James Suckling

Rare, exceptional Merlot from the west of Tuscany: deep ruby red with violet reflections. The bouquet is multi-layered with hints of wild berries and blackberries, ripe cherries, but also liquorice and tobacco notes. Very structured and lively on the palate. The silky tannins emphasise the delicate minerality right through to the almost endless finish. SUPERIORE.DE

In 1977, Sergio Manetti produced a pure Sangiovese from Radda in Chianti for the first time – without Canaiolo, without Colorino, and without the white grapes that the Chianti regulations required at the time. Not because he wanted to break the rules, but because he believed that this soil, these vines and this single grape variety needed no additions. From the very beginning, the wine was called Toscana IGT – not out of defiance, but out of consistency. And it bore a name rooted in the landscape itself: Le Pergole Torte – the twisted, winding pergolas of old Chianti, those wooden trellis systems up which the vines of his grandfathers' generation once climbed. A reminder of what was, before modernity straightened out the vineyards.

The magnificent Asili 2022 opens with a dark, compact appearance and displays an impressive level of aromatic intensity and complexity. On the nose, tantalising aromas of cherry, strawberry, eucalyptus, plus a hint of orange peel, rose petals and pine wood. Full to medium-bodied on the palate, with crushed raspberries, juicy red cherries, cinnamon and chopped herbs. The fresh acidity and exquisite tannins provide a bright and extremely elegant backdrop. This wine continues to surpass itself with every glass, its great class is already undisputed! SUPERIORE.DE

The pure, autochthonous Nerello Mascalese from over 100-year-old (ungrafted) vines in Contrada Rampante on the northern slopes of Mount Etna at an altitude of 950 metres starts with a sparkling ruby-garnet colour and impressively adds a captivating raspberry aroma, followed by fine spicy notes (ginger, allspice, clove). Compact, dense, fully fruity, tannic on the palate, yet always extremely relaxed, elegant and supple. Traces of salt and flint on the finish. Just over 2,000 bottles of this masterpiece are produced every year. SUPERIORE.DE

Sugarille 2019 is certainly one of the greats of its vintage. A crescendo of dark berries, Amarena cherries, tar, liquorice and smoky notes on the nose. The intensity continues on the palate: Sugarille is uncompromisingly powerful, with multi-layered fruit, striking tannins and wonderful acid wire. With increasing aeration, the impressiveness and opulence give way to a wonderful finesse that will continue to refine and develop with further years of bottle ageing. A wine as wonderful as it is today - and guaranteed to be even better tomorrow! 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

Empatia. A wine name that describes neither a grape variety, nor a terroir, nor a style. Rather, it describes an attitude. The ability to empathise with something else – with the soil, with the vine, with the moment of harvest. An attitude that suits a winery which calls itself "Gentle Souls" and for which biodynamics is not a certification but a way of life. Merlot at 500 metres. In the volcanic and calcareous soils of the Colline Metallifere, where the heat has a different quality to that of the flat Maremma coastal plains, where the nights are cooler and the winds blow in from the Metallifere hills. 30 hectolitres per hectare – the same radical yield restriction as for the Ampeleia Cabernet Franc. Cordone speronato. Harvest in the third week of September. Then the most unusual decision in the cellar: whole berries. Not whole bunches with stems – whole berries, the individual, undamaged berry. An extraction method that gives the wine a freshness and an inner tension that crushed grapes never produce.

Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Poggio al Vento from the dream 2015 vintage is dark, rich and seductive. It smells of ginger and hints of leather and tobacco before opening up further to reveal black cherry fruit and wild berries. Although cool and supple, it has a velvety texture that strikes a wonderful balance between the tart blackberries and exotic spices within. Its complexity is remarkable: sometimes sweet, sometimes sour, framed by youthful grippy tannins and hints of cranberries, spices and subtle saltiness. SUPERIORE.DE

San Leonardo is the flagship wine of the winery of the same name and, year after year, one of the finest red wines in northern Italy. It boasts an opulent bouquet with hints of dark fruits such as blackberry and sour cherry. Delicate hints of spice, leather and tobacco lend it a terrific complexity, which is then enhanced on the palate by a harmonious interplay of dark berries and plums, all flanked by clearly defined tannins. A masterful, characterful red that, after a few more years of bottle ageing, rises to its true greatness and lives up to its reputation. SUPERIORE.DE

Madonna del Piano is a top wine from a top vintage, what more could you want? We are deeply impressed by its energetic tension and complexity, plus a harmony only imagined in the wildest dreams. Focused and racy bouquet of dark cherries, herbs, smoke and mineral hints. Very animating in the drink, the acidity plays around the primary fruit, then the polished tannins set in and glide this beautiful red into its almost endless finish. An extremely characterful and polished wine that is already one of the most beautiful of its appellation. SUPERIORE.DE

Rosso del Conte was Sicily's first answer to the question of whether the island could produce wines of international standing and longevity. Conte Giuseppe posed this question in 1970 – and the answer has been contained in every bottle coming from the high hills of Tenuta Regaleali ever since. The grapes – Nero d'Avola, Perricone and a small proportion of other varieties grown on the estate – ripen at an altitude of 480 metres, facing south-southeast, on loamy-sandy, slightly calcareous soil, trained using the Alberello system. Hand-harvested, traditionally fermented in stainless steel at a controlled temperature, 20 days on the skins, 18 months in new French barriques.

Tor di Lupo, the Wolf's Gate – a name that inspires respect. The flagship of Andrian was one of the very first premium Lagrein in South Tyrol. You could say that it is a primeval rock of South Tyrolean quality winegrowing. Since the early days, the winery has produced this Riserva from grapes from Gries near Bolzano, the classic home of Lagrein.

Grattamacco is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Sangiovese, the latter grape variety certainly contributing to the fresh style of this wine. However, the overall picture is only complete when you realise that the vineyards used for this blend are among the best in the appellation. The Grattamacco Bolgheri Rosso Superiore is characterised by its typical aromas of leaves and Mediterranean forest, with subtle flavours of kiwi peel, cassis, paprika and chocolate. Velvety, youthful and firm on the attack, less light than the Alberello, but more tightly woven and of great elegance. Its length is astonishing, great potential! SUPERIORE.DE

The Carménère grape, which is hardly ever found in Italy and is normally found in the Médoc, is reinterpreted in a masterly way at Tenuta San Leonardo. Deep, dark ruby red, with a broad-shouldered bouquet of dark fruit and very harmonious spice. The barely noticeable acidity makes it round on the palate, silky smooth and extremely long and elegant. With this single-varietal red, too, the winery impressively demonstrates its lone class in the region. SUPERIORE.DE

Since the 2011 vintage, the Riserva Marchese Antinori has been produced entirely from grapes grown at Tenuta Tignanello. This has led to a reduction in production volume and a further leap in quality. A sparkling ruby colour, with a bouquet of dark wild cherries, graphite, violets and spices. Smooth and round on the palate, yet very juicy, with the French oak adding extra body and richness. SUPERIORE.DE

Ceretto's Barbaresco Asili (approx. 4,000 bottles) is the clearest and most complete of the winery's impressive Barbaresco collection. It reveals a fine sweetness of cherries and redcurrants on the nose, followed by an extremely silky and fine texture on the palate. Following on from the bright berry fruit, its bouquet reveals subtle notes of gravel and delicate, salty flavours. Overall, an accessible and highly elegant approach with great freshness, fine tannins and great ageing potential. SUPERIORE.DE

Messorio has been undisputedly one of the best and rarest Merlots in Italy since the mid-1990s. It was named after the Tuscan wheat harvest, the most fundamental moment in the agricultural year – was created in 1994 from Eugenio Campolmi's (†2002) personal challenge to Merlot. It was not to be a tame, predictable wine, but a spirited thoroughbred, ready to make a grand entrance. The 2019 vintage epitomises the elegance of slow ripening without extreme heat. A mild winter with little rainfall, followed by cool March days and gradually rising temperatures in April, led to cautious development. The rainy, cool May slowed down the vegetation, while the hot start to June required intensive foliage work.

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 2019 Brunello vintage from Altesino stands proudly among its peers. The bouquet has a pronounced floral character with delightful notes of pressed rose petals and dried violets. The fruit tones are elegant and harmonious, ranging from light red cherries to redcurrants. Firm and well-structured on the palate, the multi-layered fruit is accentuated by a refined fennel and liquorice note. Long and stately in the final, great! SUPERIORE.DE

The Romanesque Pieve di San Marcellino was built in the year 1000. It still stands today – in the middle of the vineyards of Rocca di Montegrossi, seven kilometres south of Gaiole, at the southern tip of the Chianti Classico. The vineyard bears its name. And the vines that surround it are older than most of the appellations that appear on labels today. Marco Ricasoli-Firidolfi is a descendant of Baron Bettino Ricasoli – the "Iron Baron" who defined the formula for Chianti Classico in the 19th century. Not as a marketing idea, but as a genetic link to this soil. The vineyard has been certified organic since 2010 and has been planted with Pugnitello alongside Sangiovese since 2006 – an autochthonous Tuscan grape variety that was almost extinct in the 1980s. Pugnitello deepens the colour, thickens the structure and sharpens the profile of the Sangiovese grape. Hand-picked, separate fermentation of both varieties on wild yeasts in upright wooden tanks, 24 months in Allier barriques and tonneau, bottled unfiltered. Only produced in outstanding vintages – the 2020 is one of them.

In that year, when the wine world still believed in rules and traditions seemed sacrosanct, Sergio Manetti did something unheard of: in 1977, he vinified pure Sangiovese. One hundred per cent. No white grapes, no Canaiolo to round it off, no compromises. In Radda in Chianti, in the heart of Chianti Classico, where such boldness resonated particularly loudly, the region’s first pure Sangiovese was born – le Pergole Torte, named after the crooked pergolas in the steep vineyard. Giulio Gambelli, the legendary Sangiovese whisperer, stood by Manetti’s side. Together they created a wine that rewrote the rules of the game. The Consorzio del Chianti Classico, of course, balked, as this wine did not comply with the regulations, lacking the prescribed blend of other varieties. Yet critics and collectors worldwide cheered. What began as an affront became a legend. In 1981, Montevertine left the Consorzio – not out of defiance, but out of conviction. Out of love for Sangiovese in its purest, unadulterated form. Since 1982, the labels have been adorned with portraits of women by Alberto Manfredi, a friend and artist from Reggio Emilia. A new face for every vintage, a work of art on every bottle.