($30): I’m always skeptical of a Cabernet-based Super Tuscan wine, even from a top producer, such as Principe Corsini, because Cabernet can overwhelm Tuscan identity.  No such problem with Marsiliana, a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot, despite being aged in new small French oak barrels. … Read more

($45, Golden Ram Imports/Blue Sky Group): Castello delle Regine will be the producer to focus the light on Umbria as a source of grand wine.  Their Selezione del Fondatore, which to my mind is their flagship wine, comes exclusively from 50+ year-old Sangiovese vines that the owners found on the property when they purchased it in the 1990s. … Read more

($31, Montcalm Wine Imports): I raved about the 2014 vintage of this wine, Lunae Bosoni’s flagship white made entirely from Vermentino.  The 2015 is similarly stunning.  Possibly the richest Vermentino I’ve ever had, it still retains lightness and vivacity with an invigorating zippy finish. … Read more

($20, Cru Artisan):  The wines from Colline Teramane, Abruzzo’s only DOCG, fly under the radar for some inexplicable reason, which makes them a bargain for consumers.  Since they’re rarely seen on wine lists, even in the trendiest wine bars, it remains for savvy consumers to try them on their own, at home. … Read more

($50, Cru Artisan): Sartori, a top producer based in the Veneto, bottles several Amarone.  This one, Corte Brá, comes from a single vineyard and is, in my experience, always outstanding.  The 2007 is particularly noteworthy because it is still widely available in the retail market and now, at a decade of age, is luscious and captivating. … Read more

($20): Arnaldo-Caprai, certainly one of the top producers in Montefalco, has done an excellent job with this Montefalco Rosso, the baby brother of Sagrantino di Montefalco, which as DOCG status.  Similar to other Rosso, such as Rosso di Montalcino, the Montefalco Rosso category gives the consumer an idea of what the Sagrantino di Montefalco, a wine that demands extended bottle aging to tame the tannins, might taste like since it is far more approachable at a young age. … Read more

($21, Folio Fine Wine Partners): Barbera is a grape made for the cool and yes, wintery, weather ahead of us.  And this one from Coppo is easy to recommend.  It’s a pleasantly gutsy wine with briary fruit, good grip and uplifting acidity. … Read more

($18, Kobrand Wine & Spirits): Buying Pinot Grigio, one of America’s most popular white wines, is like walking through a mind field.  With so many vapid examples on retailers’ shelves, it’s hard for a consumer to know how to choose.  Well, you can start with this one by Pighin. … Read more

($25, Kobrand Wine & Spirits): Pighin’s Pinot Grigio, made from grapes grown in the Collio region of Friuli, is even more impressive that there Grave bottling.  It has more of everything — concentration and finesse — without becoming overblown or blowsy. … Read more

($14, Wilson Daniels): If you thought Castello di Volpaia was a great producer of Chianti Classico, you would be correct.  But they also produce this bargain-priced Vermentino that shouldn’t be missed.  Beautifully fresh, saline tinged, with uplifting acidity, it’s hard to find a better match for steamed clams or other simply prepared seafood. … Read more

($11, Prestige Wine Imports): Stemmari works wonders with indigenous Sicilian varieties, such as Grillo.  This one delivers an emblematic, ever so slightly bitter, saline component that makes it a delightful match for hearty seafood, perhaps in a tomato-based sauce, but less useful as a stand-alone aperitif. … Read more

($24, Montcalm Wine Imports): Nativ’s Greco di Tufo, one of Campania’s signature white wines, conveys a stony, almost volcanic essence, which is not surprising since this grape grows well on Vesuvius’s soil.  A tinge of bitterness in the finish buttressed by bracing acidity catapults this wine into the “easy-to-recommend” category because it’s a serious wine that delivers more than the price suggests. … Read more

($28, Montcalm Wine Imports): Nativ’s Fiano is a bit more floral than their Greco di Tufo.  Instead of transmitting a sense of volcanic ash, it conveys a delicate white flowery sensation.  It’s also a touch weightier and more tropical than their Greco. … Read more

($12, Middleton Family Wines): Vento di Mare continues their streak of bargain-priced wines with this Nero d’Avola, Sicily’s iconic red grape.  Similar to its Grillo and Pinot Grigio made from organic grapes, this Nero d’Avola delivers surprising complexity, both fruity and savory notes, for such a modest price. … Read more

($22, Vias Imports): A blend of mostly (95%) Sangiovese and Malvasia Nero, this Chianti Classico delivers a harmonious contrast of herbal earthy flavors intermingled with pure fruity ones.  Hallmark Tuscan acidity and firm tannins provide structure without being aggressive or intrusion. … Read more

($12, Middleton Family Wines): As with their Pinot Grigio, Vento di Mare produces two wines, one from organic and one from conventional grapes, from Grillo, an indigenous Sicilian grape.  This Grillo, from organic grapes, is slightly richer with a better texture and complexity compared to the one made from conventionally grown grapes. … Read more

($12, Middleton Family Wines): Vento di Mare produces two Pinot Grigios in Sicily — this one made from organically grown grapes, and one made from conventionally grown grapes.  They’re very different wines.  This one, from organically grown grapes, is slightly less floral, less fruity, leaner and more angular. … Read more

($10, Prestige Wine Imports): Nero d’Avola, Sicily’s “red grape,” has the ability to deliver both fruity and savory notes simultaneously even when young, as it does in this wine.  Stemmari’s delivers savory nuances of herbs and olives, which make a lovely counterpoint to the bright red fruit elements. … 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

($15): Cortalto’s a wine to buy by the case.  The pleasing bite of Pecorino, the grape, could remind consumers of the cheese.  Cerulli Spinozzi, one of the top producers in Abruzzo, manages to combine the attractive bite with good concentration and uplifting acidity in this fresh and lively wine. … Read more

($62): So-called international blends in Tuscany can be fabulous or a heavy-handed disaster.  Put Frescobaldi’s Mormoreto into the former category.  The winemaking team there clearly knows what it’s doing.  The 2011 Mormoreto, a typical Bordeaux blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (45%), Cabernet Franc (30%), Merlot (20%), and Petit Verdot, brings together a marvelous mixture of fruity elements, savory nuances and a firm minerality. … Read more

($70, Montcalm Wine Imports): This wine dispels any notion that truly great wines are not made in Abruzzo from the Montepulciano grape.  Yes, the nomenclature is confusing: Montepulciano, the grape, has nothing to do with Montepulciano the village in Tuscany known for Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, which uses the Sangiovese grape. … Read more

($20, Montcalm Wine Imports): Chianti Rufinà region sometimes is overshadowed by Chianti Classico region, which is a shame because wines from the former often deliver more savory notes.  Fattoria di Grignano’s fine example marries dark cherry-like fruit, earthy qualities with uplifting freshness and energy. … Read more

($10, Prestige Wine Imports): Inexpensive rosés are popping up all over — like mushrooms after a rain — in response to enormous consumer demand for the pink drink.  Consumers need care in choosing because many of these “value” wines turn out to be no value at all, which makes this one from Sicily all the more enjoyable. … Read more

($40, Montcalm Wine Imports): The more I taste wines grown on the slopes of Mount Etna, the more I like them because they have a Burgundian sensibility about them — what I call flavor without weight.  This wine, a blend of Nerello Mascalese and Nerello Cappuccio, the two grapes typically grown on Etna, is both fragrant and mineraly.… Read more

($25, Montcalm Wine Imports): If you see Lunae Bosoni’s name on a label, buy the wine.  This producer is consistently top-notch, whether it’s a white wine, like this Vermentino, a rosé — their Mea Rosa is stunning — or a red. … Read more

($25, Montcalm Wine Imports): Readers know I’m not swept away by the tsunami of enthusiasm for rosé, often recommending chilling a light red instead.  Well, this rosé makes me reassess my opinion of the category. Made entirely from Vermentino Nero, an autochthonous grape from Liguria, it has layers of flavor that impart character. … Read more

($25, Montcalm Wine Imports): Though the Colli di Luni Rosso DOC straddles two regions, Liguria and Tuscany, the blend is typically Tuscan, Sangiovese (70%) with Cannaiolo and Ciliegiolo.  A balanced wine, it achieves roundness and generosity without being overtly fruity of flabby.… Read more

($15, Montcalm Wine Imports): A steal, this wine is in the “buy it by the case” category. Always a good buy, the 2014 vintage is especially noteworthy because Illuminati made no riserva that year.  Grapes from their 45-year old vineyard that usually go into the riserva wound up in the Riparosso, imparting extra density, concentration and refinement.… 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

($225, Folio Fine Wines): Ornellaia is truly an iconic Super Tuscan that shows that Bordeaux does not have a monopoly on making great wine from Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot.  The 2013 growing season in Bolgheri was cooler than usual, producing less opulent, but to my mind no less enjoyable, wines. … Read more

($19, Wilson Daniels): Arnaldo-Caprai is one of the top producers of Sagrantino di Montefalco, a sturdy long lived red wine.  It turns out he does equally well with a more delicate white.  This Grechetto delivers a lovely and lively crispness without being aggressive or overbearing. … Read more

($25): A steal.  Let me repeat — this wine is a steal.  Falchini is perhaps best known for their lovely Vernaccia di San Gimignano, Vigna a Solatio, which at $13, is another steal, but that’s another story. Their Paretaio, a Super Tuscan in everything but the price, could easily become their calling card. … Read more

($26): Montecucco is a small DOC in Tuscany bordering Brunello di Montalcino, its far more famous — and expensive — neighbor.  Montecucco Rosso is analogous to Rosso di Montalcino in that in is Montecucco’s earlier drinking wine. The Riserva designation means it’s undergone additional aging and presumably is better wine. … Read more

($15): Alberto Longo is a name to remember.  Anyone who can make such a bright and lively white wine in Puglia, home to big reds, is a producer to know.  This Falanghina is floral and fresh with laser-like precision in the finish. … Read more

($20, T. Edward Wines): To use a highly technical word to describe this wine, yummy!  It’s both refined and exotic with black cherry-like notes balanced by earthy ones so it’s not just fruity.  It has good weight and density without being heavy. … Read more

($19): One of the advantages of an impossible to pronounce DOC, such as Cacc’e Mmitte di Lucera (very roughly, ca-tch-y mint-y di lu-chair-a) is that the wines are underpriced for what they deliver because consumers are afraid — or can’t — order them. … Read more

($20): Santa Cristina in Pilli is one of two single-vineyard (“crus”) Carmignano.  (Ambra also produces two Carmignano Riservas from two other single vineyards.)  This is another prime example of how Carmignano is underpriced.  It’s a seamless combination conveying fruitiness and savory notes. … Read more

($30): This stunning wine has the structure — firm without be hard or aggressive — you’d expect for an excellent young wine.  With a “not just fruit” quality, it delivers a gorgeous combination of cherry-like fruit, herbal notes and earthy flavors. … Read more

($20): If you need another example of how Carmignano over delivers, look no further than this one from Villa Artimino.  Very fragrant, it has a touch more concentration without being overdone or sacrificing any elegance.  It, too, has an engaging texture and a welcome firmness balanced by plenty of energy. … Read more

($26, Worldwide Cellars): Piaggia’s Il Sasso another wine that over delivers and demonstrates the value of Carmignano. A blend of Sangiovese (70%), Cabernet Sauvignon and Franc (20%) and Merlot, it is a sophisticated wine, delivering a bit of everything — black fruit, earthy and savory notes — and not too much of anything. … Read more

($14, Mionetti): This immediately accessible mid-weight wine combines fruit and earth with just the right amount of structure.  It has extraordinary complexity for the price.  Buy it by the case for this summer’s grilling season.
90 Michael Apstein May 3, 2016… Read more

($25): Cecchi, though one of Tuscany’s great producers, flies under the radar.  A family firm run currently by brothers Andrea and Cesare Cecchi, they produce a range of wines from estates in Tuscany and Umbria.  This one, a traditionally framed Chianti Classico made from a blend of Sangiovese and Colorino, exhibits the near magical combination of bright red cherry-like fruit and savory herbal qualities. … Read more

($16, Angelini Wine, Ltd): The Italians — and I love them — can be their own worst enemies.  Take Prosecco, for example.  This easy to pronounce, charming wine has taken the world by storm and has practically become a generic term for any sparkling wine. … Read more

($32): Rosso di Montalcino can be an excellent introduction to the glories of Brunello di Montalcino, one of Italy’s iconic wines.  Similar to Brunello, Rosso must be made entirely from Sangiovese.  This one, from Castello Banfi, a leading Brunello producer whose dedicated work in the 1980s helped catapult Brunello onto the world’s wine stage, is truly a “baby Brunello.” … Read more