We Tasted Wine from Across Italy. Here Are 10 Standouts.

From its first vintage in 2008, Annamaria Clementi has been an icon of a wine. The 2013 continues this tradition with grace, elegance and depth. As the wine develops, aromas of macerated cherries, baked strawberries, Damson plums, vanilla and warm bread show themselves. Rich, yet with some restraint, the palate showcases the 100% Pinot Noir fruit from the estate’s oldest vines, highlighting the darker red fruit notes. The wine then walks a tightrope between richness and finesse, showing the skill and passion that it takes to make this wine. Editor’s Choice. 98 Points  —Jeff Porter

This wine expresses itself with aromas of wild cherries, tart red plums, dried violets and oolong tea leaves. The palate is elegant and almost dances across the mouth, leading with ripe red fruits that give way to savory flavors of fresh bay leaf, clove and balsam. Drink 2025–2040. 97 Points  —J.P.

The stunning wine opens with a mix of tart red and blue berries, rose and sweet and savory spices that evolve into more savory and earthy notes. The palate is refined, framing the cherry-driven sip with tobacco and wild herb flavors to near unison. It’s sublime on the finish, with vibrant acidity and fine tannins that will give the wine life for years to come. Cellar Selection. 97 Points  —J.P.

This wine has a deeply savory nose, with seaweed, soy sauce, olives, tobacco, black licorice and a rich medley of cherries, blackberries and plums. The fruity, spicy palate brings more berries, dark chocolate and chili peppers, emphasized by palpable heat and sticky but gentle tannins through a seemingly infinite finish. It’s exceptionally drinkable now, but a few more years would guarantee a command performance. 97 Points  —Danielle Callegari

From the certified organic vineyards of Ca’ del Bosco, this blend of Chardonnay (69%), Pinot Nero (18%) and Pinot Bianco (13%) shines from the moment it’s poured. Pure and crystalline aromas of white peach, Honeycrisp apples, fresh honey and strawberry couple with undernotes of crushed chalk, wild herbs and ginger. The finesse-driven palate shows the balance between the richness of tarte tatin and cream with the lemon zest and pure mineral edge on the finish. It’s a showstopper. Drink now–2035. Editor’s Choice. 96 Points  —J.P.

The nose alone is worth finding a bottle, redolent with wildflowers, almonds, peaches and acacia honey. The sumptuous and expansive palate shows ripe apples, dried flowers and focused minerality that continues long after you drink the wine. Crisp acidity holds the wine in balance and will allow for long cellaring. Drink now–2035. Cellar Selection. 96 Points  —J.P.

This single vineyard Amarone, grown on limestone high in the hills of Valpolicella, represents the depth and beauty of this place and the production method for making Amarone. The wine is at once intense but also lifted and lithe in some respects. Dense and concentrated aromas of black plum, sweet dates and licorice present themselves immediately, but over time floral and exotic spice notes emerge to give balance. Herbal flavors run alongside the dense core of dark fruits, bittersweet chocolate and roasted coffee beans. Luscious with fine tannins and the acidity needed for a wine of its density, this is a stunner. Drink 2025–2040. Cellar Selection. 96 Points  —J.P.

Established in 2008, Terrevive is not just a vine grower but also an integrated farm that creates biodiversity that makes healthier grapes and people. The Stiolorosso has aromas of blackberry, cherry and white pepper. The palate is mouthfilling and supremely structured, balanced between a deep core of black fruits and intriguing savory herbs and spice, finishing with crisp acidity and superfine bubbles. Editor’s Choice. 96 Points— J.P.

When you get a wine like this, there is no turning back. A wine that is both pure, delicious and intriguing all at once is a rarity and is to be celebrated. At first, it is reserved. But once it wakes up, the wine shows a fresh mix of strawberry, boysenberry and pomegranate that gives way to intense floral notes, wild herbs and game. It’s energetic and vital with acidity that’s so crisp you will not realize you have just downed the bottle. Editor’s Choice. 96 Points  —J.P.

It is hard to even nail down this wine; there are waves of flavor with notes of peach, tart apricots, apples, lime, orange blossom and wild mountain herbs. The palate is yummy in all the best ways, being upfront and complex. Notes of cantaloupe, jarred peaches, honey, spice and flint make this one dynamic wine. Drink now–2030. Editor’s Choice. 96 Points  —J.P.