7 Red Wines From 5 Italian Regions To Sample During February

The season for gloves, sweaters, scarves and warm hats continues. This is a time to search for restaurants with a crackling fire. It is also time to enjoy hearty but well balanced red wines. Consider the bottles below, from five producers within five Italian regions. They are dark, somewhat tannic and delicious.

_{Piedmont –}

Gianni Gagliardo. Barolo de Commune di La Morra. DOCG. 2020. 94-95 points.

A dark rosato colored juice from the Nebbiolo grape. Precise, fresh, brisk, balanced aromas of florals and red and orange fruit. The light, delicate mid palate belies this as a Barolo, with includes succulent tannins and flavors of red plums, raspberries and even orange slices. Fresh, delicious, beguiling and complex. Excitingly light and intimate with elegance rather than power. Pair with a main course that includes beef, or a chop suey. Dizzyingly fresh.

Gianni Gagliardo. Barolo Lazzarito Vigna Preve. DOCG. 2020. 93+ points.

14.5% alcohol in this wine with a light cerasuolo color. Fresh aromas of bitter cherries, red plums and green grass. Balanced, rich, rounded and attractive mid palate of dark flavors—tannic but not unobtrusively so, and bathed in succulent acidity. Pair with a grilled rib eye steak or slow cooked wild boar with mushrooms. Still young and needs a few years to pour its full character out of hidden layers.

Abruzzo –

Tenuta I Fauri. Vigna Santa Cecilia. Montepulciano d’Abruzzo. Riserva. DOC. 2020. 94+ points.

Dark and statured initial aromas of wet woodland, black licorice, blackberries, dark plums, sea spray and even slight menthol in this 15% alcohol wine. Beautifully balanced mid palate with fresh tension between fruits, tannins and acidity. A tactile tug of war, with raspberries and even peaches mid palate bathed in luscious acidity. Elegant tannins on the finish. A wine to make you salivate and hunt for an excellent meal—such as roasted lamb and cous cous, or a tajeen with chunks of mango. This one is difficult to stop drinking.

Tenuta I Fauri. Baldovino. Montepulciano d’Abruzzo. DOC. 2022. 93+ points.

Bushy aromas of roses, cinnamon, nutmeg, black licorice, tarragon, tobacco and gunpowder in this wine made from the Montepulciano d’Abruzzo grape, with 14% alcohol. A prim attack followed by a fiery mid palate of orange slices, red cherries, black cherries, sultanas and toffee—with a snappy finish. Rich, with a light to medium body and juicy acidity. Pair with a spicy Asian dish, or consider a mango and orange sorbet dessert. This wine is an ambassador to the gorgeously distinct heart of Abruzzo’s Montepulciano wine country.

Friuli-Venezia Giulia –

Conte Brandolini d’Adda. Stomo. Merlot. Friuli DOC. 2019. 90 points.

Earthy and fresh aromas of raspberries and thyme, cedar and eucalyptus in this wine with 12.5% alcohol. Flavors include lush black cherries. Bright acidity supports this light and easy drinking red. Pair with a rich soufflé or a dessert sorbet.

Tuscany –

Beba. Vino Rosso. Terre di Anghiari. Tuscany. 2020. 93-94 points.

Burgundy cherry color in this wine with 14% alcohol from Paola de Blasi. This elegant wine is the second vintage produced and includes the same intriguing aromatic fireflies that snap through your senses—including chocolate cookies, dark plums, maraschino cherries, pipe tobacco smoke and a hint of mint crisp. A succulent and juicy jamming mouthful packed with acidity, orange slices, marmalade, red cherries, cookie dough, balsamic. Let it rest in your glass for five minutes before sipping. Stronger and more brazen than the original vintage of 2019 (which included 13% alcohol). This is a field blend of grapes (including Sangiovese, Colorino, Canaiolo Nero, Mammolo, Ciliegiolo, Aleatico, Trebbiano and Malvasia Toscana) grown and picked in Tuscany, but vinified with strict control in northern Italy’s Alto Adige region. Consider pairing with stroganoff or a wild rice pilaf with mushrooms and roasted red bell peppers.

Tintilia del Molise –

Azienda Agricola Cianfagna. Sator Riserva Gran Maestro. DOC. 2018. 94 points.

From a wine region you have heard little about comes a grape both unique and delicious—Tintilia. This reserve wine aged for five years includes smooth, balanced aromas of red plums, cranberries, blackberries and sage. It has a beautiful mouth feel with flavors of red fruit and vanilla as well as a unique soy and blueberry tilt. This includes soft tannins and crisp acidity that support the fruit well. This will age for 20 years or more. Think Sangiovese meets Cahors meets Saint-Émilion: dark richness, tannic structure and elegance.