The Wine Advocate | 95–100 Points

The Vigna del Sorbo vineyard is located directly in front of the winery. The south-west facing vineyard with Galestro soils covers 8 hectares at an altitude of 450 metres. The Riserva was first produced in 1985 and has been labelled Gran Selezione since the 2010 vintage.

The showpiece of the Zenato winery from the terrific year 2006 with a perfect balance between expressiveness, elegance and almost infinite length. SUPERIORE.DE

When Georg Weber set foot on the hills below Capalbio in the early 2000s, he knew that his search was over. The Bordeaux lover had travelled the wine world – from Pauillac to Napa Valley – to finally find the terroir in the southern Maremma that would realise his dream: Tuscany's first Premier Grand Cru. Monteverro – named after the wild boar, the "verro", which has always roamed the maquis of this coastal landscape – was born.

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.

Ceretto's Barolo Bussia comes from one of the most famous cru sites bordering the municipalities of Monforte d'Alba and Barolo, sourcing its Nebbiolo fruit from a 7,000 square metre plot in Bussia Soprana in Monforte d'Alba. Just 3,500 1/1 bottles and 200 magnums are bottled.

The already very well-balanced and classic 2018 vintage can gain again with Fuligni, because no Riserva was produced. Ruby red with orange reflections. On the nose, after some aeration, ripe morello cherries, violets, roses and lots of Mediterranean scrub. Powerful on the palate, the silky tannins give it elegance and the necessary balance, its complexity comes to the fore with every sip. This very authentic and strongly focused Brunello can be counted among the best of the vintage, its wonderfully balanced proportions and its juiciness will give it further impetus in the coming years. SUPERIORE.DE

Altesinos Montosoli is always a crowd pleaser and a beautiful wine. It shows depth, intensity and plenty of authenticity both in terms of the grape variety and the area. Dark cherries and blackberries rise from the bouquet with spices, pipe tobacco and damp earth in tow. The wine is complex and nuanced. The authenticity of the Sangiovese comes through clearly on the palate. It is a medium-bodied wine with polished but firm tannins and distinct acidity. The finish shows a touch of freshness, minerality, notes of mint and great depth. SUPERIORE.DE

In 1985, Giovanni Manetti made a momentous and ingenious decision: the best plots of the Vigna del Sorbo, those south-west-facing slopes in front of the winery at 450 metres above sea level, were to be given their own voice. Here, where slate and the characteristic Galestro slopes above the clay characterise the geological signature of the Conca d'Oro, the estate's oldest Sangiovese vines have been rooted since 1963. What began as a Riserva with ten per cent Cabernet Sauvignon has become a monument to the art of pure Sangiovese over the years.

There are vintages that change a winery forever. 2016 was such a turning point for Sottimano. After years of meticulous, consistent biodynamic work in the vineyards, Andrea Sottimano reached a point this year where cru and terroir expressed themselves with a clarity and precision that he had never experienced before. The decision to create a Riserva was not a continuation of tradition – previously, old vines from Pajoré and Cottà had been combined for this purpose –but a new beginning, a return to the pure terroir of a single vineyard: Currá. Andrea selected the best grapes for this premium selection from the oldest plots of this legendary 2.8-hectare cru in Neive, where 55 to 75-year-old Nebbiolo vines sink their roots deep into pure limestone. Only 3,000 bottles were intended to tell the story of this exceptional vintage – of a wine that combines complexity, elegance and richness like no other in the portfolio. The Riserva matures for 22 to 24 months in barrels, partly on the fine lees, before being bottled unfiltered and unfined and left to rest in the bottle for a few more years.

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

After a year's break (2020 was not produced), one of Italy's rarest Merlots is back at the start: the inviting aroma is almost reminiscent of a Burgundy, with notes of raspberries and, only with time, the typical black forest berries and a delicate peppery spiciness. A generous variety of flavours on the palate, power and depth combined with finesse and elegance. Not at all furry, but harmonious, beautifully rounded by ripe, silky tannins and very long. A real rarity - if only because only around 5,000 bottles were filled and it is therefore hardly ever tasted. SUPERIORE.DE

Ravera is considered one of the great Grand Cru sites of Barolo – majestically situated on a south-west facing high plateau of Novello. G.D. Vajra's plots here lie at an altitude of 320 to 340 metres, where the vines are deeply rooted in the calcareous and clayey marl soils of the Sant'Agata formation. This geological mixture gives the wine its characteristic depth, firm structure and mineral signature. Ravera is famous for Barolo with cool precision, rich fruit and enormous ageing potential. The 2021 vintage offered picture-perfect conditions: a harmonious growing season with no periods of extreme heat, a long, sunny autumn with cool nights and a late, perfectly ripe harvest at the end of October. Fermentation took place gently with an extended maceration period to maximise colour, structure and aromatic finesse. The organic ageing for 30+ months in large Slavonian barrels was deliberately restrained in order to preserve the powerful but nuanced personality of the terroir unadulterated.

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.

When an estate like San Filippo produces its Riserva in a vintage like 2019, the result is something for which wine language is barely sufficient. 2019 shone in Montalcino. No critic who tasted it spent long searching for words. For Le Lucére, this meant: an east-facing vineyard that utilises the late morning sun to allow Sangiovese Grosso to ripen slowly, evenly and without stress until October. Harvest between 28 September and 7 October – not a moment too early, not a moment too late. Then: more than a year in barrique and tonneau, almost two and a half years in large oak casks, a further year in the bottle. An ageing process that is not rushed because it cannot afford to be.

"Vigna Rionda Riserva is for us every year the Barolo from Serralunga at the peak of its potential. It is the wine we are most proud of. Vigna Rionda, protagonist of the history of our winery, is one of the most sought-after and prestigious cru sites in the entire Barolo area. We are not just talking about microclimate and soil here: Something very special happens on this hill in Serralunga d'Alba, and this something gives the Vigna Rionda Riserva its life and makes it a truly unique wine." Franco Massolino

Giuseppe Massolino fell in love with a vineyard in 1956 and put all his eggs in one basket. In order to acquire a small part of the Vigna Rionda, he swapped a plot twice as large. Madness, people said. A stroke of luck, as it turned out. Because Giuseppe knew that Vigna Rionda was no ordinary vineyard. Since 1879, the name has been listed in Giovanni Gagna's book on viticulture in the Langhe – as one of the few places that produces exceptional wines. Before 1340, the land belonged to the Marquis of Saluzzo, then for centuries to the Falletti family. History knows many names for this hill: Vignarionda, Arionda, Rotonda – because of its round shape. But they all mean the same thing: the epitome of Serralunga.

Barolo Rocche di Castiglione comes from a parcel just above the Cascina Pira of Roagna. It offers a captivating blend of supple fruit, soaring flavours and structure. The 2019 is silky and sensual through and through, as wines from this vineyard tend to be. It is transparent, beguiling and mesmerising from the very first sip. SUPERIORE.DE