93 points

2016 Donnafugata Fragore

Monica Larner, Wine Advocate, October 2019

“Here is a new and exciting wine from the folks at Donnafugata. The 2016 Etna Rosso Contrada Montelaguardia Fragore is a compact and mid-weight expression that opens to a pretty garnet color with dark ruby hues. The bouquet is redolent of wild berry and cassis, but you also get hints of wild rose, smoke, tar and volcanic smoke. As a first vintage of this wine from Etna, the folks at Donnafugata have hit the nail on the head. This is a great wine for a blackened tuna steak on the grill. Some 15,000 bottles were made.”

91 points

2017 Donnafugata Sul Vulcano Etna Rosso

Monica Larner, Wine Advocate, October 2021

“The Donnafugata 2017 Etna Rosso Sul Vulcano is perfumed and floral with wild rose and pressed lavender. The wine's floral imprint is equal to its fruity impact. You get plenty of wild cherry and fresh plum. The tannins are tucked into the silky fiber of this mid-weight Nerello Mascalese wine. I would suggest a near to medium-term drinking window for this bottle from a warm vintage.”

93 points

2016 Donnafugata Fragore

Kerin O'Keefe, Wine Enthusiast, February 2019

91 points

2016 Donnafugata Sul Vulcano Etna Rosso

Kerin O'Keefe, Wine Enthusiast, February 2019

96 points

2016 Donnafugata Fragore

James Suckling, James Suckling, June 2019

“Orange peel, pure red plums, sour cherries, tangerines and a ton of lemons. Medium-to full-bodied with great density on the center palate, but really refreshing acidity to carry this through to a long finish. Very impressive and a new wine from this producer. Drink now or hold.”

93 points

2017 Donnafugata Sul Vulcano Etna Rosso

James Suckling, James Suckling, December 2020

“Aromas of dried cranberries and cherries interlace with crushed oyster shell, iron and volcanic ash. More ash and bitter berries on the palate. It’s medium-bodied with elegant, silky tannins and a complex, savory character. Better in two or three years. Try after 2022.”

94 points

2016 Donnafugata Fragore

Ian D'Agata, Vinous, August 2019

“Luminous deep red. Knockout nose offers tangy red fruits, minerals and porcini complicated by Oriental spices and broom. Conveys an impression of superb concentration but also of nonpareil refinement, boasting the uncanny combination of tactile presence and deep luscious pristine red fruit, aromatic herb and stony flavors. A wine of great length and potential with a penetrating steely quality and with lots of fruit lurking in the background. This is the first vintage of Donnafugata’s new top of the line Etna Rosso and it’s a beauty. It undoubtedly helps that the grapes come from the Montelaguardia contrada, one of the lesser known but terroir-wise, one of the of the very best Etna contradas of all.”

92 points

2016 Donnafugata Sul Vulcano Etna Rosso

Ian D'Agata, Vinous, August 2019

“Bright red; this is the perfect color of an authentic Etna Rosso blend. Spicy, perfumed nose of minerals and sour red cherry is lifted by floral notes. Clean, juicy redcurrant and pomegranate flavors have a tactile and saline bent. Very elegant and unlike any other reds made by Donnafugata, this is very lifted, vibrant and light on its feet. Very well done for a first time wine.”

90 points

2016 Donnafugata Fragore

Alison Napjus, Wine Spectator, October 2020

“A graceful red, round and well-knit, featuring a spicy, mineral-laced undertow and flavors of crushed cherry and cured tobacco. Fresh, with a touch of smoky mineral driving the lightly chewy finish. Drink now through 2026. 1,250 cases made, 50 cases imported.”

97+ points

2016 Bruno Giacosa Barbaresco Asili Riserva

Monica Larner, Wine Advocate, September 2021

“Packaged in its distinctive red label, the 2016 Barbaresco Riserva Asili is a rich and profound wine with incredible depth and dimension. Bruna Giacosa skipped over the 2015 vintage because she felt that the fruit was not poised for long aging. From the 2014 vintage, we jump to this 2016 expression, a wine that Bruna says reminds her of the epic 2001 and 2004 vintages. She also loves the 2017 vintage, which I look forward to tasting next year. This wine is incredibly precise and sharp; however, the volume and generous fruit weight promises a long aging future. The aromas veer toward red berry, cherry and cassis, and the darker black fruit tones that you might expect are less prominent in the Asili. The wine majestically captures the elegance and the power of this iconic vintage. Production is 11,000 bottles, 1,500 magnums and 200 Jeroboams.”