Wine Spectator | 95–100 Points

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

For three years, the team at Tenuta San Giorgio got to know their vineyards. Not as an end in itself – but because they needed to know which plots had what it takes to become a Riserva. The Brunello Disciplinare is clear on this point: the Riserva must be the exceptional, not the standard. It was not until 2018, after three years of careful observation and selection, that the answer was clear enough to take the first step: the first vintage of Ugolforte Riserva was put into the barrels. Climatically, 2018 was not an easy year in Montalcino. But in oenology, it is often the case that the most challenging vintages produce the most elegant wines. Selection of the best grapes from the best plots, fermentation in oak vats and concrete tanks with long maceration periods, 30 months in 30-hectolitre Slavonian oak barrels, bottled in November 2021, released in January 2024. A Brunello that was shaped over six years before leaving the estate.

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.

Baroli from Serralunga d'Alba are often in a category of their own thanks to their richness and sheer abundance of fruit and simultaneous austerity. Initially restrained red fruit on the nose, dense and very concentrated on the palate. Lazzarito 2021 impresses with its powerful but ripe tannins, typical of Serralunga. This assertive and still very youthful wine is very long-lived and has an impressive drive on the impressively long finish. Let's give it the time it needs and it will delight us completely. 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 to mature. Vietti's Brunate 2021 shows blue flowers, wild berries, wild cherry and truffle-infused earth. It reveals a slender but open-knit quality that can be felt in the mouth. This softness or textural silkiness continues for many long minutes with hints of mint, liquorice and camphor ash carefully distributed along the way. The tannins are polished and long. Very elegant. SUPERIORE.DE

Around 60% of the grapes for the Monvigliero are not destemmed, which enhances the aromatic nuances of the wine. The utterly enchanting 2021 Monvigliero is delicate and supple with aromas of cherries, boysenberries, violets and spices, with an excellent balance and a lingering aftertaste that reflects the main flavour themes. 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. The 2021 vintage confirms once again that the purchase of this vineyard was one of the smartest decisions Vietti has ever made. Cerequio is a wine of nuance and class that reflects the entire pedigree of this great site. Crushed red berry fruit, cherry, blood orange, spice and mint rise from the glass, framed by nervy tannins that convey classicism. An exotic, racy Barolo. SUPERIORE.DE

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.

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.

Some wines bear the name of their creator and thus a silent commitment. Gualto is Gualtiero Ghezzi's personal signature: a strict selection of the best exposed Sangiovese Grosso plots near the Castello, at an altitude of over 300 metres, from sandy limestone marl soils with fossil inclusions. Matured for 36 months in oak barrels and a further two years in the bottle – the fact that this Riserva is being released while 2020s are already on the shelves elsewhere is not an oversight, but an attitude. 2019 was the year that rewarded such patience. Spring rains created the water reserves for a warm but never excessive summer. A radiant September with large day-night fluctuations brought full phenolic ripeness – slowly and without haste. International critics are celebrating the 2019 Brunello vintage as one of the most important since 2010 and 2016.

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.

Siepi has always been more than just a vineyard – it was a vision waiting to become reality. Owned by the Mazzei family since 1435, this mystical place lies amidst dense oak forests near Castellina in Chianti: ten hectares of pure magic on Alberese soils, which even the ancient Romans knew how to appreciate. Paradoxically, the story of Siepi 2023 begins with one of the most challenging vintages of recent times. A mild winter with scant rainfall, followed by a rainy spring that pushed the Mazzei winemakers to their limits. And yet, or perhaps precisely because of this, a wine emerged that impressively embodies the estate's philosophy: "Great vineyards shine in difficult vintages."

For over a hundred years, two communities fought over a hill. La Morra to the north, Barolo to the south – both wanted to own Cerequio, the amphitheatre of limestone marl and blue clay that the locals call the "Riviera of the Langhe". It was not until 1275 that an agreement settled the dispute; the document is still in the archives of La Morra. "Conteisa" – piedmontese for dispute – is the memory of this battle over a piece of land that was apparently already considered precious in the Middle Ages. When Angelo Gaja acquired six hectares in Cerequio in 1995, he returned to Barolo after decades of absence. The first vintage in 1996 was still labelled Langhe Nebbiolo – gaja's conscious decision against the rigid DOCG rules. Today, back in the Barolo aristocracy, Conteisa represents the elegant side of the house: feminine, floral, with silky finesse, where its brother Sperss from Serralunga trumps with masculine power. Sixty-year-old vines are rooted here at an altitude of 380 metres in a south-facing location. After being harvested by hand, the wine rests for twelve months in barriques and a further twelve in large oak barrels.

Messorio has been undisputedly one of Italy's best and rarest Merlots since the mid-1990s. Soft, rich, elegant, refined and never overdone. On the nose, ripe fruit, coffee, graphite and French oak. Structured and balanced, Messorio fascinates the international wine world every year with a clarity and length that is unparalleled. SUPERIORE.DE

There are wines that define a family across generations, and there are those moments when a winemaker gives his life’s work a name that bridges the past and the future. When Luciano Sandrone decided in 2013 to rename his legendary Barolo Cannubi Boschis, he did not choose just any name, but created an acronym from the first names of his grandchildren: ALEssia and STEfano. ALESTE – a word that embodies experience, continuity and the hope that what he began in 1985 with the first bottle from Cannubi Boschis will live on in the hands of the next generation. Cannubi Boschis, the sub-parcel at the heart of Barolo’s legendary Cannubi vineyard, is the vineyard in which Luciano invested his entire savings in 1977 – directly opposite the winery, on a hill whose potential he recognised from the very first moment. Here, on optimal soils in a sheltered, sun-drenched location, Nebbiolo flourishes into that combination of power and finesse that has made Cannubi famous worldwide.

Sperss is a sentimental word for nostalgia in Piedmontese and is far more than just another Barolo: it is the living testimony to a historic new beginning, when Gaja brought out a Barolo from its own land for the first time in 1992. At the time, this was a bold step after the reputation of the past – today, Sperss is a world-famous classic with a great style profile. In the glass, it has a medium ruby colour, clear and bright. The bouquet is initially closed, then unfolds with a mineral-rusty undertone, forest fruit chords of redcurrant and raspberry and lighter herbs – delicately interwoven with floral and earthy layers that merge into smoke, leathery depth and truffle notes. The palate is characterised by clear lines: structured tannins, a mineral backbone and precise fruit. The finish is dry, characterised by a salty earthiness and delicate finesse – a finish that never gets loud, but lingers for a long time.

Three words: power, intensity and concentration. With a very manageable production of less than 2,000 bottles, this is a full-throttle Tuscan wine that constantly exudes generous black fruits, spices and sweet tobacco. There is also black cherry and plum, which lend the wine soft contours and sweetness. On the palate, it is firm, well-structured and delights with a mouthfulness that is unrivalled. Take a good piece of red meat, marinate it in rosemary and olive oil before putting it on the charcoal grill and then embark on this monumental adventure. SUPERIORE.DE

If Montosoli is the great Montalcino cru in the north, then the Sesta area between Castelnuovo dell'Abate and Sant'Angelo in Colle is its southern counterpart. This is where the Lisini vineyards are located.

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 has a rich variety of old Sangiovese clones, which are used for the newer plantings.

2021 – a Tuscan vintage for the ages. In the annals of Bolgheri, this year will be remembered as the one that revealed the perfection of the Mediterranean terroir in its purest form. A rainy winter, which replenished the water reserves for the coming summer, was followed by a growing season of classic elegance: a cool spring initially delayed budding, but when temperatures rose at the end of May, the development of the vines accelerated in an ideal way. The summer of 2021 was characterised by the Mediterranean drought that makes Bolgheri so unique – three months without significant rainfall, but the vines did not suffer. The deep, sandy soils, enriched with limestone and stones, had stored the winter moisture and continuously nourished the roots. The exceptional day-night temperature difference, which was amplified by the nearby coast, was decisive and gave the grapes the freshness that makes the 2021 so distinctive.

Rare, exceptional Merlot from the west of Tuscany: deep ruby red with violet reflections. The bouquet is multi-layered with hints of wild berries and blackberries, ripe cherries, but also liquorice and tobacco notes. Very structured and lively on the palate. The silky tannins emphasise the delicate minerality right through to the almost endless finish. SUPERIORE.DE

Sugarille is always a little darker, richer and more opulent than Rennina. Bouquet of remarkable richness. In the drink, dark red cherry, plum, smoke, liquorice and cloves fill out the wine's broad-shouldered frame well. Hints of mocha, chocolate, spices and black-fleshed fruit add the final layers of nuance. SUPERIORE.DE

Barolo Sperss 2020 shows the power, determination and strength you would expect from Serralunga d'Alba. Dark cherry fruit with cassis and wild plum, rounded off by floral aromas that lean more towards red rose than violet or blue flowers. It is a great wine on the palate, with lots of compact, dense tannins, coated in sweet enamel, multi-layered and dense, with a long build-up. Plums and liquorice on the finish with a delicate, mineral iron vein, as we know it from the Sperss. SUPERIORE.DE