Wine Spectator

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.

The Brunello di Montalcino "50 anni" is much more than just an anniversary bottling – it is Elisabetta Gnudi Angelini's emotional homage to half a century of Caparzo history and at the same time her legacy for the future. In 2020, the year of its 50th anniversary, she deliberately chose this exceptional vintage to embody the essence of what Caparzo has stood for since 1970: the combination of tradition and innovation in the service of one of the world's greatest terroirs.

The grapes for the exceptionally deep Vigna del Gris come from vines over 40 years old from the 1-hectare plot of the same name in Monforte d'Alba. The bouquet is beguilingly harmonious, with a convincing attack, weightless and powerful at the same time. Firm tannins and plenty of flavour on the palate, with a great texture and very juicy. Long, rich finish. Don't make the mistake of opening this wine until it has gained in maturity, personality and elegance after a few more years in the bottle. SUPERIORE.DE

The wine icon, rare every year and very highly rated, presents itself in a shiny, rich ruby. On the nose, crisp berry fruit, ripe dark cherries, sweet plums and delicate notes of cinnamon. In the mouth it is full-bodied and firm, very juicy, unfolds a finely woven tannin and glides in a wide arc into a powerful, long final. A great wine full of tension and elegance. SUPERIORE.DE

The sandy soils north of Monforte d'Alba give this Barolo its immense power and structure. The bouquet is very open and appealing with dark cherries and raspberries, as well as notes of mint, cedar wood, rose petals and sage. Very lively and expressive on the palate, with deep beauty, seamlessly contoured and spectacular resonance. A fabulous wine from a very good vintage, classic and exotic at the same time. SUPERIORE.DE

High above the district of Perno in Monforte d'Alba lies the cru parcel Vigna Pressenda – part of the traditional MGA Castelletto, which is one of the easternmost top vineyards in Barolo. Early Piedmontese wine chroniclers already mentioned these steep slopes, which lean towards the morning sun and are characterised by a complex soil mosaic of calcareous marl, sandy inclusions and ferrous veins. The elevated position of around 370 metres and the constant breeze from the Tanaro Valley give the grapes a remarkable freshness and aromatic precision, even in warm years. The 2021 vintage, widely celebrated as an exceptional vintage in Barolo, brought ideal ripening conditions: A balanced vegetation cycle with warm, sunny days and cool nights allowed the Nebbiolo berries to ripen slowly and completely. The grapes were harvested by hand in mid-October, with strict selection to ensure that only perfectly ripe harvestwere brought to the cellar. Ageing in French oak for around 24 months brings depth and aromatic complexity without masking the clear fruit centre.

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 everything good 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

Between the rugged ridges of Serralunga d'Alba lies the historic Baudana cru site – a name that is not just a geographical point, but a synonym for concentration, depth and a centuries-old winemaking tradition. The vines here are rooted in compact, calcareous marl with clay veins, a soil that gives the Nebbiolo vines their characteristic tension and immense Storage potential. The 2020 vintage benefited from a long, harmonious vegetation cycle, with a mild spring, warm but not overheated summer months and clear, cool nights right through to the harvest. The grapes were carefully harvested by hand in mid-October and gently destemmed in the winery. After a classic, long maceration, the wine matured for around 32 months in large Slavonian oak barrels, allowing it to develop its depth without losing the precision of the fruit.

In the crypt of a 14th century church, deep beneath the altar of the small San Niccolò chapel, the flagship of Castellare is maturing. Here, where monks once prayed, another act of devotion takes place today – the transformation of grapes into a wine that has awed international critics for over four decades. I Sodi di San Niccolò is more than just a name; it is the essence of Tuscan wine mysticism. "Sodi" – is what the Tuscan farmers called those hard, stony soils that were too heavy for a team of oxen and could only be worked by hand. These barren, calcareous Galestro soils force the vines to fight for every molecule of water and every nutrient. On these inhospitable slopes, which form a natural amphitheatre around the estate, Paolo Panerai cultivated a vision in the 1970s: to create a wine with exclusively indigenous grape varieties that could compete with any international Supertuscan.

When Paolo Panerai realised his vision of a great Tuscan red wine made exclusively from indigenous grape varieties at the end of the 1970s, hardly anyone suspected that this wine would make history. As early as 1988, the Wine Spectator catapulted it into the international wine elite with sixth place in its first Top 100 – a triumph for a Supertuscan that deliberately eschewed Cabernet and Merlot in favour of the genetic purity of Tuscan vines. The name itself tells of the terroir: "Sodi" is what Tuscan winegrowers call those hard, stony soils that were too heavy for teams of oxen and had to be laboriously worked by hand. Here, on calcareous Galestro soils between 350 and 400 metres above sea level, around the medieval church of San Niccolò, the vines fight for every drop of water – 85 per cent Sangioveto, the original, small-berried form of Sangiovese, and 15 per cent Malvasia Nera, an almost forgotten grape variety – an almost forgotten grape variety that was abandoned in many places due to its low yields – result in a cuvée of unnerving power and unmistakable race. The 2021 vintage perfectly embodies this philosophy: After 18 to 25 days of maceration in steel tanks, the wine matures for up to 30 months in barriques, two thirds of which in new wood, before resting for a further twelve months in the bottle.

The first Caggiole came onto the market in 1988 and disappeared again in 1995 because the flagship Asinone simply met the tastes of consumers better at the time. Today - after an absence of over 20 years - the Nobile Le Caggiole is back on the market as the estate's new first wine. Estate owner Dott. Federico Carletti has dedicated this masterpiece to his wife Anna - setting a new benchmark for Poliziano and the entire denomination. We are delighted to be able to present this strictly limited top wine!

"For the Barolo DOCG Parussi, we left the confines of Serralunga and opted for a vineyard in Castiglione Falletto. Thanks to the characteristics of Nebbiolo, which is perfectly capable of capturing the differences in microclimate and soil composition and translating them into sensations, the result amazed us. Structured, important, austere. Made with Nebbiolo grapes from our vineyard in the MGA Parussi in Castiglione Falletto." Franco Massolino

"The Barolo DOCG Margheria comes from the calcareous soil with a slightly higher proportion of sand than in our other sub-areas, which has a strong influence on its character. It was produced for the first time in 1985 and has great ageing potential. The grapes come from our vineyard in the MGA Margheria in Serralunga d'Alba." Franco Massolino

Cerretto is a fruit-driven wine of virile, explosive power that shows, among other things, how different the wines of Serralunga can be. Black cherry, plum, sage, menthol and liquorice hit the palate in a firm, tannic Barolo that will require some patience, but already presents itself with remarkable freshness, purity and nuance. Cerretta is the embodiment of the richness and structure of Serralunga. SUPERIORE.DE

"For the Barolo DOCG Parussi, we left the confines of Serralunga and opted for a vineyard in Castiglione Falletto. Thanks to the characteristics of Nebbiolo, which is perfectly capable of capturing the differences in microclimate and soil composition and translating them into sensations, the result amazed us. Structured, important, austere. Made with Nebbiolo grapes from our vineyard in the MGA Parussi in Castiglione Falletto." Franco Massolino

The winery's first Riserva is produced from a selection of two plots at the highest altitudes on the estate (450 metres). The steep, south-facing plots lie on stony, ferrous soils. SUPERIORE.DE

In the seventies, Giovanni Massolino bought Parafada – a coup that he dared to pull off at a time when the economic situation was anything but rosy. But Giovanni was the kind of person who favours vision over caution. The site, whose name comes from the hamlet of the same name, lies 320 metres above sea level in that famous amphitheatre between Lazzarito and Gabutti, perfectly exposed to the south. A ridge location that offers natural protection from wind and storms – as if nature itself had understood that something special should grow here.

In the gentle hills above Trento, where the Dolomites majestically watch over the Adige Valley, lies a vineyard called Fontanasanta, the "Holy Spring". Here, at an altitude of 400 metres and on calcareous clay soils, Elisabetta Foradori preserves one of Trentino's most precious treasures: the Nosiola, an ancient indigenous grape variety that was once at the heart of the region's wine culture but is now threatened with extinction. Only three hectares are dedicated to this rare variety. Nosiola, whose name is derived from the dialect word "nosela" for hazelnut, requires patience and sensitivity. In wet Alpine years, it can be capricious, but under Elisabetta's biodynamic guidance, it unfolds its full aromatic complexity. The vinification process follows the revolutionary Foradori philosophy: after hand-picking, the de-stemmed berries are placed in Spanish tinajas, where they ferment on the skins for eight months – a process that gives the Nosiola its characteristic golden yellow colour and structural depth. A short maturation in used acacia barrels rounds off the profile.

There are words that tell more than entire stories. Sgarzon: In the ancient dialect of Campo Rotaliano, it means "young shoot", "sapling" and embodies the essence of youthful vitality and the impetuous vigour of new beginnings. This name is the programme for a Teroldego that revolutionises conventional ideas about this powerful grape variety. Just one kilometre from the famous Morei vineyard as the crow flies, but completely different in character, is the 2.5-hectare Sgarzon vineyard. Here, the Noce River has deposited sandy sediments over thousands of years, creating a cooler, more open microzone. While other Teroldego vineyards are already harvesting their grapes, the Sgarzon berries ripen a week longer – a decisive difference that gives this wine its exceptional finesse.

Between light and shade, between strength and elegance, sometimes only a few hundred metres decide the character of a wine. Less than ten minutes' walk from Sgarzon, but geologically in a different world, lies Morei, "the dark one" in the old Trentino dialect. Here, on the warmer, rockier terrain of Campo Rotaliano, Elisabetta Foradori has been writing another exciting chapter in the Teroldego story since 1984. The name says it all: where Sgarzon embodies youthful freshness, Morei reveals the deep, mineral soul of this extraordinary grape variety. The 2.5-hectare plot rests on the ancient riverbed of the Noce, where thousands of years of erosion have left behind a mosaic of pebbles, sand and dolomite rock. This stony matrix stores the heat of the dolomite sun and releases it to the vines at night – a natural heat reservoir that gives Teroldego its characteristic depth and concentration.

When Giovanni Massolino founded his winery in Serralunga d'Alba in 1896, he was the first to bring electric light to the village. A pioneer. His grandson Giuseppe, co-founder of the legendary Barolo consortium, continued this tradition – and then came the third generation, Giovanni, Camilla and Renato: they wrote a new chapter in 1985 by bottling Margheria separately for the first time. Today, the brothers Franco and Roberto continue the legacy. Both Oenologistwho understand that great wines are not made, but born. Margheria is located on the western edge of Serralunga's famous ridge, just a stone's throw away from the mythical Vigna Rionda – and yet it is its exact opposite. Where Vigna Rionda promises strength and eternity with its calcareous marl, the Margheria site at 280 metres above sea level plays with a higher admixture of sand in the limestone soil. The result: elegance meets structure, floral notes meet mineral depth. Serralunga shows its accessible side here without sacrificing its typical longevity.

If only it were true. Angelo Gaja's Tuscan masterpiece Magari bears this Italian expression full of longing and hope in its name, and it tells the story of a dream that became reality. When the Piedmontese patriarch first explored the Maremma coast in the 1990s, he saw the potential for something extraordinary in the gentle hills of Bolgheri. Eighteen rounds of negotiations were necessary to acquire the Ca' Marcanda estate – "the house of endless negotiations", as it has been known ever since.

Just 2,100 bottles of this 1.5 ha single vineyard Cabernet Franc "Campo di Magnacosta" (a former riverbed with mainly clay, gravel and crushed stone soil) reach the specialised trade and the menus of the best restaurants worldwide. The vines were planted in the mid-1990s and come from Pomerol. In terms of aromatic intensity, Magnacosta is probably the most sensually elegant representative of the house's three great site cabernets. It has great straightness, but somewhat less power and intensity. It subtly combines black fruit aromas with spicy notes, tar and antique leather. It is already silky and elegant and will certainly gain in finesse over the years. SUPERIORE.DE

The legendary Baudana cru vineyard rises like a silent sentinel above Serralunga d'Alba. Its steep slopes, characterised by compact, calcareous marl with veins of clay, have been Nebbiolo territory for centuries – a terroir that produces density, structure and exceptional longevity. 2021 was characterised by an extremely harmonious ripening process, marked by clear temperature differences between day and night. The grapes were carefully harvest by hand to select only perfectly ripe grapes. After gentle destemming and a long, traditional maceration, the wine matured for around 32 months in large Slavonian oak barrels, which emphasise its natural depth without masking the precision of the fruit.