“A total knock-out, the 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate captures all the potential of this great site. Powerful, voluptuous and structured, yet very much within the context of classicism that has defined these wines for several decades. Dark red cherry, stone fruits, smoke, licorice and scorched earth, along with beams of tannin, wrap around the palate. Deep, virile and explosive, the 2014 is a must have. Don’t miss it!”

“…2015 Chardonnay is shaping up to be a gorgeous wine. The warmer vintage has resulted in a slightly richer style of Chardonnay, although the house style built on energy and tension is still very much in evidence. Candied lemon, white flowers and mint are nicely textured. Soft, enveloping and gracious, the 2015 will drink well with minimal cellaring.”

Decanter’s Aldo Fiordelli reports the 2016 vintage in Bolgheri is one of the best ever due to near perfect growing conditions that produced beautifully plump clusters containing strong aromatics and a natural sweetness. The vintages reviewed additionally highlight a great homogeneity in balance and elegance, putting 2016 in the lead as a defining vintage. Ornellaia, Masseto, and Le Macchiole were named top among the vintages. Read more HERE.

Keith Haring’s last public mural, Tuttomondo (1980), recently celebrated it’s 30th anniversary on June 19th. The 180-meter mural painted on the exterior wall of the Church of San Antonio in Pisa, Italy serves as a contemporary treasure in an otherwise late Gothic and Renaissance city. To commemorate this anniversary and the areas connection with the artist, winery Castellani released a limited edition Haring label. Arts and culture journalist Karen Chernick details the fascinating relationships between Tuscan wineries, including Ornellaia vineyard, and the arts. “The idea of infusing wine with artwork is not a new one. Less than an hour’s drive south of Ceppaiano is the Ornellaia vineyard, whose Vendemmia d’Artista program commissions a contemporary artist each year to create work for the estate. It recently collaborated with photographic artist Shirin Neshat to produce a series of limited-edition wine labels that will be auctioned in September to benefit the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum Foundation.”

Read the full story and view the imagery HERE.

Decanter’s Ian D’Agata picks six of his top Italian Cabernet Franc wines and profiles the family run Le Macchiole Winery as Italy’s most important estate in producing the country’s best Cabernet Franc. Le Macchiole started producing their Paleo Rosso Bolgheri Superiore in 1983 as the typical blend of Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon until 1993 when the house transitioned to growing Cabernet Sauvignon. Read the full article HERE.

Vinous Media’s Antonio Galloni gives high praise to Le Macchiole’s 2009 Cabernet Franc Paleo Rosso in a recent publication. Galloni expresses that Paleo Rosso is often obscured by Le Macchiole’s Syrah Scrio and Merlot Messorio, however in recent tastings things have changed. Paleo Rosso has now distinguished itself as perhaps the estate’s most fascinating wine. Cabernet Franc is a flexible grape that is capable of many expressions and on the Tuscan Coast the result is a magically fresh, nuanced, and super-expressive wine.

To read more about Galloni’s vertical tasting of Paleo Rosso and Cabernet Franc in Tuscany, read the full article HERE.

As many publications reflect on their most memorable bottles of the year, VinePair has released their top 50 for 2019, including the Tommasi Amarone Della Valpolicella Classico DOCG 2015 at #29.  The writer describes the wine beautifully, noting “the nose on this wine is alive with aromas of savory baking spices, caramelized plums, and cracked black pepper. It’s full-bodied and vibrant on the palate, with added notes of dark cherry and espresso. Neither its profile nor its price tag make this an “everyday” wine, but this is Amarone at its harmonious best, and a bottle fit for special occasions.” Read the full write up and learn about the other wines HERE