Falstaff

Rennina from the dream year 2016 is a proud parade drop - everything is in the right place here and, for the true connoisseur, a lot more besides. Deep, almost impenetrable ruby red colour. Initially a rather closed nose with mineral notes and a hint of oak sawdust. Then gravel road, mint and hints of caraway. The palate is fleshy, powerful, with concentrated sour cherry fruit and a present but never intrusive tannin. Despite a certain opulence, it is a balanced wine that - away from the mainstream - is guaranteed to find its friends who will give it the necessary understanding, plenty of experience and patience. SUPERIORE.DE

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.

Maestro di Cava is a Bolgheri Rosso Superiore and a great example of Cabernet Franc, an expression of the volcanic soils and ageing in large barrels. Intense ruby red colour. The nose is clean, elegant and typical of the variety, characterised by a very intense bouquet of aromas with hints of red fruit, tobacco and leather. The palate is savoury, with great freshness. Excellent tannins, natural and perfectly integrated with the body of the wine. Persistent finish with mineral notes. SUPERIORE.DE

At 618 metres above sea level, where the air already carries the coolness of the mountains and the view sweeps over the entire Chianti Valley, lies one of the most venerable vineyards in Tuscany: Coltassala – once born as a rebellious Supertuscan, today ennobled as Chianti Classico Gran Selezione from the UGA Radda, embodies the revolution and evolution of Tuscan viticulture like no other wine. In 1980, Federica Mascheroni Stianti's family took the plunge: when the DOC system was still forcing Trebbiano and Malvasia into Chianti, they pressed a pure Sangiovese wine up here in small barriques based on the French model instead of the traditional large Slavonia barrels. What was then still misjudged as Vino da Tavola heralded a new era. Today, with the new UGA rules of Chianti Classico (Unita Geografiche Aggiunte, in Germany one would say Lage, in France Cru), Coltassala is finally finding its well-deserved home – as a Gran Selezione from the Radda geographical unit, which stands for the most extreme and elegant expressions of Chianti Classico. The altitude gives the 2021 vintage that characteristic freshness that makes Radda so unique – despite the warm weather, the wine retains its crystalline acidity and vibrancy.

After the Second World War, Felice Dal Cero moved from Verona to Lugana di Sirmione on Lake Garda, where he began making wine. His son Pietro subsequently built up Ca’ dei Frati into one of Lombardy’s most prestigious estates – and, in 1969, was one of the co-signatories of the first Lugana DOC Disciplinare, the region’s first Denomination of Controlled Origin. When Pietro died in 2012, he left his children – Igino, Gian Franco and Anna Maria – not only a vineyard – but also a legacy. The siblings acquired further vineyards in Pian di Castagnè, in the eastern part of Valpolicella, near the Luxinum vineyard, on calcareous-marly soils with white and red flake-like rocks – —a terroir with a distinctly mineral character. It marked a return to their father’s roots. They therefore dedicated the wine they produce here to him: Pietro dal Cero – the father, to whom they gave back what he himself could never see again.

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.

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.

Every year, Fratta is a groundbreaking blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot that you can't help but love. Fratta proved the Veneto's potential for winemaking when it was first produced in 1977, the year Angela Maculan (a second daughter) was born. Deep, complex fruit bouquet, rounded off with fine sweet spices, tobacco and coffee. On the palate, beautiful lines and a sharp focus with dry mineral tones framing dark fruits, dried cherries and exotic spices. Fratta is a bold and big wine and there is no doubting the broodingelegance of this highly personalised expression. SUPERIORE.DE

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 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 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 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

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

The grapes for the deep Le Vigne come from Baudana in Serralunga d'Alba (for power), Villero in Castiglione Falletto (for precision), Vignane in Barolo (for purity of aromas) and Merli in Novello (for richness of fruit). It opens wide with aromas of fresh red fruits and a delicate spicy note. Very intense on the palate, remarkably elegant, fine-grained tannins, exceedingly clear, structured and long. SUPERIORE.DE

Barolo Pira Vecchie Viti comes from the estate's oldest vines, which were planted in 1937. As always, Pira Vecchie Viti is more about haunting, ethereal flavours than power. Sweet rose petals, mint, dried flowers, sweet red cherries and cedar give this beguiling, high-toned Barolo a captivating aromatic presence. A great wine. SUPERIORE.DE

At the centre of the Via Bolgherese, that legendary wine route where the Tuscan dream and the Bordeaux vision merge into an indelible myth, lies a small kingdom of just 5.5 hectares. Here, nestled between the giants Ornellaia to the right and Sassicaia to the left, Antonio Moretti Cuseri and his sons Alberto and Amedeo tell a story of unbridled passion, a story called Orma. Orma means footprint. And this 2021 truly leaves one in the soul of the taster. The purest expression of an exceptional vintage, this organically certified Bordeaux blend of 50% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Cabernet Franc unfolds like a symphony in purple and garnet. The Mediterranean sun of Bolgheri, tempered by the salty breezes of the Tyrrhenian Sea, gave the grapes that unique ripeness that only a few terroirs in the world are capable of producing.

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.

Elegant and complex: Guado al Tasso with a warm-toned bouquet and an abundance of fruit that is just as impressive as its harmonious structure. Deep, dark, rich ruby-purple colour. Very clear and intense nose, with aromas of blackberries, cassis and dark cherries, underpinned by fine, spicy notes with hints of white pepper and cardamom. Very juicy on the attack and on the palate, with a lot of sweet melting flavour, interwoven, dense tannins, supple and elegant, very long finish. An excellent wine that offers maximum drinking pleasure. SUPERIORE.DE

This breathtaking Barbaresco (total production approx. 1,300 bottles) shows more power and intensity than you would normally find in a Barbaresco. It opens with heady aromas of wild berries, new leather, undergrowth and menthol. On the palate, it shows ripe black raspberries, juicy cherries and liquorice before finishing on a tobacco note. It is still youthfully nervous and somewhat austere, it still needs some time to develop fully. SUPERIORE.DE

Barolo Rocche di Castiglione comes from a parcel just above the Cascina Pira of Roagna. It offers a captivating blend of supple fruit, soaring flavours and structure. The 2019 is silky and sensual through and through, as wines from this vineyard tend to be. It is transparent, beguiling and mesmerising from the very first sip. SUPERIORE.DE