Falstaff | 95–100 Points

Dal Forno's Amarone della Valpolicella 2018 is, as always, convincing across the board. With a little air, the tannins soften and release a variety of intense dark aromas and flavours. Dark chocolate, cloves, violets, plums and blackberry jam coat every inch of the palate in a stunning Amarone that captures all the best qualities of the vintage. When Romano Dal Forno's wines are on a roll, there's nothing quite like it, and that's certainly the case here. Needs a lot of air when young, experienced connoisseurs will practise patience. SUPERIORE.DE

There is no announcement calendar for this wine. No planned release date, no market strategy. Marco Dal Forno has opened his treasure trove – and pulled out the 2011. That's all you need to know. Romano Dal Forno makes his decisions in the vineyard, not in the cellar. Only vines over ten years old provide grapes for the Amarone – only the best sites on Monte Lodoletta. After the harvest, three months of appassimento in the drying rooms of the well-ventilated Lodoletta: the berries lose up to 40 per cent of their weight, what remains is concentration in its purest form. Fermentation in steel tanks with computer-controlled pump-overs, at least 24 months in new barriques, then years – many years – in the bottle. The vintage itself was full of surprises: started cool, exploded in August, cooled down for the harvest.

Of all his wines, the flagship Tenuta di Trinoro offers the deepest insight into Andrea Franchetti's viticulture. Andrea changes the proprietary blend of Cabernet Franc and Merlot from limestone and clay soils every year depending on the quality and quantity of the harvest. The grapes are always the best of the vintage. Franchetti's own style is recognisable in each of his wines and with each vintage. The 2020 vintage was the first to be given an additional year of bottle ageing before being released for sale.

Roagna's Barbaresco Pajè already has a great need to communicate in its youth and shows itself to be open-minded and with multi-layered flavours, full-bodied and harmoniously balanced. An extraordinary pleasure for the next 20 years. SUPERIORE.DE

The Riecine vineyard in Gaiole in Chianti has a history dating back to the 11th century. Today's vineyards grow between 430 and 600 metres above sea level on stony, alluvial limestone soils over a subsoil of pure limestone - rock that was once washed here from the Monterossi hill by the ancient Massellone river (once called "Clante", the origin of the name "Chianti"). Since 2006, La Gioia has been a pure Sangiovese, a decision that perfectly reflects the philosophy of the estate: absolute concentration on the noblest of all Tuscan grape varieties.

Once upon a time, there was a vineyard that was particularly spoilt by the Montalcino sun; it still bears the name Vigna Loreto to this day. Only in the best vintages does a Brunello come from this exposed site that is bursting with richness, complexity and assertiveness. It possesses a textural depth and balance that is captivating. Fruit, spice and very unique nuances such as savoury herbs, liquorice, tobacco and a firm tannin make this impressive wine monument linger on the palate and in the memory for a long time. With every sip, it opens up further layers and you might almost sink into it, such is the shift in the boundaries of what is comparable. The 2019 Vigna Loreto is not only extremely elegant, but also profound and almost outrageously juicy. SUPERIORE.DE

As a result of extensive soil research, Francesco Ricasoli was able to identify three microlocations, which will be vinified separately from the 2015 vintage onwards. The range of Chianti Classico Gran Selezione now includes, in addition to the famous Castello di Brolio, three cru sites (Colledilà, Roncicone and Ceniprimo), all of which are 100% planted with Sangiovese. They differ in structure and taste in close correspondence with their terroir and impressively demonstrate the complexity of the Chanti Classico region.

The "heart" of Trinoro – the wine that most perfectly embodied Andrea Franchetti's vision. No fixed recipe, no predetermined formula, just the essence of the vintage: the best plots, the ripest grapes, the most expressive terroir. A cuvée that reinvents itself year after year, always dominated by Cabernet Franc and Merlot, complemented by Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot. The 2022 vintage was characterised by drought and heat, but meticulous foliage work and radical thinning out preserved the balance.

The name says it all – and rarely has a wine deserved its name so consistently. Quartz: a mineral that was formed in fire, has survived for millions of years and is still visible today in Terlan's soils as a fine speckle in the volcanic porphyry rock. 55 to 60 per cent quartz content, slightly acidic pH value, skeleton-rich sandy-loamy structure without carbonate – a soil that allows water to pass through, rations nutrients and puts the vine under controlled stress. This micro-stress is not a deficiency. It is intentional. It forces the plant to produce terroir-specific polyphenols, which give the wine the savoury tension for which Terlan is internationally renowned.

Of all its wines, the flagship Tenuta di Trinoro offers the deepest insight into the Franchetti family's viticulture. The proprietary blend of Cabernet Franc and Merlot from limestone and clay soils is adjusted each year depending on the quality and quantity of the harvest. The grapes are always the best of the vintage and come from the very best plots. The unique style of this Tuscan wine icon is recognisable with every vintage.

"Transparent ruby red. The nose is reminiscent of a morning stroll in an oriental bazaar. The ethereal opening combines noble woods such as cedar and sandalwood until one enters the spice zone and juniper mixes with black pepper and cardamom as well as dark tobacco. The fruit vendors cheerfully offer cherries, raspberry jelly and preserved hibiscus blossoms, the florists have small violets on display. One of the market criers refreshes his bicycle chain with a quench of graphite and chews on a piece of liquorice with a smile. The ripe, leafy tannins of the Barolo Pira Vecchie Viti are tightly interwoven with extract-sweet fruit notes and the all-defining acid arc.

"Transparent ruby red. Vines over 80 years old provide the material for this exceptional Barbaresco with a cathedral-like appearance on the nose: the ethereal balsamic superstructure with notes of sandalwood and incense, juniper and rosemary is complemented by fruity litanies of cherries, raspberry jam and blood oranges and adorned by floral overtones of violets, mallow and hollyhocks along with a pinch of white pepper. On the palate, it is precisely parted, of noble understatement and charming nature. The fine, long acidity gives it aristocratic polish, the ripe and tightly woven tannins coat it in the noblest thread. Delicate and transparent, the delicate fruit illuminates the entire palate. Conversations fall silent, glasses clink, laughter. Its approachable manner seems jovial, yet it is demanding with decisive insistence and epochal reverberation. Everyone is happy to obey." Sebastian Bordthäuser (Sommelier und Wein-Journalist)

Radiant ruby red with purple reflections. In the nose first cherry, then herbal spice, mint and essential oils. Noble woods like cedar and sandalwood mingle with traces of pipe tobacco, smoky tones and damp, autumnal forest floor. On the palate, cherry again, an opulent potpourri of wilted leaves, damp soil, truffles, plus a fine note of old leather. An incredibly complex wine from a famous single vineyard that will give pleasure for many decades to come. SUPERIORE.DE

The wine comes from a single, gently sloping vineyard above Rocchetta Tanaro, called Bricco dell'Uccellone, named after an elderly local woman who always kept a sharp eye on the vineyards, dressed in black. Here, old vines grow on barren, chalky soils that produce low yields but highly concentrated harvest. With tireless dedication, the Bologna family fulfils the legacy of Giacomo Bologna, who is rightly described as the father of modern Barbera d'Asti. 2021 began with a cool spring, followed by a warm, stable summer that ensured slow, even ripening. The grapes were hand-picked in perfect condition, followed by a long maceration and 12 months of ageing in French barriques.

The Spuntali vineyard is historically known as the best area of the south-west, sea-facing slope of Montalcino. Spuntali is a historic cru for Brunello di Montalcino: it is its unique terroir, it is also the sunniest and driest of the three slopes of Brunello, and the sea, just 40 kilometres away, already provides a Mediterranean climate here.

Since summer 2023, Chianti Classico producers have been allowed to include the eleven additional geographical indications (UGA = unità geografiche aggiuntive) introduced in 2021 on the labels of the top Gran Selezione category. For Chianti Classico winegrowers, it is a logical step to produce wines that reflect the area in which they were produced as authentically as possible. And customers can thus deepen their knowledge of the relationship between the wines and their region of origin - a real added value.

From 1546 to 1800, Villa Cigliano was the family seat of the Antinori family in the province of Florence, the place where they first planted vineyards and pressed wine. The estate was then sold. Piero Antinori bought it back in 2011. What sounds like a sentimental gesture was actually a strategic decision: Villa Cigliano is located in the San Casciano UGA, the northernmost part of the Chianti Classico region, right on the outskirts of Florence. A terroir that gives the Sangiovese an accessibility and expressiveness that distinguishes it from the more structured sites to the south. In 2014, Antinori returned to the Chianti Classico consortium after almost four decades. Villa Cigliano is one of the most visible proofs of this commitment: 100% Sangiovese from a site that the family chose over five centuries ago as the first vineyard in the history of the house. Gran Selezione – the highest category of the appellation. 5,000 to 6,000 bottles.

The Vigna Loreto covers one and a half hectares. Steep, stony and east-facing – , the slope faces the morning sun, not the midday sun. The soil is rich in tuff and pebbles, poor in nutrients, and unforgiving. The vines are the result of a mass selection from eight estate-grown Sangiovese clones that Mastrojanni has selected over decades: the estate’s genetic memory is embodied in every vine. It was Gabriele Mastrojanni himself who recognised Vigna Loreto as a distinct plot – the ability to display finesse where Castelnuovo dell’Abate otherwise impresses with power. Today, every vintage confirms what the founder saw: Loreto speaks more softly than the great Brunello, but with greater precision. The east-facing aspect gives the wine freshness; the tuff lends it mineral tension; the lean soils force concentration without overripeness. 36 months’ ageing in Allier barrels ranging from 16 to 33 hectolitres – the small barrels, the intimacy that the wood lends the wine without dominating it.

The Castellina in Chianti UGA is located in the western heart of the appellation, a municipality on a ridge between the Arbia and Elsa valleys, with soils of silt, clay and sandstone that give the Sangiovese fullness and warmth. The slopes are sunny and the microclimate is warm. Anyone who works in Castellina knows that Sangiovese matures differently here than elsewhere in Chianti Classico. Antinori acquired the Buiano estate in 2017 – a relatively recent decision within the long-term Gran Selezione project, which comprises four individual vineyards from four different UGAs. No other Chianti Classico estate has such a broad territorial representation. Buiano is the most powerful, full-bodied expression of these four. 100% Sangiovese, 5,000 to 6,000 bottles.

The essence of chance. There are wines that are only created when the stars are right – and Essenza from Fattoria Kappa is one of them. In the language of physics, kappa means constant, but at this extraordinary winery on the border between Bolgheri and Maremma, chance rules. Only in exceptional years, when the Cabernet Franc grapes reach their full ripeness and complexity, is this rare cru produced – a venture that only a few winegrowers in Tuscany dare to take.

The 1.6-hectare Loreto vineyard is located on a slope right next to the winery and has an ideal south-east exposure. Vigna Loreto is only vinified in the best vintages and is an even more intense interpretation of the Sangiovese grape. On the palate, the texture is both creamy and robust, with a depth and fullness that make it very rich and exceptional. With further aeration, beautiful notes of black fruits, tobacco and spices. Aristocratic, powerful and very long. SUPERIORE.DE

Roagna's Barbaresco Pajè Vecchie Viti opens with a bright garnet-red colour and a deep, shiny glow. The fruit of old vines manages to reach the impossible point between power and elegance. The wine shows a delicate and bright bouquet, but also a compact fruit and a long finish. You can feel this extra fullness on the finish. The production is around 2,500 bottles. SUPERIORE.DE

Guado al Tasso is not only the name of the winery, but also the historical term for a ford in the torrent on the Marchesi Antinori estate. In the Middle Ages, this was the name given to the place where one encountered the "tasso" (badger) while travelling through the water on horse and cart. This poetic place name came to symbolise a wine that combines depth and movement: A Bolgheri Superiore with provenance, history and attitude. Despite the summer heat, the 2022 vintage produced an astonishingly balanced structure. Selective harvest in the best plots between the hills and the Tyrrhenian Sea, fermentation in stainless steel, followed by 18 months of ageing in new French barriques, followed by at least 6 months of bottle ageing.

Gallina comes from a steep, sandy vineyard, similar to the Asili site, but with less limestone, which gives it more roundness and fullness. Full bouquet of sweet tobacco, cedar wood, liquorice and dried herbs. A soft, sweet, red fruit combines with the typical Roagna austerity in an exciting way on the palate to create an impressive complexity and length. It will only reveal its true elegance in a few years' time. SUPERIORE.DE