Wine Enthusiast

"This is one of the 50 wines that have changed Italian wine culture." Gambero Rosso

The world-famous Caiarossa is an extremely exciting blend of the Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Sangiovese, Syrah and Alicante varieties, with the rich, dark fruit flavours of the Cabernet grapes taking centre stage. On the nose, a beautiful first wave of dark fruits that never appear too ripe, which greatly benefits the elegance of the wine. The palate is very balanced and focussed with blackberries, cassis and slight hints of salty or rusty minerals. Caiarossa displays a good degree of elegance, not least due to its fine and taut tannins, and despite its density and complexity never comes across as opulent or even overloaded. SUPERIORE.DE

Michele Chiarlo's Barbaresco Faset offers a high degree of intensity and balance. Its bouquet shows wild berries and cassis with sophisticated background notes of tar, smoke and dark spices. It is a silky expression of the grape variety with a long and very convincing finish. Be patient and give it another 3-5 years to give it the time it needs to integrate and balance. SUPERIORE.DE

"This is our flagship wine, a Barolo recognised the world over, which we have always nourished and cared for with greatest respect. Nothing will change. This is why I will dedicate this special wine to my grandchildren Alessia and Stefano. From now on, it will carry their names." Luciano Sandrone on his intention to rename his world-famous Barolo Cannubi Boschis "Aleste" with the 2013 vintage.

"This is our flagship wine, a Barolo recognised the world over, which we have always nourished and cared for with greatest respect. Nothing will change. This is why I will dedicate this special wine to my grandchildren Alessia and Stefano. From now on, it will carry their names." Luciano Sandrone on his intention to rename his world-famous Barolo Cannubi Boschis "Aleste" with the 2013 vintage.

Deep dark ruby-purple colour. On the nose, cassis, blackcurrants and a strong herbal spice with a good dose of pipe tobacco, tar and crushed gravel. On the palate, dark berries, chocolate and a cornucopia of herbs define the full-bodied palate. This juicy wine monument has precisely integrated tannins, an enormous silkiness and an almost endless finish. SUPERIORE.DE

Dense ruby red. Elegant the articulate bouquet that reveals ripe dark berries, tobacco, liquorice and balsamic notes. Impressively persistent, the characterful and enveloping taste with silky tannins and a spicy-smoky impression. The perfect dosage of all components give this exceptional wine the complexity and harmony that makes it unforgettable. A magical wine of great class and with great potential. SUPERIORE.DE

Michele Satta is one of the pioneers of Bolgheri – in 1982, he founded his winery as one of the first in this now world-famous Tuscan coastal region. While the big names all around were focussing on Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc, Satta took an unconventional step: with Marianova, first vinified in 2015, the second generation of the family created the first Bolgheri Superiore to be made entirely without Bordeaux grapes. Instead, this wine combines equal parts of the best Syrah and Sangiovese grapes from the Vignanova vineyard – the grape varieties that have most strongly characterised Satta's Bolgheri experience. Vinification takes place in cement vats with 30 per cent whole-cluster fermentation and malolactic fermentation in barriques. Ageing lasts 18 months in Liters amphorae and barriques, followed by further bottle ageing.

Barolo Lazzarito 2019, which obtains its fruit from Serralunga d'Alba, is built like a pyramid. It stands on a thick base of robust fruit and power and rises in intensity thanks to its wonderfully elevated bouquet. It shows direct and solid lines with blackberries, plums, spices, tar, liquorice, candied orange peel and truffle-infused earth. A second wave of flavours offers dark minerals, iron ore and rust. Baroli from Serralunga d'Alba are often in a category of their own thanks to their richness and sheer abundance of fruit. With additional aeration, the Lazzarito, certified organic for the first time in this vintage, delivers mint and fine balsamic herbs and will fully inspire with further maturation in the bottle. SUPERIORE.DE

Approximately 60% of the grapes for the Monvigliero are not destemmed, this enhances the aromatic nuances of the wine. Youthful notes of raspberry and blueberry are flanked by black pepper, gentian, china and black olives. The palate has a beguilingly soft texture, fine and creamy, underpinned by wonderful laurel and floral aromas. Monvigliero impresses with its purity, its serenity and its class. Excellent. SUPERIORE.DE

Barolo Cerequio comes from vines over 35 years old and is characterised by exuberant aromas and bright, red-coloured fruit. The bouquet is enormously opulent with ripe fruit flavours ranging from wild cherry to redcurrant. There are also original notes of jam, plum and a hint of ragout. The palate is nuanced and very deep, with enormous complexity, volume and plenty of character. SUPERIORE.DE

Barolo Brunate is a powerful and vertical wine, endowed with enormous explosive energy and intensity. Crushed flowers, mint, spices and dried flowers open up in the glass, but it is the energy of the wine that really lifts it into the stratosphere. In the glass, the 2019 is dark, almost sombre, and full of the sepia-coloured nuances that are so typical of this great Barolo vineyard. 2019 is an outstanding vintage for Brunate and the first with organic certification. SUPERIORE.DE

Scrio – the Tuscan word for "people with a pure heart" – carries Eugenio Campolmi's (†2002) vision of a perfect Syrah. Since the debut vintage in 1994 from the Puntone and Madonnina vineyards, this 100% Syrah has been regarded as Bolgheri's hidden treasure, produced in extremely limited quantities with the most rigorous yield reductions. The 2020 vintage comes from a year that particularly emphasises the Mediterranean identity of this exceptional terroir. The exceptionally low production quantity – often less than 3,000 bottles – makes each vintage a rarity. In the wine cellar, the hand-picked grapes undergo a 25-day maceration in stainless steel tanks before the wine matures for 16 months in a carefully composed blend of new oak barrels (75%) and second fill (25%). An additional 21 months of bottle ageing before release completes this masterpiece.

The grapes for Testamatta are selected and sourced from the winery's 6 best vineyards: Vincigliata, Londa, Lamole, Montefili and Siena. Each vineyard, which is divided into plots, is harvested up to 8 times to ensure that all the grapes are harvested at the perfect point of ripeness. These five vineyards (up to 80 years old) are located in different areas of Tuscany: Lamole and Montefili in the heart of Chianti Classico at 600 and 400 metres above sea level, Vincigliata near Florence at 280 metres above sea level, Londa north of Florence towards the Rufina Valley and Siena, in the south of Tuscany, at 250 metres above sea level.

"This is our flagship wine, a Barolo recognised the world over, which we have always nourished and cared for with greatest respect. Nothing will change. This is why I will dedicate this special wine to my grandchildren Alessia and Stefano. From now on, it will carry their names." Luciano Sandrone on his intention to rename his world-famous Barolo Cannubi Boschis "Aleste" with the 2013 vintage. This Barolo is a masterpiece from Luciano Sandrone in every respect. Not only a historic product but also the only cru of the house from the renowned Cannubi area in Barolo. Rich ruby colour, balsamic bouquet, ripe and sweet. Great suppleness on the palate, lots of fruit, dense tannins, very persistent final with Burgundian elegance. SUPERIORE.DE

Barolo Ravera is a wine of great impact and power, and it is also a wine of the future. This is because Ravera (in the municipality of Novello) is one of the best vineyards that never ceases to surprise and impress, despite the changing climate. Thanks to the high altitude and the open view of the snow-capped mountains, the microclimate is well ventilated but protected at the same time. On the nose, freshly cut flowers, white pepper and mint, shy at first but very energetic and straightforward as the wine progresses. On the palate, preserved dark cherries, lavender, mint, crushed stones and hints of sage. All in all, a powerful, breathtaking and deep Barolo, endowed with great purity and beautiful transparency. A stunning wine! SUPERIORE.DE

Around 60% of the grapes for the Monvigliero are not destemmed, which enhances the aromatic nuances of the wine. Youthful notes of raspberry and blueberry are flanked by black pepper, gentian, porcelain and black olives. On the palate, it has a beguilingly soft texture, fine and creamy, accompanied by wonderful flavours of laurel and flowers. Monvigliero from Verduno impresses with its purity, its sheer serenity and its class. Excellent every year and unfortunately very rare. SUPERIORE.DE

Vietti's Brunate parcels are located on the La Morra side of the cru site. It was fermented in stainless steel and then transferred directly to large oak barrels for ageing. Barolo Brunate is a powerful and vertical wine, endowed with enormous explosive energy and intensity. It offers engaging and penetrating aromas of cedar wood, red cherry, blood orange, sage flowers and rose. On the palate, its austere personality is evident and any connoisseur will realise that it needs a few more years in the bottle to develop. Dense and multi-layered, with great depth, chewy tannins and lingering red berries, this is already a fantastically complete wine. SUPERIORE.DE

Barolo Cerequio comes from vines that are over 35 years old. The vineyards were acquired by Michele Chiarlo in the 2010s through fortunate circumstances. Opens with aromas of freshly halved cherries, which are joined by a mixture of cloves, allspice and vanilla, while fresh roses are almost close at hand. On the palate, concentrated and lush plums and mixed berries, while black tea, liquorice and subtle earthy flavours gradually emerge. In the mid-palate, the tannins are still clearly noticeable, but with a little time all parts will be in balance. This wine is already a poem today, but its very best days will come with some bottle ageing! SUPERIORE.DE

Scrio is Tuscan and means: pure, sincere, whole. Since 1994, this wine has been Cinzia Merli's vision of a single-varietal Syrah that is neither French nor Californian, but Mediterranean and Tuscan at the same time. Produced in minimal quantities, this wine quickly became the reference in Bolgheri for a grape variety that is not actually native to the region. The 2021 marks a turning point: 50% of the grapes now come from new hillside vineyards, which gives the wine an elegance and delicacy that is almost reminiscent of Pinot Noir. After 20 days of fermentation and maceration in concrete tanks and earthenware amphorae, the Scrio matures for 14 months in neutral French oak, clayvers and earthenware amphorae – an ageing process that emphasises the lively fruit.

An unrivalled powerhouse and at the same time of a unique beauty and finesse. Villero (only produced in the best vintages) is an overwhelming interpretation of the otherwise rather austere Nebbiolo grape, which here displays a kaleidoscope of life and vigour.

Cerretta is one of the most prestigious crus of Serralunga d'Alba – a site that Giovanni Rosso has always cultivated with particular dedication. Here, at an altitude of around 350 metres, barren, chalky marl soils meet south and south-east exposure. The result is Barolo with impressive depth, carried by a striking minerality that is recognisable even at a young age. The 2020 vintage brought harmonious ripeness and perfect phenolic development. After being harvested by hand, the grapes were gently pressed and fermented in concrete tanks for around 25 days. The wine was then matured for a good two years in large oak barrels, which emphasise the character of the vineyard without over-moulding it.

Serralunga d'Alba is not a place for compromises. The soil here – calcareous marl soils, millions of years old, compacted and rich in minerals – forms Barolos with a structure and depth that simply cannot be found elsewhere. The MGA Cerretta is located on the south-eastern slope of the municipal area, at an altitude of 350 to 365 metres, in the zone that winegrowers and critics have appreciated for generations for its extraordinary combination of power and finesse. The Rosso family has been cultivating these vineyards since the 1890s – first Giovanni, then his son Davide, who took over responsibility in 2001 at the age of 27 and since then has made a single sentence the guiding principle of his work: Wine should be a perfect reflection of its terroir.