2019 Sforzato di Valtellina DOCG, Lombardy, Italy

Distinctly nutty and a little dried-vegetable to tobacco-like aroma of partly dried black and red berries with a hint of cherries, dried floral tones, some peat and liquorice. Firm, juicy, again partly dried fruit with sultana tones, present, ripe, fine sandy tannins and a noticeable acid bite, a little preserved cherries on the palate, persistent, quite concentrated, but hardly heavy despite the high alcohol, good persistence, some depth, herbal nuances, a hint of cocoa and coffee, salty hints, a little mint and iodine, roasted notes, very good finish with juice, spice and a slightly drying tannic grip.

Best to drink: Bis 2032+. What our ratings mean