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  It’s long been a name associated with Piedmont and Barolo.  It’s long been a stalwart producer, perhaps not unlike Mondavi in Napa Valley.  A constant force, but not a cult superstar.  A crafter of solid, reliable wines.     I…

~ The Road & Sloping Vineyards leading to Castello Banfi ~ Poggio All’Oro, the Golden Slope, is a single vineyard with optimal exposure, sun and soil on the Castello Banfi estate.  It’s sole purpose is to generate the fruit for Castello’s Banfi’s…

~ Return to Caprili ~ It’s been about 18 months sit I sat down with Giacomo Bartolommei of the Caprili estate. It’s been about the same length of time since I checked in on his 2006 Brunello.  Since I’m preparing to…

~ A Winding Tuscan Road near Montalcino ~ As I wrote a little over a year ago, Rosso di Montalcino is Brunello’s little brother.   At the time,  the 2009 vintage releases were in the market and many of them were very…

For decades the Cerulli family has owned a small farm in the picturesque hill country of Abruzzo.  Although the family always made wine for local sale and their own consumption,  farming and sheep herding were the  means of survival.   Eventually the…