Fantastic aromas of crushed fruit, freshly ground spices and minerals. Full-bodied, with firm and racy tannins and a long, long finish. Drink: 2007+.

- James Suckling, Wine Spectator, November 2002

Good full medium red. Very ripe aromas of strawberry, licorice, minerals and truffle, with balsamic and dried floral nuances. Fat, sweet, rich and deep; at once succulent and seamless, with a wonderfully layered texture and great early appeal. Very full without coming across as weighty. The slow-building finish features substantial sweet tannins. "Shows the magic side of 2001," Franco offers. "It can keep for a long time but it's great right now." By the way, 2001 was the seventh consecutive vintage in which this wine was bottled, but there will be no '02, '03 or '04.

- Stephen Tanzer, International Wine Cellar Issue 135, November/December 2007

The 2001 Amarone is on another level entirely. It exudes notable warmth and ripeness, with profound layers of Venezuelan bitter chocolate, herbs, licorice, smoke, dark fruit and toasted oak. Made in an explosive style, this palate-staining Amarone possesses remarkable detail and nuance for such a big wine. It has been phenomenal on the two occasions I have tasted it so far. (Antonio Galloni) Drink: 2011-2021.

- ERobertParker Only 173, October 2007

Dark in color, with intense blackberry aromas that evolve into licorice, vanilla and cherry. Full-bodied, with gorgeous flavors and ultravelvety tannins. Goes on and on. 480 cases made. Drink: 2010+.

- James Suckling, Wine Spectator, April 2007

Soldera's 2001 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva is just as it was when I tasted it from barrel last year, which is to say monumental. This silky-textured Brunello offers an array of crushed flowers, spices and deeply-layered dark red fruit in a style that manages to be both delicate and powerful at the same time. Deceptively medium-bodied at this stage, it appears to be holding back much of its potential but will be a remarkable wine in another decade or so. This is a superb effort from Montalcino's most eccentric producer. (Antonio Galloni) Drink: 2016-2031.

- ERobertParker Only 173, October 2007

Shows aromas of flowers and berries, with hints of vanilla and a touch of rosebud. Full-bodied and very concentrated, with big, chewy tannins and a long, powerful finish. Loaded with fruit and layered, with impressive concentration. A blockbuster. Drink: 2011+.

- James Suckling, Wine Spectator Advance, October 2003

The 2004 Caberlot looks to be the finest effort yet from this estate. It is not to be missed. Drink: 2014-2024.

- Antonio Galloni, Wine Advocate GX, April 2007

Good deep red. Compellingly deep aromas of red fruits, dried rose and menthol. Highly concentrated and downright suave, with juicy acidity giving cut and lift to the strongly floral red fruit and mint flavors. Much more aromatic and elegant than the basic bottling, but also lush and sweet. Finishes with huge but thoroughly ripe tannins and lovely persistence. Offers superb potential.

- Stephen Tanzer, International Wine Cellar Issue 135, November/December 2007

The estate's 2004 Cepparello (100% Sangiovese aged in French oak, 1/3 new) was made from minuscule yields of just 600 grams per plant and is even better than the 2003. It exhibits a livelier color, fresher aromatics and a nuanced personality, all the products of a more balanced growing season. It boasts layers of vibrant fruit intermingled with subtle mineral and licorice notes, showing outstanding length on the palate and fine, noble tannins. A wine of extraordinary elegance, it has been stunning on the two occasions I have tasted it so far. That said, readers who want to experience this wine's full array of tertiary notes will have to give this wine time to mature in the bottle. It is highly recommended. Drink: 2009-2022.

- Antonio Galloni, Wine Advocate 171, June 2007

Shows a very ripe nose, with rose, berry and hints of meat. Full-bodied and powerful, with chewy tannins and a long, long finish. Massive yet balanced. What a wine. The greatest Saffredi ever made. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Alicante. Better than previously reviewed. 1,750 cases made. Drink: 2012+.

- James Suckling, Wine Spectator, October 2007

The estate's 2004 Camartina is another irresistibly sexy wine. A deeply-colored ruby, it displays captivating aromatics along with notes of blackberries, blueberries, violets and graphite that emerge on its medium-bodied frame. The fine tannins make it a highly enjoyable wine even at this early stage, but my experience suggests that another few years of bottle age are needed for the wine to integrate its oak and express its full range of aromas and flavors. It is a terrific effort from Querciabella. This blend of 30% Sangiovese and 70% Cabernet is aged in 100% French oak (Allier, Nevers and Tron?ais) of which 80% was new. Drink: 2012-2022.

- Antonio Galloni, Wine Advocate 171, June 2007

Displays gorgeous, focused aromas of blackberry, currant and sandalwood. Full-bodied and tightly wound, with velvety tannins and a long finish of mineral, light fresh rosemary and currant. Solid as a rock. Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot. Drink: 2011+.

- James Suckling, Wine Spectator Advance, October 2007

The 2004 Ricolma (100% Merlot) possesses stunning aromatics and layers of blackberry liqueur, minerals, chocolate and sweet toasted oak. Vibrant and shimmering on the palate, it shows plenty of Tuscan structure to support the fruit, with phenomenal length and ripe, sweet tannins to round out the finish. It is another stunning wine from San Giusto a Rentennano. Drink: 2011-2024.

- Antonio Galloni, Wine Advocate 171, June 2007

Fabulous aromas of ripe blackberry, cappuccino and toasty oak. Full-bodied, with masses of fruit and supervelvety tannins. Long and gorgeous. All there. Merlot, Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon. 3,330 cases made. Drink: 2009+.

- Wine Spectator, October 2006

The 2004 Barbera d'Alba Riserva Pozzo dell'Annunziata explodes from the glass with layers of vibrant black cherries, plums, violets, smoke, minerals and sweet toasted oak. It is a restrained, cool Barbera Pozzo, yet it offers outstanding purity of expression, with silky, finessed tannins that caress the palate in an extraordinary display of elegance that transcends varietal. Voerzio also opened a bottle of the 2003, which he prefers, for comparison. It may be the more pleasurable wine today, but the 2004 is a notch or two above when it comes to potential. The 2004 saw 16 months of oak versus the 2003, which spent two years in oak. Drink: 2010-2019.

- Antonio Galloni, Wine Advocate 174, December 2007

(90% Sangiovese, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon) Dark and brooding purple/black. The exquisite Bordelais nose bodes well for the rich, satisfying palate to come. Your nose is treated to a generous bouquet of smoky plum, blackberry bramble, and gravel-infused cassis. Woven throughout are fresh touches of wintergreen and balsam. Insanely concentrated and jam-packed with black violets, black earth mineral (gravel and crushed stone), blackberry, milk chocolate, inky plums and chewy goodness. There is a seductive 'bad boy' quality at play here and the wine has a voluminous velvet muscularity that is complemented by dominant chewy tannins. A keeper. Drink: 2008-2020.

- Cyrille Hanson, Vinfolio, March 2008

The 2005 Franchetti is a much darker, richer wine made from Petit Verdot and Cesanese d'Affile planted at an extremely dense 12,000 plants per hectare. A richly-textured, sumptuous wine, it is loaded with dark cherries, earthiness and licorice sensations that flow from its opulent frame with notable distinction and class. The estate's Franchetti bottling could very well turn out to be a new benchmark in the Renaissance of Sicilian wines. It is not to be missed. Drink: 2008-2020.

- Antonio Galloni, Wine Advocate 175, February 2008