VINOUS

In the past, the northern slope of Montalcino was not planted with vines, but was cultivated with cereals, olives and cherries. In this area influenced by the Apennines, the seasons are more pronounced, continental and the north wind significantly lowers the temperature in winter. It is therefore the coldest Brunello region at this time of year, but also the wettest. This northern slope is a gentle hill: a characteristic that is more reminiscent of the Crete Senesi area, right next door, than the two stiffer, steeper and warmer southern slopes of Montalcino.

Pianrosso comes from a south-west facing vineyard in the Castelnuovo dell'Abate subzone at an altitude of around 300 metres with mainly Galestro soils. It is dark, rich and deeply seductive, showing ripe black fruit enveloped in hints of gravel, sage and exotic spices. Although it has a velvety and almost creamy texture, it finds harmony through juicy acids and a blend of ripe black cherries and plums. Notes of liquorice and baker's chocolate balance the salty minerality and fine-grained tannins of the Pianrosso in a long and dramatic final. For a wine with such power, this is a beautiful symmetry. Definitely put it away for a few more years. SUPERIORE.DE

Camarcanda is a rich Bolgheri Rosso Superiore with a dark bouquet of black fruits, espresso, chocolate, liquorice and tar. On the palate, it is decidedly full-bodied, with excellent depth, dense structure and firm body. Opulent and long, this wine already shows a wide range of its personality. SUPERIORE.DE

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.

Decanted, tested and re-corked at the winery | Ruby red colour with violet reflections and a black core. Dark forest berries such as blackberries and mulberries on the nose, underpinned by warm undergrowth notes. Then ripe blood oranges and subtle cedar notes. On the palate, it is defined by flavours of liquorice, the tannins are close-knit and low-pore, reminiscent of the finest dark chocolate and control the generously juicy fruit with their delicate play. Armed for many years of bottle ageing, we recommend reaching for a carafe in its youthful stage. Then it reveals itself with stimulatingly tart flavours of dark tobacco and enormous pressure, dark, dense and rich with an orchestral finish. SUPERIORE.DE

Ceretto's Barolo Bussia comes from one of the most famous cru sites bordering the municipalities of Monforte d'Alba and Barolo, sourcing its Nebbiolo fruit from a 7,000 square metre plot in Bussia Soprana in Monforte d'Alba. Just 3,500 1/1 bottles and 200 magnums are bottled.

Lodovico Antinori has always been the creative force behind Tenuta di Biserno in Bibbona. In 2018, however, he started a new project called Tenuta del Nicchio with his daughter Sophia Antinori. The winery has 12 hectares of vineyards near Bolgheri and two hectares near the village of Castagneto Carducci. Il Nicchio (debut vintage 2021) is by no means just Lodovico's "second wine". It is inspired by the magnificent St. Emilion Cheval Cheval Blanc and is mainly made from Cabernet Franc. This grape variety thrives on the complex soils of the region, which consist of silt and alluvial sand with a high clay content. Just a hint of estate Merlot is added to create a wine with a character all of its own.

"Vigna Rionda Riserva is for us every year the Barolo from Serralunga at the peak of its potential. It is the wine we are most proud of. Vigna Rionda, protagonist of the history of our winery, is one of the most sought-after and prestigious cru sites in the entire Barolo area. We are not just talking about microclimate and soil here: Something very special happens on this hill in Serralunga d'Alba, and this something gives the Vigna Rionda Riserva its life and makes it a truly unique wine." Franco Massolino

A wine like a contemporary document: the Selezione Vecchie Vigne 2000 by Emidio pepstands for a unique quality standard - biodynamically produced, matured for decades, then uncorked by hand, checked by Emidio, re-corked and only then released for sale. The result is a rarity that not only bottles history, but brings it back to life. The grapes come from the estate's oldest vines, some of which are ungrafted, cultivated according to biodynamic principles and harvested in a peak vintage with a mild spring, hot summer and small, concentrated harvest. Fermentation took place spontaneously, without temperature control, in glass fibre vats - ageing without wood, without filtration.

The 2001 was also held back at the winery for decades, only to be opened by hand, tested, re-corked and only released when fully ripe, according to Emidio peptried and tested ritual. It is this unique combination of artisanal care, patient maturation and uncompromising authenticity that makes Vecchie Vigne a vinological event. The year 2001 was somewhat more balanced in Abruzzo than 2000: a cooler spring followed by a warm, well-ventilated summer - perfect conditions for structured, finely differentiated wines with staying power. The grapes come from ancient Montepulciano vines, fermented spontaneously in glass fibre vats, without temperature control, matured in glass fibre and cement vats and in the bottle.

"Pianrosso" – the red plain. When Giuseppe Bianchini began planting this vineyard in 1985, he knew that the heart of his heritage would beat here, on the iron-rich Galestro soils above the Orcia Valley. Eleven hectares between 240 and 360 metres, supported by the slate and marl subsoil that was once seabed before the nearby Monte Amiata left behind its volcanic minerality. Today, his son Paolo and his son Alex continue this legacy – three generations of Bianchini, who face Montalcino's hottest zone with organic cultivation and prudent restraint. The 2020 vintage demanded everything: July heat, which led to 15.5 per cent alcohol, but underneath lies the elegance for which Castelnuovo dell'Abate is famous.

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

A lake next to the vineyard – this is not a metaphor, this is geography. Vigna del Lago is located in the north-west of Montalcino, at 280 metres above sea level, and the small lake that gives the vineyard its name softens the otherwise continental climate of this exposure: harsh winters, very hot summers, pronounced day-night temperature fluctuations. The soil is clay – heavy, watery and cool. A combination that forces the Sangiovese Grosso to take deep root, mature slowly and develop elegance rather than mass. The vine material is the densest in the entire Val di Suga portfolio: 7,500 vines per hectare – a figure reminiscent of the planting densities in Burgundy. Double spur cordon, careful foliage management, yield reduction through thinning out. Hand-picking into crates takes place exclusively in the early hours of the morning. In the cellar: fermentation for eight to twelve days, maceration for a further two to three weeks. Maturation in 40-hectolitre Slavonian oak barrels for 24 months, then concrete, then bottle. No barrique, no wood pressure – pure site. 2021 was a lucky vintage for Vigna del Lago. The late frost in April reduced the harvest – and concentrated the best. No extreme summer, no stress.

Anyone who knows the south-east of Montalcino knows: no sea breezes, no proximity to the lake, no soft light. Monte Amiata reigns supreme here – the extinct volcano in the background, which breaks the winds, intensifies the temperature fluctuations between day and night and gives the soil its unmistakable character: Galestro slate, gritty, barren, rich in minerals. Oaks and holm oaks stand between the vines, where elsewhere cypresses or olive trees characterise the landscape. Poggio al Granchio – the "crab hill" – lies at 380 to 450 metres, south-east exposure, the historical heart of the appellation. Val di Suga acquired this vineyard in 1999, thus completing a triangle that no other producer in Montalcino possesses. The grapes are harvested by hand in crates, in micro-zones, and the optical selection is uncompromising. In the cellar: fermentation for ten to fourteen days, followed by intensive post-fermentation maceration at 30 degrees for twenty to twenty-five days – this is where extract, density and colour are created. 2021 was particularly favourable for the Poggio al Granchio. The influence of Monte Amiata mitigated the dryness of the summer, while the long autumn ensured even ripeness.

Concerto was born in 1981, a time of dynamic change in Italian viticulture. The hitherto untapped potential was recognised and experiments were carried out with new grape varieties and, for the first time, successfully with international grape varieties. It was Marchesa Carla Mazzei who spontaneously chose the name Concerto in 1981 after the first tasting of just fifteen barriques – a symphony had taken place in her glass. As one of the first ten Super Tuscans, this wine made history and revolutionised the Tuscan understanding of wine. From the Scassi vineyard in the western part of Fonterutoli, surrounded by oak forests at an altitude of 350 metres, the Sangiovese comes from mass selections from an experimental vineyard in the 1930s. And the small portion of Cabernet Sauvignon has developed a completely independent character here over four decades, far removed from the international character it develops elsewhere. The 18-month maturation in French barriques then gives the wine its noble structure without overshadowing its original elegance.