The Wine Advocate

Pianodario is a landscape comprising 99 terraces. Held in place by dry stone walls that have become integrated into the hillside over the centuries, the land slopes from south to north at a gradient of seven% – a typical Etna vineyard, in which every single terrace is a microterroir in its own right. The soil tells an even older story: volcanic formations dating from between 4,000 and 15,000 years ago, beneath which far older layers, estimated to be between 30,000 and 40,000 years old, are thought to lie. Geological time, compressed into just a few metres of earth. The vines were only planted in 2010, at an altitude of 775 metres, facing north-east to south-west, trained using the espalier and gobelet systems. The site – high-altitude, well-ventilated and exposed to the cooling influence of the volcano – significantly slows the ripening of the Nerello Mascalese. Harvesting consequently begins late, often not until the first few days of November. Traditional red wine fermentation at 25 to 30°C, followed by complete malolactic fermentation; then comes the decisive stylistic difference from other Etna Reds: ageing in large 25-hectolitre Slavonian oak casks, rather than in small French barriques. The wood remains neutral, taking a back seat and allowing the fruit and terroir to take centre stage.

The Pianodario vineyard is situated at an average altitude of 775 metres above sea level, between the hamlet of Montelaguardia and Randazzo. It comprises approximately 8 hectares of vineyards. The soils are of volcanic origin and date back up to 40,000 years.

Albe! ... the poetic name of this Barolo refers to the sky at sunrise, as experienced from the estate's various terroirs: Coste di Vergne, Fossati and La Volta. These high-altitude vineyards each produce slightly different dawns, which is symbolically reflected in the harmony of the cuvée. The grapes come from young but mature Nebbiolo vines and combine the nuances of each plot into a fluid, elegant expression. The grapes were carefully hand-harvested; each plot was vinified separately and only blended into the cuvée in the spring before bottling. Ageing takes place over approximately 36 months in large Slavonian oak barrels (40–75 hl) with annual racking – a process that fosters depth and harmony.

Tasca became involved with Mount Etna at an early stage, and the latest result of this long-standing experience is four new single-vineyard wines from the Tascante estate: Contrada Rampante, Pianodario, Sciaranuova and Sciaranuova Vigna Vecchia (V.V.). The wines are delicate and brooding, and despite their power, acidity and firm tannins, they are very elegant, full of finesse and light on the palate. Each of the four plots lends the wine a slightly different style and character – determined by the altitude, soil composition and morphology of the historic lava flows. High annual rainfall ensures the soil has ample water reserves, and the temperature fluctuations between day and night enhance the diversity of the grapes' aromas and, ultimately, their ageing potential.

2017 was a year of drought in Sicily. Little rain, high temperatures, a yield of just 67 double centners per hectare – significantly below what San Lucio usually produces in more balanced years. The vines, accustomed for decades to this barren, calcareous soil, weathered the drought with the serenity of old Alberello vines. The blend for this vintage returns closely to the original proportions of 1959: 58% Nero d'Avola, 42% Perricone. Hand-harvested at 480 metres, south-southeast exposure, traditional fermentation in stainless steel, 20 days' maceration, 18 months in new French barriques made from Allier and Tronçais oak.

Tasca got involved in Etna early on and the latest result of these years of experience are four new single vineyard wines from the Tascante estate: Contrada Rampante, Pianodario, Sciaranuova and Sciaranuova Vigna Vecchia (V.V.). The wines are delicate and profound, and despite their power, acidity and taut tannin, very elegant, finesse-rich and light-footed on the palate. Each of the four plots brings a slightly different style and personality to the wine - due to the altitude, soil composition and morphology of the historic lava flows. A high annual rainfall ensures that the soil has all the water it needs, and the temperature fluctuations between day and night support the aromatic diversity of the grapes and ultimately the ripening potential.

The road to Sant'Angelo in Colle leads to the south-west side of the Montalcino hill. Here lies the Tenuta Il Poggione – one of the oldest and most reliable houses in the appellation. Lavinio Franceschi, a Florentine landowner, bought the estate at the end of the 19th century after, it is said, hearing about the beauty of these hills from a shepherd. He was one of the first to market Brunello under this name and one of the founders of the consortium. Today, the fourth generation – leopoldo and Livia Franceschi – run the estate with 140 hectares of vines, the oldest vines up to 60 years old and a philosophy that has not fundamentally changed in a century.

Since the 2018 vintage, a small amount of Merlot has been vinified separately at Rampolla, named after the mother Donna Liù. The unfiltered wine was matured for 12 months in terracotta amphorae and fermented to almost 0 g/l residual sugar. Very elegant, fresh nose of sour cherry, laurel and cassis. Fresh on the palate and without the sometimes exuberant opulence of some other Tuscan Merlots, with a precise cherry fruit and salty-minty component. A finely chiselled Merlot that is hard to beat in terms of freshness, clarity and personality. It bridges the gap wonderfully between the Chianti Classico and the two flagships of the house, Sammarco and d'Alceo. Needs a few more years in the bottle. SUPERIORE.DE

Petit Verdot is a grape variety that the world is wary of. In Bordeaux, it is used to add flavour – a few per cent, hardly more. As a stand-alone, pure variety, taking centre stage: hardly anyone dares to do that. Tua Rita took the plunge for the first time in 2017. 60% Petit Verdot from young vineyards on heavily clay-rich soils of the Colline Metallifere, 40% Merlot from 35-year-old vines. "Esuberante e maturo", as the winery itself puts it. A duet of exuberance and maturity. The Petit Verdot comes from vineyards planted in 2011 – young, but in a location that needs no introduction: iron-rich clay, mineral depth, sea breezes from the Piombino Channel. The Merlot comes from the old plots that have defined the estate's reputation for decades. Hand-harvested, fermented in wooden tanks, then aged for 18 months in French and American oak barriques – the wood acting as a dialogue, not a monologue.

Sparkling, medium-dense ruby-garnet colour. The Rancia Riserva from the single vineyard of the same name is powerful and energetic, expressive and dense and has been elevated to "Gran Selezione" status for the first time. The aroma is characterised by ripe, full-bodied fruit and mineral notes. The flavour is earthy, tannic and terroir-influenced, beautifully articulated, fine and with an enjoyable length. A wine that requires sensitivity and/or a few years of rest. SUPERIORE.DE

In the 12th century, a man named Ugolforte led the rebellion of the citizens of Montalcino against the superior power of Siena. A bandit for some, a freedom fighter for others – his name has survived the centuries in the stories told in the hills. Today it is on the label of a Brunello that carries this indomitable spirit. Tenuta San Giorgio is located in Castelnuovo dell'Abate, in the south-east of Montalcino, just a few kilometres from the thousand-year-old Abbey of Sant'Antimo. Founded in 1982 – in the same year that Grattamacco bottled its first vintage – the winery joined the ColleMassari group of the Tipa-Bertarelli family in 2016. Since then, it has shared the terroir with the legendary Poggio di Sotto: the same slopes, the same winds, the same philosophy. 28 hectares of Sangiovese on south-eastern slopes between 300 and 450 metres, embedded in 110 hectares of forest, which protects biodiversity and shapes the microclimate. The soils read like a geological poem: clay, galestro, tuff, red earth, white biancane, the proud Calanchi – and Monte Amiata, the extinct volcano, watches over everything.

The A in the name of Boggina stands for the natural wine aged for around 6 months in 400-600 Liters terracotta amphorae, which is bottled in a run of just 5,000 bottles without the addition of sulphites. Light, bright garnet red in colour. The bouquet is ethereal, very delicate and nuanced, with a very precise interpretation of the fragrance of the Sangiovese grape. Medium-bodied on the palate, with an exceptionally beautiful structure and authentic Sangiovese fruit with a salty vein. The finish is highly drinkable, with silky tannins and beguiling length. A masterpiece of beauty and elegance. SUPERIORE.DE

The year was 1090, the year in which Leif Erikson discovered North America, the Chinese discovered gunpowder and Pope Urban II conquered Jerusalem. On that day, the notary Bellundo recorded a contract in the Siena state archives: two capons, three loaves of bread and six coins of good silver as an annual lease for a vineyard in the divine valley of Dievole. "Dio vuole" – god wants it. This is the etymological root of this name, which has symbolised the special connection between man and nature in this corner of Tuscany for over nine centuries.

In school philosophy, A quo denotes the starting point of an argument – the place from which everything else begins. Fabio Chiarelotto has dedicated a wine to this Latin thought. And what he meant was: Montepeloso begins here. The Swiss national with a Tuscan mother bought the estate in Suvereto, near Bolgheri – one of the hottest wine-growing regions in Tuscany. What others drown in heat, he wanted to translate into elegance. He replanted, pruned, worked biodynamically and bet that it was possible to make wines that glow instead of sweat on these limestone-rich, fossilised clay and silex soils. 2024 shows that he was right. The blend of Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malvasia Nera and other varieties is fermented in steel, then matured for twelve months in used barriques – no wood to cover the fruit, just one that polishes delicately. Bottled unfiltered.

Fanti's Brunello di Montalcino 2020 is delicately flavoured, haunting floral and seductive from the first swirl of the glass. A hint of icing sugar gives way to bright cherries, candied oranges, mint leaves and lavender, creating an extrovert yet delicious picture. In the mouth, it is seamless and silky, with a subtle hint of citrus and vibrant acids introducing ripe red notes of black berries with herbs. Rounded tannins emerge on the finish with hints of liquorice and violets. As always, very well made. SUPERIORE.DE

Ugolforte was a resistance fighter. In the 12th century, he led the people of Montalcino against the Sienese occupying forces – a local hero whose name lives on to this day: in a Brunello. The most striking contradiction dates back to 2010. That was when Tenuta San Giorgio began officially supplying the Ugolforte to the Pontifical Swiss Guard – that 500-year-old corps which guards the Pope in the Vatican. The estate says that shared values, and the symbolism of St George himself – virtue and courage, good triumphing over evil – guided the decision. The wine of the medieval rebel in the service of Christendom's oldest army.

The world-famous Valpolicella Superiore from Zenato, produced using the Ripasso method, is a rich wine with the best value. It is peppery, with earthy tones and gravel giving way to black cherries and savoury herbs. It reveals deep, silky textures balanced by vibrant acids, while ripe red and black fruits resonate under a hint of lavender. Zenato's Ripassa is concentrated and intense, but at the same time conveys elegance and leaves a fresh note of violet candy on the palate that lingers for a long time. SUPERIORE.DE

Deep ruby red colour, lush notes of cherries, strawberries and sweet oak spice, vanilla and black pepper. The Sangiovese gives the blend great freshness and is in perfect balance with the silky and soft tannins of the Merlot. Overall rich, but always elegant and with great persistence. A complex, excellently structured red wine in absolute Super Tuscan quality and produced in a limited edition of just under 3,000 bottles. SUPERIORE.DE

2022 was a vintage of concentration: dry winter, hot summer – small yields, but outstanding quality. The Tiefenbrunner family demonstrates this intensity in the Linticlarus cuvée in an impressive way. The classic Bordeaux assemblage of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot in equal parts grows on the south-southeast-facing slopes of Entiklar, at an altitude of 260 to 300 metres. The broodingmoraine soil – loamy sand with a high lime content – stores the heat of the day and slowly releases it at night. The result: perfect phenolic ripeness with preserved freshness. Mash fermentation in concrete is followed by 12 months in barriques, 6 months in large wooden barrels and a further year of bottle ageing.