The Wine Advocate | 95–100 Points

Riserva is not an automatic process at Fuligni. It is created when a vintage deserves it – and when the estate's oldest vineyards have produced something that is more than Brunello. More than good. 1972, 1976, 2002: vintages in which Fuligni simply did not bring any Brunello onto the market because the quality was not right. This consistency is rare, because you have to be able and willing to afford it. It is also the foundation on which a Riserva acquires its very special meaning. 2020 was not an easy year. Warm, dry, early ripening – a vintage that many producers dismissed as too lush, too soft. Fuligni saw it differently. The north-east-facing sites in Cottimelli, between 380 and 450 metres, on Galestro – stony, cool, with natural acidity even in hot years – dampened the heat and preserved the freshness. What was a challenge in flatter, warmer sites resulted in concentrated, healthy grapes with depth and surprising elegance. The oldest vines on the estate, over forty years old, with reduced yields and highly concentrated juice, provided the material for the selection.

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".

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

Pianrosso comes from a south-west facing vineyard in the Castelnuovo dell'Abate subzone at an altitude of around 300 metres with mainly Galestro soils. It is dark, rich and deeply seductive, showing ripe black fruit enveloped in hints of gravel, sage and exotic spices. Although it has a velvety and almost creamy texture, it finds harmony through juicy acids and a blend of ripe black cherries and plums. Notes of liquorice and baker's chocolate balance the salty minerality and fine-grained tannins of the Pianrosso in a long and dramatic final. For a wine with such power, this is a beautiful symmetry. Definitely put it away for a few more years. SUPERIORE.DE

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.

Ventaglio. A plot of just one hectare whose rows of vines unfold in a fan shape around a centuries-old holm oak with a magnificent crown, while ash, alder and field elm trees form the natural boundaries of this unique amphitheatre. Here, 120 metres above sea level, not far from the hills of Donoratico, the red sandy soils of the coast give way to calcareous clay soils with the characteristic stony skeleton of alluvial origin. Since 2015, Ventaglio has been the Tenuta's first single vineyard and represents a visionary project: exploring the full potential of Cabernet Franc in Bolgheri. Only vinified in exceptional vintages, a limited edition of 2,700 bottles of a wine is produced that forever redefines the boundaries between Bordeaux noblesse and Tuscan terroir authenticity.

Lodovico Antinori has always been the creative force behind Tenuta di Biserno in Bibbona. In 2018, however, he launched a new project with his daughter, Sophia Antinori, called Tenuta del Nicchio. The estate comprises 12 hectares of vineyards near Bolgheri and two hectares near the village of Castagneto Carducci. Il Nicchio (debut vintage 2021) is by no means simply Lodovico's 'second wine'. It is inspired by the magnificent Saint-Émilion Château Cheval Blanc and is made primarily from Cabernet Franc. This grape variety thrives on the region's complex soils, which consist of silt and alluvial sand with a high clay content. Just a hint of the estate's own Merlot is added to create a wine with a character all of its own.

"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

There are vineyards that have been carved by nature itself – and then there is Ventaglio. A plot of just one hectare whose rows of vines unfurl in a fan shape around a centuries-old holm oak with a magnificent crown, while ash, alder and field elm trees form the natural boundaries of this unique amphitheatre. Here, 120 metres above sea level, not far from the hills of Donoratico, the red sandy soils of the coast give way to calcareous clay soils with the characteristic stony skeleton of alluvial origin. Since 2015, Ventaglio has been the Tenuta's first single vineyard and represents a visionary project: exploring the full potential of Cabernet Franc in Bolgheri. Only vinified in exceptional vintages, a limited edition of 2,700 bottles of a wine is produced that forever redefines the boundaries between Bordeaux noblesse and Tuscan terroir authenticity.

Pianrosso: the red field. The name tells of iron-rich soils that give the Sangiovese that mineral depth that no cellar in the world can imitate. 11.7 hectares on the south-eastern edge of Montalcino, between 240 and 360 metres above sea level, where ancient marine material meets Galestro slate. Giuseppe Bianchini had the vineyard replanted in the 1980s, knowing that the heart of the winery lies dormant here. Pianrosso is only bottled in superior years, a strict selection of the best grapes, a whole year longer in Slavonian vats than the classic Brunello. 36 months in large wood, then further rest in the bottle. The result is not a wine for quick enjoyment, but a document of patience. In 2021, Montalcino produced one of those vintages that you never forget: bright September days, cool nights, perfect phenolic ripeness.

A lake next to the vineyard – this is not a metaphor, this is geography. Vigna del Lago is located in the north-west of Montalcino, at 280 metres above sea level, and the small lake that gives the vineyard its name softens the otherwise continental climate of this exposure: harsh winters, very hot summers, pronounced day-night temperature fluctuations. The soil is clay – heavy, watery and cool. A combination that forces the Sangiovese Grosso to take deep root, mature slowly and develop elegance rather than mass. The vine material is the densest in the entire Val di Suga portfolio: 7,500 vines per hectare – a figure reminiscent of the planting densities in Burgundy. Double spur cordon, careful foliage management, yield reduction through thinning out. Hand-picking into crates takes place exclusively in the early hours of the morning. In the cellar: fermentation for eight to twelve days, maceration for a further two to three weeks. Maturation in 40-hectolitre Slavonian oak barrels for 24 months, then concrete, then bottle. No barrique, no wood pressure – pure site. 2021 was a lucky vintage for Vigna del Lago. The late frost in April reduced the harvest – and concentrated the best. No extreme summer, no stress.

Anyone who knows the south-east of Montalcino knows: no sea breezes, no proximity to the lake, no soft light. Monte Amiata reigns supreme here – the extinct volcano in the background, which breaks the winds, intensifies the temperature fluctuations between day and night and gives the soil its unmistakable character: Galestro slate, gritty, barren, rich in minerals. Oaks and holm oaks stand between the vines, where elsewhere cypresses or olive trees characterise the landscape. Poggio al Granchio – the "crab hill" – lies at 380 to 450 metres, south-east exposure, the historical heart of the appellation. Val di Suga acquired this vineyard in 1999, thus completing a triangle that no other producer in Montalcino possesses. The grapes are harvested by hand in crates, in micro-zones, and the optical selection is uncompromising. In the cellar: fermentation for ten to fourteen days, followed by intensive post-fermentation maceration at 30 degrees for twenty to twenty-five days – this is where extract, density and colour are created. 2021 was particularly favourable for the Poggio al Granchio. The influence of Monte Amiata mitigated the dryness of the summer, while the long autumn ensured even ripeness.

Concerto was born in 1981, a time of dynamic change in Italian viticulture. The hitherto untapped potential was recognised and experiments were carried out with new grape varieties and, for the first time, successfully with international grape varieties. It was Marchesa Carla Mazzei who spontaneously chose the name Concerto in 1981 after the first tasting of just fifteen barriques – a symphony had taken place in her glass. As one of the first ten Super Tuscans, this wine made history and revolutionised the Tuscan understanding of wine. From the Scassi vineyard in the western part of Fonterutoli, surrounded by oak forests at an altitude of 350 metres, the Sangiovese comes from mass selections from an experimental vineyard in the 1930s. And the small portion of Cabernet Sauvignon has developed a completely independent character here over four decades, far removed from the international character it develops elsewhere. The 18-month maturation in French barriques then gives the wine its noble structure without overshadowing its original elegance.

A monument of wine! Brilliant dark ruby colour. Fresh, silky, elegant - and majestic. Blackberry jam, violets, bittersweet chocolate, plus crushed rock and minerality. An opulent wine with fabulously polished tannins and considerable ageing potential. SUPERIORE.DE

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.

Of all his wines, the flagship Tenuta di Trinoro offers the deepest insight into Andrea Franchetti's viticulture. Andrea changes the proprietary blend of Cabernet Franc and Merlot from limestone and clay soils every year depending on the quality and quantity of the harvest. The grapes are always the best of the vintage. Franchetti's own style is recognisable in each of his wines and with each vintage. The 2020 vintage was the first to be given an additional year of bottle ageing before being released for sale.