Wine Spectator

Lisini produces four Brunelli. Each embodies a different philosophy – the Annata represents balance and approachability, the Ugolaia the character of a single vineyard, and the new Poggio Severo a cooler, higher-altitude plot. The Riserva stands for something else: tradition. The estate itself calls it the most traditional wine in its entire portfolio – not because it is older, but because it embodies the classic Montalcino ideal: concentration, depth, patience. It is produced from a rigorous selection of the finest grapes from the entire estate – from the vineyards around Sant'Angelo in Colle and the Sesta site near Castelnuovo dell'Abate. Not a single vineyard, but the sum of the very best a vintage has to offer. The maceration period, at 20 to 26 days, is longer than for the Annata, and the ageing in large Slavonian oak barrels is correspondingly extended.

Bright garnet colour with a ruby red core. A polyphonic, clear Nebbiolo image on the nose: sour cherry, red forest berries and pomegranate, plus dried roses, white pepper, liquorice and a cool, stony-mineral undertone. Silky and taut at the same time on the palate, the fruit is clear as a bell, carried by lively, straight acidity and fine-grained, chalky tannins; the wood only appears as a textural finishing touch. Very long, salty-mineral finish with a delicate herbal freshness. A Fausoni-Barbaresco from the MGA of the same name with calm authority and precise elegance – transparent, full of energy and with outstanding potential for the coming years. SUPERIORE.DE

In 1969, Rino Sottimano acquired a vineyard that was to become the foundation of his winery: The Cru Cottà, 2.8 hectares located between the municipalities of Neive and Barbaresco, where south-westerly exposures and sandy soils give the Nebbiolo the fullness and structure that make this Barbaresco so special. The vines, now 80 years old, are spaced unusually far apart, a relic from times when vegetables and artichokes were still cultivated between the rows of vines. A historical planting method that gives the roots room to penetrate deep into the calcareous clay soil. Cottà has always been the most fruit-orientated of the five Sottimano crus, a wine of concentrated power that combines the fleshy polyphenols of the Neive vineyards with the distinctive tannin structure of Barbaresco.

Gewürztraminer is named after Tramin. This is not a marketing story – this is etymology. The name of the world's most famous aromatic grape variety bears the village itself, where Hofstätter has been based since 1907. And the Kolbenhof plot is located above Tramin, in the hamlet of Söll, on an eastern slope between 360 and 420 metres above sea level – one of the most historic estates in the entire village. This is where the Bolzano quartz porphyry slab meets the limestone of the Mendelzug. A geological interface that does not exist in this form anywhere else in the South Tyrolean wine-growing region. The soils with a high clay content absorb the warmth of the morning sun – the Kolbenhof is exposed to the east, protected from the midday heat – and slowly release it again. Cool, structured, elegant. This is the opposite of a sweet, mass-produced spiced Traminer: dryness with character.

Treiso is not Neive. Once you've grasped that, you begin to see the Barbaresco appellation in a different light. Neive offers power, body and polyphenols. Treiso – the southernmost of the three Barbaresco municipalities, situated at a higher altitude, cooler, with more compact, limestone-rich soils – imparts rigour, minerality and a longevity that some other sites lack. The MGA Pajoré is Treiso's voice in the Sottimano collection: the most traditional, the most persistent and, of the five crus, the one that demands the most patience. Old vines on calcareous-clay soils, steep and well-exposed. Organic cultivation from the outset. Fermentation with natural yeasts, extended maceration, natural malolactic fermentation. Aged for 18 to 22 months in François-Frères barriques, half on the lees, with a minimal proportion of new oak. No filtration. No fining. A further year in the bottle. The same winemaking method as always – and, as so often, proof that terroir matters more than technique.

The name is history. Sapaio – an old Tuscan grape variety, long forgotten, but not its memory. When Massimo Piccin founded his winery in 1999, he chose this name as a sign of his deep connection to the terroir. A tribute to what was and a promise of what was to come. The vineyards extend over the municipalities of Bibbona and Castagneto Carducci, 40 hectares on quaternary deposits, from loose, coarse-grained sand deposits to alluvial soils with calcareous subsoil. Just ten kilometres from the sea, a microclimate that brings Bordeaux varieties to life. Since 2015, Piccin has been going his own way: instead of the prestigious Bolgheri Superiore DOCG, he deliberately chooses the free IGT Toscana, just to be able to add the handful of grapes from Bibbona that make Sapaio what it is today. Sometimes greatness means renouncing titles and regulations.

This strictly limited-edition Riserva is bottled only in the finest vintages. The bouquet is perfect and brooding, with notes of dried fruit, blackberries, white smoke and crushed stone. On the palate, it is wonderfully structured with precise balance and an almost weightless elegance, making it one of the finest red wines from southern Italy. Still intensely youthful, it has plenty of time ahead of it.  SUPERIORE.DE

The small vineyard is located at an altitude of 500 m above the Galatrona Tower and offers the best conditions for growing the French grape variety Cabernet Sauvignon. Due to the limestone subsoil, this site is also called a luxury site (campo lusso). Intense and generous bouquet of dark fruits, leather and chocolate. Complex and deep on the palate, very focused and with increasing aeration very elegant and aristocratic. A complete red that will delight not only Cabernet lovers. Only about 1,300 bottles of this spectacular drop can be produced per vintage. SUPERIORE.DE

This Riserva is only made available each year in very small quantities to hand-picked specialist retailers and top restaurants. Brilliant ruby red colour. Fine raspberry and floral notes dominate the spicy nose. Very juicy on the palate, tannins and acidity are well integrated. Riecines Riserva has length and suppleness right through to the long fruity finish. The elegance and fine melting texture are impressive. Once again, this is Sangiovese at the top level that Riecine is known for! SUPERIORE.DE

Ugolaia is a name that carries weight in Montalcino. The vineyard is situated in the classic Sesta area, facing south-west, on one of the sunniest and best-ventilated plots on the entire estate – and it embodies a tradition that Lisini takes to heart: The estate's 'veterans' – those most experienced staff members who have known the estate for decades – graft premium cuttings from the estate's own massalselection onto wild rootstocks by hand. No clonal selection from a catalogue, no technological shortcuts – just knowledge passed down from person to person, vintage after vintage.

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.

Some wineries tell their story on display boards. At Fuligni, it's embedded in the walls. The palazzo in the heart of Montalcino dates back to the 17th century – the Medici family once resided here, and a Spanish princess left behind a room that still bears her name today. Beneath it, deeper than the palazzo itself, lie the cellars: built at the end of the 16th century, with vaulted ceilings in "tecnica mista", and completely naturally insulated. This is where the Brunello matures in Slavonian oak barrels. This is also where it matured when Giovanni Maria Fuligni came to Montalcino at the start of the 20th century – and it matures here, just as his ancestors in the Maremma made wine before him, without interruption, without taking any shortcuts.

The white enigma of Bolgheri. In a region that has earned its immortality through Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot, few dare to make history with white wine. Yet Cinzia Merli took that risk – and in 1991, with the Paleo Bianco, she created the white counterpart to her legendary red Paleo range. What began as a modest creation for local restaurants has evolved into one of Italy's most enigmatic and sought-after white wines. The name – derived from "pagliaio", the Tuscan word for haystack – shares the same poetic spirit as its red counterpart, yet its character is entirely its own. 70% Chardonnay and 30% Sauvignon Blanc blend here to form a symphony of Mediterranean intensity, translating international grape varieties into the Tuscan terroir. Originally, Sauvignon Blanc dominated this blend, but over the decades Cinzia has reversed the proportions – an evolution that has taken the Paleo Bianco from the citrus freshness of its youth to the structured complexity that characterises it today.

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.

Sauvignon Bianco Rachtl comes from a small micro-location of just 0.4 hectares. It gets its fine flint and graphite nose from the porphyry soils near Unteraicha in the municipality of Völs. Very subtle on the palate with fine saline acidity, fresh fruit and a long-lasting finish. If you can call one of the 2,000 bottles of this vintage your own, you can count yourself lucky! SUPERIORE.DE

A story of renaissance in the truest sense of the word: after more than twenty years of silence, Le Caggiole recently shone in new splendour. What Federico Carletti describes as an "importante lavoro di recupero" is akin to oenological archaeology – the systematic rediscovery of a 14-hectare site that had once been forgotten. At an altitude of 350 metres, on the road from Montepulciano to Gracciano, intensive research revealed the true potential of this east-facing slope: soils of marine origin, decidedly sandy, of a completely different geological character to the famous Asinone just one kilometre away. Through meticulous selection of Sangiovese rootstocks and clones, precise planting and a deep understanding of the soil and microclimate, this 100 per cent Prugnolo Gentile emerged from its decades-long hiatus.

Querciabella's Riserva, with an annual production of 10,000 bottles, is a selection of the best lots. It blends fruit from Greve, where the vineyards lie between 350 and 550 metres above sea level, with grapes from the stony high altitudes of Radda and the chalky soils of Gaiole. Tantalising aromas of spring flowers, cranberries and potting soil are accompanied by vanilla and smoke. On the palate, it is polished and pure, with a delicious, tangy acidity and sinewy tannins. As every year, one of the most refined wines of the appellation. SUPERIORE.DE

Hardly any Brunello is as authentic as the wines from Le Potazzine - they reveal the whole truth of the Sangiovese grape. The result is neither completely polished, nor is it boring or predictable. The 2020 Brunello di Montalcino achieves a degree of extreme authenticity and originality that you don't find on every corner in the appellation. It is a wine full of understatement and equally great personality, for which one must take time and leisure to discover every last nuance. On the nose, it reveals a subtle and well-composed bouquet of red roses, spices, earth and wild mushrooms. As always with Le Potazzine, there is also a wild hint of rusticity. On the palate, this Brunello reveals its powerful fruit and perfectly integrated tannins. Like a friend you can rely on, this Brunello is both a role model and a lovable buddy. SUPERIORE.DE

Now in its 30th vintage, it has long been an icon of modern Sicilian winemaking: Planeta's Chardonnay combines the French tradition of grape varieties with the sun-drenched terroir of the south, producing, year after year, one of Italy's most distinctive white wines. The grapes come from two different altitudes: Ulmo at 250 m and Maroccoli at 415 m above sea level. In the glass, it is a radiant golden yellow with slightly greenish highlights. The aroma is intense and refined: yellow tropical fruits, toasted almonds, citrus blossom, vanilla, wet stone and a hint of salty butter. On the palate, it is dense and full-bodied, with ripe fruit, a perfect balance between freshness and creaminess, subtle spice and a long, elegant finish. A cult wine that combines Mediterranean richness with Burgundian nobility. Ideal with lobster, pan-fried fish, poultry in a butter sauce, or even on its own as a great white wine with real character. SUPERIORE.DE

In 2021, the Montalcino DOCG produced a vintage of rare clarity. Cooler nights, marked temperature fluctuations, a slow and steady ripening process lasting well into October – these are the conditions that allow Sangiovese Grosso to reveal what lies beyond the fruit: minerality, structure, and the subtle geological layers of a vineyard that has been producing wine since the Middle Ages. Pieve Santa Restituta vinifies according to this philosophy: each of the plots – Sugarille, Rennina, Santo Pietro, Castagno, Pian dei Cerri and Torrenieri in the north-east of the appellation – is harvested, fermented and macerated separately. Only after individual ageing in oak for 24 months is the final blend for the vintage determined through extensive blind tastings. Six months in concrete tanks before bottling.

Lorenzo Sassetti's Riserva has a dense texture and resolute power. Brilliant, rich ruby colour with a garnet rim. A core of dark fruits and black cherries is framed by spices, toast, pressed rose and earthy garden soil. Firm, very dense tannins, builds up in many layers, savoury, ripe fruit, firm pressure and not a hint of dryness on the final, great potential. SUPERIORE.DE

Currá is an archaic long-distance runner and presents itself very aristocratic when young with increasing bottle maturity or also good aeration. Then it reveals dark berries and a fine chocolate note in the bouquet. In its style, it is edgy at first, but then at no point denies its greatness and harmony. Tobacco, plums, smoke and tobacco: with every glass, this exceptional wine reveals new facets and a firework of impressions. This is Nebbiolo from 65-year-old vines at the highest level! SUPERIORE.DE

Some wines embody the history of an entire movement. Camartina is one of that handful of Tuscan icons that changed everything in the early 1980s – those rebellious Super Tuscans that paid no heed to the strict rules of Chianti Classico and instead pursued their own vision of greatness. 1981 saw the birth of Camartina, and with this wine, Querciabella not only laid the foundations for its own success but also made Italian wine history. The name itself says it all: a fusion of "Casaocci" – the first office on the first hectare of vineyard – and "Martina", the younger daughter of Giuseppe Castiglioni, the visionary founder. What began as a Sangiovese-dominated blend has undergone a fascinating evolution over the decades. Today, Cabernet Sauvignon is the clear protagonist, accounting for seventy per cent, whilst Sangiovese, at thirty per cent, contributes that elegant Tuscan linearity which sets Camartina apart from other Super Tuscans. The reason lies in the vineyards of Ruffoli near Greve in Chianti, where Cabernet has found a home on the arid sandstone soils that lend it an unusual finesse – lighter, more refined and sophisticated than elsewhere.