1.5 liters | Magnum

Produced only in the best vintages and in small quantities, this Riserva follows the classic promise of a traditional and powerful Brunello that becomes softer and better with age. Poggio di Sotto has undoubtedly produced one of the best wines of the vintage. This Riserva 2019 fulfils the promise of its category. This wine offers intensity and complexity in abundance. The bouquet is more refined and deeper than that of the Annata; in addition to dark fruits and blackberries, this wine shows an additional dose of cloves and spices. In the mouth, the wine is supple and silky, but it also shows impressive power and length. Those who are prepared to wait ten years or more will be rewarded in the most excellent way with this Riserva! SUPERIORE.DE

2020 was the year in which the silence of the vineyards became a calculation. While the world stood still, Montalcino's winegrowers transformed the enforced slowness into precision: vineyard by vineyard, vine by vine, with an attention that other years would not have allowed. At Poggio di Sotto, this benefited a winery that is never in a hurry anyway. The summer of 2020 was hot – no question about it. But Monte Amiata, always vigilant behind the vineyards, moderated with its cool nights. Rain at the end of September, then a long, leisurely autumn with thirty days of marked day-night difference. Poggio di Sotto harvested late, only at the end of September – and took its time. In hot years, the estate characteristically chooses the deeper plots for its Riserva: cooler clay and Galestro, the natural brake against over-ripening. The result is a 2020 that carries the warmth of the vintage without being dominated by it.

The vines cover two hectares directly below the small chapel that gave the wine its name. This is the steepest, oldest part of the estate, where Alessandro Mori heard the bells over the vines as a child. If there is a wine that is to become his legacy, then it must come from here. Brunello Madonna delle Grazie does not appear every year. There was none in 2002 and 2014 – the grapes were not good enough. This decision costs money, but Alessandro Mori has never acted on it. What distinguishes the Madonna from all other Brunellos in the appellation – even from its own basic Brunello – is the vinification. While the classic Il Marroneto is born with fermentation temperatures of up to 40°C and intensive extraction, the Madonna follows the opposite path: two days of rest after the harvest, then cool fermentation at 28°C for three to four weeks. The extraction is gentle, almost tender – more of an infusion than a maceration, closer to Pinot Noir than to classic Sangiovese. Then matured for 40 months in neutral vats.

There are vineyards that make no compromises. Bassolino di Sopra comes from the highest section of the Pian Bassolino vineyard – a single, clearly defined microclimate at 330 to 390 metres, south to south-west facing, with a view of Monte Amiata. The soil belongs to the Santa Fiora geological formation, which characterises the south-eastern slope of Montalcino: slatey siltstone with calcareous deposits, interspersed with clay and marl, with volcanic specks from the eruptions of the nearby volcano. An earth that carries millions of years – and shows it in every sip. Caroline and Jan only vinify Bassolino di Sopra in exceptional vintages. The selection is rigorous: multiple selections in the vineyard, double hand-picking, spontaneous fermentation on natural yeast, weeks of maceration on the skins, then years of ageing in large oak barrels. No intervention that is not mandatory.

There are a handful of wines in Italy that make us nervous every year before the first tasting because the expectations are huge. Cerretalto is undoubtedly one of them. What's more, as in this case from an exceptional year like 2019, it didn't disappoint our expectations - how could it have been otherwise?

The 50th harvest year of Sassicaia. It snowed in Bolgheri in February 2018. The last time this happened was in 1985 – the year that is considered the greatest Sassicaia in history. The Siberian "Burian" winter storm brought temperatures below zero for days, killed the pests on the vines and replenished the soil water reserves. A promising start. What followed was a cool, slow wine year: moderate spring, temperate summer, refreshing nights well into September. Tenuta San Guido began the harvest seven to eight days later than usual – and selected more rigorously than in most years: The vineyards in the lowlands were not included. The higher vineyards, Castiglioncello and Quercione, characterised the character.

After many years of identifying the best Merlot, Cabernet and Petit Verdot parcels within the boundaries of their Bolgheri vineyard with the help of the famous OenologistMichel Rolland, the Antinori family discovered in the early 2000s that there was an even more special microclimate and terroir in the middle of this microclimate, the results of which surpassed those of the larger area. Everyone involved immediately realised that this unique character had to be vinified and highlighted separately - this was the birth of today's cult wine Lodovico.

"Everything was slow, calm and beautiful." This is how cellar master Carlo Paoli described 2013. After an April frost that regulated the natural grape yield, a summer without extremes followed – no heat spike, no stressful events, just a gradual, even ripening that gave the Cabernet Sauvignon on the gravel marl soils of Tenuta San Guido exactly what it needed: Time. Priscilla Incisa della Rocchetta, granddaughter of the founder, called the result a record year for Sassicaia. The harvest began at the beginning of September with the Cabernet Franc, which was the first to reach phenological ripeness, and ended at the end of September in the high vineyards of Castiglioncello.

"Sassicaia really was our house wine back then," says Priscilla Incisa della Rocchetta, daughter of the president of San Guido, Marquis Nicolò Incisa della Rocchetta. "It was more of a wine experiment that was only tested within the family and among friends, until we went on the market for the first time with the 1968 vintage. Today, this wine is all about elegance and balance. We like this style, which is not so much about the body. Sassicaia is a good representative of what we want to convey as a style."

Marchese Mario Incisa della Rocchetta is said to have once said that Sassicaia is always great in years with an eight at the end: 1958, 1968, 1978, 1988, 1998 and 2008. The sentence sounds like a legend – but it holds water. 2008 was a year of transition: spring began cool, the vegetation was delayed by ten days, the summer gradually warmed up and led to a concentrated, structurally rich harvest. It was also the first year in which the new oenological team worked together with the legendary Giacomo Tachis – a baton that was passed in slow motion.

There are vintages that are underestimated on release and only assert their true status over the years. The 2009 Sassicaia is one of them. When it came onto the market, critics debated 2008 and 2010, but anyone who listened carefully realised that the 2009 climate year in Bolgheri was simply perfect. A long, cold winter secured the water reserves. The spring began cautiously, the summer gifted the vineyards with warmth and pronounced day-night temperature contrasts – conditions that lead Cabernet Sauvignon to extraordinary phenolic ripeness on the gravel soils of Bolgheri. The harvest began at the beginning of September and was flawless.

After many years of identifying the best Merlot, Cabernet and Petit Verdot parcels within the boundaries of their Bolgheri vineyard, the Antinori family and then Lodovico Antinori, with the help of the famous OenologistMichel Rolland, discovered in the early 2000s that there was an even more special microclimate and terroir in the middle of this microclimate and terroir, the results of which surpassed those of the larger area. Everyone involved immediately realised that this unique character had to be vinified and highlighted separately - this was the birth of today's cult wine Lodovico and later the Tenuta del Nicchio, which is now run by Lodovico and his daughter Sophia. SUPERIORE.DE

After many years of identifying the best Merlot, Cabernet and Petit Verdot parcels within the boundaries of their Bolgheri vineyard, the Antinori family and then Lodovico Antinori, with the help of the famous OenologistMichel Rolland, discovered in the early 2000s that there was an even more special microclimate and terroir in the middle of this microclimate and terroir, the results of which surpassed those of the larger area. Everyone involved immediately realised that this unique character had to be vinified and highlighted separately - this was the birth of today's cult wine Lodovico and the Tenuta del Nicchio, which is now run by Lodovico and his daughter Sophia. SUPERIORE.DE

An unrivalled powerhouse and at the same time of a unique beauty and finesse. Villero (only produced in the best vintages) is an overwhelming interpretation of the otherwise rather austere Nebbiolo grape, which here displays a kaleidoscope of life and vigour.

In 1944, Mario Incisa della Rocchetta planted the first Cabernet Sauvignon vines in the Maremma on a one-hectare plot at the highest point of the estate in Castiglioncello di Bolgheri. It was a private experiment intended for family and friends. Until 1967, Sassicaia was enjoyed at the Incisa family's dining table. Then, in 1968, the first vintage was released – in 1971 as "Vino da Tavola". The rest is history. And not just the history of the Tenuta, but the history of Italian wine as a whole. At a blind tasting in London in 1978 – in which 33 Cabernet wines from around the world were compared – the 1972 Sassicaia emerged as the winner. And Luigi Veronelli was the first to recognise the greatness of this wine. In 1994, Bolgheri was granted DOC status for red wines. And in 2013, the Bolgheri Sassicaia DOC was established: the only Denominazione d'Origine in Italy that is exclusively and irrevocably reserved for a single estate.

There are wines that make history. Solaia is one of them. When the Antinori family bottled this wine for the first time in 1978 – a pure Cabernet cuvée made from 80 per cent Sauvignon and 20 per cent Franc – nobody could have guessed that one of the most influential chapters in Italian wine history was about to begin. The name itself says it all: Solaia is derived from "sole", the sun, as this vineyard on the Tenuta Tignanello enjoys the sunniest south-west exposure on the entire estate. Twenty hectares between 350 and 400 metres above sea level, where the vines drive their roots deep into Alberese and Galestro – the hard limestone and schistose claystone that date back to the Pliocene and are rich in marine fossils. Solaia is only produced in exceptional years; there was no bottling in 1980, 1981, 1983, 1984 and 1992. This consistency, this relentlessness in the pursuit of perfection, makes Solaia what it is: not just a wine, but an icon.

Every year, the grapes for Solaia come from the sunniest corner of the vineyard of the same name on Antinori's Tenuta Tignanello estate. Aromas of cassis, warm spices and camphor characterise the nose. The lively, linear palate shows great finesse and offers cranberries, blueberries and crushed mint alongside white pepper. It is supple and balanced, with bright acidity and polished tannins. For us, one of the best vintages ever! SUPERIORE.DE

In the 1930s, Carlotta della Gherardesca Antinori inherited – piero Antinori's mother – inherited an estate on the Maremma coast, a few kilometres from the Tyrrhenian Sea. At the time, the land was used for agriculture and the winegrowing tradition in Bolgheri was only just beginning. Carlotta and her husband Niccolò recognised the potential of the amphitheatre: a curved plain framed by hills like a natural cauldron that captures the sea breezes and concentrates the energy of ripening. Today, Tenuta Guado al Tasso extends over 320 hectares in this very amphitheatre – one of the largest estates in the entire appellation in terms of surface area.

Dense ruby red. Elegant the articulate bouquet that reveals ripe dark berries, tobacco, liquorice and balsamic notes. Impressively persistent, the characterful and enveloping taste with silky tannins and a spicy-smoky impression. The perfect dosage of all components give this exceptional wine the complexity and harmony that makes it unforgettable. A magical wine of great class and with great potential. SUPERIORE.DE

In 2020, the single vineyard Asili was chosen for the Barbaresco Riserva in its characteristic red colour, which will come as no surprise to Giacosa connoisseurs. Just 10,000 bottles of what is probably the best Giacosa vineyard are only released as Riserva in outstanding years. Asili 2020 shows a seamless integration of wild fruits, blue flowers, spices, balsamic herbs and liquorice. Its true class is revealed on the palate: structure, dimension, intensity and depth leave nothing to be desired; this vintage is probably one of the best wines we have ever tasted from Bruno Giacosa. There is only one flaw with this highly dramatic growth: anyone who wants to enjoy this wine with all its facets and components should be patient for at least another 10 years. SUPERIORE.DE

Every year, the grapes for Solaia come from the sunniest corner of the vineyard of the same name on Antinori's Tenuta Tignanello estate. Solaia 2020 has a silky and elegant personality, the bouquet alone is fascinating. Bright and full of energy, it captures all the elegance of the vintage. Solaia 2020 is characterised by purity and focus of the fruit, with black plum, cassis, blue flowers, pencil shavings and plenty of sweet spice from the oak, reminiscent of cloves and toasted almonds. Medium-bodied on the palate with exceptional balance and beauty. Solaia becomes more elegant and aristocratic from year to year. SUPERIORE.DE

The red label rarely appears. Very rarely. In the entire history of the Giacosa estate, it has been awarded to Le Rocche in less than a dozen vintages – 2000, 2001, 2004, 2007, 2008, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2016, each time signalling that the family has jointly decided that this vintage is more than just good. That it can be timeless. 2020 is the latest chapter in this great story. What distinguishes the red label from the white label? Not the grape, not the vineyard, not the location. Le Rocche is Le Rocche – the same parcel on the upper Falletto amphitheatre in Serralunga d'Alba, south-west facing, chalky clay, vines almost 50 years old. What changes is the time. For the white label: 32 months in large French oak barrels, ten months in bottle. For the red label: identical vinification, but then the decisive difference – more than two years of bottle ageing. The result will not be released on the market until January 2026. A wine that has not yet reached its true class even six years after the harvest.

Giacosa's Barolo Vigna Le Rocche is only vinified in the best vintages as a Riserva (red label) and has a magical attraction for Nebbiolo lovers all over the world.