“The 2018 Nero d'Avola Vrucara Prephylloxera is hauntingly dark and floral, dusting exotic spice and crushed violets accentuating red plums and balsam herbs. This is a surprisingly lifted and pure interpretation of Vrucara, with silky textures and mineral-tinged wild berry fruits lifted by brisk acidity. A black licorice twang resonates toward the close. Cocoa and balsamic spice hints linger as the 2018 finishes with crunchy tannins and a lovely honeyed sweetness.”

“Dried black cherries, red plums, sage, dried orange peels and a dusting of crushed rocks create a deeply alluring bouquet as the NV (2021 Harvest) Rosso Passito opens in the glass. It's silky-smooth with racy acidity and ultra-ripe wild berry fruits accentuated by autumnal spices and traces of dark chocolate. It finishes zesty and extended with a sour cherry flourish and sweet herbal tones that resonate.”

“Crushed raspberries, roses, lavender and blood orange form a captivating bouquet as the 2021 Nerello Mascalese Terre di Elio blossoms in the glass. This is pure class, silky and refined, with a polished wave of perfumed red fruits and citrus tones carried across a core of vibrant acidity. It finishes classically structured and long with a twang of tart wild berries. Licorice and spice nuances slowly fade."

“The 2021 Perricone Core seduces with a perfumed blend of lavender and violets accentuating crushed blackberries. Soft, round and soothing, this impresses further with its ripe wild berry fruits and inner florals, all guided by juicy acidity. Wild blueberries and a sweet herbal flourish define the finale, as the Perricone Core tapers off long and potent yet remarkably fresh. This is a total pleasure to taste.”

“The NV (2021 Harvest) Bianco Passito is golden amber with orange hues. It lifts from the glass with a pretty blend of orange blossoms, dried peaches and mint. It's supremely silky and cool-toned with vibrant acidity enlivening its ultra-ripe citrus and melon tones. This leaves a tropical flourish of florals, spice and candied lime that resonates on and on. Even at 175 grams per liter of residual sugar, I can't help but want to pour another glass.”

“Sweet honeyed florals, peaches and wet stone form an inviting bouquet as the 2022 Catarratto Masso wafts up from the glass. It's silky smooth yet has a contrasting salty tinge. Nectarine and spiced orange notes settle upon the senses. This tapers off spicy with a tropical flourish. The 2022 leaves the palate crisply refreshed.”

“The 2022 Grillo Timpa lifts from the glass with a minty freshness, blending sweet green melon with candied lime suggestions. It's soft and enveloping, with brisk acidity ushering in citrus-tinged orchard fruits and saline minerals that add a crunchy sensation. The 2022 finishes perfumed and wickedly fresh. The mouth is left watering as barely-ripe kiwi hints fade."

“The 2021 Nero d’Avola Lagnusa is coy in the glass, mixing blackberry with cedar and scant citrus. It splashes across the palate with a mineral-tinged blend of wild berries and exotic spice. A zesty core of acidity adds a reverberation of tension. The 2021 leaves a liquid floral concentration and subtle tannins to linger, finishing only lightly structured and with medium length.”

“The 2021 Inzolia Fornelli blends richness with freshness and verve, opening with a blend of ground ginger and spice, complicating crushed apples and hints of hazelnut. It's juicy and round on the palate. A tinge of sour citrus elevates a pretty inner sweetness and crisp orchard fruits. It tapers off remarkably fresh yet potent, with an almost lemon-curd quality that keeps me looking back to the glass for more.”

“Dark depths of crushed plums, black cherries, balsam herbs and dark chocolate form a beguiling display as the 2019 smolders up from the glass. Pure elegance, silky and textural, yet full of youthful tension, with tart wild berries and zesty citrus colliding under an air of inner rose. Structured with sweet tannins and is dramatically extended, showing hints of brown spice, mocha and clove that linger on and on and on. This is a powerful rendition.”

“Crushed almonds, dried flowers, ground ginger and baked apple form an inviting bouquet as the 2020 Brut Metodo Classico Carricante Noblesse opens in the glass. This is decidedly savory, despite its Brut classification, with saline-tinged bubbles and tart orchard fruits. It tapers off salty and full of tension, leaving the senses perfectly refreshed.”

“The 2020 Brut Metodo Classico Rosato Lamorèmio bursts from the glass with a smoky, savory bouquet that mixes dried cherries with hints of shaved cedar and worn leather. This flows across the palate with an opulent wave of creamy textural bubbles that gives way to pretty cherry-berry fruits and sweet spice. It finishes remarkably fresh, leaving rosy inner florals and hints of wild blueberry.”

“The 2021 Etna Rosso is spicy with a burst of savory herbs and flowery underbrush, complicating a core of dried black cherries. It flows across the palate like pure silk, polished and refined with mounting saline mineral tones contrasting its ripe wild berry fruits. The 2021 takes on a juicy quality through the finale, leaving gently grippy tannins to mingle with lavender and inner rose. This remarkably pretty Etan Rosso should drink beautifully with only minimal cellaring.”

“The 2022 Bianco pleases on many levels, wafting up with an unexpected fruit richness, combining young peach and apricot with white flowers and almond paste. It's round and soothing, yet with a stunning mix of candied lime and saline minerals up front that adds contrast. Sweet inner florals complement ripe pit fruits. The 2022 cleans up beautifully, long and with a salty flair, as it tapers off crunchy, full of tension, yet mouth-watering all the same.”

“Aromas of tobacco, dusty cherries and bay leaf mark this wine of depth and complexity. The palate is spicy, a true signature of the grape, as this wine was done almost entirely in concrete vessels. A touch of briny minerality lends itself to sea salt and dark chocolate flavours—a tightly wound core of black fruits draped in minerality and showing ample structure and ageability.”

“This has a soft, silky, creamy texture contrasted by the acidity, then flavours of apricot and peach, plenty of natural fruit spice and floral qualities. Minerality comes in the form of clay and stony soil flavours, with a whisper of bacon spice from the barrel. Acidity and alcohol layer in contrast and balance.”

"A complex nose of preserved citrus, basil, crushed sage and dried lily. Medium-bodied with some almond and lemon cream. Wet-stone finish. Complex, but approachable. Well balanced and bright."

“There’s no dabbling on the nose as it bursts with scents of Clementine, Japanese yuzu, quince and marmalade. Yet this being Essencia, those flavors are amplified without any loss in delineation. The palate is as unctuous as you expect, lacquering the inside of the mouth. The tastebuds tingle with glee, reveling in untrammeled sweetness, effortlessly offset by that razor-sharp acidity that renders it not cloying in the slightest. Purer than an angelic choirboy, the 2016 is armed with immense tension on the citric finish that offers Seville orange marmalade, strawberry, mandarin and quince."

"This is a single-varietal Forcada: a grape facing extinction that was discovered and repropagated by the Torres family. The wine has aromas of honeydew melon, fresh lemon thyme and a hint of rosemary. It is full in the mouth, with moderate acidity and a nice mélange of fruit and herbal flavors such as Seckel pear, mango, crumbled sage leaf, dried thyme and lavender flower. A soft floral note travels into the post-palate."

"This dark-garnet-colored wine has aromas of blackberry and a touch of smoke. It offers a nice equilibrium between velvety tannins and acidity, with flavors of black cherry, cassis, violet and dark chocolate. A burst of orange zest marks the lengthy finish."