Sangiovese

When you hear the story of the effort that went into the Colonia vineyard, you have to wonder if the fine people of Fèlsina are absolutely crazy. It took them two years to remove the imposing rock that had forced previous generations of the Poggiali family to virtually abandon this noble site. But it is thanks to the ambitious Giovanni Poggiali that this spectacular vineyard (Vigneto Colonia) became what it is today. It has reddish-brown soils, is rich in magnesium and iron, and is thus quite different from all other Fèlsina sites.

In 1994, Angelo Gaja acquired Pieve Santa Restituta – his first purchase outside Piedmont, named after the church on the estate, which dates back to the 4th century and has been linked to viticulture since the 12th century. Anyone who knows Gaja understands the decision: a place of historical depth, in the south-western sub-region of Montalcino, at 350 metres, with calcareous-clay soils and Galestro – the classic terroir of the great Brunello. 2020 was a challenging year. The heat of the summer and persistent drought demanded absolute precision in the selection process from cellar master Nicola Vaglini and his team – each parcel separately, each fermentation individually controlled, each decision made with the aim of preserving concentration and freshness at the same time. Matured for 24 months in oak, then six months in cement.

The Magistra Brunello was vinified for the second time in 2019. Produced in a small edition of just over 1,000 bottles, it is the estate's new flagship wine. It is an extremely rigorous selection of the best grapes from the small Magistra vineyard, which is located south of Montalcino at around 400 metres above sea level. The vines are surrounded by a holm oak forest, which benefits from exposure with night-time ventilation from the Orcia Valley. This favours the development of the aromas, which are noticeable in the intense Sangiovese bouquet of crushed sour cherries, spiced blood oranges, minty herbs and a hint of sweet smoke. Silky yet lively on the palate, driven by a lively acidity that effortlessly carries the mineral fruit of the red berries across the palate together with the polished tannins. A gem of a wine! SUPERIORE.DE

Traditionally vinified, its intense ruby red colour, the fruity aroma with spicy and balsamic notes and its gentle start on the palate, which builds furiously, are impressive. The high-class tannin structure rests between the soft components, so that this Brunello from the dream year 2019 simultaneously demonstrates elegance and strength without appearing too modern. SUPERIORE.DE

In 2021, the DOCG Montalcino delivered a vintage of rare transparency. Cooler nights, pronounced temperature fluctuations, slow and even ripening until well into October – conditions that allow the Sangiovese Grosso to show what lies behind the fruit: Minerality, structure, the fine geological layers of a vineyard that has been producing wine since the Middle Ages.

Le Macioche Riserva 2019 has the same slender and bright appearance as the Annata and the fine aromas of wild berries and cassis associated with Sangiovese. Racy and supple, it sweeps across the palate with a silky texture and shows tart wild berries and sour citrus fruit, all accompanied by lively acidity. The finish is long, with an earthy aftertaste. A very successful Riserva from a wonderful year, which has been interpreted very convincingly in this wine. SUPERIORE.DE

Brunello Magistra is an extremely rigorous selection of the best grapes from the small vineyard of the same name, which is located south of Montalcino at an altitude of around 400 metres above sea level. The vines are surrounded by a holm oak forest, which benefits from exposure with night-time ventilation from the Orcia Valley. This favours the development of the aromas, which are noticeable in the intense Sangiovese bouquet of crushed sour cherries, spiced blood oranges, minty herbs and a hint of sweet smoke. Silky yet lively on the palate, driven by a lively acidity that effortlessly carries the mineral fruit of the red berries across the palate together with the polished tannins. A gem of a wine! SUPERIORE.DE

An exotic blend of sweet smoke and cloves gives way to dusty black cherries and a hint of sour citrus fruit as the 2019 vintage unfolds in the glass. After a while, there are hints of musk and floral undergrowth. Pure elegance on the palate, delicate and silky, but also with a core of salty minerals that adds unexpected depth to the vibrant flavours of tart wild berries and spices. Finishes with incredible persistence but also composure, structured yet primary, just as it should be at this young stage. The higher altitudes and almost minimalist winemaking at Le Potazzine have helped to produce one of the most balanced and interesting wines of the 2019 top vintage for us. SUPERIORE.DE

Gigliola Giannetti was born on the Argiano wine estate, the daughter of an employee in the wine cellar. She grew up among barrels and vines, the smell of fermenting must was the scent of her childhood. At 19, she joined Franco Biondi Santi, and later Giulio Gambelli encouraged her to make wine herself. In 1993, the time had come: first parcel, first child – daughter Viola. Three years later came two more hectares and daughter Sofia. Today, three women stand together in the cellar and three generations of Montalcino in one line. Le Potazzine is one of the highest vineyards in the appellation: 450 to 530 metres, where the harvest begins up to three weeks later than in the valley. What used to be considered a disadvantage is now worth its weight in gold – the grapes ripen slowly, retain their acidity and develop finesse instead of mere vigour. Vinification is uncompromisingly traditional: spontaneous fermentation, 30 to 45 days of maceration, no temperature control. The wine then rests for 42 months in large Slavonian oak barrels – six months longer than is even required for a Riserva. So every Brunello from Le Potazzine is actually a Riserva. Why don't they call it that? Modesty, or perhaps quiet pride.

Le Lucére is not a wine for coincidences. The plot – almost 2.5 hectares, east-facing, Galestro and slate, vines that have been rooted in this soil for more than a quarter of a century – only becomes a single-vineyard bottling under certain conditions. 2018 was such a year, although the world of Brunello experts initially reacted cautiously. Wrongly so. The eastern exposure of San Filippo is a quiet privilege for cooler years: no blazing afternoon sunshine that burns the fruit and hardens the tannins. Instead – morning light, slow ripening, precision. The vines did not suffer. They concentrated. Caciorgna vinified in steel, fermented in concrete, put the wine first in barrique and tonneau, then in large 20 to 30 hectolitre barrels. More than three years of ageing, one year in the bottle. The wine needed the time.

The grapes for Testamatta are selected and sourced from the winery's 6 best vineyards: Vincigliata, Londa, Lamole, Montefili and Siena. Each vineyard, which is divided into plots, is harvested up to 8 times to ensure that all the grapes are harvested at the perfect point of ripeness. These five vineyards (up to 80 years old) are located in different areas of Tuscany: Lamole and Montefili in the heart of Chianti Classico at 600 and 400 metres above sea level, Vincigliata near Florence at 280 metres above sea level, Londa north of Florence towards the Rufina Valley and Siena, in the south of Tuscany, at 250 metres above sea level.

The Riserva Lupi e Sirene (Wolves and Mermaids) label is reminiscent of the good old days when Podere le Ripi was so remote that the howling of the wolves was the only sound you could hear at night.

2019 shone in Montalcino. No critic who tasted it spent long searching for words. No overripeness, no heat scars, no compromises. And for an east-facing vineyard like Le Lucére – fully exposed to the first light of the morning – this meant that the Sangiovese Grosso was harvested with a ripeness that has rarely been so precisely predictable. Harvested early, fresh and concentrated at the same time. Caciorgna allowed the wine to pass through all of its stages: 13 to 14 months in barrique and tonneau, then almost 28 months in large containers – an ageing process that demands and receives depth. The result is a Le Lucére of princely stature.

2020 posed a simple question for Montalcino's winegrowers: who has the better terroir? In a hot, dry year – august temperatures close to 40 degrees – it was not just the manual labour in the vineyard that decided, but the geology. Le Lucére responded with Galestro and slate: soils that hold water deeper, moderate temperatures and preserve freshness when patience and acidity have long since given way elsewhere. Organic farming since 2013 has paid off many times over in years like these. Living soils, deep-rooted vines, no drought stress that forces chemical interventions. Paolo Caciorgna didn't have to save anything. He just had to listen.

Il Nocio, a Nobile di Montepulciano from a single vineyard, impressively demonstrates the true essence of the Sangiovese grape and has also been one of the region's quality leaders for years. Deep red, intense aromas of sour cherry, redcurrant, rose petals, violets and sweet spices. Dense, juicy and elegant on the palate, with fresh, pure fruit and smoothly polished tannins. Lively mineral and floral nuances in the very long finish. SUPERIORE.DE

Dark bouquet of cherry and plum sauces mixed with cloves and grapefruit peel. This is pure elegance, rich and supple, even polished in feel, while masses of mineral-tinged red berries flow over a core of vibrant acidity. The tannins arrive late and intermingle with a concentrated layer of primary fruit, leaving a classically structured impression. It is already clear that this wine will make its fans very happy in a few years' time. SUPERIORE.DE

Altesinos Riserva is a taut and firm wine with perfectly nuanced fruit and an impressive aristocracy that always characterises the great elegance of Altesinos wines. In addition to its noble restraint, this Riserva is extremely refined, revealing a cosy ripeness with precise cherry aromas, spices, leather and traces of liquorice. Already exceptionally good today, it will certainly be even better in a few years' time! SUPERIORE.DE

Vecchie Vigne by Siro Pacenti is still one of the most modern wines to emerge from this sun-drenched appellation in southern Tuscany. The grapes come from old vines that are between 38 and 53 years old. You can immediately taste the great 2019 vintage and the richness and suppleness of its dark fruit and lush blackberry flavours. Vecchie Vigne offers that certain hint of exotic spices, savoury tobacco and even notes of talcum powder or buttered popcorn, which come from the oak - it is aged for 24 months in French barriques - which does it a world of good and makes it unmistakable. All the attributes of this exceptional wine are clearly pronounced and unmistakably convincing, all of which contribute to a creamy and infinitely long-lasting mouthfeel and make this wine one of the best of the vintage. SUPERIORE.DE

When you hear the story of the effort that went into the Colonia vineyard, you have to wonder if the fine people of Fèlsina are absolutely crazy. It took them two years to remove the imposing rock that had forced previous generations of the Poggiali family to practically abandon this noble location. But it is thanks to the ambitious Giovanni Poggiali that this spectacular vineyard (Vigneto Colonia) has become what it is today. It has reddish-brown soils, is rich in magnesium and iron and is therefore very different from all other Fèlsina vineyards.

Wolves and sirens. The coat of arms of Podere Le Ripi bears both – the wild and the seductive, the earthbound and the mythical. It is no coincidence that the Riserva bears this name. It is both. The vineyard is located on the eastern side of Montalcino, near Castelnuovo dell'Abate, where oceanic marl soil with a granite skeleton has been shaping the vines for millions of years. The vines are planted in Alberello – the old, bush-like training system in which each plant fights for itself, roots deeply, gives little and gives everything. 11,000 vines per hectare. Biodynamic, without concessions to simplicity. The vinification follows an inner logic that Sebastian Nasello thinks through to the end: spontaneous fermentation, maceration for 20 to 25 days in open oak vats – 80 per cent with classic pumping over, 20 per cent according to the Piedmontese principle of skin infusion. Then 36 months in large wooden barrels, followed by 14 months in cement. No shortcuts. No cosmetics. Just time and conviction.

The Riserva Lupi e Sirene (Wolves and Mermaids) label is reminiscent of the good old days when Podere le Ripi was so remote that the howling of the wolves was the only sound you could hear at night.