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Ornato, Serralunga d'Alba, that is: stony limestone marl, warm vats with good aeration, the south/south-west exposure ensures deep ripeness, the altitude ensures balance. Hand-picked, separate vinification in stainless steel, extended maceration time. Maturation in large barrels is supplemented by a small proportion of barriques/tonneaux – more for texture than flavour. 2020 offered a stable summer and clear nights for the harvest: ripe harvest, supple phenolics, brilliant fruit.

The single vineyard Il Bricco, situated on both sides of the hilltop, the highest point is about 410 metres above sea level. Family-owned since the 1970s, you can expect great things every year. 2020 brought a stable summer, with a precise cooling in September and cool nights until the harvest. The result is very healthy, aromatically ripe grapes with clear fruit and balanced acidity – charming on the palate, yet precise and persistent. After separate fermentation of the batches in stainless steel, the wine is matured traditionally in large barrels and a moderate proportion of barrique is used for texture.

Silky, open and graceful, it is characterised by outstanding elegance and the finesse typical of the northern sector of Montalcino. Rose petals, sweet red berries and graceful, minty notes adorn the palate in a sensual, silky Brunello that exudes its class and pedigree from the very first sip. The traditional Marroneto style with fine-grained tannins and subtle salty notes contrasts excitingly with the classic structure and extract sweetness. A great wine! SUPERIORE.DE

As the Tuscan sun rises over the San Lorenzo Valley, it casts its golden light on the eighteen-year-old Pianigiani and Ricucci villas – the historic walls that gave this extraordinary Gran Selezione its name. It is a moment of silence before the story of a wine begins, which carries the quintessence of four legendary vineyards: Bellavista, Casuccia, San Lorenzo and Montebuoni. The 2021 vintage was a gift from nature to the winemakers of Chianti Classico. A rainy spring, which gave the vines the moisture they needed, was followed by a warm but not scorching summer. These climatic conditions gave the grapes a fullness and fleshiness that would later reveal itself in the glass as velvety opulence. Marco Pallanti, the driving force behind Castello di Ama since 1982 and former president of the Chianti Classico consortium, immediately recognised the extraordinary potential of this vintage.

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

Podernovi is San Polo's great single-vineyard Brunello. Ruby red colour with light garnet reflections. On the nose, floral aromas of violets, cyclamen and jasmine, notes of fresh fruit and spicy notes. In the mouth, round, full of harmony and with a good structure and acidity, as well as very soft tannins that show excellent persistence overall. A wine of almost endless length, depth and with a distinct character that lingers in the memory. SUPERIORE.DE

Celestino Gaspari is regarded on the scene as the successor to Giuseppe Quintarelli, having worked there for many years as cellar master. His vintage Amarone has an intense ruby colour with a garnet sheen. The full bouquet has aromas of dark chocolate, prunes, black cherries and cloves. Complex and full-bodied on the palate, very juicy fruit, cherries, plums flanked by a gentle tannin. It offers an impressive multi-dimensionality and great richness, which is evenly distributed across all the senses - regardless of whether it is drunk young after a few hours of decanting or whether it reaches further maturity in the bottle over many years with good storage. SUPERIORE.DE

The 2020 Barbaresco Bernadot comes from one of the coolest and highest cru sites in the municipality of Treiso, whose sandy, chalky soils and exposed south-east exposure give the Nebbiolo particular precision and aromatic clarity. The year was characterised by a warm spring, followed by a stable summer with cool nights, which ensured slow, even ripening and preserved the freshness of the wine.

The fruit for Tenuta Nuova is harvested from a south and south-east facing slope at 250 to 300 metres above sea level. The soils are loose and mixed with gravel, which allows access to air and moisture.

Sometimes it takes a single vineyard to understand what a vintage really means. 2021: "fragrante, definite e verticale" – is the official verdict of some Masters of Wine. Fragrant, precise, vertical. For Le Lucére, this east-facing parcel on Galestro and slate, this sounds like a description of the wine's characteristics. No vintage in recent years fits the DNA of this site as well as 2021. The late frost in April decimated the quantities – what remained was more concentrated, healthier, more focussed. No heat stress in summer. A relaxed harvest at the end of September, in which the vines gave the last of what the season had to offer: clear fruit, lively acidity, fine-grained tannins. Caciorgna let the vintage speak for itself.

When Ferruccio Ferragamo took over the dilapidated Borgo from the Duke of Savoy-Aosta in 1993, it was more than just a property purchase. It was, as he himself said, "an act of faith". Thirty years later, the flagship of the house carries this spirit in every bottle: a commitment to elegance without compromise. A meticulous geological study preceded its creation. Each grape variety was planted where the soil would best bring out its strengths: Merlot for velvety opulence, Cabernet Sauvignon for structure and depth, Syrah for freshness and aromatic lift. Separate vinification, then the marriage – a blend that bears the signature of Valdarno. The wines mature for eighteen months in French oak – the Merlot partly in larger barrels to preserve its fruit, Cabernet and Syrah in first and second passage barriques. The result is neither a copy of nor a competitor to Bolgheri or Chianti, but something completely unique.

Giovanni Manetti was just twenty when he and Oenologist Franco Bernabei pressed their first vintage in 1981: a pure Sangiovese, at a time when the rules of Chianti Classico still stipulated a proportion of white wine. What began as an act of rebellion became a legend. Flaccianello della Pieve, one of the first monovarietal super Tuscans, which proved that Sangiovese can achieve world class without blending. The name comes from the original vineyard, but since 2001 Flaccianello has been a selection of the best grapes from three plots on the estate, especially those at the highest altitudes at 480 metres, where Pietraforte soils dominate. This conglomerate of sandstone varieties gives the wine the freshness and structure that sets it apart from the rest.

Sandro Chia had the right instinct when he acquired the very high vineyard, which his neighbours had actually advised him not to buy. Named after this single vineyard, the famous artist and his son Filippo vinified a wine here that is somewhat denser than the normal Annata. The full bouquet has lively notes of dark red cherries, spices, plums and leather. Filo di Seta is racy and lush, but still has a clearly recognisable structure and impresses with its impressive balance. Sweet floral and spicy notes lend it exciting nuances on the expressive finish. A bold and incredibly viral Brunello and a masterpiece every year! SUPERIORE.DE

Vigna Loreto from the sun-drenched single vineyard of the same name right next to the winery is only vinified in the best vintages and delivers an even more intense interpretation of the Sangiovese grape every year. If you are looking for a soft and contemporary expression of Sangiovese, this is the wine for you. It offers a deep richness and texture infused with black fruits, spice and tobacco. This wine goes a step beyond the normal boundaries of Brunello in terms of richness and extraction. For all its undoubtedly beguiling opulence, it is nevertheless a straightforward and altogether superb wine that will gain in finesse and elegance with age. SUPERIORE.DE

In 2001, when the Mascheroni Stianti family planted the Casanova vineyard, one of the most visionary projects in the history of Tuscan viticulture began. Between the legendary Coltassala and Balifico vineyards, on the sun-drenched south-south-east flank of Volpaia, a living museum of Sangiovese biodiversity was created – a vineyard that was to become the flagship of an entire philosophy. Il Puro is the pure essence of Chianti Classico: 100 per cent Sangiovese, 100 per cent indigenous clones, 100 per cent organic, 100 per cent Radda.

A wine that made history. When Francesco Ricasoli presented Casalferro for the first time in 1993, it marked the beginning of a new era for the venerable Castello di Brolio and cemented Ricasoli's membership in the elite of Italian oenology. Today, almost three decades later, Casalferro 2019 is a prime example of how a French grape variety matures to exceptional perfection on Tuscan terroir. Casalferro is the essence of three exceptional individual vineyards: Vigna Casalferro, Vigna Pecchierino and Vigna Sodacci. These 13 hectares of Merlot vineyards between 400 and 500 metres above sea level are the result of decades of meticulous terroir studies. Each site has its own personality: Vigna Casalferro with its sandstone and limestone soils, Vigna Pecchierino on pure Alberese limestone and Vigna Sodacci on iron-rich sandstone soils. They all share the characteristic altitude, which gives the grapes the crystalline freshness and lively acidity that characterise the DNA of the Brolio terroir.

Palafreno 2019 is wonderfully polished and lively. Firm but well-integrated tannins form the backbone for a Merlot that is endowed with considerable energy. Spicy herbs, tobacco and wild flowers add complexity. Very nuanced on the palate, opulent to expressive, then at second glance supple, downright elegant. Almost unbeatable in complexity, depth and richness of finesse, it will reveal more and more of its first-class repertoire in the coming years. SUPERIORE.DE

Se is a pure Primitivo, from somewhat younger vines than the Es and is the youthful-fresh, but no less elegant counterpart to the Es. Se smells very aromatic of cherry, strawberry and maple blossom. Modern style on the palate, juicy texture, all components fascinatingly coordinated, long and lively. SUPERIORE.DE

Ridolfo was the son of Geremia, the founder of the noble family of Ricasoli in the Lombard era. His descendants called themselves "di filiis Rodulphi" – the children of Ridolfo – which over the centuries became Firidolfi. Marco Ricasoli-Firidolfi is the 37th generation. The wine is dedicated to this ancestor: not to the father, the founder – but to the son, the continuator. Ridolfo is Marco's most personal intuition: 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 50% Pugnitello – equal parts internationality and tradition. Pugnitello, an autochthonous Tuscan variety that almost died out in the 1980s, grows on these hills in Gaiole in Chianti, 340 to 510 metres, calcareous-loamy soils, certified organic. It brings wild cherry fruit, pepper, rustic character. The Cabernet gives linearity, silky tannin, fine herbal depth. Hand-picked, fermentation in upright wooden tanks with wild yeasts, 24 months in Allier barriques and tonneau, 36 months bottle ageing. Exclusively in magnums, hand-numbered, only in outstanding vintages.

In 1994, when Lodovico Antinori was looking for suitable land for the expansion of his Tenuta dell'Ornellaia, he discovered the hills of Bibbona almost by chance, which were to rewrite his destiny as a winemaker. What he found there was not just land – it was a revelation. The soils, a complex symphony of clay and the legendary Bolgheri conglomerate, the orientation of the slopes, the salty breezes of the Tyrrhenian Sea – everything spoke a different language to the familiar Ornellaia terroir. Too different, too wild, too full of character for a simple extension. And yet too fascinating to let go.

As always, Vietti's outrageously priced "entry-level" Barolo (formerly Castiglione) is based mainly on grapes from Ravera, with smaller portions from Ginestra, Mosconi, Bricco Ravera (in Monforte), Le Coste, Costabelle, Meriame, Briccolina and Codana. Ruby red colour of medium intensity. The nose is explosive, opulent, persuasive and immediate. Notes of plum, red and ripe black cherry, black cherry, rose petals and tobacco are perceptible. The palate is classic, rich, powerful, with notes of alpine herbs and a leathery finish. The tannin is already well integrated. Especially in the peak year 2021, this wine is an absolute insider tip in the winery's incredibly terrificBarolo line-up every year, and not just because of its price. SUPERIORE.DE

Ornato 2021 comes from the single vineyard of the same name in Serralunga d'Alba, exposed to the south – a cru with a distinctive altitude and calcareous soils that captures the depth and power of the Barolo region like no other. The 2021 vintage was characterised by a cool spring, a stable summer without extreme heat and a long, dry autumn. These conditions allowed the Nebbiolo to ripen slowly and evenly, giving the grapes aromatic complexity with full phenolic ripeness. The wine was fermented traditionally after a long maceration period and then matured for around 30 months in French oak – partly in tonneau and partly in barrique.

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 Vigna Loreto covers one and a half hectares. Steep, stony, facing east – the slope faces the morning, not the midday sun. The soil is rich in tufa and pebbles, poor in nutrients, without indulgence. The vines come from a mass selection of eight of the estate's own Sangiovese clones, which Mastrojanni has selected over decades: the estate's genetic memory in every vine. It was Gabriele Mastrojanni himself who recognised Vigna Loreto as a parcel in its own right – the ability to show finesse where Castelnuovo dell'Abate otherwise convinces with power. Today, every vintage confirms what the founder saw: Loreto speaks more softly than the great Brunello, but more precisely. The eastern exposure gives the wine freshness, the tufa lends it mineral tension, the poor soils force concentration without over-ripening. 36 months of ageing in Allier barrels between 16 and 33 hectolitres – the small formats, the closeness that the wood gives the wine without dominating it.