Supertuscan

Guado al Tasso presents itself with a warm-toned bouquet and an abundance of fruit that is just as convincing as its harmonious structure. Deep, dark, rich ruby-purple colour. Very clear and intense nose, with aromas of blackberries, cassis and dark cherries, underpinned by fine, spicy notes with hints of white pepper and leather. Very juicy on the attack and on the palate, with plenty of sweet flavour, elegant tannins and a very long finish. A finesse-rich red that offers maximum drinking pleasure and great ageing potential. SUPERIORE.DE

Between Sassicaia on the left and Ornellaia on the right, on the Strada del Vino of Bolgheri, lies a vineyard that has rewritten the definition of "perfect location". When Antonio Moretti Cuseri drove through the thick Maremma fog in October 2004 and suddenly emerged into the glistening sunlight of this coastal landscape, he knew: this is where he would make the Orma – his footprint. The third generation of the Moretti Cuseri family had already proven with Oreno at Tenuta Sette Ponti that their passion for Bordeaux cuvées can become an obsession. In Bolgheri, this love of Merlot and Cabernet was to find a new interpretation. On just 5.5 hectares of vines rooted deep in gravel and clay, organically farmed grapes are used to produce the wine that has been delighting international wine critics since its debut in 2005. The 2023 vintage combines half Merlot with 30 per cent Cabernet Sauvignon and 20 per cent Cabernet Franc – an assemblage that combines the Mediterranean climate of the Tuscan coast with the finesse of great Bordeaux growths.

Beguiling aroma of sweet, dark berries with a hint of cassis, cedar wood and antique leather. Very balanced on the palate, beautifully viscous with an elegant melt. Fine-meshed tannins, restrained mineral tones and wonderfully polished fruit accompany a remarkable finish. For all its elegance, it shows pressure and power and, with the right dose of acidity, promises a long life and almost reaches the level of its famous big brother. SUPERIORE.DE

In 2001, the brothers Piero and Lodovico Antinori, together with their nephew Niccolò Marzichi Lenzi, recognised the extraordinary potential of the hills of Bibbona in the Upper Maremma. Instinct, passion and centuries of family experience led to a plot-by-plot study that would ultimately result in the creation of Tenuta di Biserno. The terroir of these 40 hectares, situated at an altitude of 90 metres, is of exceptional complexity: mainly alluvial and clay-limestone soils, which create the ideal environment for Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot. The varying exposures and the distance from the sea shape the varietal expression so strongly that the decision to create two production lines was inevitable: Biserno – the estate’s most prestigious and representative wine – and Il Pino di Biserno.

In 2004, Grattamacco did something that nobody in Bolgheri thought necessary: converting two hectares of vineyards to the Alberello training system – the traditional, bushy training system that has been practised in Sicily and Sardinia for centuries, but which simply did not exist in Bolgheri. This was not a nostalgic look back, nor a romanticisation. It was a response to an increasingly pressing reality: heat and drought. The Alberello training system makes the vines more resilient. Their low, spreading growth shades the ground, reduces water evaporation and forces the roots to grow deeper. The vines were planted according to the so-called ‘settonce’ pattern – a hexagonal system in which each vine is exactly the same distance from all its surrounding neighbours. An arrangement that combines maximum space with minimal competition.

There are wines that make history. Solaia is one of them. When the Antinori family bottled this wine for the first time in 1978 – a pure Cabernet cuvée made from 80 per cent Sauvignon and 20 per cent Franc – nobody could have guessed that one of the most influential chapters in Italian wine history was about to begin. The name itself says it all: Solaia is derived from "sole", the sun, as this vineyard on the Tenuta Tignanello enjoys the sunniest south-west exposure on the entire estate. Twenty hectares between 350 and 400 metres above sea level, where the vines drive their roots deep into Alberese and Galestro – the hard limestone and schistose claystone that date back to the Pliocene and are rich in marine fossils. Solaia is only produced in exceptional years; there was no bottling in 1980, 1981, 1983, 1984 and 1992. This consistency, this relentlessness in the pursuit of perfection, makes Solaia what it is: not just a wine, but an icon.

Tenuta Tignanello is located in the heart of Chianti Classico on the gentle hills between the valleys of the Greve and Pesa rivers and comprises 319 hectares of land, of which around 130 are planted with vines. The estate's vineyards include two jewels: Tignanello and Solaia, which are located on the same hill, on calcareous and schistose marl soils of marine origin from the Pliocene, and which benefit from warm days and fresh nights during the growing season. Two wines are produced from these vineyards, which many years ago had the potential to become the starting point of the Italian wine renaissance. Nothing has changed to this day.

The Solaia vineyard is situated in the sunniest part of the Tignanello hill: 20 hectares facing south-west, at an altitude of 350 to 400 metres, with stony soil consisting of hard limestone and flaky calcareous clay. In 1346, the estate belonged to the Buondelmonti family; later, a collateral branch of the Medici family gave it the name Fonte dei Medici, and in the mid-19th century it was acquired by the Antinori family, who have been making wine for 26 generations since 1385. In the 1970s, the hill became a testing ground for new winemaking techniques and new grape varieties, foremost among them Cabernet. In 1978, the family produced the first Solaia, made from 80% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Cabernet Franc, and followed the same recipe the following year. Subsequently, 20% Sangiovese was added, and the ratio of the two Cabernet varieties was adjusted until the current blend was established. Solaia is produced only in exceptional vintages; it was not produced in 1980, 1981, 1983, 1984 or 1992.

There are wines that have changed the history of their country. Not by chance, not because of a passing trend – but through a single, well-founded act of provocation. In 1971, Piero Antinori commissioned one of the most prominent Italian graphic designers of his time to design the label for his new wine: Silvio Coppola, renowned for book covers and designer furniture, for his austerity and minimalist style. The label was minimalist – but the wine behind it was a revolution. No Trebbiano, no Malvasia. No white grapes in the red wine, as the Chianti regulations had stipulated since Ricasoli's time. Instead: Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc. Barrique instead of large casks. A wine that consequently fell outside the DOC classification – and was launched on the market as a simple "Vino da Tavola". Piero Antinori signed the label with his father Niccolò's name: a gesture of gratitude for the trust that had allowed him the boldness to do so in the first place.

Tenuta Tignanello is situated in the heart of Chianti Classico, on the rolling hills between the valleys of the rivers Greve and Pesa, and covers 319 hectares of land, of which around 130 are planted with vines. The estate’s vineyards include two jewels: Tignanello and Solaia, which lie on the same hill, on marl soils of marine origin from the Pliocene period, rich in limestone and slate, and which benefit from warm days and cool nights during the growing season. These vineyards produce two wines which, many years ago, were set to become the starting point for the renaissance of Italian wine. Nothing has changed in that regard to this day.

In 1991, the Frescobaldi family at CastelGiocondo embarked on an experiment that caused a stir in the Sangiovese-dominated world of Montalcino: a single-varietal Merlot, made from the first Merlot vines that had been planted on the estate back in the 1970s. The Lamaione became the solitary, powerful and self-assured figure that it remains to this day in the Montalcino landscape – a wine that defies all the appellation's conventions.

Deep, dark ruby red colour. Floral nose with lots of red, warm fruit and delicate herbal notes. Smooth and elegant on the palate with wonderful depth and complexity with notes of black cherry, herbs, violets, plums and a hint of tar and leather. Saffredi literally sneaks up on you until it fades into a very long and harmonious finish with an impressive presence and finesse. One of Italy's great wines, full of elegance! SUPERIORE.DE

Camartina 2016 has exceptional finesse and elegance. Distinguished, deep ruby red. Rich aromas of black and red berries such as black cherry and blueberry, joined by notes of ripe plum and tamarind. With further aeration then multi-layered notes of ivy, forest floor and freshly cut bark with hints of leather, sweet tobacco and liquorice. The full and silky body is framed by firm but well-integrated tannins supported by excellent acidity. Then, just before the long finish, ripe black fruits enriched by nutmeg and sweet spices. Great its Tuscan identity full of energy and liveliness. SUPERIORE.DE

Since 1997, Le Serre Nuove has held the title of Ornellaia's "second wine" – a designation that has long since ceased to be underestimated in Bolgheri. It is produced mainly from the estate's younger vineyards, with the same care and attention to detail as that applied to the more famous flagship wine. Those who taste Le Serre Nuove often recognise the hallmarks of the upcoming great vintage even before it is released.

Castello di Volpaia made wine history in 1983: In the midst of the Supertuscan revolution, when visionary winegrowers rebelled against the restrictive DOC regulations, Balifico was born – named after the villa of the same name in the heart of the fortified village. What began as Vino da Tavola became the manifesto of a new era that combined international grape varieties with Tuscan soils to create an extraordinary synthesis. The grapes for this exceptional wine thrive at the highest altitudes in Tuscany, at over 600 metres above sea level, where the air is already cool like the Alps and the vines are bathed in sunlight all day long. Sangiovese vines, old Tuscan clones of exceptional purity, are rooted in the same sandstone soils that have been producing great wines since 1172 – while Cabernet Sauvignon, with its international nobility, interprets the mountainous personality of this unique terroir in a new way.

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

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

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

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

Full-bodied, noble cuvée from the winery of the same name: aromas of red fruits, a light hint of roasted coffee, juniper, pepper and animal notes, an excellent tannin structure and a beautiful acidity give the "Bordeaux from Bolgheri" its exceptional independence and great elegance. SUPERIORE.DE

At the centre of the Via Bolgherese, that legendary wine route where the Tuscan dream and the Bordeaux vision merge into an indelible myth, lies a small kingdom of just 5.5 hectares. Here, nestled between the giants Ornellaia to the right and Sassicaia to the left, Antonio Moretti Cuseri and his sons Alberto and Amedeo tell a story of unbridled passion, a story called Orma. Orma means footprint. And this 2021 truly leaves one in the soul of the taster. The purest expression of an exceptional vintage, this organically certified Bordeaux blend of 50% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Cabernet Franc unfolds like a symphony in purple and garnet. The Mediterranean sun of Bolgheri, tempered by the salty breezes of the Tyrrhenian Sea, gave the grapes that unique ripeness that only a few terroirs in the world are capable of producing.

Deep dark ruby-purple colour. On the nose, cassis, blackcurrants and a strong herbal spice with a good dose of pipe tobacco, tar and crushed gravel. On the palate, dark berries, chocolate and a cornucopia of herbs define the full-bodied palate. This juicy wine monument has precisely integrated tannins, an enormous silkiness and an almost endless finish. SUPERIORE.DE

Dense ruby red. Elegant the articulate bouquet that reveals ripe dark berries, tobacco, liquorice and balsamic notes. Impressively persistent, the characterful and enveloping taste with silky tannins and a spicy-smoky impression. The perfect dosage of all components give this exceptional wine the complexity and harmony that makes it unforgettable. A magical wine of great class and with great potential. SUPERIORE.DE