VINOUS

The name is a tribute. Giodo – composed of Giovanna and Donatello, the names of his parents. Carlo Ferrini, one of Italy's most important Oenologist, has dedicated his life to Sangiovese – as a consultant for estates from Montalcino to Etna and as the designer of some of the most influential wines in Tuscany over the last three decades. It was not a question of if he would found his own winery at some point, but when. In 2002, he found it: ten hectares in Sant'Angelo in Colle, south-west Montalcino, seven of them woodland, three for the vine. And the vine here is exclusively Sangiovese – 15 carefully selected clones, planted with the patience of a man who knows that great wines are not made, but accompanied.

A classically composed and perfect introduction to Altare Nebbiolo from its own vineyards in Barolo, Castiglione Falletto and Serralunga d'Alba. With its modern character (use of barriques), the Elio Altare winery has always been one of those producers whose Barolo wines appear less hard and brittle when young and rarely beg for more than 10 years of further ageing in the bottle.

The grapes for this wine come mainly from a vineyard in the north-east of Montalcino with Galestro soils at an altitude of 330 to 480 metres above sea level. In addition to five different sites there, the Neri family also owns three vineyards in the south between the villages of Sant'Angelo in Colle and Castelnuovo dell'Abate. L'Etichetta Bianca, as this Brunello is called, is medium-bodied and noble and offers bright, fresh red cherry flavours. Hints of rust and warm stone as well as subtle sweet spices add complexity. Tactile but fine, sandy tannins give it the necessary grip, the finish is delicately salty, lively and fragrant. A classic from one of the best houses in the appellation. SUPERIORE.DE

Il Caberlot is normally only bottled in magnum format. Here we offer a few bottles from a small edition, which were bottled in the 0.75 litre bottle (demi-magnum) with the addition of the name "Sommelleria" especially for restaurants.

There are moments in the life of a winemaker when past and present merge in a magical way. For Matteo Ascheri, Barolo Ascheri is such a moment – a wine that comes from the vineyard that not only bears his name, but is also the cradle of his family. It was here, in the Località Ascheri in La Morra, that the history of a winegrowing dynasty that is now one of the most respected in the whole of Piedmont began in the early 19th century. The MGA Ascheri is located on the gently sloping southern slopes of La Morra, at an altitude of 350 metres, where the fertile soils of clay, limestone marl and sand produce the lush fruitiness for which La Morra is famous. When Matteo vinified a separate Barolo from this two-hectare vineyard for the first time in 2010, it was more than just an oenological decision – it was a return to the roots, a tribute to the ancestors who once laid the foundations for the family heritage here.

No other point in the Barbaresco geography is as geologically charged as Rabajà. Where the two ridges of the village meet – one sloping westwards towards the Tanaro, with loose, calcareous soil; the other facing north, with compact, calcareous subsoil –lies the vineyard. The secret of its complexity lies in the intersection of the soils: Rabajà combines what is otherwise separate. The south-westerly exposure provides warmth; the limestone gives tension. The result is a wine that does not play off elegance and power, but rather blends them together. The Produttori del Barbaresco first bottled Rabajà in 1970 – the entire production was purchased by Ristorante Guido in Costigliole d'Asti, a silent sign that this wine would become more than just an insider tip right from the start. Vinification: 28 days on the skins, thirty months or more in wooden barrels, one year in the bottle.

NA for Nals, MA for Margreid. A tribute to two outstanding vineyards where something special can be felt, seen and felt and which have inspired cellar master Harald Schraffl to create something equally special from their grapes. A wine and the essence that expresses the essence of the small parcels in its purest form, whose typicity tells the story of the South Tyrol of tomorrow, a timeless wine with recognition value in an international context.

Marianova is the first Bolgheri Superiore to be produced without Bordeaux grape varieties. Instead, it is a 50/50 blend of Syrah and Sangiovese, an idea of Michele Satta's son Giacomo, which was first produced in 2015.

Castelnuovo dell'Abate has its own character – rougher, denser, more mineral than many other corners of the appellation. The clayey-sandy soils with their high proportion of skeleton, the altitudes between 150 and 350 metres, the lee of Monte Amiata, the cool nights from the Orcia Valley: anyone who plants vines here gets Sangiovese with attitude. Andrea Cortonesi has been planting here for almost four decades. 2021 demanded a lot from this terroir – and the winegrower – a lot. The late frost in April hit the lower vineyards hard and the harvest was around 15 per cent smaller than the previous year. A hot, dry summer followed before two rainfalls in the second half of August gave the vineyards water and the grapes their final aromatic depth. The long September nights did the rest: phenolic ripeness, without heat character, without compromising on freshness. What Uccelliera subsequently brought into the cellar was concentrated, healthy, clear and – and with that crisp fruitiness that makes Castelnuovo wines unmistakable.

Guidalberto bears the name of a man who shaped the Bolgheri landscape forever in the early 19th century: Guidalberto della Gherardesca, the visionary agricultural pioneer who created the famous cypress avenue – the Viale dei Cipressi – was created. What was initially intended as a practical demarcation between different areas of cultivation became the iconic silhouette of an entire region. 2023 marks a turning point for this exceptional wine. For the first time, Tenuta San Guido is positioning its Guidalberto separately from the legendary Sassicaia – a deliberate move to demonstrate that this is not a "second wine", but an independent interpretation of the Bolgheri terroir. As Priscilla Incisa della Rocchetta puts it: "You can't compare them. They are completely different worlds." The 2023 vintage is a synthesis of 55 per cent Cabernet Sauvignon and 45 per cent Merlot. While the Cabernet Sauvignon provides structure and depth, the Merlot brings the silky texture and accessible sweetness that makes Guidalberto so distinctive. Fifteen months in French and American barriques give the wine its characteristic balance between strength and elegance.

Guado al Tasso presents itself with a warm-toned bouquet and an abundance of fruit that is just as convincing as its harmonious structure. Deep, dark, rich ruby-purple colour. Very clear and intense nose, with aromas of blackberries, cassis and dark cherries, underpinned by fine, spicy notes with hints of white pepper and leather. Very juicy on the attack and on the palate, with plenty of sweet flavour, elegant tannins and a very long finish. A finesse-rich red that offers maximum drinking pleasure and great ageing potential. SUPERIORE.DE

Almost every year, Barolo Campè takes top places among its high-calibre competitors. Fittingly, the majestic red wine bears the king of beasts, a lion, on its ornate yellow label. We think: There could hardly be a better graphic interpretation of this deep and stately wine. An all-round successful experience. Aromas of flowers and berries on the nose, with notes of vanilla and a hint of rosebud, full-bodied and very concentrated, with great, initially still chewy tannins and a long, powerful final. SUPERIORE.DE

Monteverro - a classic French blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot - is a great cru from the Maremma and brims with opulence and diversity. Rich, dark ruby with a black core. Incredibly rich in aromas of dark fruits, chocolate and spices, soft, full body, polished tannins. It is impossible to exaggerate the joy of the magnificence of this wine. SUPERIORE.DE

The grapes for the Vigneti del Versante 2019 come from the Scopeta, Cancello Rosso and Bassolino di Sopra vineyards. Bright red colour. Very deep, complex, expressive aromas of red cherries, raspberries, balsamic oils, violets and sweet spices on the highly perfumed nose, clearly recognising the terroir of Sesta. Great fibre and density on the palate, with much of this power coming from the heavier soils of the vineyards. The overall expression is profound and precise, with pungent aromas of wild berries, liquorice, lavender and lightly toasted almonds. Violets on the finish, supported by a silky, fine texture. One of the most stunning Brunello from the dream 2019 vintage, which, as always, comes onto the market a year later than its neighbours. SUPERIORE.DE

This wine is the essence of Sangiovese from the municipality of Radda and the result of a rigorous selection of Sangiovese grapes from the estate's best vineyards. An elegant, terroir-influenced red that (in Sean's words) "is made the way we like it."

The Vigna del Sorbo vineyard is located directly in front of the winery. The south-west facing vineyard with Galestro soils covers 8 hectares at an altitude of 450 metres. The Riserva was first produced in 1985 and has been labelled Gran Selezione since the 2010 vintage.

There are vineyards that are more than just plots of land. They are part of the family history, witnesses to generations who have worked and lived here. Casa pepis one such place: the vineyard directly in front of the winery in Torano Nuovo, 0.8 hectares, which Emidio pepplanted in 1974 with a careful mass selection. Between 1972 and 1974, he grafted the best genetic material he could find on various Montepulciano plots in the region onto rootstock from 1970 – an old technique when there were no nurseries and winegrowers had to master grafting themselves. The result is an extraordinary genetic diversity: under the old pergola, each vine has slightly different leaves, slightly different grapes – and yet, in DNA tests, always Montepulciano. A living archive of this noble grape variety. With a southern exposure and plenty of morning sun, Casa pepbenefits from the silt-dominated soils that give the Montepulciano the fullness and expressiveness that make it the richest and most opulent of the two new single-vineyard wines.

In 1998, Brancaia moved to the Maremma. It was no mere whim, but a conscious decision: this coastal landscape north of Grosseto, with its sandy loam soils, Mediterranean climate and the salty breeze from the Tyrrhenian Sea, was a terroir that would respond in its own way – if the right grape varieties were planted. Ilatraia’s answer is clear: three Bordeaux varieties, no artificial irrigation; roots reaching deep into the sandy subsoil. At altitudes of 75 to 175 metres, facing west to south-west, on soil comprising two-thirds sand and one-third silt and clay. The Mediterranean climate is uncompromising: very hot summers, mild winters, and a marked temperature range between day and night. What ripens here does so without assistance – and you can taste it.

The showpiece of the Zenato winery from the terrific year 2006 with a perfect balance between expressiveness, elegance and almost infinite length. SUPERIORE.DE

"Vürsù" – the longing, the passion, the insatiable desire. This is what Giorgio Rivetti called the feeling that drove him in 2000 when he acquired the first hectares in Grinzane Cavour and thus realised his greatest dream: to create his own Barolo. The Vigna Campè covers eight hectares, majestically situated at an altitude of 280 metres with a perfect southern exposure, where seventy-year-old Nebbiolo vines take root in alluvial soils with calcareous clay. Giorgio immediately recognised the extraordinary potential of this site, which had previously been cultivated by a producer who never intended to produce great wines. All the grapes went to other Barolo producers as bulk wine. But Giorgio saw what others had overlooked: the terroir for one of Piedmont's greatest Barolo. He reduced yields by 75 per cent, banned all chemicals in the vineyard and worked the vines with horses - Morro and Pipo still plough between the venerable vines today.