James Suckling

The history of Vite Talin goes back to 1987, when Luciano Sandrone found a vine in one of his vineyards whose grapes were just half the size of the other plants around it. Luciano decided to grow several shoots from this plant and distributed them across three of his vineyards. Today, now in its fourth vintage, Vite Talin is still one of the most spectacular reds in the entire Barolo appellation, with a total production of just 2,000 bottles.

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

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 striking 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.

There are wines that are the result of lengthy soil and climate research, and there are those that are the result of a sudden discovery – a gift of nature to a winegrower who is humble and attentive enough to see the signs. In 1987, when Luciano Sandrone first harvested grapes from the vineyard of the old Natale – called "Talin" – he noticed a single vine that behaved differently from all the others. Small, gnarled grapes with tiny berries, half the size of normal Nebbiolo, of a deep blue, plum-like colour. Thick-skinned, concentrated, with jagged leaves and compact vegetation. Where other winegrowers would have seen a mistake, Luciano recognised a miracle. He labelled the vine, observed it for years, propagated it through field grafting on different sites and began his experiments – for 25 years until DNA analysis in 2017 confirmed what he had always believed: this was a Nebbiolo clone of exceptional qualitative substance.

The history of Vite Talin goes back to 1987, when Luciano Sandrone found a vine in one of his vineyards whose grapes were just half the size of the other plants around it. Luciano decided to grow several shoots from this plant and distributed them across three of his vineyards. Today, now in its fourth vintage, Vite Talin is still one of the most spectacular reds in the entire Barolo appellation, with a total production of just 2,000 bottles.

"This is one of the 50 wines that have changed Italian wine culture." Gambero Rosso

A Riserva is not created according to plan. It is created when a vintage forces the house to do so – when Leonardo Berti goes into the cellar after a long rest in barrels, listens to the best foudres and decides: this wine needs more time, and it deserves it. 2019 was such a year. Together with 2016, it is considered the benchmark of modern Brunello history – warm, but never too hot, with rain at the right time, a harvest between 5 September and 4 October that Berti describes as almost textbook. Two parcels were chosen for the Riserva, which reflect the terroir of Castelnuovo dell'Abate in all its diversity: Terra Rossa, at 220 metres, with reddish gravel soil rich in minerals and organic matter – structure and depth. Pietranera, the historical place name of the estate, near the Orcia river on pure Galestro – natural yield limitation, river freshness, finesse. Spontaneous fermentation in wooden vats, maceration for at least 30 days, then 48 months in 30-hectolitre Slavonian oak barrels – almost a year longer than the Annata. Bottled unfiltered. 5,500 bottles.

Livio Felluga has three wines that bear witness to the estate – wines that are not only among the best in his portfolio, but also part of Friuli’s history: Terre Alte, Picolit and the Sossò. The word comes from the Friulian language and refers to the slow, deliberate sipping – the opposite of drinking. A hint as to how this wine is intended to be enjoyed. Sossò brings together three characters from old vines in Rosazzo: Merlot provides the fullness and the smooth integration. Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso – — named after its red stalk, documented in writing in Friuli as early as 1390, then the favourite drink of Livia, wife of Augustus – brings darkness, tannin and the wild side of this landscape. And Pignolo, the ‘pine cone’ – one of Italy’s rarest grape varieties, saved from extinction in the 1970s, with compact, pine-cone-shaped grapes and a naturally high tannin content – lends a complexity and longevity that no other vine in this region can match. Matured in small French oak barrels. Then bottle ageing in climate-controlled rooms.

The world-famous Caiarossa is an extremely exciting blend of the Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Sangiovese, Syrah and Alicante varieties, with the rich, dark fruit flavours of the Cabernet grapes taking centre stage. On the nose, a beautiful first wave of dark fruits that never appear too ripe, which greatly benefits the elegance of the wine. The palate is very balanced and focussed with blackberries, cassis and slight hints of salty or rusty minerals. Caiarossa displays a good degree of elegance, not least due to its fine and taut tannins, and despite its density and complexity never comes across as opulent or even overloaded. SUPERIORE.DE

1993 – Marco Caprai stood in his vineyards and looked back on a quarter of a century that his father, Arnaldo, had begun in 1971 with a dream: to create a world-class wine from a forgotten Umbrian grape variety. Ten years of research lay behind him: collaboration with the University of Milan, clone selection, and the bold move to vinify Sagrantino as a dry rather than a sweet wine. To mark the 25th anniversary, he wanted to make a statement: the ultimate Sagrantino, the essence of everything he and his father had learnt. The 25 Anni was born – and the wine world held its breath. What followed is the stuff of legend. In 2000, Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones chose this wine for their wedding. Luigi Veronelli proclaimed Sagrantino one of Italy's greatest red wines. Montefalco was transformed from a sleepy village into a mecca for wine tourism. And the 25 Anni remained – year after year, vintage after vintage – the flagship of this Umbrian revolution. It comes from the finest plots in the Val di Maggio, the result of a meticulous clonal selection of pure Sagrantino from vines planted at a density of six to eight thousand plants per hectare.

Michele Chiarlo's Barbaresco Faset offers a high degree of intensity and balance. Its bouquet shows wild berries and cassis with sophisticated background notes of tar, smoke and dark spices. It is a silky expression of the grape variety with a long and very convincing finish. Be patient and give it another 3-5 years to give it the time it needs to integrate and balance. SUPERIORE.DE

Since the 2016 vintage, Livio Felluga's top wine Sossò has been maturing in the bottle for an extra year before being released for sale. This Riserva is a beautiful, rich and comforting red wine that is dense on the palate, imparting pretty cherry and dark fruit flavours with plenty of spice and tobacco. The extremely articulate flavour shoulders a convincing tannin portion and yet steers into an intensely fruity final with terrificlength. The wine simply glides forward with its unique feel and a dynamism that is slow and long-lasting. SUPERIORE.DE

Capo di Stato has long been a legend thanks to its top quality and history. The cuvée of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Malbech was created by Conte Loredan Gasparini. A wine rich in finesse in the classic Bordeaux style, dense and of outstanding structure with flavours of spices and red fruits. Fascinatingly ripe tannins, skilfully integrated into the new French barrique in which the wine was matured for two years. SUPERIORE.DE

The world-famous Caiarossa is an extremely exciting blend of the Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Sangiovese and Grenache varieties, with the rich, dark fruit flavours of the Cabernet grapes taking centre stage. On the nose, a beautiful first wave of dark fruits that never appear too ripe, which greatly benefits the elegance of the wine. The palate is very balanced and focussed with blackberries, cassis and slight hints of salty or rusty minerals. Caiarossa displays a good degree of elegance, not least due to its fine and taut tannins, and despite its density and complexity never comes across as opulent or even overloaded. SUPERIORE.DE

Only 2,000 numbered bottles of the 2018 debut vintage of the "Vigna del Bersagliere" Morellino di Scansano Riserva were filled. The grapes for the new top Sangiovese from Podere 414 come from a small, organically cultivated vineyard of just 1.3 hectares above the winery. It is aged for 36 months in 500 Liters and then refined for 24 months in the bottle. Bright ruby red in colour. Primary aromas of ripe, dark fruit with spicy notes in the glass. Firmly structured on the palate, again dark fruit, plus plums and earthy tones. It is still young and somewhat angular in the glass, but its exceptional style and good acidity/tannin structure already suggest very good ageing potential. SUPERIORE.DE

Named after the man who turned his film-loving father's dream into one of the most respected addresses in Tuscany, this wine represents the essence of a twenty-year project: the complete replanting of the Sangiovese vineyards on Le Macìe with the aim of capturing the soul of the terroir in its purest form. Originating from the exquisite "Le Terrazze" vineyard, where Miocene calcareous marl soils at an altitude of 265 to 360 metres create the ideal conditions, a Gran Selezione of exceptional complexity is created here from 100% Sangiovese. The hand-picked grapes undergo ten days of alcoholic fermentation, followed by 15 days of maceration, before the wine is aged for 18 months in French Troncais barriques and a further 20 months in the bottle.

The "25 Anni" from Caprai has been THE ambassador for Umbria's top wines for many years. It captivates with a beguiling bouquet that combines black fruits with citrus fruits, exotic spices, a hint of oregano, menthol and a hint of cocoa. The texture is more like pure silk, delicately lapping the palate, leaving a satisfying mix of intense dark fruits, minerals and fine-grained tannin. There is so much depth and concentration to work with that even when it finishes youthfully structured and dry, it lingers for well over a minute with notes of redcurrant, sage and dark chocolate. This exceptional Sagrantino is undisputedly not only Caprai's top wine, but also one of Italy's most characterful wines, which, with a little more ageing, is an incredible pleasure and should therefore definitely be aerated for 3-4 hours when young. SUPERIORE.DE

A Sicilian Cabernet Franc that can only be produced by Planeta – inspired by the elegance of great Bordeaux, yet deeply rooted in the terroir of the Menfi Hills. Didacus is a tribute to the family, named after Diego Planeta, the visionary founder of the winery. The grapes come from carefully tended plots on chalky soils, where they develop their aromatic ripeness and structure under the Mediterranean sun and fresh winds from the nearby coast. After fermentation, the wine matured for 21 months in French barriques before being left to rest for two years in the bottle.

With the Pinot Nero Riserva Vigna Das Langefeld, the Pfitscher family has undoubtedly created an elegant top wine that perfectly reflects the identity of the terroir.

After much anticipation, today we present the second vintage of an exceptional Sangiovese from Querciabella's single vineyard Ruffoli.

Back in 2007, the winery embarked on the cru project with the aim of emphasising the natural elegance and vitality of Sangiovese and the essential value of what the Latins call the "genius loci". What began as an experiment and a challenge evolved into years of constant but calculated work to identify the best vineyards in Chianti Classico. The best winemaking and ageing methods were then applied to enhance the particular influence of the origin on the texture, flavour and character of the wine.

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

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

Those with less patience can open now. Those with foresight should wait. The PS Riserva 2019 is at one of those points where a great Brunello shows what it has in store for the first time – and at the same time makes it clear that not everything has worked out yet. 2019 is considered one of the most substantial vintages in recent Montalcino history: complex, structured, with a concentration resulting from excellent seasonal conditions and perfect tannin maturity. For the one and a half hectares of the oldest parcels in Pelagrilli – whose vines are now over fifty years old – this meant a harvest of rare intensity. Giancarlo's uncompromising selection, optical sorter, double hand-picking, fermentation in steel, 24 months in small French oak barrels: everything serves a single purpose.