Category Archives: Italy

Capezzana, Toscana Rosso (Tuscany, Italy) “Ugo Contini Bonacossi” 2019

($60):  The Contini Bonacossi family owns Capezzana, Carmignano’s best producer.  Ugo Contini Bonacossi, who transformed the property from the typical sharecropping agricultural endeavor of the era, into the current modern wine and olive oil producing estate, adored a particular small Sangiovese vineyard that he thought consistently produced exceptional grapes. Read more

Girolamo Russo, Etna Rosso (Sicily, Italy) “‘a Rina” 2020

($34):  This looks like a Rosé in the glass, but fortunately it displays enormous character and complexity, so you know it’s not a rosé.  Girolamo Russo, one of Etna’s top producers, makes a range of terrific wines from that mountain.  This one, ‘a Rina, is a blend, and could be considered his “basic” — though there’s nothing basic about it — wine. Read more

Villa Cerna, Chianti Classico (Tuscany, Italy) “Primocolle” 2020

($19, Volio Imports):  Villa Cerna is the home, and one of the estates, of the Cecchi family, one of the top producers in Tuscany.  Primocolle — literally, first hill — comes from vineyards at lower elevations on the estate.  The bright and juicy 2020 Primocolle is a lovely, classically proportioned Chianti Classico filled with good depth and an impeccable combination of fruity and savory notes. Read more

Villa Bucci, Castelli di Jesi Classico Superiore DOC (Marche, Italy) Verdicchio “Bucci” 2022

($24, Empson USA):  The Bucci family, farmers in the region from the 18th century, started bottling their wines only in 1983.  They’ve rapidly shown themselves to be of the DOC’s top producers.  Reasons why the wines are formidable is the age of the vines — mostly 40 to 50 years — and their parsimonious yields, which run about half of the quantity allowed by DOC regulations. Read more

Villa Sandi, Valdobbiadene Superiore di Cartizze DOCG (Veneto, Italy) La Rivetta 2021

($50):  Cartizze is a small (roughly 260-acre) steeply sloped area of vineyards that represent the pinnacle of the Prosecco quality pyramid.  And Sandi’s from their La Rivetta plot within Cartizze fits that perfectly.  Oddly, though, Prosecco is nowhere to be found on the label, which is a common practice among Prosecco producers who bottle a Cartizze. Read more