Wine Reviews

The 2024 Crognolo is a very pretty, nuanced wine that exalts the freshness of Sangiovese, with a dollop of Merlot that fills out the mid-palate. Crushed red berry fruit, chalk, mint and dried herbs are finely sculpted throughout. This svelte, racy red is all charm. The blend is 90% Sangiovese and 10% Merlot.

The 2024 Oreno is one of the finest wines I have tasted here. The inclusion of 20% Cabernet Franc in the blend, a greater focus on freshness and a vintage that also favors vibrancy all come together in a mid-weight, nuanced Oreno that has so much to offer. Crushed raspberry, cedar, new leather, licorice and mocha soar from the glass. I especially admire the energy here. Not only is the 2024 a stellar wine to mark the estate’s 25th anniversary, but it also opens the door to a more contemporary style that is hugely appealing. The blend is 45% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot.

The 2023 Sette is a pure Merlot, in this case from two of the seven Merlot parcels on the estate. Dark and sumptuous in the glass, the 2023 offers notable fruit intensity in the more vibrant style Sette Ponti prefers these days. Macerated cherry, spice, tobacco, cedar and a kiss of new French oak all build in the glass.

The 2022 Sangiovese Vigna del Impero is a small bottling from a parcel planted in 1935. Sweet dried cherry, tobacco, cedar, sweet pipe tobacco and orange peel are nicely lifted. Slightly advanced color and open-knit aromas suggest this mid-weight Sangiovese is best suited for drinking over the next few years. The 2022 is attractive, but it is also a wine that very clearly needs to be enjoyed sooner rather than later.

A bright, vivid red, showing crunchy fruit and plenty of orange blossoms. It’s medium-bodied with lovely acidity and length. Fresh. 90% sangiovese and 10% merlot. Drink now.