“For the warm and dry vintage this has tremendous freshness and elegance. The complex nose of citrus blossom, mint, lemon and lime zest opens up slowly as this aerates in the glass. The wine’s ample structure is still quite firm, which is a vintage characteristic, the mousse very fine but also very lively for an eight-year-old champagne. Cristal fans will love this as it is, but a year or two more in the bottle will do a lot for the very long mineral finish of this youthful masterpiece. A cuvee of 60% pinot noir and 40% chardonnay, picked from all 45 Cristal vineyard plots. Tasted at the Cristal vertical tasting at the champagne house on July 6th, 2023. Drink from release.”

“Pio Cesare does a great job with its classic 2019 Barolo (in production since 1881). The bottom of the front label reads "Barolo Pio" in memory of the legendary Pio Boffa. He was a wine entrepreneur who gained the immediate respect and love of all those who knew him. He passed away tragically during the COVID-19 pandemic just as the vaccines were being rolled out. This is a large production of about 70,000 bottles with fruit sourced from across seven vineyards in five villages. Despite those ambitious numbers, the wine remains strictly focused on bright Nebbiolo fruit with red cassis and aniseed. The finish is smooth with tannins that elegantly dissolve over the palate.”

“The 2021 Mongrana is terrific. Bright and punchy, with gorgeous fruit purity, the 2021 is a delicious wine for drinking over the near and medium term. Aging in cement and steel keeps the flavors vibrant. This is a fine edition of the Mongrana.”

“This has a very pale, partridge eye color. Delicate and subtle on the nose, this whispers notes of peach peel, clove and salty sea breezes. This gastronomic wine is firmly structured with a pleasant bite of tannins more prominent than even the zippy back palate lift. Heartily juicy and—refreshingly—not anemic in flavor, the mouthfeel offers excellent volume and satiny texture before the flavors drift into a long finish.”

“This wine has a beautifully scented nose of spring tree blooms, red apple skin and quince paste. While mid-weight with a voluptuously creamy mid-palate, the spry acidity gives this a mouthwatering refreshment on the back end. There is bewitching fruit intensity with a light line of underbrush and minerality as the wine warms up. Donut peach and lychee sing loudly into the long finish.”