Organic

Barolo Prapò comes from Serralunga d'Alba and is, as expected, the most powerful and structured of the various single-vineyard wines from this ambitious estate. At the same time, it is also the most closed at the beginning and, with its introverted nature, is made for a long ageing period. This site is one of the last where the grapes ripen, giving them plenty of time to develop slowly and carefully each year.

Barolo Lazzarito 2019, which obtains its fruit from Serralunga d'Alba, is built like a pyramid. It stands on a thick base of robust fruit and power and rises in intensity thanks to its wonderfully elevated bouquet. It shows direct and solid lines with blackberries, plums, spices, tar, liquorice, candied orange peel and truffle-infused earth. A second wave of flavours offers dark minerals, iron ore and rust. Baroli from Serralunga d'Alba are often in a category of their own thanks to their richness and sheer abundance of fruit. With additional aeration, the Lazzarito, certified organic for the first time in this vintage, delivers mint and fine balsamic herbs and will fully inspire with further maturation in the bottle. SUPERIORE.DE

In the late 1980s, Luca Sanjust planted the first Merlot clones in the clay-rich soils of Feriale, little realising that he was about to create a legend. The name Galatrona – once the seat of a Tuscan dynasty, whose medieval watchtower towers over the ten-hectare vineyard – was to become synonymous with Italian Merlot perfection. "The Le Pin of Tuscany", as Wine Spectator calls it, yet at a fraction of the price of that legendary Pomerol. The 50,000 vines on south-east-facing terraces combine Bordeaux genetics with a Tuscan soul. Clay retains the moisture that Merlot needs during the hot summers, whilst slate, marl and sandstone provide the mineral complexity.

Brunello di Montalcino by Poggio di Sotto is an explosive wine, full and dark. Black cherries, menthol, spices and freshly tanned leather are just some of the diverse aromas. The palate is dense, enveloping and fantastically flowing. Accentuated acidity, perfectly integrating the tannins, finishes on notes of ripe stone fruit, leather and mushrooms. An absolutely fascinating, sublime wine (for the advanced) at the highest level. 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.

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

In the late 1980s, Luca Sanjust planted the first Merlot clones in the clay-rich soils of Feriale, unaware that he was in the process of creating a legend. The name Galatrona – once the estate of the Tuscan dynasty, whose medieval watchtower towers over the ten-hectare vineyard – was to become synonymous with Italian Merlot perfection. "The Le Pin of Tuscany", as Wine Spectator calls it, yet at a fraction of the price of that legendary Pomerol. The 50,000 vines on south-east-facing terraces combine Bordeaux genetics with a Tuscan soul. Clay retains the moisture that Merlot needs during the hot summers, whilst slate, marl and sandstone provide the mineral complexity.