The Wine Advocate | 95–100 Points

Syrah Suisassi is rich and expressive. The bouquet is convincing with aromas of sage, rosemary, wild flowers, liquorice, violets and plums. On the palate very full and round with memories of berries, chocolate and nuts. Elegant and intellectual. SUPERIORE.DE

The purchase of the Mosconi Cru parcels in Monforte by Pio Boffa is one of the last major decisions taken by the estate – with the aim of complementing the depth of Serralunga (Ornato) with Monforte gravity. Selective hand-picking; separate fermentation in stainless steel with a carefully extended maceration period, malolactic without haste. Classic ageing in large barrels, moderate proportion of French oak as a fine brushstroke of texture. The 2020 vintage fitted in well with the concept: a stable summer, clear nights for ripening and precise harvest – healthy, ripe harvest, polished phenolics and generous, balanced fruit were the result.

Mosconi 2021 comes from one of the most renowned crus of Monforte d'Alba – a site known for its brooding, clay-limestone soils and south-westerly exposure. The terroir here gives the Nebbiolo particular depth, warmth and structural density. The 2021 vintage was almost ideal in the Langhe: a cool, slow start to the growing season, followed by a stable summer without heat stress and a dry, sunny autumn created perfect conditions for the grapes to ripen slowly with high aromatic complexity and finely polished tannins.

The Brunello di Montalcino Riserva 2019 is a fully impressive creation with a unique and interesting interpretation of this classic vintage. The wine is bold and bright, with great intensity that accompanies it from start to finish. Dark cherry and blackberry flavours stand in balanced contrast to layers of spice, cumin and cardamom. Despite its intensity and richness, this Riserva is very balanced and never oversteps its bounds. The same applies to the mouthfeel. On the palate, it offers a dense, rich texture with complex fruit flavours and bright acidity. The 2019 vintage is once again an exceptional wine from this incredibly ambitious winery! SUPERIORE.DE

Vigna Elena is a Ravera parcel of 1 hectare in size. Just 5,000 bottles of Cogno's famous Riserva come from here every year. The Vigna Elena 2019 has just the right balance between fruit and wood, which is often a real challenge in this category. The rather bright bouquet has red fruits and nuances of truffle, ash, dried citrus peel and pressed flowers. Elegant, brooding and powerful, as only a great Barolo can be, Vigna Elena possesses a wealth of nuances and dimensions from the very first sip. Exotic spice and orange peel notes, followed later by ripe raspberries, mocha and autumn leaves. The Vigna Elena 2019 is an absolute delight. SUPERIORE.DE

Briccotto is a traditional Barolo from the Bussia vineyard, which used to be sold only in 1.Liters bottles. Even today, the wine is only produced in small quantities; the vineyard covers just 0.3 hectares and is planted with Nebbiolo vines, some of which are 40 years old. Rich ruby colour with a slight garnet rim. Intense, finely characterised nose with pronounced fruity nuances, lots of blackberry, dark cherry, also some cranberry. Dense and polished tannins on the palate, almost silky core, embedded in ripe berry fruit. Earthy notes on the final, savoury and long, an aristocratic wine monument! SUPERIORE.DE

A Nerello from the flanks of Etna – radical in its origins, resolute in its form. Alberelli di Giodo is the Sicilian expression of the signature of Carlo Ferrini, one of Italy's most respected Oenologist. The vines are rooted in Contrada Rampante, 950 metres above sea level on the northern slopes of the volcano – one of the most prestigious sites on the north side of Mount Etna. Grown in the traditional Alberello system, the vines stand on mineral-rich, sandy-volcanic soils interspersed with ash, basalt and pumice. They are ancient vines from times before the phylloxera plague – each one a gnarled, living testimony to the volcanic earth.

Ten years. Appius celebrates its first decade with the 2020 – and what a decade it has been. When Hans Terzer first bottled his dream wine in 2010, he had already been harbouring the idea for a long time. During his vineyard inspections, he had noticed that certain low-yielding old vines in the historic vineyards of Eppan produced a quality that demanded its own framework. Something beyond the celebrated Sanct Valentin line. Originally, the wine was to be called "Oans" – piedmontese for "one" –but the name was taken. So it became Appius: the Roman name for Eppan, derived from Appianum, the "estate of Appius".

Historically, the vineyards of Castello di Fonterutoli are located in the areas of three neighbouring municipalities of Chianti Classico: Castellina in Chianti, Castelnuovo Berardenga and Radda in Chianti. With the 2017 vintage, the Mazzei family vinified all three large vineyards separately as Chianti Classico Gran Selezione for the first time in order to recognise the diversity of the terroir: Castello di Fonterutoli, Vicoregio 36 and Badiòla.

The name says it all: wines of the slopes. Vigneti del Versante is made from grapes from the Cancello Rosso parcel and the lower part of Pian Bassolino – sites, which lie at an altitude of 350 metres and have a soil of exceptional geological diversity. Calcareous clay, slightly decomposed marl, sandstone, flysch – layers from the Cretaceous and Tertiary periods, interspersed with volcanic influences from nearby Monte Amiata. In the Cancello Rosso vineyard, an increased proportion of sand in the topsoil provides the typical spicy and nutty flavours of the berries; Pian Bassolino contributes with a calcareous density. Jan Erbach sees the Vigneti del Versante as the search for a harmony that is more than the sum of its parts – like the different voices of an orchestra that only find their sound together. Spontaneous fermentation, strict selection of grapes on the table, no technological additives, maturation in large oak barrels without filtration.

Gambero Rosso named the Giodo Brunello 2020 "The best red wine in Italy in 2026", and the reasoning reads like a silent tribute: "The sum of his experience with Sangiovese, his first love." His daughter Bianca Ferrini added what is behind the wine: "It is the first vintage in the new cellar, the first chapter together with my father."

The annual production of this boutique winery on Etna is just 9,000 bottles. At an altitude of 950 metres above sea level, the one and a half hectares of vines are divided into eight tiny plots and have been gradually bought up by the well-known Oenologist. The area is planted with Nerello Mascalese bush vines, which have been spared the phylloxera phylloxera and make their way through the lava-covered terraces.

Produced in small quantities, Vallocchio clearly stands out from pure Brunello di Montalcino. Darker, deeper and more mystical, it shows notes of ripe blackberries and plums, complemented by exotic brown spices and a hint of lemon confit. Its texture is like velvet stretching across the palate, black-fruited and ripe, underpinned by minerals and cooling herbal notes. It is youthfully monolithic and dense, revealing its austere tannin core only towards the end, where notes of black tea, liquorice and a hint of cocoa emerge. SUPERIORE.DE

Only 3,000 bottles of this wine from the highest vineyard in Montalcino are bottled. The choice of the vineyard, which is situated over 600 metres above sea level, is also due to climate change, where winegrowers are increasingly looking for cooler sites for the Sangiovese - and the result is once again a Brunello in a class of its own: leather, tobacco, small red berries and a surprisingly fresh, clearly mineral note on the nose. Although the wine appears very graceful and bright, it is powerful and long. Its grippy tannins and finely knit acidity emphasise our impression that this wine still has a long life ahead of it. SUPERIORE.DE

Since the 2015 vintage, Le Ragnaie has been vinifying another single-vineyard Brunello, which comes from the famous Montosoli vineyard and therefore also bears the black label. Only just under 3,000 bottles of the 2018 vintage will be released, and we are delighted that we were able to obtain at least a few of them. On the nose, graceful tones of wild cherry, pressed blueberries and small blue violets growing deep in the forest. The flavours are more vertical, with cola and medicinal tones rising straight from the top. The attack is compact and lean, with a long, medium-bodied persistence that leaves a precise and sharply drawn trail of fruit flavours. This expression and class can only be found in the wines of the Montosoli vineyard and this wine, rich in finesse, is a real treat! SUPERIORE.DE

The single-varietal Duemani is for us one of the best representatives of the West Tuscan coastal region. The bouquet of exceptional clarity of dark plum, coffee and wild roses. Rich and with perfectly integrated wood notes on the palate, its structure and elegance are particularly fascinating. SUPERIORE.DE

As a result of extensive soil research, Francesco Ricasoli was able to identify three micro-vineyards, which will be vinified separately from the 2015 vintage onwards. The range of Chianti Classico Gran Selezione now includes, in addition to the famous Castello di Brolio, three cru sites (Colledilà, Roncicone and Ceniprimo), all of which are 100% planted with Sangiovese. They differ in structure and taste in close correspondence with their terroir and impressively demonstrate the complexity of the Chanti Classico region.

As a result of extensive soil research, Francesco Ricasoli was able to identify three microlocations, which will be vinified separately from the 2015 vintage onwards. The range of Chianti Classico Gran Selezione now includes, in addition to the famous Castello di Brolio, three cru sites (Colledilà, Roncicone and Ceniprimo), all of which are 100% planted with Sangiovese. They differ in structure and taste in close correspondence with their terroir and impressively demonstrate the complexity of the Chanti Classico region.

As a result of extensive soil research, Francesco Ricasoli was able to identify three microlocations, which will be vinified separately from the 2015 vintage onwards. The range of Chianti Classico Gran Selezione now includes, in addition to the famous Castello di Brolio, three cru sites (Colledilà, Roncicone and Ceniprimo), all of which are 100% planted with Sangiovese. They differ in structure and taste in close correspondence with their terroir and impressively demonstrate the complexity of the Chanti Classico region.

For some years now, Riccardo Cotarella's Montiano has been characterised by great freshness and dark, concentrated fruit. In contrast to the vintages of the early 1990s, the wine has become much livelier and more dynamic. And the 2021 vintage brings a new nuance to this characterful Merlot: riper, denser and finer at the same time. The climatic conditions – an early summer temperature rise followed by cooler evening hours – allowed for slow, even ripening with perfect concentration levels. As always, the Montefiascone region delivers mineral-structured fruit and precise floral components.

The grapes for the estate's classic Barolo come from the vineyards/communes of Ornato, La Serra, Briccolina in Serralunga d'Alba, Gustava and Garretti in Grinzane Cavour, Roncaglie in La Morra, Ravera in Novello and, from the 2015 vintage, also from Mosconi in Monforte d'Alba. It is more of a traditional, classic Barolo with an exciting bouquet of deep, dark fruit and a pretty potpourri of rose petals, spices, smoke and tar. It is full-bodied and firm on the palate, opening up with plenty of dense tannins, very powerful, with pressure and a full bite on the finish, designed for a long life. SUPERIORE.DE

Barolo Brunate comes from the heart of the appellation in La Morra and is one of the most expressive Barolos in Ceretto's single-vineyard collection. The vines are over 50 years old and the total production of the wine is therefore vanishingly small.

Until the regulations were changed in 2016, 600 metres was the upper limit for Brunello di Montalcino. The grapes for Passo del Lume Spento come from a single vineyard located on a sandstone plateau at 621 metres above sea level. It displays fresh aromas of lavender and fennel with warm, fragrant earth and a subtle smoky note. The medium-bodied, crisp and sinewy wine tastes of red berries pressed from rocky earth, accompanied by tangy acidity and remarkable freshness. The finish is still primary and mineral, with crisp tannins that give this single-vineyard cru a remarkable bite and great ageing potential. SUPERIORE.DE