Gambero-Rosso

Barolo Ginestra Ciabot Mentin DOCG 2019 comes from one of Monforte's most prestigious parcels with a south-south-easterly exposure at an altitude of around 400 metres. The old Nebbiolo vines are deeply rooted in calcareous marl with veins of clay and sand, which gives the wine intensity and finesse. The 2019 vintage is considered one of the most classic of the last decade: long, balanced vegetation, mild summer heat and cool September nights produced grapes of rare aromatic precision. After being harvested by hand, the grapes were carefully vinified and matured in French oak for around 30 months.

Altesinos Montosoli displays the famous characteristics of this particular site, which are always characterised by a pronounced mineral intensity, with hints of crushed granite and lead pencil layers. The five-hectare vineyard has a higher concentration of Galestro clay-slate rock, and the altitude contributes to the freshness of the wine.

The second novelty of the 2018 vintage is Vietti's Barolo Monvigliero. The special feature: Approx. 60% of the grapes are not destemmed, which enhances the aromatic nuances of the wine. Youthful notes of raspberry and blueberry are flanked by black pepper, gentian, porcelain and black olives. The palate has a beguilingly soft texture, fine and creamy, underpinned by wonderful laurel and floral aromas. Monvigliero impresses with its purity, its serenity and its class. Excellent. SUPERIORE.DE

Barolo Ravera is a wine of great impact and power, and it is also a wine of the future. This is because Ravera (in the municipality of Novello) is one of the best vineyards that never ceases to surprise and impress, despite the changing climate. Thanks to the high altitude and the open view of the snow-capped mountains, the microclimate is well ventilated but protected at the same time. On the nose, freshly cut flowers, white pepper and mint, shy at first but very energetic and straightforward as the wine progresses. On the palate, preserved dark cherries, lavender, mint, crushed stones and hints of sage. All in all, a powerful, breathtaking and deep Barolo, endowed with great purity and beautiful transparency. A stunning wine! SUPERIORE.DE

Galatrona is a pure Merlot in a class of its own. Black-red ruby in the glass. On the nose, black berries, fine wood spice and some leather. Very generous fruit aromas and extremely complex on the palate, it glides elegantly into the depths until it is caught by a finely woven tannin and passes into a long and finesse-rich finish. A wine that does not have to hide behind Masseto & Co., on the contrary, for us it has been Italy's Merlot benchmark for years. SUPERIORE.DE

With the exception of 2016 and 2019, the last eight years in the region around Montalcino have been characterised by warm and dry conditions. For this reason, Il Poggione has started to prioritise irrigation for emergencies (which is becoming more and more of a necessity in the south-west of Montalcino) and is looking for a better balance in the higher vineyards. This is not the only reason why Il Poggione is one of the top producers every year, with an extremely fair value.

Anyone looking for the truth in Sangiovese will find it here: Laura Brunelli's Montalcino has been a stunning wine full of vitality, life and energy for years. It displays an almost outrageous degree of clarity and openness. It unfolds brightly and radiantly with lasting purity, elegance and length. This Brunello shows extreme precision and focus, both on the nose and in the mouthfeel. Wild berries, blue flowers and liquorice come together in perfection, and it is impossible to surpass this quality at this price. SUPERIORE.DE

Sergio Manetti, a steel entrepreneur from Florence, bottled his first wine in 1971 – a Chianti Classico from the two hectares of vines he had planted around his holiday home. A wine for friends and business partners, nothing more. He sent a few bottles to Verona for the big Vinitaly wine fair, more out of curiosity than ambition. The response was overwhelming. A hobby became a passion, a passion became a vocation. Until 1981, this wine bore the name "Chianti Classico Montevertine Riserva". Then came the break. Sergio Manetti refused to blend white Trebbiano into his Sangiovese, as prescribed by the Chianti Classico regulations. The decision cost him the DOCG – and made him a legend. From 1982, the wine was simply called "Montevertine", without any additions or compromises. A name that became the programme: Sangiovese in its purest, most traditional form, just as the old Chianti farmers would have made it before bureaucracy and commercialism wrote the rules. The wine comes mainly from a two and a half hectare plot facing south-southeast, planted in 1982 – in the year of the great rupture.

Vietti's Brunate parcels are located on the La Morra side of the cru site. It was fermented in stainless steel and then transferred directly to large oak barrels for ageing. Barolo Brunate is a powerful and vertical wine, endowed with enormous explosive energy and intensity. It offers engaging and penetrating aromas of cedar wood, red cherry, blood orange, sage flowers and rose. On the palate, its austere personality is evident and any connoisseur will realise that it needs a few more years in the bottle to develop. Dense and multi-layered, with great depth, chewy tannins and lingering red berries, this is already a fantastically complete wine. SUPERIORE.DE

The grapes for the "Suolo" Brunello selection come from the vineyard of the same name and from the estate's oldest vines. They lie at an altitude of 320 metres on soils of clay-limestone marl rich in skeletons and fossils. It is the ideal terroir to fully express the character of the old Sangiovese Grosso clones and gives the wine an acidic, spicy profile. Only part of the vineyard parcels are used for this label. Long ageing in 15-hectolitre Allier oak barrels and a resting period in the bottle complete it and prepare it for the market and the challenge of time. Around 5,000 bottles are bottled only in the best vintages.

Grattamacco was the second winery in Bolgheri in 1982 and is still a firm favourite for great, terroir-driven wines with an independent character. The Rosso Superiore comes from high, coastal slopes with an excellent microclimate and matures for almost two years in French barriques after spontaneous fermentation. The cuvée deliberately does not follow the classic Bordeaux pattern: in addition to Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, Sangiovese also characterises the wine as an indigenous soul – a sign of identity, not convention.

The grapes for the "Suolo" Brunello selection come from the vineyard of the same name and from the estate's oldest vines. They are 65 years old and lie at an altitude of 320 metres on soils of clay-limestone marl rich in skeletons and fossils. It is the ideal terroir to fully express the character of the old Sangiovese Grosso clones and gives the wine an acidic, spicy profile. Only part of the vineyard parcels are used for this label. Long ageing in 15-hectolitre Allier oak barrels and a resting period in the bottle complete it and prepare it for the market and the challenge of time. Around 5,000 bottles are bottled only in the best vintages.

Brunello di Montalcino Gli Angeli Riserva 2018 is stunningly beautiful. Its seductive presentation beguiles with rich dark fruits, sweet mint, spice and a grounding hint of floral undergrowth. Its textures are seamless, gliding over a core of fresh, bright acids that flank its black cherry and redcurrant flavours. Notes of liquorice, tobacco and sweet herbs linger long over a gentle layer of fine tannin. It has a juiciness, finesse and structure that will give it a long life. SUPERIORE.DE

A radiant ruby-coloured eye-catcher – underneath is the Barolo Arborina 2020, one of the most important wines from the house of Elio Altare. The grapes come from the single vineyard Arborina, a south to south-east facing amphitheatre in the hills of La Morra, whose calcareous and clayey soil is marked by elemental minerality. The 2020 vintage certainly presented a challenge: Periods of heat and rapid ripening demanded the utmost attention when working in the vineyard. Nevertheless, a concentrated, elegant result was achieved. The grape harvest followed with ideal timing, guided by finesse and a feel for the critical moment. The wine was aged for around 24 months in 30% new and 70% used French barriques before being left to mature in the bottle.

The rarity wine symbolises Terlan's longevity: "A speciality of the Cantina Terlan are the rarities, special bottlings of mature white wines that have been stored for at least ten years on the fine lees in steel pressure tanks. The youthful freshness that characterises this Pinot Blanc despite its mature age is particularly impressive, making it perfect for longer ageing in the bottle. Terlan has the terroir to produce great white wines and skilfully demonstrates this with these rarities." Rudi Kofler, Kellermeister

Troy is no ordinary Chardonnay. Rather, it is the archetype of a Chardonnay, as Wolfgang Klotz, managing director of what is probably the most successful winegrowers' cooperative in South Tyrol, sees it. The grapes come from two selected vineyards in Söll, near Tramin. The climate there is not only Mediterranean, but the vegetation is also characterised by rather cold downdraughts at night. Both factors guarantee optimal development of the plants and fruit. The berries are hand-picked one by one, so it is clear to any wine connoisseur that this is an absolutely prestigious project for the co-operative. It is therefore not surprising that only 3,000 bottles of this grape variety are sold in selected specialist shops and top restaurants.

The rarity wine symbolises Terlan's longevity: "A speciality of the Cantina Terlan are the rarities, special bottlings of mature white wines that have been stored for at least ten years on the fine lees in steel pressure tanks. The youthful freshness that characterises this Pinot Blanc despite its mature age is particularly impressive, making it perfect for longer ageing in the bottle. Terlan has the terroir to produce great white wines and skilfully demonstrates this with these rarities." Rudi Kofler, Kellermeister

This is more than a wine – it is the essence of a project born in 1999 with the vision of showing the world the finest that Bolgheri is capable of producing. From five selected vineyard sites between 80 and 220 metres above sea level – argentiera, Ginestre, Ventaglio, Porcarecce and Ceccosodo – a cuvée has emerged that has been a contemporary symbol of Italian winemaking since its debut vintage in 2003. The 2021 vintage is the culmination of an extraordinary era: 48% Merlot is combined with 45% Cabernet Sauvignon and 7% Cabernet Franc to create a Bordeaux-inspired masterpiece that nevertheless breathes an unmistakable Tuscan soul. Sourced from the Tenuta's best plots, where sandy, calcareous and stony soils thrive between Mediterranean scrub and the salty tang of the Tyrrhenian Sea, each grape embodies the unique terroir identity of this privileged location.

At the beginning of the 20th century, La Fabriseria referred to the parish council of Sant'Ambrogio, the Fabbriceria, commissioned to build a new church. Grandfather Riccardo Tedeschi was one of the Fabbriceri – and it was customary for each councillor to bring his best wine to the meeting. At the end, a toast was made to God and good work. This rite sealed contracts and friendships; today it seals one of the most precious wines of the house. In 2000, the family acquired the seven-hectare vineyard in Le Pontare, between Fumane and Sant'Ambrogio, and planted it with exceptional density: 7,200 vines per hectare in Guyot training, at an altitude of 450 metres with a view of the entire valley, Verona and Lake Garda. The soil tells of the Cretaceous period: pink-white limestone marl, rich in calcium carbonate and iron oxide, interspersed with grey-yellow clay slate – a terrain that provides structure and balance, aromatic complexity and longevity.

Sauvignon Bianco Rachtl comes from a small micro-location of just 0.4 hectares. It gets its fine flint and graphite nose from the porphyry soils near Unteraicha in the municipality of Völs. Very subtle on the palate with fine saline acidity, fresh fruit and a long-lasting finish. If you can call one of the 2,000 bottles of this vintage your own, you can count yourself lucky! SUPERIORE.DE

In the summer of 1983, Elio Altare picked up a chainsaw and sawed up his father's old Slavonian barrels. An act of rebellion, a break with tradition – and the beginning of a revolution in Barolo. His father disinherited him as a result, but Elio remained true to his path: Burgundian vinification, French barriques, shorter maceration and ageing times. The Langhe traditionalists were horrified. But the wines? They sold immediately. Today, Elio Altare is considered one of the "Barolo Boys", a pioneer of the modern Barolo style – and the Arborina is his flagship.

Vietti's Brunate parcels are located on the La Morra side of the cru site. It was fermented in stainless steel and then transferred directly to large oak barrels to mature. Vietti's Brunate 2021 shows blue flowers, wild berries, wild cherry and truffle-infused earth. It reveals a slender but open-knit quality that can be felt in the mouth. This softness or textural silkiness continues for many long minutes with hints of mint, liquorice and camphor ash carefully distributed along the way. The tannins are polished and long. Very elegant. SUPERIORE.DE

You can lose yourself in the bouquet of the Brunello di Montalcino 2020 from Poggio di Sotto. One moment crushed cherries with autumnal spice, the next exotic flowers and candied orange peel, another floral undergrowth, white smoke and wild berries. It is incredibly soft and pure, lifted by salty minerals, while sweet notes of cherry and raspberry slowly begin to saturate. What they then leave behind are youthful, grippy tannins and a wonderful structure. Thanks to vibrant acids and notes of citrus fruit, it always retains its impressive freshness. It will develop superbly with further years of bottle ageing. SUPERIORE.DE

Ravera, located in the municipality of Novello, is one of the best Barolo vineyards that continues to surprise and impress despite the changing climate. Thanks to the high altitude and the open view of the snow-capped mountains, the microclimate is well ventilated but at the same time protected. Freshly cut flowers, white pepper and mint energise a wine that is now very shy and tightly wound. But it wouldn't be Ravera if pickled dark cherries, lavender, mint, crushed stones and sage weren't pouring out of the glass, creating a powerful, breathtaking Barolo endowed with great purity. A particularly stunning and breathtaking wine in the dream vintage of 2021. SUPERIORE.DE