6 bottles

There are places in this world that seem destined by a higher power to produce the extraordinary. The Oratorio di San Lorenzo is one such place – a small valley nestled in the rolling hills of the Colli Berici, where monks have lived in silent contemplation for centuries and where Stefano Inama has now completed his life's work. Here, in the shadow of a small 16th century chapel dedicated to St Laurence, only the very best vintages produce a wine that is more than any other: Oratorio di San Lorenzo – inama's red masterpiece and perhaps the purest expression of Carménère outside Chile. The story of this wine is one of vision and passion. When Stefano Inama decided to add red wines to his white empire in the late 1990s, chance led him to a sip from a nameless glass – that legendary moment of "love at first taste" that changed his life. The wine came from Carménère grapes, the almost forgotten Bordeaux variety that had been brought to the iron-rich red soils of the Colli Berici by French emigrants in the mid-19th century. Stefano immediately recognised the potential of this grape variety on this special terroir and acquired the twelve-hectare valley around the Oratorio in two tranches – an investment in the future that proved to be brilliant.

Mazzei's top wine Siepi is not only an outstanding Tuscan wine every year, but also a 6-hectare vineyard in the middle of dense oak forests with an ideal altitude and a unique climate. The sunshine is optimal throughout the day and a constant breeze from the west prevents excessive heat and creates a mild, Mediterranean climate. The oak forests also provide an ideal protective barrier against extreme weather conditions. Rocky soils of marl, limestone and clay from the Pliocene period ensure a special balance of elements in this geological complex.

Romano Dal Forno started out in 1983 with a proposition that he has proven every vintage since: a Valpolicella can compete with the greatest wines in the world. He learnt this from Giuseppe Quintarelli. He internalised it in the Val d'Illasi, where his vines grow on alluvial gravel and clay, at up to 450 metres, with a planting density that makes every yield a rarity. Valpolicella Superiore does not begin fermentation – it begins with six weeks of appassimento. Corvina, Corvinone, Croatina, Oseleta and Rondinella dry slowly in the air of the lodoletta, losing water and gaining soul. Then: controlled fermentation in steel tanks, 36 months in new French and American oak barriques, years of ageing in the bottle.

Three generations bear this name: The grandfather, who always encouraged Giampaolo Motta in his wine dreams. The son who carries on the torch. And in between, this wine, the highest expression of a man who left the leather goods business of his Neapolitan family to create his Bordeaux in the Conca d'Oro of Panzano. The "Golden Basin" – cultivated since 1490, planted with Merlot and Cabernet for almost 400 years – became Motta's stage in 1992. He experimented with Chianti Classico for ten years, then the break: he left the Consorzio because the rules stood in the way of his vision. "I wasn't really happy with the result after ten years of work," he explained laconically. What followed was pure consistency – and, since 2008, a partnership with Stéphane Derenoncourt, perhaps the most influential consultant on the right bank of Bordeaux.

Mazzei's top wine Siepi is not only an outstanding Tuscan wine every year, but also a 6-hectare vineyard in the middle of dense oak forests with an ideal altitude and a unique climate. The sunshine is optimal throughout the day and a constant breeze from the west prevents excessive heat and creates a mild, Mediterranean climate. The oak forests also provide an ideal protective barrier against extreme weather conditions. Rocky soils of marl, limestone and clay from the Pliocene period ensure a special balance of elements in this geological complex.

La Poja from the vineyard of the same name is a great terroir wine in which Allegrini does not dry the grapes. Made from the indigenous Corvina grape variety, this red wine opens with inviting aromas of ripe black-skinned berries, cedar wood and spices. The elegantly structured, full-bodied palate offers spiced blackberries, liquorice and black pepper alongside fine-grained tannins. Dynamic, precise and very elegant in all its components, it offers maximum enjoyment and promises a terrific development. SUPERIORE.DE

Barolo Ornato is a great wine every year. It captures the true character of Serralunga with its wild herbs, minerals and ferruginous notes. Its bouquet shows small berry fruits and cassis, framed by gravel, forest floor, blue flowers and candied orange peel. The wine also has a dusty, mineral note and is intense on both the nose and palate. Ornato sets in with finely integrated tannins and an acidity that sustains all these fruit flavours. A wine that is consistently vertical, straightforward and frontal. SUPERIORE.DE

Not every year gets a name. 2016 has earned it – and Montalcino does not award such honours lightly. A mild winter, a spring with heavy rainfall that got the growing season back on track. Then, from the second decade of June, a gradual, gentle rise in temperatures throughout July. And finally an August that brought everything together: large daily temperature fluctuations, no rain, perfect ripening conditions. The Consorzio called 2016 one of its best vintages in decades. And Col d'Orcia turned the best site into a Riserva. The Poggio al Vento vineyard is located in the heart of the Tenuta, halfway up the hill above the Orcia Valley, at 350 metres. Planted since 1974. The name – "hill in the wind" – is the programme: constantly ventilated, south-facing, on calcareous, skeleton-rich soils. Grapes are grown here that Col d'Orcia reserves for the most demanding category in the cellar, and even then only when the vintage poses the question: Is this more than a Brunello annata? Can this wine last for decades? In 2016, the answer was yes.

A long-cherished vision of Elisabetta and her daughter Clara finds its completion in this crescent. This 100% Syrah builds on all that the winery has achieved in recent years and for which it has gained world renown. The best grapes, careful selection and a sensitive, clever and innovative vinification combined with a clearly recognisable signature and the already proverbial quality fanaticism.

Masari only brings its famous Merlot to the cellar and bottle in the best years. Dark, deep garnet red in colour. Aromas of black, ripe fruit with spices, balsamic herbs, aniseed and liquorice on the nose. Well and firmly structured on the palate with silky tannins and a wonderful mouthfeel. Despite its maturity, it appears much younger as it has a harmonious acid wire on the finish. 100% Merlot - 100% terroir. SUPERIORE.DE

Cepparello – named after the small stream that rises at the highest point of the Isole e Olena vineyards. This name has borne the revolutionary vision of Paolo De Marchi since 1980, when 100 per cent Sangiovese was still a taboo in Chianti Classico. With this wine, the Piedmontese visionary not only created one of the first Supertuscans, but also probably the most authentic portrait of the Sangiovese grape – pure, uncompromising, unadulterated. The Sangiovese vines grow on the characteristic Galestro soils from the estate's best sites, exposed to the south-west at an altitude of 400 to 480 metres. These slatey clay soils give the wine its unmistakable minerality and elegance. The 2020 embodies De Marchi's signature style in its purest form. A mild, dry winter and a drop in temperature in March, which required extreme vigilance against frost damage, was followed by a classic Tuscan summer. Dry and mild until the end of August, then scattered rainfall before the weather calmed down in September – ideal conditions for grapes of exceptional quality and quantity.

Luce is the iconic wine of the estate of the same name and symbolises the harmonious balance between the elegant structure of Sangiovese and the richness of Merlot. The wine marries the tradition and terroir of the Montalcino region with a personal interpretation of this extraordinary land.

A beautiful, very sensual, feminine wine that is only vinified in the best vintages. Exquisitely flavoured with dark fruit, elegant and fine on the palate with plenty of fruit and length. It was named after the nickname once given to the young wild Clerico by his father: Aeroplan Servaj - wild aeroplane. And the labelling of the six bottles is just as wild and creative, but see for yourself! SUPERIORE.DE

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.

The fruit for this top-class Barolo, which is exceptional not only because of its six different labels, comes from the MGA Baudana in Serralunga d'Alba, whose vines were planted in 1994. Aeroplan Servaj (little aeroplane) is the affectionate nickname that Domenico Clerico's father gave his young, free-spirited son. Exciting bouquet of wild cherry, candied orange peel, ploughed earth and rusty nails. There is a subtle sweetness in the primary fruit, but the wine is mainly defined by its very refined, rich and savoury side. As it progresses into an impressive finish, it offers impeccable balance and straightforwardness. 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

Barolo Ornato is a great wine every year. With its wild herbs, minerals and ferrous notes, it captures the true character of Serralunga. Its bouquet shows small berry fruits and cassis, framed by gravel, forest floor, blue flowers and candied orange peel. The wine also has a dusty, mineral note and is very intense both on the nose and on the palate. Ornato starts with finely integrated tannins and an acidity that sustains all these fruit flavours. A wine that is consistently vertical, straightforward and frontal. 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.

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

Bricco di Treiso 2021 comes from the single vineyard of the same name, one of the highest parcels in the appellation, where the vines are rooted on calcareous marl soils in a cool microclimate. The 2021 vintage brought ideal conditions: a cool spring, followed by a balanced summer and a long, dry autumn – perfect for the slow ripening of the Nebbiolo. After a long maceration period, the wine matured in large oak barrels and a small proportion of barriques. In the glass, it is garnet-red in colour with delicate orange reflections and notes of rose, sour cherry, liquorice and light spice on the nose. On the palate, it is powerful yet finely characterised, with precise acidity, cool fruit and saline depth. The tannins are present but silky and interwoven – a Barbaresco of austere beauty, great transparency and with long ageing potential. 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 maturity. 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.

Roberto Voerzio is one of those winemaking personalities who have had a lasting influence on the modern understanding of Barolo. Since 1986, he has been vinifying wines of uncompromising clarity in La Morra – radical in the vineyard, traditional in the cellar. This Barolo combines Nebbiolo from four cru sites in the municipality of La Morra: Fossati, La Serra, Case Nere and Boiolo. Each parcel brings its own nuances, but together they create an ensemble of remarkable coherence. The vinification follows Voerzio's minimalist philosophy: spontaneous fermentation with wild yeasts in stainless steel tanks, followed by 24 months of ageing in used barriques and large 15-hectolitre barrels. The wine then rests in steel for a further eight months before being released after at least eight months of ageing in the bottle. The result is a Barolo with a bright garnet colour and aromas of red berries, dried roses and subtle spicy notes. The typical La Morra elegance is evident on the palate: silky tannins, fresh acidity, subtle power. A wine that captures the essence of this legendary parish – without fuss, without compromise. SUPERIORE.DE