Decanter

Massimo Piccin is living the dream of giving new expression to Bordeaux growths from Bolgheri and producing wines that combine power, elegance and longevity. And so the Sapaio offers its full, vital and tannin-rich style magnificently and allows plenty of time for the finish. Once again, some of the grapes come from Bibbona, i.e. outside the Bolgheri DOC, so that this great wine can only bear the addition Toscana IGT.

Here it is, the impressive first Gran Selezione from Riecine, showing more grace than muscle and delivering a Riecine-typical and very precise Burgundian interpretation of the Sangiovese grape.

Ugolaia is a 1.7-hectare, south-west-facing plot with a view of the sea, where the temperature fluctuations between day and night are considerable. The estate's oldest vines grow here on red iron soil.

Lisini produces four Brunelli. Each one stands for a different conviction – the Annata stands for balance and accessibility, the Ugolaia for the character of a single vineyard, the new Poggio Severo for a cooler, higher parcel. The Riserva stands for something else: for tradition. The estate itself calls it the most traditional wine in the entire portfolio – not because it is older, but because it epitomises the classic Montalcino ideal: Concentration, depth, patience. It is the result of a strict selection of the best grapes from the entire estate – from the vineyards around Sant'Angelo in Colle and the Sesta vineyard near Castelnuovo dell'Abate. No single vineyard, but the sum of the best that a vintage has to offer. The maceration period of 20 to 26 days is longer than for the Annata, and the ageing in large Slavonian oak barrels is correspondingly extended.

TAL 1930 commemorates the beginnings of the Santa Maddalena winery in 1930: a year of particular significance for the history of viticulture in South Tyrol and for the Bolzano winery. The contrast between mountain and valley – alpine and Mediterranean – determines the character of this exceptional cuvée. The vineyards for the white varieties Chardonnay, Sauvignon and Pinot Grigio lie between the valley floor and the sometimes gentle, sometimes steep slopes of the famous Renon near Bolzano. The vineyards are situated at an altitude of 400 to 700 metres and vary greatly in location and temperature, due to the sun from the Dolomites and the sometimes strong winds of the Isarco Valley.

Treiso is not Neive. Once you've grasped that, you begin to see the Barbaresco appellation in a different light. Neive offers power, body and polyphenols. Treiso – the southernmost of the three Barbaresco municipalities, situated at a higher altitude, cooler, with more compact, limestone-rich soils – imparts rigour, minerality and a longevity that some other sites lack. The MGA Pajoré is Treiso's voice in the Sottimano collection: the most traditional, the most persistent and, of the five crus, the one that demands the most patience. Old vines on calcareous-clay soils, steep and well-exposed. Organic cultivation from the outset. Fermentation with natural yeasts, extended maceration, natural malolactic fermentation. Aged for 18 to 22 months in François-Frères barriques, half on the lees, with a minimal proportion of new oak. No filtration. No fining. A further year in the bottle. The same winemaking method as always – and, as so often, proof that terroir matters more than technique.

Basarin is the latest chapter in the Sottimano story – acquired in 2014, it was the fifth cru to complete the portfolio. And, at the same time, the most complex. The small Basarin MGA stretches across a varied landscape characterised by steep slopes and considerable altitude – a terrain that seems almost rugged compared to the gentle hills of other Neive vineyards. The soils are of Miocene-Helvetian origin, predominantly calcareous and interspersed with sandy veins – a composition that allows for both mineral tension and aromatic depth. The vines here vary in age and aspect, which places an additional demand on the winemaking process: even more precise selection and harvesteven more careful harvestof harvest. This is followed by the consistent Sottimano method: fermentation on natural yeasts, long maceration, spontaneous malolactic fermentation, 18 to 22 months in specially crafted barriques, and one year's bottle ageing. No filtration. No fining.

The name is history. Sapaio – an old Tuscan grape variety, long forgotten, but not its memory. When Massimo Piccin founded his winery in 1999, he chose this name as a sign of his deep connection to the terroir. A tribute to what was and a promise of what was to come. The vineyards extend over the municipalities of Bibbona and Castagneto Carducci, 40 hectares on quaternary deposits, from loose, coarse-grained sand deposits to alluvial soils with calcareous subsoil. Just ten kilometres from the sea, a microclimate that brings Bordeaux varieties to life. Since 2015, Piccin has been going his own way: instead of the prestigious Bolgheri Superiore DOCG, he deliberately chooses the free IGT Toscana, just to be able to add the handful of grapes from Bibbona that make Sapaio what it is today. Sometimes greatness means renouncing titles and regulations.

This Riserva is only made available each year in very small quantities to hand-picked specialist retailers and top restaurants. Brilliant ruby red colour. Fine raspberry and floral notes dominate the spicy nose. Very juicy on the palate, tannins and acidity are well integrated. Riecines Riserva has length and suppleness right through to the long fruity finish. The elegance and fine melting texture are impressive. Once again, this is Sangiovese at the top level that Riecine is known for! SUPERIORE.DE

If Montosoli is the great Montalcino cru in the north, then the Sesta area between Castelnuovo dell'Abate and Sant'Angelo in Colle is its southern counterpart. This is where the Lisini vineyards are located.

Ugolaia is a name that carries weight in Montalcino. The vineyard is situated in the classic Sesta area, facing south-west, on one of the sunniest and best-ventilated plots on the entire estate – and it embodies a tradition that Lisini takes to heart: The estate's 'veterans' – those most experienced staff members who have known the estate for decades – graft premium cuttings from the estate's own massalselection onto wild rootstocks by hand. No clonal selection from a catalogue, no technological shortcuts – just knowledge passed down from person to person, vintage after vintage.

Sauvignon Bianco Rachtl comes from a small micro-location of just 0.4 hectares. It gets its fine flint and graphite nose from the porphyry soils near Unteraicha in the municipality of Völs. Very subtle on the palate with fine saline acidity, fresh fruit and a long-lasting finish. If you can call one of the 2,000 bottles of this vintage your own, you can count yourself lucky! SUPERIORE.DE

This is the top wine from Il Poggione, and it is a must for anyone who collects wines from this famous vineyard. The estate's oldest parcel, Vigna Paganelli, is a 12-hectare vineyard that was planted back in 1964. It boasts a rich variety of old Sangiovese clones, which are used for the newer plantings.

Sauvignon Bianco Rachtl comes from a small micro-location of just 0.4 hectares. It gets its fine flint and graphite nose from the porphyry soils near Unteraicha in the municipality of Völs. Very subtle on the palate with fine saline acidity, fresh fruit and a long-lasting finish. If you can call one of the 2,000 bottles of this vintage your own, you can count yourself lucky! SUPERIORE.DE

Querciabella's Riserva, with an annual production of 10,000 bottles, is a selection of the best lots. It blends fruit from Greve, where the vineyards lie between 350 and 550 metres above sea level, with grapes from the stony high altitudes of Radda and the chalky soils of Gaiole. Tantalising aromas of spring flowers, cranberries and potting soil are accompanied by vanilla and smoke. On the palate, it is polished and pure, with a delicious, tangy acidity and sinewy tannins. As every year, one of the most refined wines of the appellation. SUPERIORE.DE

Hardly any Brunello is as authentic as the wines from Le Potazzine - they reveal the whole truth of the Sangiovese grape. The result is neither completely polished, nor is it boring or predictable. The 2020 Brunello di Montalcino achieves a degree of extreme authenticity and originality that you don't find on every corner in the appellation. It is a wine full of understatement and equally great personality, for which one must take time and leisure to discover every last nuance. On the nose, it reveals a subtle and well-composed bouquet of red roses, spices, earth and wild mushrooms. As always with Le Potazzine, there is also a wild hint of rusticity. On the palate, this Brunello reveals its powerful fruit and perfectly integrated tannins. Like a friend you can rely on, this Brunello is both a role model and a lovable buddy. SUPERIORE.DE

Lorenzo Sassetti's Riserva has a dense texture and resolute power. Brilliant, rich ruby colour with a garnet rim. A core of dark fruits and black cherries is framed by spices, toast, pressed rose and earthy garden soil. Firm, very dense tannins, builds up in many layers, savoury, ripe fruit, firm pressure and not a hint of dryness on the final, great potential. SUPERIORE.DE

Troy – in the language of the South Tyrolean ancestors, it means ‘path’ – the path that Cantina Tramin has followed over decades to create one of Italy’s most exceptional Chardonnays. A path of exploration, experimentation and patience. For complex Chardonnays from high-altitude Alpine vineyards are a rarity – and that is precisely where the appeal lies; that is precisely where the challenge begins. At altitudes of 500 to 550 metres, where the Mediterranean heat of the day and cold downdrafts from the mountains clash in stark contrast, 25-year-old Chardonnay vines take root in calcareous gravel and loam over porphyry. South-east-facing slopes, Guyot and pergola training systems, just 38 hectolitres per hectare – each berry is inspected individually during the hand-harvest in October. This is followed by whole-bunch pressing: the grapes are gently pressed together with their stems and stalks, an archaic method that lends structure and depth. Both alcoholic and malolactic fermentation take place in French barriques. The wine rests on its fine lees in the wood for eleven months before being transferred to small stainless-steel tanks, where it spends a further 22 months on the lees – a total of 33 months’ ageing, before four months’ bottle ageing completes the process.

Pajana - most modern wine of the entire Clerico range - presents itself closed, compressed and with great potential. Rich ruby with a light garnet rim. Compact nose, showing rich notes of blackberry, dark cherries, a little cinchona bark in the background. Explodes literally on the palate, lots of ripe, present fruit, then opens up with lots of fine-meshed tannin, salty depth, rich pressure. SUPERIORE.DE

A wine of remarkable aromatic complexity. Amarone aficionados know how many allusions these wines are capable of evoking, and it is not difficult to discern mushrooms, forest undergrowth, truffles, Havana leaves and even wild violets in this wine's aromatic profile, as well as the usual confit cherries and plums. In the mouth, the wine is remarkably concentrated yet elegant, carrying this bundle of allusions effortlessly and seamlessly through the palate. The fine pearly tannins give it support and the concentration of fruit is so great that the acidity almost fades into the background. A dense, polished and stately wine of the highest calibre. SUPERIORE.DE

Tasca got involved in Etna early on and the latest result of these years of experience are four new single vineyard wines from the Tascante estate: Contrada Rampante, Pianodario, Sciaranuova and Sciaranuova Vigna Vecchia (V.V.). The wines are delicate and profound, and despite their power, acidity and taut tannin, very elegant, finesse-rich and light-footed on the palate. Each of the four plots brings a slightly different style and personality to the wine - due to the altitude, soil composition and morphology of the historic lava flows. A high annual rainfall ensures that the soil has all the water it needs, and the temperature fluctuations between day and night support the aromatic diversity of the grapes and ultimately the ripening potential.

Vorberg – the name gives away its location: on the steep southern slopes of the Tschöggelberg, at altitudes of between 450 and 650 metres, a Pinot Blanc thrives that reveals the full potential of this famous South Tyrolean grape variety. The stony, sandy-loam soils, formed from weathered porphyry, with their high quartz content and slightly acidic pH levels, characterise a terroir of extremes: high water permeability, limited nutrient availability and naturally restricted yields. This microstress elicits unique, terroir-specific polyphenols from the vines. Hand-harvested, gently pressed as whole bunches, followed by natural sedimentation. Slow fermentation takes place at a controlled temperature in large oak casks (70 and 30 hl), followed by partial malolactic fermentation and 12 months' ageing on the fine lees in traditional wooden casks.