Vinous (94+)

The 2015 Barolo Brea Vigna Ca' Mia captures all the best the vintage has to offer. Black cherry, plum, espresso, sage, menthol, licorice and leather are all kicked up a few notches in a decidedly dark, strapping Barolo that screams with Serralunga character. Exotic, dark and totally alluring, the 2015 has a very bright future, but readers should be prepared to be patient, as the tannins clearly need time to soften.

Vinous (94+)

The 2015 Barolo Brea Vigna Ca' Mia captures all the best the vintage has to offer. Black cherry, plum, espresso, sage, menthol, licorice and leather are all kicked up a few notches in a decidedly dark, strapping Barolo that screams with Serralunga character. Exotic, dark and totally alluring, the 2015 has a very bright future, but readers should be prepared to be patient, as the tannins clearly need time to soften.

Wine Advocate (96+)

Brovia’s Serralunga Barolo, the 2008 Barolo Ca’ Mia, saturates every corner of the palate. Dark fruit, smoke, melted road tar, graphite and incense wrap around the palate in this dramatic large-scaled Barolo. Even more promising than it was right after bottling, the 2008 impresses for its spherical personality and towering class. Serralunga is, of course, best known for producing powerful wines, but Brovia’s Ca’Mia is just as remarkable for its superb finesse and elegance. Anticipated maturity: 2020-2040.

Wine Advocate (96)

Brovia’s 2008 Barolo Garblet Sue’ bursts from the glass with a heady array of black fruit, smoke, incense and licorice. The Garblet Sue’, from the Bricco Fiasco vineyard in Castiglione, is usually a much more linear, tense Barolo, but in 2008 the wine has gorgeous inner perfume allied to a level of pure juiciness that rounds out some of the rough edges that are at times present in this bottling. A huge finish laced with iron, asphalt and crushed rocks rounds things out in style. This is a super-classic Barolo from Brovia. Anticipated maturity: 2020-2040.

Wine Advocate (94)

Showing some immediate softness, the 2015 Barolo Garblèt Sue' is beautifully approachable and generously accommodating, even at this early stage in the wine's drinking window. Bring it out with a selection of goat cheeses. It's interesting to note that, at 40 years old, the vines of this cru in Castiglione Falletto actually rank as some of the youngest held by the Brovia estate, founded in 1863, before the unification of Italy.

Vinous (94)

Brovia's flagship 2015 Barolo Rocche di Castiglione is a decidedly full-bodied wine. The richness of this warm vintage comes through loud and clear in an ample, resonant Barolo endowed with serious textural depth. Lifted floral and spice notes add an attractive upper register as the 2015 starts to open up in the glass. Even so, the Rocche stands out for its volume and sheer size, both of which are unusual for this Castiglione Falletto site, where the wines tend to be more lithe. The Rocche appears to be the Barolo most shaped by the growing season in this range.

Vinous (94)

Brovia's flagship 2015 Barolo Rocche di Castiglione is a decidedly full-bodied wine. The richness of this warm vintage comes through loud and clear in an ample, resonant Barolo endowed with serious textural depth. Lifted floral and spice notes add an attractive upper register as the 2015 starts to open up in the glass. Even so, the Rocche stands out for its volume and sheer size, both of which are unusual for this Castiglione Falletto site, where the wines tend to be more lithe. The Rocche appears to be the Barolo most shaped by the growing season in this range.

Vinous (89-92)

(no hail or frost here in 2015, according to Clair): Medium red. Musky, deeply pitched aromas of raspberry, strawberry and smoky, flinty minerality. Quite taut in the early going, even a bit tough, and not showing the vintage's fleshy side today. But this firmly structured wine finishes with palate-stimulating salinity and subtle length. I would not be surprised if this eventually merited a rating at the top end of my projected range.

James Suckling (95)

Very perfumed and pretty with cherry, dried fruit and orange peel. Hints of sandalwood, too. Full body, layered and refined. Smoke, tar and spice aftertaste to the fruit. Drink in 2019.

Wine Advocate (87)

The 2008 Barbaresco Santo Stefano has the same color the 1987 had when it was 20 years old, which is to say almost rose colored. I don’t think the 2008 will make its 20th birthday, however. This is a light, translucent, fleeting wine with very little fruit and body. Anticipated maturity: 2011-2016.

James Suckling (99)

Subtle and complex aromas of roses, rose stems and meat. Highly perfumed. Extremely pretty, subtle fruit, yet a solid core of tannins holding it all together. Full-to medium-bodied with a chewy mouth feel and a long and persistent finish. Lots of black cherries and walnuts in the aftertaste. Try in 2024.

Vinous (95)

The 2008 Extra Brut N.P.U. Nec Plus Ultra is a brilliant, taut Champagne. The combination of vintage and the extra brut style favored a Paillard that yields a young Champagne that is quite austere. It will be interesting to see if the 2008 fills out with time in bottle. Today it is piercing in its intensity. Disgorged: April, 2019.

Vinous (89-92)

One of the highlights in this range, the 2015 Beaune Les Avaux is sleek and expressive. Sweet red cherry, plum, mint and a kiss of new French oak give the wine its super-appealing, inviting personality. Like so many of these wines, the 2015 captures an incredibly appealing combination of deep, rich fruit and lifted aromatics. In other words, this is a quintessential 2015. - Antonio Galloni

Vinous (92-95)

The 2015 Clos de Vougeot is an impressive wine. Huge tannins give the 2015 much of its shape and sense of direction. Plum, crème de cassis, chocolate and lavender all develop in the glass. Ample and powerful in construction, the 2015 possesses very good depth, even if it can't match the pedigree of the Chambertin. This is another wine with a late malo. I hope to have a chance to taste it again from bottle. - Antonio Galloni

The very high quality of ageing vessel gives an elegant interpretation of Caol Ila's classic peat. Medicinal and iodine are the predominant scents that fit well into the whole aromatic structure that supports and accompanies it. Tones of medicinal herbs, vanilla, leather in the background and licorice complete it and make it complex enough to let us fly with imagination. Just 161 bottles filled from a single cask at 45% ABV.

A single cask Islay malt matured in undersized ex-Bourbon barrels previously used to mature Bourbon whiskey at the Koval Distillery, showcasing Caol Ila’s classic oily maritime qualities with aromas of sweet, earthy peat, sea breeze and iodine alongside pungent, warming spices evoking cinnamon, cumin, smoked pepper and cardamom. A finish laced with eucalyptus and dried mint makes for a restrained, finessed Islay with a long, dynamic finish. Bottled at a natural cask strength of 58.1% without colouring or filtration.

The second bottling from the Stewart Whisky Company in their Stiùbhart Single Cask selection, released in March 2021 at 13 years of age in a limited run of just 132 bottles.

Wine Advocate (93)

Caparzo is one of two properties in Montalcino owned by the beautiful and charming Elisabetta Gnudi Angelini. The other property is Altesino. This wine, the Caparzo 2015 Brunello di Montalcino is a very classic interpretation that delivers the goods without any distracting bells or whistles. The wine opens to red and purple fruit aromas with background tones of dried herb, potting soil, cedar wood and light spice. Fruit comes from a site with heavier clay soils, and you get hints of that extra density and richness here. This vintage offers all you need in a model Brunello from a very beautiful and generous vintage. I always admire the wines of Caparzo for their accessible and immediate drinking style. Some 160,000 bottles were corked in August 2019, and the wine hit the market in January 2020.

Vinous (94)

Good deep red. Saline aromas and flavors of red cherry, blueberries, herbs, blood orange and sweet spices. Smooth and long on the bright, very sweet finish. Really quite good.

James Suckling (100)

This is a momentous wine with incredible power and structure that has so much minerality and crushed-stone character to the black cherries and blueberries. Full-bodied and tannic, yet the tannins are layered and polished with a glorious, creamy and juicy texture that coats your mouth. It goes on for minutes. Incredible wine. Try after 2025.

James Suckling (99)

The purity of fruit in this wine really strikes you with black cherries, combined with sage, lavender and rosemary. Extremely aromatic. Full-bodied, yet so tight and polished with incredible tannin structure that gives the wine an endless mouth feel of caressing tannins, acidity and fruit. There’s a fabulous saltiness and oyster-shell undertone to the fruit. Unique. Drinkable already, but this year there’s the structure to last decades.

Vinous (96)

The 2015 Barbaresco Riserva Rose delle Casasse is one of the most distinctive wines in all of Piedmont. It emerges from a tiny parcel in Neive first planted in 1913 with the Rose clone of Nebbiolo known for its aromatic intensity, that is rarely seen these days. Deeply bright and perfumed, the 2015 offers up an exotic mélange of sweet red cherry, blood orange, mint, spice, rose petal and kirsch. There's terrific depth and plenty of substance to wrap it all together. The 2015 spent four years in wood, a combination of small barrels and medium-sized casks. I wonder what this wine would like taste like if it was aged in more neutral oak, as there is a bit of oak tannin here. Even so, the 2015 is an exquisite wine and a Barbaresco of real character.

Vinous (96)

The 2015 Barbaresco Riserva Rose delle Casasse is one of the most distinctive wines in all of Piedmont. It emerges from a tiny parcel in Neive first planted in 1913 with the Rose clone of Nebbiolo known for its aromatic intensity, that is rarely seen these days. Deeply bright and perfumed, the 2015 offers up an exotic mélange of sweet red cherry, blood orange, mint, spice, rose petal and kirsch. There's terrific depth and plenty of substance to wrap it all together. The 2015 spent four years in wood, a combination of small barrels and medium-sized casks. I wonder what this wine would like taste like if it was aged in more neutral oak, as there is a bit of oak tannin here. Even so, the 2015 is an exquisite wine and a Barbaresco of real character.

The Cascina Sot Barolo Bricco San Pietro 2015 is a true Italian masterpiece, hailing from the illustrious Piedmont region. This sublime vintage is the product of meticulous wine-making by the reputed Cascina Sot, an estate renowned for its skillful vintners and perfect terroir. Forged from the iconic Nebbiolo grape under strictly controlled conditions, it’s a brilliant shade of ruby, promising a vibrant and intense tasting experience.

Expect an opulent bouquet, rich with echoes of cherries, roses, spices, and liquorice. Upon tasting, the Cascina Sot Barolo Bricco San Pietro 2015 unfolds hedonistic layers of rounded tannins and composed acidity, followed by a lengthy, lingering finish. Expertly aged in fine French oak barrels, this Barolo is a sublime distillation of the vintage's optimum weather conditions, reflecting the very soul of its terroir. Savour this harmonious blend of freshness and structure, a testament to the estate's dedication to quality.

Vinous (98)

The 2015 I Sodi di San Niccolò is just stratospheric. That's pretty much all there is to it. Plush, deep and explosive, the 2015 possesses magnificent depth. The 15% Malvasia Nera gives tannic backbone and energy to balance the wine's natural richness. Sweet red cherry, cedar, smoke, tobacco and licorice build in a racy, flamboyant Sodi that hits all the right notes. In a word: stunning!