The Wine Advocate

2019 shone in Montalcino. No critic who tasted it spent long searching for words. No overripeness, no heat scars, no compromises. And for an east-facing vineyard like Le Lucére – fully exposed to the first light of the morning – this meant that the Sangiovese Grosso was harvested with a ripeness that has rarely been so precisely predictable. Harvested early, fresh and concentrated at the same time. Caciorgna allowed the wine to pass through all of its stages: 13 to 14 months in barrique and tonneau, then almost 28 months in large containers – an ageing process that demands and receives depth. The result is a Le Lucére of princely stature.

The small, 80-year-old vineyard of Pietrabona on the island of Giglio produces an Ansonica of outstanding quality, and so Bibi Graetz decided to vinify the grapes separately in small batches. The vines stand on a bed of rocks and granite sand less than 50 metres from the sea, resulting in a wine with a subtle aroma of ripe oranges, fine spice, flint and minerality.

Sugarille has always been the most aristocratic of the estate's three Brunellos. On the palate, it has a dense core of primary fruit, excitingly surrounded by a salty, mineral vein that we otherwise only find in Giacomo Neri's Tenuta Nuova. This wine awakens the imagination, because it never reveals too much of itself, but first opens up slowly, then in a well-proportioned manner with a mysterious depth and race, flanked by direct and linear tannins that round off the polyphonic palate concert excellently. Simply marvellous! SUPERIORE.DE

From some of the oldest Sangiovese vineyards comes Colore every year, the maximum expression of Bibi Graetz' dream. The barren, sandy soils at high altitudes create the perfect terroir for a wine that can tell the true story of Tuscany and its inhabitants. The grapes for Colore were selected from vineyards in Lamole, Vincigliata and Siena. Each vineyard was harvested up to eight times in order to achieve the optimum ripening time for as many grapes as possible. Each parcel is matured separately in barriques for almost two years before the final blend is decided. Only the best Sangiovese barriques from each vintage become Colore. SUPERIORE.DE

From some of the oldest Sangiovese vineyards comes Colore every year, the maximum expression of Bibi Graetz' dream. The barren, sandy soils at high altitudes create the perfect terroir for a wine that can tell the true story of Tuscany and its inhabitants. The grapes for Colore were selected from vineyards in Lamole, Vincigliata and Siena. Each vineyard was harvested up to eight times in order to achieve the optimum ripening time for as many grapes as possible. Each parcel is matured separately in barriques for almost two years before the final blend is decided. Only the best Sangiovese barriques from each vintage become Colore.

From the historic Mosconi cru hillside in Monforte d'Alba: Fides is Pio Cesare's clear commitment to the Barbera grape – for years from a singular parcel, with the strictest yield limits and tiny production. Hand-picked, followed by fermentation in stainless steel with around 30 days of maceration; malolactic fermentation takes place gently in tanks. Ageing: around 20 months in large oak barrels (botti), a small proportion in French barriques – enough to anchor depth and texture without masking the origin.

Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Madonna del Piano 2015 is a huge, outstanding wine. Waves of vibrant, intensely fragrant fruit appear on the palate, supported by the firm, broad tannins of the plump, very rich vintage. Violets, spices, new leather and liquorice unfold in the glass, clean mineral notes frame an eruption of dark cherries, plums and camphor in a finish that fills the palate endlessly. Madonna 2015 is well on its way to becoming one of Vincenzo Abbruzzese's very great wines! SUPERIORE.DE

Mazzei's top wine Siepi is not only an outstanding Tuscan wine every year, but also a 6-hectare vineyard in the middle of dense oak forests with an ideal altitude and a unique climate. The sunshine is optimal throughout the day and a constant breeze from the west prevents excessive heat and creates a mild, Mediterranean climate. The oak forests also provide an ideal protective barrier against extreme weather conditions. Rocky soils of marl, limestone and clay from the Pliocene period ensure a special balance of elements in this geological complex.

There are wines that define a region. Saffredi is one of them. In 1987, when Elisabetta Geppetti – just in her mid-twenties and with the vision of helping the sleepy Maremma region achieve world fame – created this wine together with the legendary Giacomo Tachis, nobody could have guessed that a Supertuscan was born here that would rival Sassicaia and Tignanello. The name is a loving tribute to Fredi, Elisabetta's father-in-law Alfredo Gentili, who sparked her passion for wine and planted the five-hectare vineyard in the 1980s from which the grapes for Saffredi are still sourced today. The single vineyard Saffredi near Pereta lies at an altitude of 250 metres, south-west for the old vines and south-east for the newer plantings. The soil is the result of millions of years of geological history: Sandstone origin, rich in limestone marl and iron minerals, poor in organic matter, with clay layers only from a depth of 30 centimetres. On a clear day, the view from here sweeps over the hills to the Mediterranean 25 kilometres away – a proximity to the coast that gives the wine its special freshness and tension.

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 Ornato is a great wine every year. It captures the true character of Serralunga with its wild herbs, minerals and ferruginous notes. Its bouquet shows small berry fruits and cassis, framed by gravel, forest floor, blue flowers and candied orange peel. The wine also has a dusty, mineral note and is intense on both the nose and palate. Ornato sets in with finely integrated tannins and an acidity that sustains all these fruit flavours. A wine that is consistently vertical, straightforward and frontal. SUPERIORE.DE

The grapes come from the historic single vineyard Ornato in Serralunga d'Alba: steep, windy slopes on calcareous marl with ferruginous inclusions, at an altitude of around 350-400 metres, predominantly south/south-west facing. Each parcel is harvested separately and fermented in stainless steel; long maceration with gentle extraction. Maturation takes place classically in large Slavonian barrels, with a finely dosed proportion of French oak for texture and lustre. The typically long autumn of 2019 brought fully ripe, aromatically dense grapes with a cool acidity.

Bricco Pernice, usually harvested a little earlier, is a warm, south-facing plot in the top Ravera vineyard at an altitude of 320 metres. Cognos Barolo offers the depth, richness and concentration that characterise this site and vintage. Blood orange, mint, sweet red cherry, star anise and a range of spicy notes give it an impressive aromatic and flavour complexity. Medium-bodied, refined and expressive on the palate, it has a lot to offer. The best thing is that, despite its potential, it is easy to drink after just a few years in the bottle. It is a graceful wine: polished, nuanced, elegant and impeccably balanced. SUPERIORE.DE

Rare, exceptional Merlot from the west of Tuscany: deep ruby red with violet reflections. The bouquet is multi-layered with hints of wild berries and blackberries, ripe cherries, but also liquorice and tobacco notes. Very structured and lively on the palate. The silky tannins emphasise the delicate minerality right through to the almost endless finish. SUPERIORE.DE

A wine that is only vinified in the very best years and then presents a breathtaking beauty with each edition. In depth, purity and structure, it is the archetype of a Brunello. It beguiles with a mix of sage, rosemary, tobacco, wild flowers and cloves through to a nuanced and endless finish. It is punchy and seductive at the same time and has great personality. Chapeau! SUPERIORE.DE

Sugarille 2019 is certainly one of the greats of its vintage. A crescendo of dark berries, Amarena cherries, tar, liquorice and smoky notes on the nose. The intensity continues on the palate: Sugarille is uncompromisingly powerful, with multi-layered fruit, striking tannins and wonderful acid wire. With increasing aeration, the impressiveness and opulence give way to a wonderful finesse that will continue to refine and develop with further years of bottle ageing. A wine as wonderful as it is today - and guaranteed to be even better tomorrow! SUPERIORE.DE

Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Poggio al Vento from the dream 2015 vintage is dark, rich and seductive. It smells of ginger and hints of leather and tobacco before opening up further to reveal black cherry fruit and wild berries. Although cool and supple, it has a velvety texture that strikes a wonderful balance between the tart blackberries and exotic spices within. Its complexity is remarkable: sometimes sweet, sometimes sour, framed by youthful grippy tannins and hints of cranberries, spices and subtle saltiness. SUPERIORE.DE

San Leonardo is the flagship of the winery of the same name and one of the best red wines in northern Italy every year. Opulent bouquet with nuances of dark fruits such as blackberry and sour cherry. Delicate spice, leather and tobacco notes give it a terrific complexity, which is then extended on the palate by a harmonious interplay of dark berries and plums, all flanked by clearly contoured tannins. A masterful red with a strong personality that will reach its true greatness after a few more years of bottle ageing and live up to its reputation. SUPERIORE.DE

Madonna del Piano is a top wine from a top vintage, what more could you want? We are deeply impressed by its energetic tension and complexity, plus a harmony only imagined in the wildest dreams. Focused and racy bouquet of dark cherries, herbs, smoke and mineral hints. Very animating in the drink, the acidity plays around the primary fruit, then the polished tannins set in and glide this beautiful red into its almost endless finish. An extremely characterful and polished wine that is already one of the most beautiful of its appellation. SUPERIORE.DE

The "Sassorosso" vineyard is located on a rocky promontory that is separated from the rest of the mountain and has been almost completely eroded by the glacier over the centuries. It is visually characterised by the unmistakable red colour of the ferrous inclusions in the rock. The overlying shallow soil layer consists of clay and sand and lies on friable, metamorphic rock into which the roots can penetrate. The unmistakably elegant and mineral character of the terroir is therefore particularly evident in this Nebbiolo.

Tor di Lupo, the Wolf's Gate – a name that inspires respect. The flagship of Andrian was one of the very first premium Lagrein in South Tyrol. You could say that it is a primeval rock of South Tyrolean quality winegrowing. Since the early days, the winery has produced this Riserva from grapes from Gries near Bolzano, the classic home of Lagrein.