Decanter

When Eugenio Palumbo, Vietti's cellar master, described the summer of 2022, he came up with a phrase that has been echoing through the Langhe ever since: "Barolo grapes are usually harvested in wellies, not Crocs." A hot, dry year – harvested 15 days earlier than usual, and the decisions made in the vineyard made all the difference. As in every year, the Barolo is made from grapes sourced from around twenty different plots – the portions remaining after selection for the single-vineyard wines. In 2022, there was a rare twist: the Brunate, Cerequio and Villero vineyards were not released as separate MGA wines this time. It was therefore not the second selection, but their entire harvest that went into this wine. Palumbo himself calls the result "a sort of super single-vineyard" – and he's right.

Montalcino is not a homogeneous terroir – it is a mosaic of microclimates, altitudes and soil types that produces completely different interpretations of Sangiovese within a very small area. San Polo lies in the south-east, on the Podernovi hill, where the extinct volcano Monte Amiata shields the vineyards from hot sirocco winds and has left behind pyroclastic deposits that lend the Sangiovese a mineral character found in very few other vineyards. At an altitude of 450 metres, the estate is one of the cooler areas within the appellation – ; large temperature variations between day and night enhance the aromatics and acidity, whilst the dry summer conditions concentrate the berries without stressing them.

The southern quadrant of the Montalcino hill follows its own logic: more warmth, more sunshine, and a ripening process that is more consistent and complete than in cooler exposures. Tenuta Campogiovanni is situated precisely here – on medium-textured silt-sand soils overlying sandstone and limestone, in a location that gives the Sangiovese Grosso reliability in poor years and depth in great years. 2021 was a great year – but it began with a shock. A mild, dry winter had brought forward budbreak; by the end of March, the best-exposed vineyards were already sprouting. Then came the April nights. Temperatures dropped below zero, and the early buds froze. Yields were significantly reduced. What followed was a rainy spring, which helped the vines survive a long and very hot summer. The grapes that survived concentrated what they had. Harvest took place from the third week of September through into October.

Orlando and Attilio Pecchenino are from Dogliani. The fact that these brothers, who have made a name for themselves as Dolcetto producers, also produce a Barolo of such depth and precision is no contradiction – it is the same approach, applied to a different terroir. The Corsini vineyard in the Bussia MGA, Monforte d’Alba: south-west facing, calcareous-clay soil with brownish marl, Guyot training, 5,000 vines per hectare. At 340 hectares, Bussia is the second-largest MGA in the Barolo region – and was historically the first single vineyard to ever be bottled as such. Despite its size, its soils are remarkably homogeneous, and its character unmistakable: dense depth that unfolds into great complexity over time.

Cherry-accentuated bouquet with hints of violet flowers, clove, cigar box and a pleasant spicy sweetness. Dense and expressive on the palate, it opens vibrant and multi-layered and then reveals a wonderful load of black cherry, exotic spices and a fine salty vein. The perfectly balanced tannins always provide the necessary balance and give it a racy, very long finish with its extremely refined flavour components. SUPERIORE.DE

Caparzo's La Casa vineyard, located in an enviable position on the hill of Montosoli, has been vinified separately since 1977 and is one of the first single-vineyard bottlings in Montalcino. Like the normal Brunello, La Casa has a surprising underlying acidity that gives the wine brightness and focus, and the northern exposure of the parcel has certainly played a role in this.

Alongside Fragore, Etna-Cru Donnafugata, named after the Contrada Marchesa vineyard of the same name, is Donnafugata's second top wine from the volcano. Its label is adorned with a volcano goddess decorated with flowers and fruit, next to which is the medieval village of Castiglione di Sicilia. The Nerello vines grow on a lava soil rich in minerals, and the location to the north of the volcano ensures temperate summers with strong temperature fluctuations between day and night.

A lake next to the vineyard – this is not a metaphor, this is geography. Vigna del Lago is located in the north-west of Montalcino, at 280 metres above sea level, and the small lake that gives the vineyard its name softens the otherwise continental climate of this exposure: harsh winters, very hot summers, pronounced day-night temperature fluctuations. The soil is clay – heavy, watery and cool. A combination that forces the Sangiovese Grosso to take deep root, mature slowly and develop elegance rather than mass. The vine material is the densest in the entire Val di Suga portfolio: 7,500 vines per hectare – a figure reminiscent of the planting densities in Burgundy. Double spur cordon, careful foliage management, yield reduction through thinning out. Hand-picking into crates takes place exclusively in the early hours of the morning. In the cellar: fermentation for eight to twelve days, maceration for a further two to three weeks. Maturation in 40-hectolitre Slavonian oak barrels for 24 months, then concrete, then bottle. No barrique, no wood pressure – pure site. 2021 was a lucky vintage for Vigna del Lago. The late frost in April reduced the harvest – and concentrated the best. No extreme summer, no stress.

Briccolina is one of the smallest but most prestigious vineyards in Serralunga d'Alba. The steep slopes and the limestone and clay-rich marl soil give the wines from this parcel a striking, almost architectural structure. The south-east exposure ensures even sunshine and slow ripening, giving the flavours depth and precision. Dense, bright garnet red in colour with ruby reflections. The bouquet is multi-layered: ripe sour cherry, blackcurrant, dried roses, with hints of graphite, liquorice, fine leather and a touch of undergrowth. Powerful on the palate, with pithy, ripe tannins and clear, supporting acidity. The fruit is concentrated but not heavy, embedded in a subtle spiciness and mineral vein. The finish is long, structured and characterised by persistent freshness. A Barolo of rare precision and depth that masterfully reflects the character of the tiny Briccolina vineyard in a great vintage – and has the potential to age for decades. SUPERIORE.DE

The star from Tenuta Sant'Antonio: A rich dark ruby red, its bouquet of wild fruits, black pepper, tobacco and spices is a delight for the nose. Fruity and full-bodied, yet velvety and very sophisticated in its character - an austere, characterful and elegant Amarone, whose terrificfinish is accompanied by noble tannins. SUPERIORE.DE

The annual production of this boutique winery on Etna is just 9,000 bottles. At an altitude of 950 metres above sea level, the one and a half hectares of vines are divided into eight tiny plots and have been gradually bought up by the well-known Oenologist. The area is planted with Nerello Mascalese bush vines, which have been spared the phylloxera phylloxera and make their way through the lava-covered terraces.

In the rolling hills of Buttrio, where the history of Friulian winemaking has been woven into the landscape for centuries, lies the "Dominin" vineyard – named after Domenico Meroi, the great-grandfather who laid the foundations for today’s winery in 1920. The nickname ‘Dominin’ has become legendary, synonymous with a family tradition that Paolo Meroi, now in the fourth generation, continues to this day. What once began as a small farm with five hectares of Sangiovese (!) – whose wine was sold only in bulk – has long since matured into one of the most respected names in the Colli Orientali.

Whilst Barchetta and Casa Rossa in the Zitelle vineyard epitomise international Sauvignon excellence, the Duri plot tells a very different story – that of the indigenous Friulian Malvasia. ‘Duri’ is the third single-vineyard plot within the legendary Zitelle terroir, which Paolo Meroi acquired in 2007 and which once belonged to the ancient Order of the Unmarried Sisters. However, in contrast to the Ponca-rich plots with their sandstone-flysch soil, Duri exhibits a fundamentally different soil character: here, clay and loam dominate, enriched with iron, magnesium and sodium – —minerals that lend the Malvasia a distinctive aromatic depth and opulent richness.

Dark and powerful in the glass with full-bodied flavours of black cherry and blackberry. Spices, leather and balsamic herbs are evident in the background. Medium to full-bodied with very fine tannins that are polished and attractive and melt into the wine. What beautiful purity and finesse! SUPERIORE.DE

In 1977, at a time when the term "terroir" was virtually unknown in Montalcino and little attention was paid to the concept of zoning, Caparzo produced the first vintage of this wine. Its name derives from the farm where the farm labourers who worked for the owners of the nearby Palazzo Montosoli once lived. With "La Casa", Caparzo was once again a pioneer: one of the first single-vineyard Brunellos in the entire appellation, from one of Montalcino's most privileged vineyards. And this wine marks a second milestone: Caparzo was among the first wineries to introduce barrique barrels to Montalcino, thereby creating a wine of a gentle, elegant character. The five-hectare vineyard is situated on Montosoli hill, 275 metres above sea level, with a south-southeast-facing aspect. Montosoli is not a large hill, but its slightly greater altitude protects it from both mist and late frosts – a decisive advantage in this northern sector of the appellation, which has cooler average temperatures than other areas. The soil is schist-clay, known locally as "galestro", and is well-drained; the site enjoys an exceptional amount of sunshine.

Historically, the vineyards of Castello di Fonterutoli are situated in the territories of three neighbouring municipalities within the Chianti Classico region: Castellina in Chianti, Castelnuovo Berardenga and Radda in Chianti. With the 2017 vintage, the Mazzei family vinified all three major vineyard sites separately as Chianti Classico Gran Selezione for the first time, in order to reflect the diversity of the terroir: Castello di Fonterutoli, Vicoregio 36 and Badiòla.

Ceretto's entry-level Barbaresco comes from different sites, mostly younger vines from Asili (35%) and the lower part of Bernadot (65%). Bright, elegant ruby red. It has full energy and vivacity and offers excellent persistence and remarkable balance. On the nose, sweet red cherry, mint, pine, liquorice and candied orange peel. Taut and ferruginous on the palate, very juicy, salty, stretches precisely across the tongue, with some pressure, considerable juicy-long finish. After good aeration already impressively accessible when young. SUPERIORE.DE

It was Domizio Cavazza, director of the Royal School of Viticulture in Alba, who gave Barbaresco its name and its claim to fame in 1894. A wine that was to stand up to the more powerful Barolo – finer, accessible earlier, but no less complex. More than a century later, the roles are clearly divided: Barbaresco stands for the elegant side of Nebbiolo, for finesse instead of power, for fragrance instead of darkness. Prunotto has found his answer to this appellation in a single vineyard: Bric Turot. Five hectares at around 200 metres, with an exposure from south-west to south-east, which gives the hill the shape of a natural amphitheatre. The soil – tortonian limestone and marl with veins of sand, rich in magnesium and manganese – is the same foundation on which Gajas Sorì Tildin stands just a few metres away. Not bad terrain then.

Historically, the vineyards of Castello di Fonterutoli are situated in the territories of three neighbouring municipalities within the Chianti Classico region: Castellina in Chianti, Castelnuovo Berardenga and Radda in Chianti. With the 2017 vintage, the Mazzei family vinified all three major vineyards separately as Chianti Classico Gran Selezione for the first time, in order to reflect the diversity of the terroir: Castello di Fonterutoli, Vicoregio 36 and Badiòla.

Lodovico Lisini died in 1950, leaving the estate to his daughter Elina. At a time when the mezzadria system was coming to an end and agriculture was falling into disuse, Elina took a different approach: she invested, planted new vineyards and transformed the family home into a proper winery. In 1967, she was one of the 24 founders of the Brunello Consortium. She served as its president for many years. Until her death in 2009, it was the quiet, tenacious Elina Lisini who built the reputation of this estate – and of a wine that Giulio Gambelli, Italy's most legendary wine taster, helped to shape. The estate is situated in southern Montalcino between Sant'Angelo in Colle and Castelnuovo dell'Abate, on tuff-rich soil of Eocene origin, 300 to 350 metres above sea level and characterised by the warm Maremma breezes. 2021 was a year of extraordinary harmony: a warm, balanced summer, cool nights lasting well into September, consistent ripening and precise tannins.

Giovanni Manetti's Vin Santo del Chianti Classico consists of 50% Malvasia and 50% Sangiovese and was aged for 84 months in small oak barrels. The wine is absolutely stunning - from start to finish - and there are just 1,000 bottles of it.