Wine Spectator

Badia a Passignano is always one of the many highlights in the Antinori range and is probably the estate's most refined and elegant Sangiovese. Its character is medium-bodied and supple, but with plenty of fruit intensity, which is typical of the vineyard of the same name. It skilfully strikes a balance between richness and finesse, captivating from the very first sip. Lavender, mint, blue-purple fruit and liquorice are beautifully brought out. It is a very traditional and noble expression of the Tuscan grape that is hard to resist. SUPERIORE.DE

A farewell and a new beginning at the same time. Cepparello 2021 marks Paolo De Marchi's final vintage as master of his life's work before the winery was transferred to the French EPI Group. After more than four decades of tireless work, the maestro from Piedmont completed his testament with this wine – a Sangiovese of paradoxical brilliance that retains an astonishing freshness and elegance despite its powerful fifteen per cent alcohol. The name Cepparello, which originates from the small stream at the highest point of the vineyards, has carried the revolutionary vision of one hundred per cent Sangiovese since 1980. What began as a rebellion against the Chianti Classico regulations – the absurd rule of adding white grapes – developed into an icon of pure Sangiovese expression.

Here comes one of the best Cabernet Franc wines in Italy: bluish nuances mingle with ruby red. Blackberries and hints of roasted coffee in the deep bouquet, seaweed, balsamic and minty notes as the wine opens. Full and silky tannins on the palate with hints of violets and mint, flavour and freshness. All of this is carried by a noble excellence into a harmonious and persistent finish. SUPERIORE.DE

In the heart of Valdarno, where history and vision merge in a timeless act of faith, Il Borro – the flagship wine of a dream that began in 1993, when Ferruccio Ferragamo acquired the abandoned medieval village and brought it back to life. This exceptional blend not only embodies the essence of the Il Borro estate, but also the unshakeable conviction that wines of global appeal can be created from careful terroir analysis and a visionary grape variety philosophy. After meticulous geological studies, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah were planted on the soils that promise them optimal development: Merlot on the clay-rich layers, Cabernet Sauvignon in the alluvial sand, Syrah on the mineral-rich, stony terraces at the foot of Monte Pratomagno. Between 300 and 500 metres above sea level, the vines thrive on sandstone subsoil over a loamy-sandy matrix – a rare combination that was already considered ideal for great wines during the Renaissance. The dense planting of 4,500 vines per hectare forces each vine to fight for nutrients and concentrates the flavours in the berries.

The grapes for the rare Naturalis Historia come from a 50-year-old vineyard located 400 metres above sea level with deep, sandy soils of volcanic origin in Mirabella. Deep, sparkling dark red colour. Redcurrant, sweet spices and aromas of dark plums and red cherries on the nose. Perfectly structured on the palate with well-balanced pressure and a full body that is never broad, but fresh, supple and very agile, leading to a harmonious, long-lasting final. An outstanding Aglianico that is already delicious to drink now, but will also age wonderfully. SUPERIORE.DE

The Paesaggio Inatteso selection comes from Camigliano's 3.5-hectare "La Magia" vineyard, which has mineral and calcareous soils. Only just under 3,000 bottles are bottled. It offers a more robust style and a stronger aromatic intensity than the Annata. Bright red with an amber-coloured rim. On the nose, round notes of walnut shells, roasted hazelnuts and linseed, as well as red plums, pomegranate seeds and green olives. Traces of incense and cardamom in the background. Full-bodied, lively tannins on the palate, with hints of red berries and flowers leading to an intense and long finish. SUPERIORE.DE

When the world-famous Oenologist Carlo Ferrini makes his own wine, you can't help but be excited. Here, he has succeeded in creating an interpretation of Sangiovese that brings all his experience from decades of working with this grape variety to the fore as if through a burning glass. The moderate use of wood through ageing in 700-litre tonneaux expresses the clarity and personality of the grape and the unique terroir (there are just 1.5 hectares of the best Brunello sites) in an archetypal way.

Pianrosso comes from a south-western site of the Castelnuovo dell'Abate subzone at an altitude of about 300 m with mainly Galestro soils. It opens the pleasure cinema with a rich, sparkling garnet red. The bouquet is seductive and deep with hints of dark and black fruits, sage, rose petals and violets. On the palate, there is a distinct salty-fresh minerality, which soon enters into a wonderful harmony with the fine-grained tannins and the perfectly layered fruit, leading the wine powerfully with optimal balance into a soft, hardly ending finish. 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

Barolo Prapò comes from Serralunga d'Alba and is, as expected, the most powerful and structured of the various single-vineyard wines from this ambitious estate. At the same time, it is also the most closed at the beginning and, with its introverted nature, is made for a long ageing period. This site is one of the last where the grapes ripen, giving them plenty of time to develop slowly and carefully each year.

Sibi et paucis – for the few who understand that great wines are not in a hurry. Sandrone retains around 10 per cent of the production from each Aleste vintage and allows these bottles to mature for a full decade longer in his own cellar. What could have been released in September 2019 remains dormant until today – and is becoming something that goes beyond regular Barolo.

Just a few years after his highly acclaimed Cuvée Luigi Moio, the quiet quality leader from the up-and-coming Campania wine region is following up with a red counterpart to his white blueprint for the entire region. Luigi states: "A great wine is a project that must first arise in the mind and then gradually become a reality through knowledge, creativity, care and patience." SUPERIORE.DE

2020 is the first organic Oreno vintage. Deep dark ruby violet. On the nose, cassis, blackcurrant and a powerful herbal spice with a good dose of pipe tobacco, tar and crushed boulders. On the palate, dark berries, chocolate and a cornucopia of herbs define the full body. This juicy wine monument has precisely integrated tannins, an enormous silkiness and a seemingly endless finish. SUPERIORE.DE

Luce Brunello has been one of the icons in the large portfolio of Frescobaldi wines from Tuscany for years. The 2019 edition opens with great power and determination with ripe fruit flavours of blackberries and candied cherries. On the palate, it is medium-bodied and very harmonious thanks to the bright acidity and the overall quality of the primary fruit flavours of this excellent vintage. The tannins are well woven into the full-bodied density of the wine. Be sure to aerate or, better still, leave to mature for a few years in the cellar. SUPERIORE.DE

Fantastic wine from terrific2019, which embodies the style of the winery just as convincingly as its high-altitude terroir. Fruity aromas of wild cherry, baking spices and savoury herbs characterise its hauntingbouquet. Elegance and fullness in the perfectly contoured flavour, which gives all the components the necessary freedom. One of the best Poggio Antico in a long time: deep, long and multi-faceted - a real beauty! SUPERIORE.DE

A little bit of everything, but never too much of a good thing. One of the most complex Nobiles we have ever tasted. Delicate red fruit with a pinch of sweetness and floral aromas, underpinned by a little tobacco and raspberry. Clear cherry flavour on the palate, plus a wonderful spiciness with that subtle sweetness in the background again. A finesse-rich and harmonious final whets the appetite for the next glass. Very successful and full of precision! SUPERIORE.DE

When Lamole di Lamole acquired this two-hectare cru in 2017, they didn't just take over vines – they took over a legacy. The Sangiovese vines, planted in 1994, grow here in the archaic form of the "Alberello Lamolese", the bush training that generations of winegrowers have wrested from the harsh altitude and which they never wanted to give up. This natural terrace lies between 540 and 580 metres, exposed to the south, buffeted by the wind and flooded with the purest light. The old dry stone walls made of ochre-coloured Macigno Toscano absorb the sun's heat during the day and give it back to the vines at night – a dialogue between stone and plant that has been going on for centuries. As early as 1800, the geographer Emanuele Repetti noted: "Buon vino di Lamole, lodata campagna" – good wine from Lamole, praised landscape. In 2018, the village was declared a "Patrimonio Storico d'Italia". The 2020 – only the third vintage from this vineyard – shows what Gran Selezione can mean. The grapes undergo optical selection, ferment in 50-hectolitre conical barrels with "macerazione differita", mature first in the same containers, then in 30-hectolitre oak barrels. The result? A wine that the winemakers themselves describe as lyrical and beguiling.

In the past, the northern slope of Montalcino was not planted with vines, but was cultivated with cereals, olives and cherries. In this area influenced by the Apennines, the seasons are more pronounced, continental and the north wind significantly lowers the temperature in winter. It is therefore the coldest Brunello region at this time of year, but also the wettest. This northern slope is a gentle hill: a characteristic that is more reminiscent of the Crete Senesi area, right next door, than the two stiffer, steeper and warmer southern slopes of Montalcino.

Camarcanda is a rich Bolgheri Rosso Superiore with a dark bouquet of black fruits, espresso, chocolate, liquorice and tar. On the palate, it is decidedly full-bodied, with excellent depth, dense structure and firm body. Opulent and long, this wine already shows a wide range of its personality. SUPERIORE.DE