Despite overall high altitudes at Volpaia, some of the lower lying vineyards were damaged by the late April frost. Along with the drought conditions, this resulted in a reduction of 30-35% of the estate's average production. Up front raspberry notes are joined by a touch of mint which adds intrigue. This gains some definition as it sits in the glass and palate is juicy with a supple texture and balanced ripeness. It has enough structure to carry it for five years.

This is a barrel selection of the best barrels, accounting for around 300 cases. This wine was tasted as a barrel sample. The 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Jaime displays a deep garnet-purple color and nose of plum preserves, crème de cassis, mocha and licorice with hints of blueberry pie, Chinese five spice, black soil and pepper. Full-bodied, rich, concentrated and wonderfully decadent, it has a firm backbone of fine-grained tannins supporting the generous fruit, finishing on a spicy note.

This shiny pink, all Pinot sparkler is bright and juicy with fresh cherry  and raspberry fruit; it's tangy and lush with plenty of racy acidity, the finish is round and long.

Fresh, juicy and smooth with tangy, bright, balanced flavors; crisp and fresh, elegant and stylish; long, creamy and lovely, a great value.

Ripe dark berries are closely intertwined with spicy fresh cedary oak, leading to a palate with a bold, fleshy core of dark-berry flavors. Fine, taut tannins. Try from 2020.

An unusual blend for the Médoc of Merlot and Cabernet Franc, this wine comes from a Rothschild vineyard next door to its Château Clarke. The wine is balanced, richly perfumed and spicy with swathes of black-currant fruit and ripe tannins. Developing slowly, the wine needs some time. Drink from 2023.

The 2015 Château Malmaison has a straightforward, red cherry and strawberry-scented bouquet with cassis developing in the glass. It comes across as a little smudged compared to its peers. The palate is medium-bodied with succulent ripe tannin, crisp acidity and a pleasant salinity, the finish showing more pedigree than the aromatics at the moment. It should meliorate during élevage and evolve into a useful little Moulis.

A red with pretty berry, chocolate and hazelnut character. Medium body, tight and dense fruit and polished and nicely chewy tannins. A minerally undertone. Drink or hold.

Under the same ownership as the Rothschild property Château Clarke in Moulis, this estate predominately grows Merlot. This wine comes from a selected parcel that gives rich, intense and concentrated fruitiness and dense tannins. It shows a lightly burnt character from the wood aging but the blackberry fruits are dominant and ripe. Drink from 2021.

A bright nose of strawberry and pink-grapefruit aromas with hints of blood oranges and berries, as well as almond biscuits. The palate has a super vibrant, fleshy ball of fresh red-fruit flavor and delivers a refreshing, minerally finish. Drink now.

This is very fresh and has attractively flavorful, punchy fruit presence, in a very pure mode. Strawberries and grapefruit and some pastry and spiced-biscuit to close. Drink now.

This stylish, complex and elegantly powerful Champagne is the pinnacle of Gosset’s range and delivers such layered, fresh and complex style. The palate has a super smooth-honed, long and plush feel with a wealth of grilled almonds and grapefruit. Long, succulent draw through the finish. Magnificent. Drink now.

A light, bright and lithe Champagne that has plenty of bright, toasty aromas with grapefruit and spiced lemon-biscuit notes. The palate is rich, smoothly fleshy and has attractive build and deep, lemon and grilled-nectarine flavors. Drink now.

Buglioni's 2011 Recioto della Valpolicella Classico Il Recioto is rich with scents of bittersweet chocolate, rosemary, cloves, mocha and raspberry jam. The voluptuous, racy style is best enjoyed over the next few years.

Fabio Sireci farms one of the most beautiful vineyard spots in Italy that overlooks an infinite expanse of vines and shifting waves of grain over softly rolling hills in inland Sicily. On a cloudy day, you can watch the magnificent peek-a-boo of brilliant sunbeams shine over the landscape as if you were in front of a life-sized movie screen. Those beautiful images always come to mind when I drink this wine. Tasted from magnum, the 2014 Sicilia Ne

This is a pure expression of Cabernet Franc from Tenuta dei Sette Cieli. The 2015 Scipio shows dark fruit nuances that are presented with enormous precision and sharpness. Like the estate's blended red wine Indaco, this monovariety wine also shows a very dusty or dry side of carpentry shaving and crushed granite. Ultimately, this wine shows more balance because those dry notes are enhanced by blackberry, cherry confit and black currant all surrounded by spice and dry leather. Some 6,600 bottles were made.

This Cabernet Franc offers bell pepper, bay leaf and dark-skinned fruit aromas. The dense, round palate delivers prune, espresso and clove alongside chewy tannins. Drink through 2023.

The 2015 Bolgheri Noi 4 is a steady wine, with notes of blackberry and some tangy spice. It's a bit thin in the mouth, with some sourness, but still a nice effort. There is a touch of dark cherry ripeness in the mouth that gives this wine a heavy center of gravity. The blend is 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc and 10% Petit Verdot (aged in barrique for 15 months). Some 10,000 bottles were made.

Very herbal and earthy character, but with enough fresh blackberries to carry this and the rather dry tannins that push through at the finish. Drink now.

Dal Forno delivers one of the world's most impossibly rich and concentrated red wines. Using grapes sourced from the high-density Monte Lodoletta vineyard, this inky, dark expression oozes with syrupy tones of maraschino, dark chocolate fudge, cinnamon spice, crushed clove and barbecue smoke. In keeping with the wine's legendary reputation for long aging potential, the tannins are rock solid at the moment.