5 | 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.

"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."

"Deep yellow-straw hue. Pungent, hedonistic hazelnut and vanilla aromas. A lush attack leads to a medium-bodied and flavorful palate with mild sweetness. Very well balanced. Flavorful, lengthy finish. Exotic, pure and intense."

"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.

"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."

"The bouquet is lovely, balanced, properly astringent, ripe and juicy with scents of cherry stone and cherry juice. The palate entry is decadently sweet and textured with vibrant tastes of cherry compote and cherry preserves at midpalate. The finish is svelte, moderately syrupy and downright delicious. An outstanding liqueur." 90-95 pts.