My favorite wine of this flight, the 2012 Cerasuolo di Vittoria Giambattista Valli opens to pretty aromatic highlights of crushed flowers and pressed raspberry with fresh acidity and numerous berry-related nuances that add length and energy to the finish. Pretty ruby highlights liven up the wine’s appearance. Drink 2014-2018. The first time I received samples from Feudi del Pisciotto and examined the bottles, I thought: “Who would use obviously copyrighted names like Valentino, Versace, Missioni and Gianfranco Ferre on their wine labels?” Some of the bottles had recreations of the same logos used by the Italian fashion houses. For example, the “Versace” wine sported a very familiar image of Medusa’s head. Could someone really be so oblivious to trademark laws? I later discovered that Feudi di Pisciotto is owned by media mogul Paolo Panerai, a powerful figure with immediate access to these celebrated protagonists in Milan haute couture. He created his “Collection of Great Designers” wines in collaboration with the fashion designers and a portion of his sales goes to local art restoration projects. Importer: Vias Import, www.viaswine.com

There's a tarry underpinning to this elegant, medium-bodied red, with juicy acidity enlivening the flavors of dried cherry and fig, tea rose and singed orange peel. Long and silky on the fresh, spiced finish. Drink now through 2022. 1,250 cases made.??–AN??Region: Italy / South / Sicily / Cerasuolo di Vittoria Select to Add