Wine Spectator | 95–100 Points

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.

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.

There are wines that have changed the history of their country. Not by chance, not because of a passing trend – but through a single, well-founded act of provocation. In 1971, Piero Antinori commissioned one of the most prominent Italian graphic designers of his time to design the label for his new wine: Silvio Coppola, known for book covers and designer furniture, for his austerity and minimalist style. The label was minimalist – but the wine behind it was a revolution. No Trebbiano, no Malvasia. No white grapes in the red wine, as the Chianti regulations had stipulated since Ricasoli's time. Instead: Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc. Barrique instead of large casks. A wine that consequently fell outside the DOC classification – and was launched on the market as a simple Vino da Tavola. Piero Antinori signed the label with his father Niccolò's name: a gesture of gratitude for the trust that had allowed him the boldness to do so in the first place.

Cerretalto 2018 is an expressive, exuberant and impressive wine that opens with a dark ruby red colour and a rich texture. The bouquet is endlessly intense, closely followed by finely tuned aromas of black cherries, spices, grilled herbs, cloves, tobacco, damp earth and white truffle. Over time, elegant mineral tones unfold, and later these flavours transition into cola, liquorice and tar. The mouthfeel is silky and supple, and there is enough power to move the wine seamlessly across the palate. Cerretalto continues to develop endlessly over 24 hours in the glass. Clear case: this is a bottle for the back of your cellar. 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 Barolo DOCG Parafada is perfect for long ageing and surprising development. Elegant, refined, austere. Vinified in vats, matured in large barrels. Made with Nebbiolo grapes from our vineyard in the MGA Parafada in Serralunga d'Alba." Franco Massolino

While Tenuta Sette Ponti takes its name from the seven bridges over the Arno, Sette is named after the up to seven different vineyards that provide the fruit for this 100% Merlot wine: these are the Cypress, Salvareccio I, Salvareccio II, Poggio Sinistro, Sorbaccio, Nocetta I and Nocetta II vineyards. Aromatic and earthy, fragrant notes of cherry and cool blue fruit introduce a ripe and fresh palate that is light on its feet, vertical and balanced. The mid-palate has a stony element, while the red and blue fruits are supported by a network of tannins and good acidity. SUPERIORE.DE

The second novelty of the 2018 vintage is Vietti's Barolo Monvigliero. The special feature: Approx. 60% of the grapes 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. 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

Some wines have to fight for their recognition over years, while others are in the limelight from birth. For a long time, Barolo Le Vigne was the "second" Barolo in the Sandrone family, standing in the shadow of the iconic Cannubi Boschi – until connoisseurs and critics gradually realised that there was no hierarchy here, but rather equality. Today, after more than three decades since the first vintage in 1990, Le Vigne is no longer a complement to Aleste, but its congenial partner – a wine that perfects the ancient Piedmontese art of blending several vineyard sites and increasingly holds a candle to Aleste.

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 all the best 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

Luca Currado cultivates the Brunate Cru on the La Morra side of the vineyard (opposite the Barolo side) and this wine contains fruit from new plots. It convinces with an impressive aroma of red berries, cherries, wild herbs, mint, minerals and rose petals, rounded off by a hint of blood orange. On the palate we find a terrific softness and textural silkiness, this continues with hints of mint, liquorice and camphor ash for many minutes. Polished tannins round off this masterpiece into an extremely elegant Brunate. SUPERIORE.DE

The supremely potent Rocche di Castiglione is often referred to as the first "official" cru in the history of Langa (along with Bussia di Prunotto, both of which were released with the 1961 vintage). It confirms itself once again as the great classic of the house with the 2018 edition. Dark fruits, pressed lilac, blood orange, powdered liquorice, balsamic herbs, spices, iron ore and aniseed fit together perfectly like pieces of a puzzle. Then lush and racy on the palate, with silky tannins and a great depth and resonance that will continue to develop with time. SUPERIORE.DE

Camartina 2016 has exceptional finesse and elegance. Distinguished, deep ruby red. Rich aromas of black and red berries such as black cherry and blueberry, joined by notes of ripe plum and tamarind. With further aeration then multi-layered notes of ivy, forest floor and freshly cut bark with hints of leather, sweet tobacco and liquorice. The full and silky body is framed by firm but well-integrated tannins supported by excellent acidity. Then, just before the long finish, ripe black fruits enriched by nutmeg and sweet spices. Great its Tuscan identity full of energy and liveliness. SUPERIORE.DE

The grapes for the profound Le Vigne come from Baudana in Serralunga d'Alba (for the power), Villero in Castiglione Falletto (for the precision), Vignane in Barolo (for the purity of the flavours) and Merli in Novello (for the fullness of the fruit). It opens wide with aromas of fresh red fruit and a delicate spicy note. Very intense on the palate, remarkably elegant, fine-grained tannins, extremely clear, structured and long. SUPERIORE.DE

The Ravera vineyard on the Novello side, where steep hills descend from a castle perched on a beautiful panorama, is one of the best cru sites in the Barolo DOCG. From this vantage point, you can see Novello and the Elvio Cogno winery, which is located halfway up the slope. Valter Fissore's Ravera from the great 2021 vintage benefits from this special location and shows terrific versatility and depth every year.

Castello di Volpaia made wine history in 1983: In the midst of the Supertuscan revolution, when visionary winegrowers rebelled against the restrictive DOC regulations, Balifico was born – named after the villa of the same name in the heart of the fortified village. What began as Vino da Tavola became the manifesto of a new era that combined international grape varieties with Tuscan soils to create an extraordinary synthesis. The grapes for this exceptional wine thrive at the highest altitudes in Tuscany, at over 600 metres above sea level, where the air is already cool like the Alps and the vines are bathed in sunlight all day long. Sangiovese vines, old Tuscan clones of exceptional purity, are rooted in the same sandstone soils that have been producing great wines since 1172 – while Cabernet Sauvignon, with its international nobility, interprets the mountainous personality of this unique terroir in a new way.

The history of Vite Talin goes back to 1987, when Luciano Sandrone found a vine in one of his vineyards whose grapes were just half the size of the other plants around it. Luciano decided to grow several shoots from this plant and distributed them across three of his vineyards. Today, now in its fourth vintage, Vite Talin is still one of the most spectacular reds in the entire Barolo appellation, with a total production of just 2,000 bottles.

There are wines that are the result of lengthy soil and climate research, and there are those that are the result of a sudden discovery – a gift of nature to a winegrower who is humble and attentive enough to see the signs. In 1987, when Luciano Sandrone first harvested grapes from the vineyard of the old Natale – called "Talin" – he noticed a single vine that behaved differently from all the others. Small, gnarled grapes with tiny berries, half the size of normal Nebbiolo, of a deep blue, plum-like colour. Thick-skinned, concentrated, with jagged leaves and compact vegetation. Where other winegrowers would have seen a mistake, Luciano recognised a miracle. He labelled the vine, observed it for years, propagated it through field grafting on different sites and began his experiments – for 25 years until DNA analysis in 2017 confirmed what he had always believed: this was a Nebbiolo clone of exceptional qualitative substance.

2020 was the year in which the silence of the vineyards became a calculation. While the world stood still, Montalcino's winegrowers transformed the enforced slowness into precision: vineyard by vineyard, vine by vine, with an attention that other years would not have allowed. At Poggio di Sotto, this benefited a winery that is never in a hurry anyway. The summer of 2020 was hot – no question about it. But Monte Amiata, always vigilant behind the vineyards, moderated with its cool nights. Rain at the end of September, then a long, leisurely autumn with thirty days of striking day-night difference. Poggio di Sotto harvested late, only at the end of September – and took its time. In hot years, the estate characteristically chooses the deeper plots for its Riserva: cooler clay and Galestro, the natural brake against over-ripening. The result is a 2020 that carries the warmth of the vintage without being dominated by it.

The history of Vite Talin goes back to 1987, when Luciano Sandrone found a vine in one of his vineyards whose grapes were just half the size of the other plants around it. Luciano decided to grow several shoots from this plant and distributed them across three of his vineyards. Today, now in its fourth vintage, Vite Talin is still one of the most spectacular reds in the entire Barolo appellation, with a total production of just 2,000 bottles.

The world-famous Caiarossa is an extremely exciting blend of the Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Sangiovese and Grenache 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

Back in 2007, the winery embarked on the cru project with the aim of emphasising the natural elegance and vitality of Sangiovese and the essential value of what the Latins call the "genius loci". What began as an experiment and a challenge evolved into years of constant but calculated work to identify the best vineyards in Chianti Classico. The best winemaking and ageing methods were then applied to enhance the particular influence of the origin on the texture, flavour and character of the wine.

Every year, the grapes for Solaia come from the sunniest corner of the vineyard of the same name on Antinori's Tenuta Tignanello estate. Solaia 2020 has a silky and elegant personality, the bouquet alone is fascinating. Bright and full of energy, it captures all the elegance of the vintage. Solaia 2020 is characterised by purity and focus of the fruit, with black plum, cassis, blue flowers, pencil shavings and plenty of sweet spice from the oak, reminiscent of cloves and toasted almonds. Medium-bodied on the palate with exceptional balance and beauty. Solaia becomes more elegant and aristocratic from year to year. SUPERIORE.DE

Every year, the grapes for Solaia come from the sunniest corner of the vineyard of the same name on Antinori's Tenuta Tignanello estate. Aromas of cassis, warm spices and camphor characterise the nose. The lively, linear palate shows great finesse and offers cranberries, blueberries and crushed mint alongside white pepper. It is supple and balanced, with bright acidity and polished tannins. For us, one of the best vintages ever! SUPERIORE.DE