1 | Italy, $20 to $50

"The 2006 Guidaccio is another compelling wine from this great Tuscan vintage. Today the 2006 is very youthful and firm, but over time the inner sweetness of the dark fruit gradually appears. Clean, mineral notes confer elements of vibrancy and energy that bode very well for the future."

"An initial aroma of bittersweet dark chocolate, orange peel, and herbs; air contact stimulates scents of flowers, jasmine, bark, forest, honey, and very light quinine. The palate entry is intensely sweet and floral; at midpalate the taste profile turns cocoa-like with notes of citrus rind, molasses, brown sugar, and grass. Concludes sweet, thick, and luscious." 90-95 pts.

"Deep red colour. The nose displays an intense bouquet of red and black fruit, dried cherries, cocoa and vanilla. It is soft and round on the palate with generous and balanced tannins and acidity. Persistent."

"Cherry-red color. Nose is snappy and expectedly bitter in a woodsy, earthy, quinine-like way. Palate entry is mild in a sweet-sour fruity manner; midpalate is sweet and only moderately bitter. Finishes long and mildly quinine-like. While I’m not a bitters aficionado (more a bitter aficionado, really), Campari and orange do positively click. I’m savvy enough to know when not to argue with 58 million Italians." 80-84 pts.

"Deep aromas of peppermint leaf, chicory, unsweetened chocolate, forest flowers and herb jump from the glass and follow thorough on a supple entry to a dryish full body with layers of cocoa-mint, peppery spice, sandalwood, and bitter roots and medicinal herbs. Finishes with a long, polished wood, peppermint oil, nutshell and bitter root fade. A powerful digestif."

"The 2007 Chianti Classico Riserva Marchese Antinori is a fleshy, radiant wine graced with expressive dark red fruit. This is a fairly plush style for this bottling, no doubt owing to the personality of the vintage...Tobacco, sweet herbs, licorice and dark red cherries leave a very positive, lasting impression."

"Brilliant, bright amber hue. Spirity almond and spice aromas. A lush entrance leads to a moderately full-bodied palate with moderate sweetness. Explodes in flavor on the mid palate. Precise, persistent finish."