San Leonardo, an outstanding producer in Trentino, makes a stunning Super-Trentino bottling of the same name from the Bordeaux varieties Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Carmenère. In the late 90s and early 2000s, about the same time that they realized what they always thought was Cabernet Franc was really Carmenère, they were replanting Cabernet Sauvignon.… Read more

Starting with the 2000 vintage, San Leonardo began another wine called Villa Gresti, a blend of Merlot (90%) and Carmenère. While the 2019 is still Merlot-dominant (60%), the blend has changed, incorporating Cabernet Sauvignon (30%) and Carmenère. The bolder and riper Villa Gresti is a dramatic counterpoint to the more refined and elegant Terre di San Leonardo, displaying rich mineral-y nuances atop a suave base.… Read more

Bolgheri is not the only locale in Italy for superb wine made from Bordeaux varieties. In the early 1980s, Marquis Carlo Guerrieri Gonzaga experimented at his estate in Trentino with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and what he thought was Cabernet Franc, varieties that had been planted in the area since the 19th century.… Read more

The history of the family Beconcini estate is like many in Tuscany. The grandfather liberates the land from the shackles of share-cropping in the 1950s and produces a variety of agricultural products, including grapes. The next generation focuses on viticulture and winemaking, eliminating everything else.… Read more

($19):  New discoveries, interesting wines from place you’ve — or at least I’ve — never heard of, is one of the things I love about Italian wines.  Here is yet another DOC I am unfamiliar with.  You too could be excused if you are unfamiliar with Monreale, a tiny DOC comprising about 70 acres just west of Palermo. … Read more

($30, USA Wine Imports):  In addition to the innumerable DOCs, the Italians use a mind-boggling number of grapes for their wines, which is another reason the wines from that country are so exciting to explore.  Malvasia Aromatica di Candia had me running to Jancis Robinson’s Wine Grapes, which informed me that although Candia is an old name for Crete, there is no genetic evidence that is originated on that Greek Island. … Read more

($25, USA Wine Imports):  One of the exciting and bewildering things about Italian wines is the ever-increasing number of DOCs that sprout like mushrooms after a rain. Gutturnio Superiore is a new one to me.  Formerly a part of the Colli Piacentini, another DOC I’ve heard of but could not find on a map, Gutturnio is the northwest part of Emilia Romagna, bordering both Piedmont and Lombardy, which may explain the grapes, Barbera and Croatina, used in this wine. … Read more

($40):  Petite Arvine, commonly known just as Arvine, is native and almost exclusive to the Valais in Switzerland, but there are a few acres of it planted in the Aosta Valley.  This one has a Viognier-like character, fruity and floral, yet not sweet. … Read more

($64):  The team at Anselmet clearly thinks this is an important wine — heavy bottle, heavy wax seal that makes uncorking difficult.  But this Chardonnay is worth the effort.  It is a remarkably well-balanced of delicate fruitiness and minerality.  There is an uplifting saline-like savoriness in the finish. … Read more

($12):  Lugana, a DOC on the southern shore of Lake Garda in Northern Italy, is a name to remember for white wines.  The primary grape is Turbiana, also known as Trebbiano di Lugana.  Locals prefer Turbiana, the historical name, to dissociate it from the mostly down-market family of varieties and grape strains associated with the Trebbiano name. … Read more

($53):  France meets Italy. Yes, Italy’s Aosta Valley borders France, but it is still a part of Italy.  So, why is the appellation for this wine and the name of the producer in French?  Shouldn’t it be DOC Valle d’Aosta and Tenuta instead of Maison? … Read more

($143, Taub Family Selections):  There is no better Italian sparkling wine producer than Ferrari.  Their entire line-up is Metodo Classico, that is, made with a secondary fermentation performed in the bottle, similar to the process in Champagne.  Everything from their non-vintage blends to their mono-variety Chardonnays (also known as blanc de blancs) is consistently excellent and puts a smile on your face. … Read more

($12):   Ai Galli also shows their talents with a bargain-priced “entry-level,” as they call it, Pinot Grigio.  Fresh and floral wine, it has a captivating delicacy.  This clean crisp Pinot Grigio finishes with a welcoming hint of bitterness.  And look at the price. … Read more

($34, Enotec Imports, Inc):  Since this DOC is not well-known to most Americans (I had to run to the reference books), a little background.  The DOC is named for a large lake that lies within Alto Adige.  “Classico,” as usual in the Italian DOC nomenclature, refers to the original or heart of the area. … Read more

($20):  The Albana grape is uniquely suited to the Bertinoro subregion of Romagna where Celli is located thanks to the calcium rich soil, locally known as spungone, a vestige of its underwater location 3.5 million years ago.  Celli’s 2019 I Croppi is outstanding. … Read more

($12):   Ai Galli also shows their talents with a bargain-priced “entry-level,” as they call it, Pinot Grigio.  Fresh and floral wine, it has a captivating delicacy.  This clean crisp Pinot Grigio finishes with a welcoming hint of bitterness.  And look at the price. … Read more

($42):  Italy is not known for Pinot Nero (aka Pinot Noir) the way it is for Nebbiolo or Sangiovese.  In the relatively cool Oltrepò Pavese region, the grape does well, as Travaglino shows with this 2015 Riserva.  Nicely concentrated, but certainly nowhere near a New World style, it delivers both fruit flavors and savory character, the latter of which is immediately apparent in the nose and carries onto the palate. … Read more

($17, HB Wine Merchants):  With rare exception, consumers don’t usually think of Italy for distinctive Chardonnay.  More wines like this one could change that perception.  Racy and refined, it’s paradoxically mouth-filling yet not heavy. It’s cutting and spicy profile is refreshing. … Read more

($17, HB Wine Merchants):  There’s Pinot Grigio, and then there’s Pinot Grigio.  One taste of Peter Zemmer’s explains why the category is so popular.  Delicate hints of white flowers greet you when you pull the cork.  A refined and restrained fruitiness follows. … Read more

($38, HB Wine Merchants):  Peter Zemmer’s single-vineyard Giatl is a very different style of Pinot Grigio from his regular (I hate that word to describe that wine, which is anything but regular) bottling.  The Giatl has power and a Burgundian-like weight and to it. … Read more

($30, Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant):  Jan Novak, the wine director at Il Capriccio, a wonderful Italian restaurant in Waltham, just west of Boston, suggested this wine, which was unknown to me.  Since she has probably forgotten more about Italian wine than I know, I agreed immediately. … Read more

($22, Winebow):  It’s hard to go wrong with any of the wines from Castellare di Castellina, one of the very best Chianti Classico producers.  This wine, their normale or annata, is their base Chianti Classico and what high base it represents.  … Read more

($22):  Consumers tend to forget that Italy makes a host of sparkling wines in addition to Prosecco.  And though I have nothing against Prosecco, many of Italy’s other bubblies, such as this one, provide a lot more interest.  This one is positively riveting. … Read more

($38, Louis Dressner Selections):  Manzoni Bianco is one of Italy’s botanical “crosses,” in this case a cross of Riesling and Chardonnay, made by Luigi Manzoni in the 1920s and 30s, according to Ian D’Agata (Native Wine Grapes of Italy, University of California Press, 2014). … Read more

($23, Divino International Wine and Spirit):  The name of the wine, “51,151”, refers to a cycling record that Francesco Moser set in Mexico City in 1984, according to their website.  This 100 percent Chardonnay base bubbly is, indeed, racy (pun intended), but the elegance imparted by that grape shows, making for a lovely balance. … Read more

($20):  Cantine Leonardo da Vinci, a large Tuscan-based cooperative, makes this delightful sparkling wine from the Pignoletto grape, not one that is widely known outside of central Italy.  Its inherently high acidity makes it a good choice for bubbly because growers can let it ripen, allowing its exuberant floral and fruity character to shine, without it becoming sappy or flabby. … Read more

($15, HB Wine Merchants):  Pinot Grigio spans the spectrum from innocuous or insipid to charming and noteworthy.  Peter Zemmer’s is definitely in the latter group.  An immediately captivating floral sensation predicts enjoyment.  It has remarkable depth and persistence for a category that is all too often fleeting and bland. … Read more

($14, Wilson Daniels):  Prosecco has become so popular that its name has become synonymous with sparkling wine, replacing “Champagne” as that moniker.  For example, on a recent flight when I requested a sparkling wine, I was offered a “Prosecco,” which turned out to be a Cava. … Read more

($23):  It seems that everyone wants to get in on the rosé craze.  Here we have a top Tuscan producer, well-known for their stunning Chianti Classico, making a bubbly from Sangiovese.   It works.  This bright and fresh rosé bubbly delivers delicate hints of strawberries.  … Read more

($50):  Consumers mistakenly believe that all bubbly coming from Italy is Prosecco.  Not so.  There’s fine sparkling wine from Franciacorta and this stunning one reminds us not to forget Trento.  A blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, the traditional grapes of Champagne, it has a fine bead of acidity that gives it a great spine.… Read more

($18):   Enter a different style of Nero d’Avola.  Assuli’s emphasizes the fruitier side of the grape.  At 14.5 percent stated alcohol, it is riper and more lush, with fewer savory notes than the Nero d’Avola from Barone Sergio (also reviewed this week). … Read more

($18, Kobrand Wine & Spirits): This is labeled Vino Frizzante Secco, which means slightly bubbly and dry.  But it’s not really dry.  It is aromatic, reminiscent of Moscato, but with more weight.  Great acidity keeps it fresh and lively, so it doesn’t come across as cloying despite the light sweetness. … Read more

($35):  Baldo Palermo, a representative of Donnafugata, described the island of Pantelleria as, “A volcanic rock jutting from the sea,” where the major activity is “listening to the wind.”  Hence it’s appropriate that this wine is called Ben Ryè, which means son of the wind. … Read more

($12, Kobrand Wine & Spirits):   Lambrusco is making a dramatic comeback, judging from restaurants in New York City and elsewhere.  Diligence and persistence by producers such as Medici Ermete has shown the world the joys of Lambrusco.  An equal blend of Lambrusco Marani and Lambrusco Salamino, i Quercioli is a faintly fizzy, dark, almost purple, red wine with a delicate sweetness and gripping acidity. … Read more

($20, Kobrand Wine & Spirits):   Medici Ermete takes Lambrusco seriously, and it shows with the quality of their wines.  This one, named Concerto, is the first single vineyard Lambrusco produced.  It’s made entirely from Lambrusco Salamino grown on their Rampata estate. … Read more

($18, Folio Fine Wine Partners): At first blush — no pun intended — you’d think this wine was a marketing genius, encompassing two very hot wine categories:  Pinot Grigio and Rosé.  But no, the pink — actually copper hue — of the wine comes from the light red color of the skins of the Pinot Grigio grape. … Read more

($19): This category of wine grabbed headlines in 1987, more because of surprise than stature, when it was awarded Italy’s first DOCG for a white wine.  Known then as Albana di Romagna, there was a collective bewilderment since many other white wine DOCs seemed more appropriate for elevation to Italy’s highest level of classification. … Read more

($23, Banfi Vintners): Fontana Candida’s Luna Mater will transform your image of Frascati, typically a light refreshing, but otherwise undistinguished, white wine.  Well, Luna Mater is certainly distinguished.  It’s not just more concentrated than the usual Frascati — though it is. … Read more

($65, Folio Fine Wines): Ornellaia’s white wines fly under the radar because their red wines are so outstanding.  That situation won’t last for long.  Poggio alle Gazze is an unconventional blend of roughly two-thirds Sauvignon Blanc with Vermentino, Verdicchio and Viognier. … Read more