Tenuta di Biserno Biserno 2018

The 2018 Biserno is a beast of a wine (packaged in a heavy glass bottle) that fills the room with its perfumes as you pour the wine into your glass. The bouquet is thickly layered and rich with potent notes of ripe blackberry and blackish plum followed by baker's chocolate, spice and dark mahogany or cigar box. Excellent work has been achieved to tame the tannins, and the wine offers a long, polished feel and an impactful, full-bodied presence. The blend of fruit used here (from a seven-hectare parcel) is 28% Cabernet Franc, 32% Merlot, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Petit Verdot. Production is 30,000 bottles.

A blend of Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot, this has aromas of black-skinned berries, French oak, underbrush and Mediterranean scrub. The firm, full-bodied palate features cassis, licorice, vanilla and a hint of grilled bell pepper alongside assertive, fine-grained tannins. It's still tightly wound and primary, so give it a few more years to fully integrate. Drink 2023-2029.

Blackberry and plum fruit is shaded by vanilla, milk chocolate and spice in this dense, supple red, ending with spice and toasty oak accents. This has a solid structure, but the overall harmony is there. Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Best from 2023 through 2035. 2,000 cases made, 500 cases imported.