Vinum

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.

Monteverro – a classic French blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot – is a grand cru from the Maremma, brimming with opulence and complexity. A deep, dark ruby colour with a black core. Incredibly rich in aromas of dark fruit, chocolate and spices, with a soft, full body and polished tannins. One cannot overstate the sheer delight in the magnificence of this wine.  SUPERIORE.DE

Monteverro – a classic French blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot – is a grand cru from the Maremma, brimming with opulence and complexity. A deep, dark ruby colour with a black core. Incredibly rich in aromas of dark fruit, chocolate and spices; soft and full-bodied, with polished tannins. One cannot overstate the delight in the magnificence of this wine.  SUPERIORE.DE

When Georg Weber set foot on the hills below Capalbio in the early 2000s, he knew his search was over. The Bordeaux enthusiast had travelled the world of wine – from Pauillac to Napa Valley – only to finally find, in the southern Maremma, the terroir that would make his dream a reality: Tuscany's first Premier Grand Cru. Monteverro – named after the wild boar, the 'verro', which has roamed the scrubland of this coastal landscape since time immemorial – was born.

Tenuta Tignanello is located in the heart of Chianti Classico on the gentle hills between the valleys of the Greve and Pesa rivers and comprises 319 hectares of land, of which around 130 are planted with vines. The estate's vineyards include two jewels: Tignanello and Solaia, which are located on the same hill, on calcareous and schistose marl soils of marine origin from the Pliocene, and which benefit from warm days and fresh nights during the growing season. Two wines are produced from these vineyards, which many years ago had the potential to become the starting point of the Italian wine renaissance. Nothing has changed to this day.

Sometimes a vineyard reveals secrets that have been hidden beneath the surface for millions of years. When Antonio Moretti Cuseri acquired the plot north of Via Bolgherese, he had no idea that his vines would drive their roots through an extraordinary layer of clay – a fossilised seabed from prehistoric times that gives the Cabernet Franc a mineral depth that can only be found in a few places in the world. With the first vintage of 2020, the third generation of the Moretti Cuseri family created their Bolgheri Superiore – aola di Orma, a tribute to the unique terroir expression that has made the estate an icon among Tuscany's coastal wines. On a south-west-facing single vineyard of just a few hectares, 15 to 20-year-old vines are cultivated organically. The speciality: 85 percent Cabernet Franc forms the backbone of this cuvée, supplemented by just 15 percent Cabernet Sauvignon – a bold departure from the Merlot-dominated classics of Bolgheri. The constant sea breeze ensures ideal ripening conditions and prevents the herbaceous notes that Cabernet Franc can often develop in cooler climates.

In 1985, Giovanni Manetti made a momentous and ingenious decision: the best plots of the Vigna del Sorbo, those south-west-facing slopes in front of the winery at 450 metres above sea level, were to be given their own voice. Here, where slate and the characteristic Galestro slopes above the clay characterise the geological signature of the Conca d'Oro, the estate's oldest Sangiovese vines have been rooted since 1963. What began as a Riserva with ten per cent Cabernet Sauvignon has become a monument to the art of pure Sangiovese over the years.

"The 2020 Vigna La Casaccia from the vineyard of the same name in the Cru Canalicchio is the wine that reflects the characteristics of this vineyard planted in 1990. Vigna Casaccia, thanks to its calcareous clay soils, enhances the sweetness of the tannin, its silkiness and its gradual relaxation, emphasised in the 2020 vintage by a mineral and fresh contrast." Francesco Ripaccioli

2020 is the first organic Oreno vintage. Deep dark ruby violet. On the nose, cassis, blackcurrant and a powerful herbal spice with a good dose of pipe tobacco, tar and crushed boulders. On the palate, dark berries, chocolate and a cornucopia of herbs define the full body. This juicy wine monument has precisely integrated tannins, an enormous silkiness and a seemingly endless finish. SUPERIORE.DE

Rose petals, spices and red-coloured fruit float in the glass, supported by fine, racy tannins. On the palate, the typical, medium-bodied characteristics of Bricco delle Viole are evident, while the contours are soft and the wine's personality demands the next sip. Vajra fans should give it a few more years to mature, despite its current accessibility. SUPERIORE.DE

"Our 2020 Vigna Montosoli is the wine that tells the story of the characteristics of this splendid and unique hillside, characterised by verticality, minerality and juiciness, length and depth, but also by a more pronounced tannic structure, thanks to its more galestro and mineral soils: The 2020 vintage also reinforces its aromatic, floral and enveloping complexity." Francesco Ripaccioli

In the heart of the Valdarno Superiore, where the ancient Via dei Setteponti inspired Leonardo da Vinci to create his immortal landscape studies, lies Tenuta Sette Ponti – named after the seven bridges that have linked Arezzo and Florence since Etruscan times. Here, on 300 hectares where history meets modernity, Dr Antonio Moretti Cuseri realised a visionary idea in 1999: to create a Tuscan Bordeaux-style wine that combines international elegance with the soul of Tuscany. Oreno – named after the small river that flows through the estate in that clay-rich area where the Merlot vines put down their deepest roots – was born out of a passion for Bordeaux finesse. Fascinated by his travels to Bordeaux, Moretti Cuseri had existing vineyards grafted with Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Whilst the Merlot thrives in the clay-rich soils, the Cabernet vines find their home on gravelly terraces that offer perfect drainage and natural temperature regulation. The Petit Verdot rounds off the cuvée with spicy notes and intense flavour.

With the exception of 2016 and 2019, the last eight years in the region around Montalcino have been characterised by warm and dry conditions. For this reason, Il Poggione has started to prioritise irrigation for emergencies (which is becoming more and more of a necessity in the south-west of Montalcino) and is looking for a better balance in the higher vineyards. This is not the only reason why Il Poggione is one of the top producers every year, with an extremely fair value.

Barolo Ravera comes from a single vineyard with vines that are almost 50 years old. In the glass, it impresses with a strong, aromatic opening flavour. Bright, precise and finely chiselled, the Ravera captures everything good that the vintage has to offer. Cherry, sweet mint, candy and expressive floral notes are given an extra kick of inner sweetness by Ravera's natural energy. There is so much to look forward to as the wine develops over the next few years! SUPERIORE.DE

There are wines that become living memories. There are grape varieties that only discover their true calling when they are far from home. And there is sibling love that survives death and becomes immortal in liquid form. Dedicato a Walter is all of this at the same time – above all a 100% Cabernet Franc of such moving purity that it is one of the rarest and most precious treasures not only of Bolgheri, but of Italy as a whole. Walter Allegrini died far too young in 2003, just two years after he had begun to realise the Tuscan dream together with his sister Marilisa. But his spirit lives on in those three magical hectares of the Via Bolgherese vineyard, the most prestigious area of Bolgheri, reverentially known as the "Soprastrada". This extraordinary plantation with south-west exposure at only 56 metres above sea level benefits from Bolgheri's unique microclimate, where salty sea breezes meet the intense exposure of the Tuscan coast. The Cabernet Franc – the noble grape variety that traditionally ensures elegance and finesse in Bordeaux blends – finds the ideal conditions here to develop completely independently and in its purest form.

Between Sassicaia on the left and Ornellaia on the right, on the Strada del Vino of Bolgheri, lies a vineyard that has rewritten the definition of "perfect location". When Antonio Moretti Cuseri drove through the thick Maremma fog in October 2004 and suddenly emerged into the glistening sunlight of this coastal landscape, he knew: this is where he would make the Orma – his footprint. The third generation of the Moretti Cuseri family had already proven with Oreno at Tenuta Sette Ponti that their passion for Bordeaux cuvées can become an obsession. In Bolgheri, this love of Merlot and Cabernet was to find a new interpretation. On just 5.5 hectares of vines rooted deep in gravel and clay, organically farmed grapes are used to produce the wine that has been delighting international wine critics since its debut in 2005. The 2023 vintage combines half Merlot with 30 per cent Cabernet Sauvignon and 20 per cent Cabernet Franc – an assemblage that combines the Mediterranean climate of the Tuscan coast with the finesse of great Bordeaux growths.

Brunello di Montalcino by Poggio di Sotto is an explosive wine, full and dark. Black cherries, menthol, spices and freshly tanned leather are just some of the diverse aromas. The palate is dense, enveloping and fantastically flowing. Accentuated acidity, perfectly integrating the tannins, finishes on notes of ripe stone fruit, leather and mushrooms. An absolutely fascinating, sublime wine (for the advanced) at the highest level. SUPERIORE.DE

There are moments in the history of Italian viticulture that shine like beacons through time. 1962 was one such moment when Fabrizio Bianchi, driven by a vision and surrounded by the scepticism of his contemporaries, made a decision that would change Chianti Classico forever. He dared to vinify the grapes from a single vineyard separately: Il Poggio. What began as an experiment became a revolution – the first cru of Chianti Classico was born. Il Poggio – "the hill" – lies in the heart of Monsanto like a natural amphitheatre, surrounded by wild cypresses, juniper bushes and strawberry trees. Here, on the characteristic Galestro soils between 280 and 320 metres above sea level, the Sangiovese vines have driven their roots deep into the slate-like rock over the decades. These soils – a gift of geological history – give the wine the mineral depth and structural complexity that have made Il Poggio a living legend.

From the vineyards near the historic villa, where the woods reach the sea, comes a visionary interpretation of Vermentino – a wine that allows the inexhaustible possibilities of this ancient grape variety to shine in a completely new light. Scenario embodies five years of research at Tenuta Argentiera, a meticulous study of the evolutionary potential of Vermentino that culminated in various vinification and ageing experiments between 2020 and 2022. The grapes for this exceptional Bolgheri Bianco ripen high up at 260 metres above sea level, in small plots close to the protective forests where maritime breezes meet centuries-old pine trees. Only 8,000 bottles are produced annually from this carefully curated Vermentino in its purest form – a precious witness to that unique microclimate between the sea and the Mediterranean scrub.

"This vintage has confirmed once again that a great harvest is produced when perfect conditions are created before the harvest, and this was the case in 2017. The result is a wine with great personality, generous on the nose, enveloping and sensual, which surprises on the palate with its freshness and the surprising balance that makes it so pleasant. Fire and ice, sweetness and juiciness, balsamic and fruit, a mix of ingredients that make this vintage very pleasant, but also give it the seriousness of a great Brunello di Montalcino." Francesco Ripaccioli

Eugenio Campolmi loved Syrah. Not as an assemblage component, not as a flavouring for other grape varieties – but in its pure form, without compromise. In 1994, when hardly anyone in Bolgheri was seriously considering 100% Syrah, he started Scrio. The name comes from the Tuscan – a dialect word normally used for people: scrio, whoever it is, is pure, sincere, undivided. Eugenio Campolmi has transferred this word to a wine. It fits. Scrio is made from a rigorous selection of the best Syrah grapes from the Puntone and Vignone vineyards – hand-picked, 800 grams per vine. The vineyard does not yield more than this, and it does not want more. Never more than 5,000 bottles. Fermentation and maceration for 20 days in stainless steel, then 13 months in new tonneaux and conical wooden containers, a small proportion in ceramics – ageing that gives the wine texture without masking it.

This is the top wine from Il Poggione, and it is a must for anyone who collects wines from this famous vineyard. The estate's oldest parcel, Vigna Paganelli, is a 12-hectare vineyard that was planted back in 1964. It boasts a rich variety of old Sangiovese clones, which are used for the newer plantings.

The name Scrio comes from a Tuscan expression for "pure, sincere, unadulterated" – qualities that Eugenio Campolmi's (†2002) favourite Syrah has embodied since 1994. The 2019 vintage tells of a year of slow ripening without extreme heat. A dry winter with a late cold snap at the end of March was followed by a cool, rainy May, which slowed down the vegetation. The intensive foliage work in summer finally led to a late but excellent harvest between the second and third week of September. The glass reveals a deep black Syrah with a Mediterranean richness that clearly stands out from its French counterparts. 25 days of maceration in steel and concrete, followed by 18 months in tonneau and conical wooden barrels with a proportion of ceramic vessels, result in a wine of exceptional purity and depth. A rare treasure from only a few thousand bottles. SUPERIORE.DE