comes exclusively from the skins, the juice from Alicante Bouschet is red. That likely explains why that grape makes deeply colored wines, which predicts its flavor profile, as it does here. … Read more
Ferraris, Ruchè di Castagnole Monferrato DOCG (Piedmont, Italy) “Clàsic” 2020
($20): 
Those looking for bold fruitiness should go elsewhere. Here, the focus is on an alluring Middle Eastern spice box of aromas and flavors — cinnamon and cloves — and dried flowers. Light on the palate, the flavors in this lively wine nonetheless persist. … Read more