The Wine Advocate

The fact that one of Italy's most fascinating white wines is produced in the very kingdom of Nebbiolo is one of Piedmont's most delightful paradoxes. Even more paradoxical: it is grown on Pira, that legendary monopoly position which is actually reserved for monumental Barolo. Luca Roagna has planted Chardonnay here, not far from the new winery – a statement of freedom amidst tradition. The 2023 vintage is a cuvée comprising 80% Chardonnay and 20% white-fermented Nebbiolo. The vinification follows old European principles: pre-fermentative oxidation, followed by spontaneous fermentation in wooden vats with the vineyard's own yeasts over ten days. Two years' ageing on the fine lees in neutral oak – without any racking.

A beautiful, very sensual, feminine wine that is only vinified in the best vintages. Exquisitely flavoured with dark fruit, elegant and fine on the palate with plenty of fruit and length. It was named after the nickname once given to the young wild Clerico by his father: Aeroplan Servaj - wild aeroplane. And the labelling is just as wild and creative - there are six different labels! SUPERIORE.DE

Il Bricco rises above Treiso to an altitude of around 400 metres. The vines are on average around four decades old. Selective hand-picking, parcel-by-parcel fermentation in stainless steel, patient malolactic fermentation. Maturation takes place predominantly in large oak barrels, accompanied by a smaller proportion of French oak for additional polish. 2019 is considered a textbook year in Barbaresco: a moderate summer, large day-night amplitudes and a long, dry autumn led to a late harvest and fully mature phenolics. The wines show density and vertical tension with excellent freshness – a profile with staying power.

Barolo Cerretta Vigna Bricco Riserva 2018 comes from an exposed, high-altitude parcel in Serralunga d'Alba. The soils here are characterised by calcareous marl with iron- and manganese-rich inclusions, which give the wine an unmistakable, cool radiance and distinctive tannin structure. The south-east orientation ensures even sunshine, while cool night winds preserve the aromatic precision of the grapes. The 2018 vintage was characterised by a mild spring, followed by a warm but not extremely hot summer, which allowed the Nebbiolo to ripen gently and evenly. The harvest was not carried out until October, selectively and by hand, in order to bring in only perfectly ripe harvest. The wine was matured for 30 months in barriques, a small proportion of which were new, followed by several years of ageing in the bottle, as required by the Riserva status.

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 cases. SUPERIORE.DE

Serpico is Feudi di San Gregorio's flagship wine – a grand, monumental Aglianico made from vines over 150 years old, grown in the legendary single vineyard "Dal Re" in Sorbo Serpico. The vineyard is situated on mineral soils of volcanic origin and is cultivated with great care by hand. 2016 was a year of moderate conditions, with a cool spring, a perfect ripening period in late summer and a late, selective harvest in October – ideal conditions for a wine of depth and balance.

The 1.6-hectare Loreto vineyard is located on a slope right next to the winery and has an ideal south-east exposure. Vigna Loreto is only vinified in the best vintages and is an even more intense interpretation of the Sangiovese grape. On the palate, the texture is both creamy and robust, with a depth and fullness that make it very rich and exceptional. With further aeration, beautiful notes of black fruits, tobacco and spices. Aristocratic, powerful and very long. SUPERIORE.DE

The single-vineyard Barbaresco Riserva Ovello is, as always, one of the outstanding wines in this series. It shows the energy and tension so typical of this site, but with a slightly more mature profile than is the norm. Ovello dives straight into the volatile Nebbiolo aromas, with a focus on liquorice, tar, blue flowers and campfire ash. The palate is full-bodied, with flavours of crushed raspberries, juicy Marasca cherries, liquorice and nutmeg as well as firm, tight-knit tannins. The fresh acidity provides tension and balance. Looking at the timeline of Riserva wines, this wine reaches the magical threshold at which Nebbiolo begins to unfold its unique aromatic appeal and mystique ... SUPERIORE.DE

In the Montebuoni vineyard, high above the hills between Gaiole and Radda, a wine is produced whose name embodies a poetic philosophy. Haiku – the traditional Japanese verse form in three lines, whose power lies in its allusion to nature and which requires clear thinking and imagination. Marco Pallanti and Lorenza Sebasti did not choose this name by chance: like a perfect haiku, their wine combines three elements into a harmonious whole that captures the essence of Tuscan nature in its conciseness. The story of Haiku begins in 2009 with the acquisition of the Montebuoni vineyard, the replanting of which had already been completed in 2001. Three noble grape varieties found their ideal expression on these calcareous soils at an altitude of around 500 metres: 50 percent Sangiovese as Tuscan soul, 25 percent Cabernet Franc as Burgundian elegance and 25 percent Merlot as Bordeaux opulence. This tripartite division not only reflects the classic Haiku structure, but also Marco Pallanti's vision of a perfect balance between regional authenticity and international flair.

First bottled in 1967, Roncaglie (formerly Barbaresco Masseria) comes from a vineyard in Bricco di Neive and is essentially vinified and aged like a Barolo. Since the 2018 vintage, it now comes from a small parcel that used to belong to the Socré Barbaresco winery and is now deliberately released a year later to ensure greater harmony and balance. Floral and spicy notes merge with a core of rich, generous fruit in a generous Barbaresco based on pure resonance. Barbaresco Roncaglie is vinified and matured in the same way as Vietti's single-vineyard Barolos. This means long fermentation, six months in French oak and more than two years in barrique. This, together with the broad shoulders of Neive, results in a noble Nebbiolo with clear hints of Barolo and impressive depth. SUPERIORE.DE

The essence of chance. There are wines that are only created when the stars are right – and Essenza from Fattoria Kappa is one of them. In the language of physics, Kappa means the constant, but at this extraordinary winery on the border between Bolgheri and Maremma, chance reigns supreme. Only in exceptional years, when the Cabernet Franc grapes reach their fullest maturity and complexity, is this rare cru produced – a gamble that only a few winegrowers in Tuscany dare to take. 2016 was one such year of perfection. After a cool, damp winter and spring, July finally brought the longed-for heat and dryness. A welcome rain shower in mid-August cooled things down and paved the way for a textbook September: warm days, cool nights and the dramatic temperature fluctuations that allow Cabernet Franc to reach its peak. While other producers opted for tried and tested Bordeaux blends, Andrea Di Maio – the agronomist from Livorno and one of the three souls of Fattoria Kappa – went it alone with this capricious grape variety.

When Sergio Rossi took over Podere Colombaio from the Biondi-Santi family in 1976, nobody could have guessed that the Milanese advertising expert would become one of the architects of modern Montalcino. He was one of the 24 founders of the Consorzio, one of the first 35 Brunello bottlers of an appellation that will number over 250 by 2024. What he brought with him: the legendary Sangiovese clones of Biondi-Santi, planted on marl and limestone in Canalicchio – vines that are now over forty years old. Brunello 2020 unites two souls: the cool elegance of the north from the historic Canalicchio parcels and the sun-kissed vigour of Castelnuovo dell'Abate in the south. The wine rests for three years in large Slavonian barrels and a further eight months in the bottle – time that you can taste.

As always, Castiglione is mainly based on grapes from Ravera, with smaller portions from Ginestra, Mosconi, Bricco Ravera (in Monforte), Le Coste, Costabelle, Meriame, Briccolina and Codana. Every year it is a dazzling wine that shows how convincing even an "entry-level wine" from a top producer can be. Rich, voluptuous and explosive, it has enormous fullness and resonance from the very first sip. On the nose, bright red cherry and plum fruit, wild flowers, mint, blood orange and spices. Its silky tannins are accompanied by a beautiful, mentholated brightness. A real charmer! SUPERIORE.DE

Lisini's vineyards are located between Sant'Angelo in Colle and Castelnuovo dell'Abate on the inner edge of the Sesta area and are cleansed by the constant breeze from the Tuscan coast. The stony soils with a significant proportion of limestone and the altitude of over 300 metres help to maintain the freshness of the wines. The 2018 is wonderfully fragrant, almost exotic. Plump red fruits and sweet summer herbs fill the mouth, but instead of being heavy, it is balanced and transparent. The powdery tannins are fine and lead to a long, maritime finish. SUPERIORE.DE

"The wine must be nurtured until it is ready to face the world on its own." Mateja Gravner, Josko's daughter, describes the estate's philosophy more precisely than any technical specification ever could: every wine is a child that is raised until it can embody its own soul and character. For his 2016 Ribolla Gialla, this meant hand harvesting in the Dedno vineyard and Alberello training. After gentle pressing, the grapes are transferred to deeply buried Georgian qvevris, sealed with solid granite lids. There, in the darkness of the earth, spontaneous fermentation begins – without temperature control, without selected yeasts, on the skins for seven months. After the amphora comes six years in large Slavonian botti, followed by half a year of bottle ageing. No fining, no filtration.

Bricco di Treiso 2021 comes from the single vineyard of the same name, one of the highest parcels in the appellation, where the vines are rooted on calcareous marl soils in a cool microclimate. The 2021 vintage brought ideal conditions: a cool spring, followed by a balanced summer and a long, dry autumn – perfect for the slow ripening of the Nebbiolo. After a long maceration period, the wine matured in large oak barrels and a small proportion of barriques. In the glass, it is garnet-red in colour with delicate orange reflections and notes of rose, sour cherry, liquorice and light spice on the nose. On the palate, it is powerful yet finely characterised, with precise acidity, cool fruit and saline depth. The tannins are present but silky and interwoven – a Barbaresco of austere beauty, great transparency and with long ageing potential. SUPERIORE.DE

Not every year is given a name. 2016 earned it – and Montalcino does not bestow such honours lightly. A mild winter, followed by a spring with heavy rainfall that brought the growing season back on track. Then, from the second ten-day period in June onwards, a gradual, gentle rise in temperature throughout July. And finally, an August that brought everything together: significant daily temperature fluctuations, no rain, perfect ripening conditions. The Consorzio described 2016 as one of its best vintages in decades. And Col d'Orcia produced a Riserva from its finest plot. The Poggio al Vento vineyard lies at the heart of the estate, halfway up the hill overlooking the Orcia Valley, at an altitude of 350 metres. Planted in 1974. The name – "Hill in the Wind" – says it all: constantly airy, south-facing, on limestone-rich, stony soils. This is where the grapes are grown that Col d'Orcia reserves for the most prestigious category in the cellar, and even then only if the vintage raises the question: is this more than just a Brunello annata? Can this wine age for decades? In 2016, the answer was: yes.

Cepparello – named after the small stream that rises at the highest point of the Isole e Olena vineyards. Since 1980, this name has embodied Paolo De Marchis's revolutionary vision, at a time when 100% Sangiovese was still taboo in Chianti Classico. With this wine, the Piedmontese visionary not only created one of the first Super Tuscans, but also what is arguably the most authentic portrait of the Sangiovese grape – pure, uncompromising, unadulterated. The Sangiovese vines grow on the estate's finest plots, facing south-west at an altitude of 400 to 480 metres, on the characteristic Galestro soils. These schist-rich clay soils lend the wine its unmistakable minerality and elegance. The 2020 vintage embodies De Marchi's signature style in its purest form. Following a mild, dry winter and a sudden drop in temperature in March – which required the utmost vigilance against frost damage – a classic Tuscan summer ensued. Dry and mild until the end of August, followed by scattered showers before the weather settled in September – ideal conditions for grapes of exceptional quality and quantity.

A long-cherished vision of Elisabetta and her daughter Clara finds its completion in this crescent. This 100% Syrah builds on all that the winery has achieved in recent years and for which it has gained world renown. The best grapes, careful selection and a sensitive, clever and innovative vinification combined with a clearly recognisable signature and the already proverbial quality fanaticism.

A long-cherished vision of Elisabetta and her daughter Clara finds its fulfilment in this crescendo. This 100% Syrah builds on everything that the winery has achieved in recent years and for which it has gained a worldwide reputation. The best grapes, careful selection and sensitive, intelligent and innovative winemaking combined with a clearly recognisable signature and the proverbial fanaticism for quality. The grapes come from the estate's two vineyards, Pian di Fiora and La Vigna del Palo. Pian di Fiora is the cooler vineyard with just 5 hectares, the grapes are destemmed by hand and then fermented in 500 litre clay amphorae. The grapes from the east-facing vineyard La Vigna del Palo are fermented in open 500-litre barrels. The wines are then blended and matured in 300 litre barriques for a further 10 months before being bottled for a further 22 months.