Pinot Nero and Tuscany don’t always make comfortable bedfellows, but the 2010 Pinot Nero Case Via is one of the nicest expressions of this delicate grape in central Italy. The wine opens to enormous aromatic intensity with beautiful tones of forest berry, boysenberry, candied cherry, pungent red rose and cassis that pop straight from the glass. The purity and intensity of the perfumes are truly outstanding. Its shows smooth silkiness that caresses the palate with generous flavors of ripe berry and a dusting of spice that lingers for many long seconds. This is a fantastic wine that pays homage to Tuscany and to Pinot Nero in equal measure. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2028. Fontodi’s Giovanni Manetti has released one of the top Italian wines of 2010. His Flaccianello della Pieve (assembled from the best parcels of Sangiovese) is an expression of profound beauty and elegance. I tasted this wine early in my work for this issue and found myself returning to my note over and over again, comparing the other great wines of 2010 to Flaccianello. It became my benchmark for the vintage. Importer: Vinifera Imports; www.viniferaimports.com