Vinum

The name Messorio carries the memory of the time when the wheat harvest marked the most important moment in the Tuscan agricultural year. Today, it stands for one of the most extraordinary Merlots in the world. What began in 1994 as Eugenio Campolmi's personal challenge to an often underestimated grape variety developed into the crown jewel of Le Macchiole. The 2021 vintage benefited from ideal climatic conditions in Bolgheri: a long, dry summer with cool nights allowed for homogeneous ripening and created the remarkable balance between sugar, acidity and tannins that makes Messorio an exceptional Merlot. The early manual harvest between the first and second week of September produced grapes of exceptional aromatic intensity. The 30-day fermentation in natural cement columns, followed by 16 months of ageing in new barrels, 12 hl vats and ceramic amphorae, created a texture of exceptional suppleness.

Grattamacco is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Sangiovese, the latter grape variety certainly contributing to the fresh style of this wine. However, the overall picture is only complete when you realise that the vineyards used for this blend are among the best in the appellation. The Grattamacco Bolgheri Rosso Superiore is characterised by its typical aromas of leaves and Mediterranean forest, with subtle flavours of kiwi peel, cassis, paprika and chocolate. Velvety, youthful and firm on the attack, less light than the Alberello, but more tightly woven and of great elegance. Its length is astonishing, great potential! SUPERIORE.DE

Andrea Franchetti began in the 1990s to position Palazzi as an equal red alongside his flagship Tenuta di Trinoro, with the aim of producing two exceptional wines reminiscent of the left and right banks of Bordeaux.

"The dynamic vintage produced rich and structured wines, with each of the grape varieties expressing their particular qualities. We got a classic Ornellaia, combining sunny ripeness with elegance in a wine defined by harmony and proportion." Axel Heinz, Gutsdirektor

For Biondi Santis Riserva, the fruits of the oldest vines of Il Greppo (30 years and older) are used, the wine matures for three years in traditional oak barrels. On the nose, initially fine aromas of wild berries, blue flowers, eucalyptus and lightly grilled smoke. The intensity increases in small steps. With time, the wine is magnificent and focused, with a very direct and impressive presentation of its aromas. The wine leaves a lasting impression in the mouth, thanks to the textural tautness of its tannins and the refreshing crispness of the acidity, finally showing more power, volume and persistence than expected on the long final. Subtle and big! SUPERIORE.DE

The fruit for Tenuta Nuova is harvested from a south and south-east facing slope at 250 to 300 metres above sea level. The soils are loose and mixed with gravel, which allows access to air and moisture.

Deep, shiny red colour. A beguiling blend of dark cherries, plums, mocha, liquorice, leather and cloves on the nose. Very compact and powerful fruit on the palate, characterised by deep intensity, dense layers and a velvety texture. Very focussed, balanced and certainly needs a few more years to develop fully. Outstanding elegance and length. In short: an absolute beauty! SUPERIORE.DE

Luce is the iconic wine of the estate of the same name and symbolises the harmonious balance between the elegant structure of Sangiovese and the richness of Merlot. The wine marries the tradition and terroir of the Montalcino region with a personal interpretation of this extraordinary land.

There are vineyards that are named after the place where they are located. And there are vineyards that give the place its name in the first place. Podernovi is one such case – the three hectares of Sangiovese that have been growing on this plot for over thirty years are so inextricably linked to the hill that the vineyard and district bear the same name. When San Polo bottled the first single-vineyard Brunello from this vineyard in 2015, it was less a debut than a recognition of what the soil had long known. Podernovi lies at 450 metres above sea level, facing south-east, where the view sweeps across the Val d'Orcia to Monte Amiata. The soils are a kaleidoscope of Tuscan geology: marl and galestro, the slate-like clay that gives the best Sangiovese vineyards in the region their unnerving minerality, interspersed with clay that stores water and supplies the vines even in dry summers. What sets this vineyard apart from others is not just its terroir, but the rigour with which San Polo cultivates it: four to five grapes per vine, no more – 700 to 800 grams per vine, a yield that is reminiscent of Burgundy conditions and forces the Sangiovese to achieve a concentration that it rarely reaches elsewhere.

Rich, concentrated Bordeaux-style red with the unmistakable signature of top oenological consultant Stéphane Derenoncourt. Multi-layered black fruit on the nose, plus rock, liquorice, camphor and graphite. Impressively supple on the palate, the fruit is always juicy and centred, wonderful and almost perfect in structure, polish, elegance and length. SUPERIORE.DE

Vittorio Frescobaldi and Robert Mondavi shake hands in 1993. Two worlds, one idea: to create a wine that combines the best of Montalcino – the structure and elegance of Sangiovese – with the rounded depth of Merlot. A combination that had never before been seen in this region. Luce became the first Super Tuscan made from a Sangiovese-Merlot blend from Montalcino. Thirty years later, the 2022 vintage is released as 30° Vendemmia – the thirtieth harvest of a wine that pioneered a new era. The estate is situated in the south-west of Montalcino, in the heart of the Val d'Orcia, which was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2004. The estate covers 249 hectares, 88 of which are planted, at altitudes ranging from 280 to 418 metres, with a south to south-west aspect. The soil follows its own logic: slate and sandstone at higher altitudes, perfect for Sangiovese; clay layers deeper down, which give Merlot the power and suppleness it needs.

In 1977, a 34-year-old manager from Bergamo came to the Tuscan coast. Pier Mario Meletti Cavallari had had enough of balance sheets and meetings – the wine journalist Luigi Veronelli had persuaded him that his place was among the vines, not in offices. What he found: a piece of land without electricity, without running water, overgrown and forgotten. Only the name reminded him of a distant past: Grattamacco – the slag heaps of the Etruscans, who smelted iron here two and a half thousand years ago. Five years later, in 1982, Meletti Cavallari bottled his first wine – as a simple Vino da Tavola, three years before Ornellaia even existed.

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.

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.

Chiara Boschi's Cannubi 2020 beguiles on the nose with layers of fragrant fruit. A sensual Barolo and yet quite typical in its vineyard character. Soft, silky tannins frame the long finish. A wonderful wine, characterised by its balance and above all by the sweetness of its tannins. Very full-bodied, focussed and with great length. SUPERIORE.DE

A farewell and a new beginning at the same time. Cepparello 2021 marks Paolo De Marchi's final vintage as master of his life's work before the winery was transferred to the French EPI Group. After more than four decades of tireless work, the maestro from Piedmont completed his testament with this wine – a Sangiovese of paradoxical brilliance that retains an astonishing freshness and elegance despite its powerful fifteen per cent alcohol. The name Cepparello, which originates from the small stream at the highest point of the vineyards, has carried the revolutionary vision of one hundred per cent Sangiovese since 1980. What began as a rebellion against the Chianti Classico regulations – the absurd rule of adding white grapes – developed into an icon of pure Sangiovese expression.

Ornellaia Bolgheri Superiore 2021 is a wine of extreme precision. It offers well-proportioned power and depth with profound layers of black fruit, coffee and liquorice. It captivates with its lustre and polished texture, which merges into great richness, concentration and structure. The finish is enveloping with sweet dark fruits and dark spices that linger for a long time. Ornellaia 2021 is a wonderful, if not perfect, example of the impressive potential of this great Tuscan vintage! SUPERIORE.DE

The year 1991 was the first. With the 2021 vintage, Poggio di Sotto is celebrating its thirtieth Brunello – an anniversary that the estate is marking with a special label in gold print, discreetly and without pomp, entirely in the style of the house. Thirty vintages that have proven that elegance is not a weakness. 2021 was not an easy year. Late frosts in spring decimated the harvest, summer brought heat, August finally brought rain – a sequence that could have been disastrous in other hands. Cellar master Leonardo Berti sees this as the special character of this vintage: fewer grapes, more concentration and an intensity gained through stress, which was kept in balance by the freshness of the long growing season. The soils – a mosaic of white and red clay, galestro and grey marl – did the rest. Spontaneous fermentation in wooden vats, maceration for at least 30 days, 42 months in large Slavonian oak barrels, unfiltered. The recipe is the same. The wine is not.

Just 3,000 bottles of the exceptional 2016 vintage were released. The grapes for this exceptional Chianti Classico come from vines that grow in the south-west at an altitude of between 350 and 480 metres above sea level. The soil here is characterised by galestro and limestone. Rich, deep dark ruby colour with a velvety sheen. Multi-layered, concentrated aromas of plum, black cherry, spices and menthol. Complex on the palate with a multi-faceted flavour profile that only opens up gradually and only reveals its full spectrum to the patient. A paragon wine of great depth, class and irresistibility. SUPERIORE.DE

There are wines whose very name sends shivers down your spine. Ornellaia belongs to that rare category of wines that not only embody Italian iconography but have also made their mark on global wine history. Ever since that legendary 1985 vintage, when Marchese Lodovico Antinori, together with the visionary OenologistAndré Tchelistcheff, turned the dream of a Mediterranean Bordeaux into reality, this name has stood for uncompromising excellence. The 2022 vintage bears the motto "La Determinazione" – determination – and this characterisation could not be more apt for a vintage that demanded everything from both the vineyard team and the vines. The climatic conditions in 2022 presented a challenge straight out of a textbook: the driest start to the growing season in the last four years, from February to June, was followed by the hottest period between May and September. Extremes that initially seemed to contradict one another. The prolonged drought slowed growth dramatically, resulting in low yields and concentrated, small-berried grapes. But then came the saving rain in August and September – perfectly timed to restore the balance that characterises great wines. The technical team, led at the time by Axel Heinz and Oenologist Olga Fusari, responded with rigorous selection: in the vineyard and then again in the cellar. The result of this determination is a wine that combines the positive attributes of the sun with surprising freshness.

Fragrant and fresh on the nose with beautiful concentration and complexity. Summery aromas of stone fruit, ripe peach, jasmine and a hint of fragrant beeswax. The racy, slender mouthfeel has a certain density and reveals an elegant hint of gravel and chalk and flavours of white almonds on the finish. Everything is already in its place here today, but it will become even more complex with further bottle ageing. SUPERIORE.DE

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

Podernovi is San Polo's great single-vineyard Brunello. Ruby red colour with light garnet reflections. On the nose, floral aromas of violets, cyclamen and jasmine, notes of fresh fruit and spicy notes. In the mouth, round, full of harmony and with a good structure and acidity, as well as very soft tannins that show excellent persistence overall. A wine of almost endless length, depth and with a distinct character that lingers in the memory. SUPERIORE.DE