Ian D’Agata, author of Native Wine Grapes of Italy, writes about Italian wines at Antonio Galloni’s Vinous Media, one of the most important wine content websites in the US and in the world. After tasting our wines, D’Agata has assigned to each one of them a great score.

We are happy to share this new success of our wines with you!

Balciana 2015, 92 points

“Bright medium-dark gold. Very intense ripe yellow fruit, honey, and spicy botrytis. Enters suave and ripe, offering vibrant flavors of spicy tropical fruit (pineapple, papaya, mango) and citrus fruits. Finishes long but just a tad hot. Balciana is the name of one of Italy’s most famous white wines but is also a nine-hectare single vineyard where noble rot sets in very easily, accounting for Balciana’s often glyceral honeyedness. 15.5 percent alcohol.” Ian D’Agata

Sartarelli Passito 2015, 92 points

“Bright golden-tinged yellow. Rich, ripe and suave, with delightful sugar-acid balance to the apple compote and pear nectar flavors. Fresh and long, this is a really lovely Passito, one of the best ever made by Sartarelli.” Ian D’Agata

Sartarelli Brut, 91 points

“Pale straw with a steady stream of small bubbles. Enticing nose of apple and pear, plus a hint of botanical herbs. Bright, juicy and very fresh, displaying surprisingly suave yellow fruit and spice flavors given the wine’s noteworthy acid bite. Finishes long, with lovely floral perfume. Perhaps the best sparkler ever from Sartarelli. Made with a long Charmat-Martinotti, in which the must stays on the lees for six months (rather than the more common three). This is labeled as a non-vintage but is actually all 2016. Made with grapes grown at 250 meters above sea level in the Scorcelletti fraction of Majolati Spontini, this wine was first made by Sartarelli in the 2011 vintage. About 25,000 bottles per year.” Ian D’Agata

Tralivio 2015, 89 points

“Bright straw. Very ripe, generous, showy aromas and flavors of white stone fruit, pomaceous orchard fruit and balsamic oils. Solid underlying acidity lifts the rich but juicy texture on the long, tactile finish, which features a strong marzipan presence. Made from grapes grown in the Tralivio vineyard and others in the area. I am normally a big fan of Tralivio but found it almost too rich and round this vintage.” Ian D’Agata

Sartarelli Classico 2016, 88 points

“Vivid straw-yellow. Piercing aromas of pear, apple and fresh citrus. Then smooth and easygoing, but slightly dilute in the middle, offering crisp fresh flavors of pomaceous orchard fruit. Finishes long with lemony hints. Made from a mix of grapes grown in various vineyards in Montecarotto and Poggio San Marcello at about 300 meters above sea level (31 hectares).” Ian D’Agata