The Wine Advocate

In just a few years, Alessandro Mori's wines have made Il Marroneto one of Montalcino's most famous wineries. Today, he runs the company together with his son Jacopo. The wines reflect their passionate, simple and outspoken character, which appears reserved and austere at first glance, but slowly opens up to reveal a harmonious synthesis of elegance and power. In 2019, he decided to produce a selection from some of his best grapes - named after his son Jacopo - and in such small quantities that we are the only ones on the German market to be allocated a few boxes. SUPERIORE.DE

Once upon a time, there was a vineyard that was particularly spoilt by the Montalcino sun; it still bears the name Vigna Loreto to this day. Only in the best vintages does a Brunello come from this exposed site that is bursting with richness, complexity and assertiveness. It possesses a textural depth and balance that is captivating. Fruit, spice and very unique nuances such as savoury herbs, liquorice, tobacco and a firm tannin make this impressive wine monument linger on the palate and in the memory for a long time. With every sip, it opens up further layers and you might almost sink into it, such is the shift in the boundaries of what is comparable. The 2019 Vigna Loreto is not only extremely elegant, but also profound and almost outrageously juicy. SUPERIORE.DE

In 994, the son of the Lombard king Berengario gave what is now Gagliole to his bride – a pledge of love that still echoes in the vineyards today. The Pecchia, named after the old Tuscan word for bee, embodies the essence of this legendary terroir from the Conca d'Oro of Panzano. Here, at an altitude of 500 metres on the north-western edge of the golden basin, the purest Sangiovese thrives on the rare Pietraforte limestone that gives Gagliole's wines their unmistakable minerality. The Vinificazione integrale – a process developed in 2002 by the oldest French cooperage Baron – makes this wine something special. Whole grapes are fermented in specially constructed barriques with enlarged openings, allowing every ounce of flavour from the hand-picked berries to migrate into the wine. Eighteen months in French oak, followed by a further eight months in concrete tanks and at least one year of bottle ageing, create a density and complexity that is only possible in the very best years.

Podernovi is San Polo's great single-vineyard Brunello. Ruby red colour with light garnet reflections. On the nose, floral aromas of violets, cyclamen and jasmine, notes of fresh fruit and spicy notes. In the mouth, round, full of harmony and with a good structure and acidity, as well as very soft tannins that show excellent persistence overall. A wine of almost endless length, depth and with a distinct character that lingers in the memory. SUPERIORE.DE

Top Riserva from a great vintage. Dark ruby, sweet fruity plum aroma on the nose, followed by vanilla, fig and chocolate, the taste very dense, concentrated and fruity. A wine of good structure and beautiful balance with a remarkable finish. SUPERIORE.DE

The 2020 Barbaresco Bernadot comes from one of the coolest and highest cru sites in the municipality of Treiso, whose sandy, chalky soils and exposed south-east exposure give the Nebbiolo particular precision and aromatic clarity. The year was characterised by a warm spring, followed by a stable summer with cool nights, which ensured slow, even ripening and preserved the freshness of the wine.

The fruit for Tenuta Nuova is harvested from a south and south-east facing slope at 250 to 300 metres above sea level. The soils are loose and mixed with gravel, which allows access to air and moisture.

Sometimes it takes a single vineyard to understand what a vintage really means. 2021: "fragrante, definite e verticale" – is the official verdict of some Masters of Wine. Fragrant, precise, vertical. For Le Lucére, this east-facing parcel on Galestro and slate, this sounds like a description of the wine's characteristics. No vintage in recent years fits the DNA of this site as well as 2021. The late frost in April decimated the quantities – what remained was more concentrated, healthier, more focussed. No heat stress in summer. A relaxed harvest at the end of September, in which the vines gave the last of what the season had to offer: clear fruit, lively acidity, fine-grained tannins. Caciorgna let the vintage speak for itself.

When Ferruccio Ferragamo took over the dilapidated Borgo from the Duke of Savoy-Aosta in 1993, it was more than just a property purchase. It was, as he himself said, "an act of faith". Thirty years later, the flagship of the house carries this spirit in every bottle: a commitment to elegance without compromise. A meticulous geological study preceded its creation. Each grape variety was planted where the soil would best bring out its strengths: Merlot for velvety opulence, Cabernet Sauvignon for structure and depth, Syrah for freshness and aromatic lift. Separate vinification, then the marriage – a blend that bears the signature of Valdarno. The wines mature for eighteen months in French oak – the Merlot partly in larger barrels to preserve its fruit, Cabernet and Syrah in first and second passage barriques. The result is neither a copy of nor a competitor to Bolgheri or Chianti, but something completely unique.

Giovanni Manetti was just twenty when he and Oenologist Franco Bernabei pressed their first vintage in 1981: a pure Sangiovese, at a time when the rules of Chianti Classico still stipulated a proportion of white wine. What began as an act of rebellion became a legend. Flaccianello della Pieve, one of the first monovarietal super Tuscans, which proved that Sangiovese can achieve world class without blending. The name comes from the original vineyard, but since 2001 Flaccianello has been a selection of the best grapes from three plots on the estate, especially those at the highest altitudes at 480 metres, where Pietraforte soils dominate. This conglomerate of sandstone varieties gives the wine the freshness and structure that sets it apart from the rest.

Barbaresco Starderi from the municipality of Neive is almost austere with its scent of pink pepper and cocoa, which combined with the subtle woody notes gives a delicious overall aroma; powerful and rich in flavour with the still superficial but very noble tannin. SUPERIORE.DE

The single vineyard Gallina in Neive has been synonymous with powerful, broodingBarbaresco for decades. The vines grow on calcareous marl soils with a southern exposure – a terroir that characterises the Nebbiolo with lush fruit, fine spice and distinctive structure. Organic cultivation promotes vitality and expressiveness, while limiting yields ensures concentration. The 2021 vintage was characterised by an ideal balance: warm, sunny days and cool nights during the ripening phase resulted in healthy, aromatically complex grapes. After careful manual harvesting, a traditional maceration followed, after which the wine matured for around 20 months in new barriques before being bottled unfiltered.

Tenuta Nuova means "new winery". And the name carries weight: when Giacomo Neri acquired the land around Le Cetine near the Abbazia di Sant'Antimo in southern Montalcino in the early 1990s, nobody had planted Sangiovese there yet. This was not an oversight – it was a judgement that Giacomo Neri wanted to revise. Not out of spite, but out of conviction: that this terrain, this microclimate, these soils have the potential for a Brunello with its own character. What followed was not a gut feeling, but a method. Systematic analyses of the microclimates, the optimal exposures, the soils – clone selection, rootstock research, planting distances, everything scrutinised, everything decided. The first result came in 1993, and a few years later the rest of the world was talking about it.

Sandro Chia had the right instinct when he acquired the very high vineyard, which his neighbours had actually advised him not to buy. Named after this single vineyard, the famous artist and his son Filippo vinified a wine here that is somewhat denser than the normal Annata. The full bouquet has lively notes of dark red cherries, spices, plums and leather. Filo di Seta is racy and lush, but still has a clearly recognisable structure and impresses with its impressive balance. Sweet floral and spicy notes lend it exciting nuances on the expressive finish. A bold and incredibly viral Brunello and a masterpiece every year! SUPERIORE.DE

Vigna Loreto from the sun-drenched single vineyard of the same name right next to the winery is only vinified in the best vintages and delivers an even more intense interpretation of the Sangiovese grape every year. If you are looking for a soft and contemporary expression of Sangiovese, this is the wine for you. It offers a deep richness and texture infused with black fruits, spice and tobacco. This wine goes a step beyond the normal boundaries of Brunello in terms of richness and extraction. For all its undoubtedly beguiling opulence, it is nevertheless a straightforward and altogether superb wine that will gain in finesse and elegance with age. SUPERIORE.DE

Montebello is a sophisticated blend of Mammolo, Ciliegiolo, Pugnitello, Colorino, Sanforte, Malvasia Nera, Canaiolo, Fogliatonda and Sangiovese. Each grape variety is harvested and fermented separately in open Liters barrels with indigenous yeasts and manual racking. A captivating bouquet of dark cherries and earth, with notes of cinnamon, tar and grilled herbs. The defined tannins are accompanied by a beautiful acid wire. A wine with great character and beautiful structure that changes with every sip. SUPERIORE.DE

In 2001, when the Mascheroni Stianti family planted the Casanova vineyard, one of the most visionary projects in the history of Tuscan viticulture began. Between the legendary Coltassala and Balifico vineyards, on the sun-drenched south-south-east flank of Volpaia, a living museum of Sangiovese biodiversity was created – a vineyard that was to become the flagship of an entire philosophy. Il Puro is the pure essence of Chianti Classico: 100 per cent Sangiovese, 100 per cent indigenous clones, 100 per cent organic, 100 per cent Radda.

The grapes come from the historic centrepiece of the Planeta estate in Ulmo near Sambuca di Sicilia – a vineyard that was planted back in the mid-1980s. The vines are rooted at an altitude of around 250 metres in loamy-sandy soils with a high lime content, not far from Lake Arancio. Deep ruby red in the glass with a purple rim. The nose opens powerfully and invitingly: black cherry, plum, cassis and blueberry, accompanied by cocoa, tobacco, fresh leather and a subtle herbal spice. On the palate, Sito dell'Ulmo is both full-bodied and elegant: dense, with polished tannins, fresh acidity and a long, silky finish. The integration of the wood is finely balanced and the fruit always remains in the foreground. A Sicilian Merlot with format, origin and depth. SUPERIORE.DE

The Starderi hill in the municipality of Neive is one of the most famous addresses in Barbaresco. The vines here are rooted in calcareous marl soils interspersed with fine loam – a terroir that lends structure and warmth to the Nebbiolo. The location is sun-drenched, but the altitude of around 270 metres and the open breeze from the Tanaro River ensure freshness and aromatic precision. 2021 is considered a vintage of rare balance in Piedmont: an even growing season with a mild spring, a warm but not extremely hot summer and a long, dry autumn. Traditional mash fermentation, 20 months maturation in new barriques, unfiltered bottling.

A wine that made history. When Francesco Ricasoli presented Casalferro for the first time in 1993, it marked the beginning of a new era for the venerable Castello di Brolio and cemented Ricasoli's membership in the elite of Italian oenology. Today, almost three decades later, Casalferro 2019 is a prime example of how a French grape variety matures to exceptional perfection on Tuscan terroir. Casalferro is the essence of three exceptional individual vineyards: Vigna Casalferro, Vigna Pecchierino and Vigna Sodacci. These 13 hectares of Merlot vineyards between 400 and 500 metres above sea level are the result of decades of meticulous terroir studies. Each site has its own personality: Vigna Casalferro with its sandstone and limestone soils, Vigna Pecchierino on pure Alberese limestone and Vigna Sodacci on iron-rich sandstone soils. They all share the characteristic altitude, which gives the grapes the crystalline freshness and lively acidity that characterise the DNA of the Brolio terroir.

La Gioia is the pure expression of Sangiovese with fruit from the estate's best vineyards. It is a big, expressive wine every year, retaining its crisp, medium-bodied mouthfeel. Tones of cherries, wild berries, violets and spices make for an elegant and very pure bouquet. The finish is characterised by fresh acidity in the typical and very refined Riecine style. SUPERIORE.DE

In 1994, when Lodovico Antinori was looking for suitable land for the expansion of his Tenuta dell'Ornellaia, he discovered the hills of Bibbona almost by chance, which were to rewrite his destiny as a winemaker. What he found there was not just land – it was a revelation. The soils, a complex symphony of clay and the legendary Bolgheri conglomerate, the orientation of the slopes, the salty breezes of the Tyrrhenian Sea – everything spoke a different language to the familiar Ornellaia terroir. Too different, too wild, too full of character for a simple extension. And yet too fascinating to let go.

As always, Vietti's outrageously priced "entry-level" Barolo (formerly Castiglione) is based mainly on grapes from Ravera, with smaller portions from Ginestra, Mosconi, Bricco Ravera (in Monforte), Le Coste, Costabelle, Meriame, Briccolina and Codana. Ruby red colour of medium intensity. The nose is explosive, opulent, persuasive and immediate. Notes of plum, red and ripe black cherry, black cherry, rose petals and tobacco are perceptible. The palate is classic, rich, powerful, with notes of alpine herbs and a leathery finish. The tannin is already well integrated. Especially in the peak year 2021, this wine is an absolute insider tip in the winery's incredibly terrificBarolo line-up every year, and not just because of its price. SUPERIORE.DE

Ornato 2021 comes from the single vineyard of the same name in Serralunga d'Alba, exposed to the south – a cru with a distinctive altitude and calcareous soils that captures the depth and power of the Barolo region like no other. The 2021 vintage was characterised by a cool spring, a stable summer without extreme heat and a long, dry autumn. These conditions allowed the Nebbiolo to ripen slowly and evenly, giving the grapes aromatic complexity with full phenolic ripeness. The wine was fermented traditionally after a long maceration period and then matured for around 30 months in French oak – partly in tonneau and partly in barrique.