2015 Cerbaione Salvioni Brunello di Montalcino
The 2015 Cerbaione is intense yet beautifully composed, a Brunello that balances the warmth of the vintage with striking precision. The nose is deep and expressive, revealing ripe sour cherry, dark plum, and dried rose, layered with notes of tobacco leaf, leather, and warm earth. There’s a natural gravity to the aromatics, but nothing feels overripe or pushed.
On the palate, the wine is firm and focused, driven by a core of vibrant acidity that keeps the richness in check. The tannins are dense but finely grained, giving the wine a powerful, almost architectural structure. Flavours of red and dark fruit, spice, and savoury herbs unfold slowly, building depth rather than breadth. The finish is long, resonant, and slightly austere, echoing cherry skin, stone, and dried flowers. A serious, uncompromising Brunello with long-term intent.
2022 Terlan Nova Domus Riserva Alto Adige
The 2022 Nova Domus Riserva is polished, layered, and quietly authoritative. The nose opens with ripe pear, golden apple, and lemon zest, followed by chamomile, almond, and a subtle smoky-mineral note that speaks clearly of Alpine origins. Everything feels precise and cool-toned despite the wine’s natural richness.
On the palate, the texture is creamy yet taut, the blend unfolding in measured layers. Stone fruit and citrus are lifted by fresh acidity, while a fine mineral backbone gives the wine length and definition. Oak is seamlessly integrated, adding depth rather than sweetness. The finish is long and savoury, lingering on citrus oil, almond, and wet stone. A composed, age-worthy white that combines breadth with mountain clarity.
2016 Barolo Castiglione Vietti
The 2016 Barolo Castiglione shows Vietti’s hallmark clarity in a vintage of classical balance. The nose is bright and articulate, offering sour cherry, rose petal, and orange peel, layered with anise, spice, and crushed limestone. There’s an immediate sense of lift and transparency.
On the palate, the wine is linear and finely etched, driven by vibrant acidity and firm, chalky tannins that give the wine its unmistakable Barolo shape. The fruit is pure and focused, unfolding gradually rather than expansively. Savoury notes of herbs and mineral tones emerge toward the back palate, leading to a long, precise finish marked by citrus peel and stone. A beautifully proportioned Barolo, elegant and built to age.
2023 Puligny-Montrachet Domaine Leflaive
The 2023 Puligny-Montrachet from Domaine Leflaive is luminous and finely drawn, capturing the estate’s signature purity with youthful energy. The nose is precise and expressive, revealing white peach, pear, and lemon blossom, underpinned by chalk dust and a subtle saline edge.
On the palate, the wine is sleek and vibrant, its fruit gliding over a spine of fresh, driving acidity. The texture is refined rather than creamy, emphasising tension and clarity. Flavours of citrus, stone fruit, and crushed stone unfold cleanly, gaining quiet intensity as the wine moves toward the finish. The ending is long, focused, and mineral, leaving a lasting impression of freshness and poise. A beautifully transparent Puligny, elegant in its restraint and definition.
