Wine Spectator

Set amongst the hills of Bibbona, where the vineyards of the Alta Maremma look out over the Tyrrhenian Sea, this characterful cuvée is the result of an ambitious project by the Antinori brothers. The name Insoglio is a poetic reference to the places where wild boars root in the ground – a symbol of the wild, unspoilt nature of the Maremma landscape. Composed mainly of Syrah, complemented by Petit Verdot, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon, this wine displays an intense purple-red colour with violet highlights.

Sandro Chia's remarkable 2020 vintage is taut, forward and downright bold in the glass. On the palate, it impresses with a lot of natural richness and beautiful opulence of fruit, complemented by varietal elements of wild cherry, blue flowers and soft earth. Secondary flavours of tobacco, cedar and cinnamon then quickly surprise, adding complexity and personality to the wine, which is built up in many deep layers. It has wonderful potential for further ageing in the bottle, but it is already an absolute delight and the quality of the fruit and its length make it irresistible. SUPERIORE.DE

From the oldest Merlot parcel in the Le Sondraie vineyards comes Bell'Aja's flagship wine – a wine that impressively demonstrates the ambition of the San Felice project in Bolgheri. Since 2016, this Tenuta has completed the Tuscan wine interpretation of the historic group: from the hills of Chianti Classico to the prestigious vineyards of Montalcino to this radiant jewel on the Etruscan Coast. Bell'Aja Superiore embodies the pure essence of a unique terroir: 95% Merlot from the Tenuta's most venerable vines is combined with 5% Cabernet Sauvignon to create a wine of impressive power and opulence. The sandy-loamy soils of the Le Sondraie zone, just five kilometres from the Tyrrhenian Sea, give this Bordeaux-inspired blend the maritime minerality that makes Bolgheri one of the most fascinating terroirs in the wine world.

Titolo Superiore is a selection that is aged for 12 months in tonneaux, followed by 12 months in used barrels and finally 12 months in the bottle. It has a dark, musky character and presents an earthy bouquet that blends with grilled herbs and blackcurrants. It flows across the palate like pure silk, gaining further tension as the mineral-driven flavours of wild berries slowly come to the fore. Firm, well-proportioned tannins glide into the finish, which tapers off in a structured, long and almost salty manner. Citrus fruits and residual acidity lend a refined freshness. Wonderful! SUPERIORE.DE

Translucent purple with a fresh garnet red rim. The bouquet is a potpourri of dried fruits, truffles, dark chocolate and delicate nougat notes. Opens fruity and velvety on the palate and will give pleasure for many years to come with its straightforwardness and wonderfully integrated acidity. SUPERIORE.DE

The grapes for the Annata, which was certified organic for the first time in 2020, come from a 13-hectare site at an altitude of 500 metres. The soils here are somewhat lighter and stonier than the average for the appellation, with slate-rich Galestro and calcareous Alberese. As always, Poggio Antico's 2020 vintage is authentic and classic, with bright fruit tones, wild cherries, roasted nuts, blue flowers and forest floor. While the other wines in the portfolio mature in smaller tonneaux, this wine is aged in large Slavonian barrels. We like the energetic lift and the simultaneous brightness of the fruit - the winery achieves this like no other. As the wine progresses, the approach is very delicate with a convincing intensity of floral aromas and a silky mouthfeel. A lively acidity ensures balance and freshness right to the end, while a salty, mineral note is added on the finish. As always, this Brunello from the best winery is a safe bet! SUPERIORE.DE

The Allegrini family has been contributing to the history of Valpolicella since the 16th century. Giovanni Allegrini, the visionary, is considered the architect of its rebirth. A man they called "il ragno delle botti", the cellar master spider, because he wandered restlessly between his barrels, always in search of perfection. His son Franco carried on the legacy, revolutionising the Appassimento with the construction of the Terre di Fumane – a state-of-the-art drying facility that precisely controls temperature, humidity and air circulation. Since 2022, the winery has been in the hands of the third generation: Francesco, Giovanni, Matteo and Silvia. The Amarone comes from vines that have been rooted for over 30 years on the hills of Fumane, between 450 and 520 metres above sea level, on clay and limestone soils of volcanic origin. Corvina Veronese and Corvinone each make up 45 per cent of the cuvée, supplemented by Rondinella and Oseleta. After the manual harvest in September, the transformation begins: the grapes rest for four months in the fruttaio, losing 40 to 45 per cent of their weight, concentrating sugar and aromas. Gentle pressing in January, followed by 25 days of maceration at a controlled temperature. Ageing: 18 months in new barriques, a further seven months in large barrels and finally 14 months in the bottle – a total of over three years before the wine leaves the winery.

2019 was a gift to Nebbiolo in the Barbaresco DOCG - and Vanotu has accepted it. This Barbaresco from the historic Basarin cru vineyard in Neive bears the signature of a great vintage with quiet naturalness: nothing is overdrawn, nothing loud - everything is in its place with quiet precision. The vines stand on sparse limestone marl, interspersed with sandy veins, with optimal south-west exposure. This site produces wines with depth and tension, but also airiness - a play of power and transparency that is exemplified in Vanotu 2019. The wine was matured for 20 months in French barriques, sensitively dosed, only to frame the wine, not to mould it.

The grapes come from family-owned plots in Serralunga d'Alba, La Morra, Grinzane Cavour, Monforte and Mosconi. Each vineyard is harvested separately by hand and fermented in stainless steel; long maceration times with gentle remontages ensure a fine, complete extraction. For ageing, the winery predominantly uses large Slavonian oak barrels (botti), supplemented by a smaller proportion of French oak, which adds lustre to the texture without masking the origin. Thanks to a stable summer and cool nights in autumn, 2020 produced ripe, healthy harvestwith a clear acidity line and precise aromas.

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.

Podere Uccelliera is located on the south-eastern slope of the hill of Castelnuovo dell'Abate, where the view falls on the extinct volcano Monte Amiata and the breeze from the Orcia Valley blows through the vineyards. Not a large estate, not a marketing machine. Nine hectares, one man, one idea of wine. Andrea Cortonesi comes from a Mezzadria family that cultivated these lands for generations, long before Brunello was a word the world knew. In 1986, he bought the old Podere – with centuries-old olive trees, half a hectare of vines and the firm intention of creating something lasting here. He had previously worked at Ciacci Piccolomini, Poggio di Sotto and Mastrojanni – as a cellar master, as an observer, as a learner. What he took with him was not a recipe. It was a flair. He vinified his first Brunello in 1991.

"The Löwengang Chardonnay is an expression of classic refinement: An elegant, fine wine with good complexity, great structure and a pronounced body, whose origin characterises its character. When the Chardonnay came onto the market and a suitable name was sought, it was clear that the Margreid vineyard should take centre stage. It was the perfect opportunity to revive the name Löwengang and give the newly created, high-quality wines this name." Alois Lageder

You have to earn that nickname. They call the Montestefano the "Barolo of Barbaresco" – and anyone who's tasted a good vintage will understand why. The vineyard is situated just a few metres from Montefico; it shares its southern exposure and calcareous subsoil, but is significantly steeper. Excellent drainage, harvest late harvest, and a warmer microclimate thanks to protection from north winds: these are the conditions under which the Nebbiolo reaches maximum ripeness here – an almost smoky depth, full of power. The Produttori del Barbaresco have been vinifying Montestefano as a single-vineyard wine since 1974; the winemaking process has remained unchanged for decades: 28 days' maceration at 30 degrees, followed by at least thirty months in large Slavonian oak barrels.

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.

Le Ragnaie is located on the highest vineyards in Montalcino. Riccardo Campinoti, who took over the estate in 2002 together with his American wife Jennifer, has created a vineyard here at an altitude of – 530 to 600 metres above sea level, surrounded by oak forests, olive groves and a small lake – has realised a philosophy that cannot be taken for granted in Montalcino: maximum transparency. No purchasing, no concentration through technology, no new barriques. Natural yeasts, concrete tanks, long macerations, Slavonian oak barrels. The wine tells what the vineyard says – and nothing more. The name of the estate refers to the ragnatela, the spider's web – the shape of the traditional bird-catching nets that were once spun here when Montalcino was poor and people caught birds to feed themselves. The history of Brunello has changed this. But the nets – in the figurative sense – have remained: fine, taut, precise. Brunello di Montalcino is the assemblage of all the parcels of the estate – a combination of the different exposures and altitudes of the central zone, vinified separately and only bottled together after three years.

Montegrossi's delicious Vin Santo del Chianti Classico matures for seven years in traditional Caratelli barrels made from oak, cherry and mulberry wood. It shows a marvellous concentration with thick glycerine that slowly runs down the rim of the glass with thick streaks of amber colour. The flavours are of astonishing intensity with explosive notes of candied fruit, brown sugar, maple syrup, caramel, toffee, butterscotch and dried apricots. With its pleasant and very balanced sweetness, it is a wonderful accompaniment to desserts, foie gras or soft cheeses. SUPERIORE.DE

The estate's top wine, named after the owner, is the result of many years of work in the vineyard and dates back to the year 2000, when the winery began to replant many of its own plots with Sangiovese. To this day, Sergio Zingarelli pursues the goal of interpreting his existing terroir as authentically as possible. The result is the highest classification Gran Selezione, which is confirmed every year by the consortium and is only awarded to the best wines in the appellation.Rich ruby colour. Concentrated nose of herbs, black cherry, chocolate, earthy notes and oak spice. Juicy and soft fruit on the palate, refined tannins, glides dynamically and spicy into a respectable finish. SUPERIORE.DE

Originating from the historic vineyards between Sassicaia and Ornellaia, Varvara honours the BaroneVarvàra Wrangler, great-grandmother of the current owner Count Federico Zileri Dal Verme. This classic Bordeaux assemblage of predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon, supplemented by Merlot, Cabernet Franc and a hint of Petit Verdot, thrives on the chalky soils 70 metres above sea level. Twelve months of ageing in Liters barrels and large oak casks give the wine structure without over-extraction.

Montefico lies between Montestefano and Ovello – long regarded by connoisseurs as the most precise and sophisticated wine in the Produttori range. The vineyard faces south to south-east, sharing its limestone-rich soil with its imposing neighbour, Montestefano, whilst at the same time being exposed to occasional northerly winds that blow through the narrow valley between Barbaresco and Neive, bringing a refreshing coolness to the early morning hours even in hot summers. This lends the Nebbiolo here a characteristic coolness, which it bears with dignity. The Produttori del Barbaresco vinify Montefico using the same approach as for all their other nine crus: 28 days' maceration, followed by thirty months or more in large Slavonian oak barrels – without haste, without compromise. The April frost of 2021 reduced the harvest to the bare essentials; the grapes ripened slowly and fully, and the harvest did not take place until after 8 October – under almost perfect conditions.

Deep, dark yellow colour. Rich, almost opulent impressions of candied apricots, orange zest and traces of fine yellow flowers on the nose. Fabulously viscous texture on the palate, multi-layered, very concentrated flavour of candied fruit with a wonderfully polished sweetness. One of Italy's greatest Vin Santo with a long, persistent finish and made to last. SUPERIORE.DE

Le Serre Nuove is much more than a "second wine" – it is Ornellaia's proud ambassador and often the best indicator of what to expect from the legendary flagship. Made from the same grape varieties, under the same skies and with the same philosophy, it has the remarkable ability to predict the personality of the great Ornellaia. The 2022 vintage presents itself as a masterful composition of 54% Merlot, 26% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Cabernet Franc and 6% Petit Verdot. This classic Bordeaux blend comes predominantly from the estate's younger vineyards and is treated with the same meticulous care as its big brother. Each parcel is vinified separately before the final assemblage takes place after twelve months.

The name Il Bruciato, literally "the fire", commemorates a historic and devastating forest fire on the Guado al Tasso estate: in the early 20th century, a vast area of woodland on the estate was completely destroyed by fire. Ever since, the wine has told the story of this event in a poetic way – and of the reconstruction, which is also a symbol of perseverance, identity and the connection between landscape and wine. Since its debut vintage in 2002, Guado al Tasso has used this wine to pursue the idea of an accessible Bolgheri red that remains true to its origins and terroir. The vines grow in the immediate vicinity of Bolgheri Superiore, and the wine is vinified with precision and an eye for balance.

When Luciano and Luca Sandrone first laid eyes on the concave hillside of Valmaggiore in the 1990s, it was love at first sight. It was not just the history that captivated them – in the 19th century, the Nebbiolo grapes from this vineyard dictated the price for the entire region – but above all the unique combination of sandy soils and the microclimate of this natural amphitheatre. In Vezza d'Alba, on the left bank of the Tanaro in the Roero, lies this south-facing single vineyard with extremely steep slopes, where soft sandy soils lend the Nebbiolo that finesse and elegance for which the Roero region is famous.

When Elio Altare returned from Burgundy in the 1970s, he brought with him a conviction that nobody in Piedmont shared at the time: that Nebbiolo need not achieve greatness through age and ‘tannic mass’, but rather through elegance and precision. He shortened the maceration periods, introduced used barriques and pursued the ideal of a Barolo that is accessible without losing its soul. His dispute with his father over this has become legendary. That conviction has endured. Altareentry-level Barolo is the most complete expression of this conviction: no single cru, no selection from a single vineyard, but a blend from the appellation’s four major municipalities. La Morra brings aromatics and silkiness. Castiglione Falletto brings body. Serralunga d’Alba brings mineral rigour. The municipality of Barolo itself brings balance. 10,000 bottles from vines aged between 20 and 30 years, predominantly facing south to south-east.