Wine

At the end of the 1980s, Luca Sanjust planted the first Merlot clones in the clay-rich soils of Feriale, unaware that he would create a legend. The name Galatrona – once the dominion of the Tuscan dynasty, whose medieval watchtower towers over the ten-hectare vineyard – was to become synonymous with Italian Merlot perfection. "Le Pin of Tuscany", as Wine Spectator calls it, but at a fraction of the price of this mythical Pomerol. The 50,000 vines on southeast-facing terraces combine Bordeaux genetics with Tuscan soul. Clay stores the moisture that Merlot needs in the hot summers, while slate, marl and sandstone provide the mineral complexity.

Altesinos Montosoli displays the famous characteristics of this particular site, which are always characterised by a pronounced mineral intensity, with hints of crushed granite and lead pencil layers. The five-hectare vineyard has a higher concentration of Galestro clay-slate rock, and the altitude contributes to the freshness of the wine.

When you hear the story of the effort that went into the Colonia vineyard, you have to wonder if the fine people of Fèlsina are absolutely crazy. It took them two years to remove the imposing rock that had forced previous generations of the Poggiali family to practically abandon this noble location. But it is thanks to the ambitious Giovanni Poggiali that this spectacular vineyard (Vigneto Colonia) has become what it is today. It has reddish-brown soils, is rich in magnesium and iron and is therefore very different from all other Fèlsina vineyards.

The strong ruby-red Pinot Nero Schweizer, which is only produced in the best vintages, is a masterpiece. Its bouquet is large, complex and reminiscent of very ripe small wild berries. These special flavours are also found in the mouth, in combination with ripe, candied dark cherry and delicate floral and red berry notes. Juicy, wide-ranging palate, mouth-filling and with delicate, sveltenuances and an inviting and slightly tannic body which, together with the well-proportioned acidity, gives the wine a long life. SUPERIORE.DE

While the world stood still in 2020, a quiet revolution took place in the vineyards of Montalcino. On the cool north-eastern slopes where Vincenzo Abbruzzese has been cultivating his Sangiovese vines for decades, nature wrote a chapter full of paradoxes: hot summer days with temperatures of up to 40 degrees, followed by night-time cooling, which gave the grapes the crystalline freshness that makes 2020 one of the most fascinating Brunello vintages in recent history. The vintage got off to a promising start with a mild winter that replenished the water reserves – a blessing in times of climate change. The spring was dry but even, until a rainy June with 154 millimetres allowed the foliage to grow lushly. Then came the summer: 64 days without a drop of rain, a drought that Vincenzo had never experienced before in his career. But where other winegrowers despaired, the master of Valdicava proved his expertise: meticulous foliage management protected the grapes from sunburn, while the deep roots of his old vines utilised the stored water from the rainy spring. The end of August brought redemption: cooler nights and scattered rain showers gave the vines new vigour. Vincenzo waited – a decision that sets his Brunello 2020 apart from many others. While other producers harvested before the September rains, he took advantage of the cooler temperatures for a final ripening that gave his wine the balance that makes 2020 a "drink-while-you-wait" vintage.

From deep moraine soil with a high salt and limestone content, Vigna Au first opens with flint and walnut and then beguiles with a complex bouquet of yellow, exotic fruits. Intense, juicy, with just the right amount of acidity, it has a maturation potential of at least 15 years. Just 2,000 bottles of this exceptional Chardonnay are bottled each year. SUPERIORE.DE

Avvoltore is a blend of Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah. Powerful and explosive in the glass, it possesses remarkable intensity in all its dimensions, with great fruit and equally impressive tannins. Dark cherry, leather, smoke, tobacco, liquorice and grilled herbs form a virile, imposing Maremma red wine that will need at least a few years to develop its full expressive power. Once again, Morisfarms has done a great job with its flagship wine. SUPERIORE.DE,

Monumental and very concentrated single-varietal Cabernet Sauvignon with hints of sour cherries and a fine cedar wood and liquorice note. The exciting thing is that Pietradonice is clearly recognisable as a Montalcino growth and yet, with its herbal and spicy character, it is as typical of Neri as it is of the grape variety and therefore seems to come from another larger world. SUPERIORE.DE

The Riserva "Tenuta Belguardo" is the flagship of the winery and an expression of Maremma in its modern, elegant form. It is based on Cabernet Sauvignon with a proportion of Cabernet Franc and reflects the Mediterranean vigour of the region as well as the cool precision of the nearby hills. The vines grow on barren limestone and sandy soils facing south-west, just a few kilometres from the Tyrrhenian Sea. The 2019 vintage is considered one of the most balanced of the last decade: a cool spring slightly delayed budbreak, followed by a warm but not overheated summer with regular breezes. The long, sunny September days with clear day-night differences produced grapes with perfect phenolic ripeness and fresh acidity. After selective manual harvesting, fermentation took place in stainless steel with a long maceration period, after which the wine matured for 18 months in French barriques and tonneaux.

From broodingmoraine soil with a high salt and limestone content, Vigna Au first opens with flint and walnut and then beguiles with a complex bouquet of yellow, exotic fruits. Intense, juicy, with just the right amount of acidity, it has a maturation potential of at least 15 years. Just 2,000 bottles of this exceptional Chardonnay are bottled each year. SUPERIORE.DE

This is a beautiful creation from a vintage that has presented some challenges to winemakers elsewhere in Italy and here in Piedmont. Barbaresco Bernadot with Treiso fruit shows a graceful, mid-weight approach to the 2014 vintage with red and purple fruits that are crisp and fresh. The bouquet is a sounding board for cassis, sour cherry, camphor ash, crushed stone and powdered licorice. Bernadot shows a firm texture and a lingering, silky intensity, while being refreshingly natural and weightless; an utterly captivating wine. SUPERIORE.DE

Every year, Renieri conjures up a lush and fruit-driven Brunello in the glass, bursting with freshness, brightness and balsamic-aromatic intensity. Its grapes come from a small, nine-hectare parcel with chalky clay soils. It offers strong cherry and blackberry aromas with delicate spice, smoke and blue flowers. The wonderfully balanced acidity propels this showpiece wine into a seemingly endless final. SUPERIORE.DE

It was in 1991 that Michele Satta planted his first vineyard with a visionary blend: Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese and Syrah. An assemblage that would simultaneously honour Bolgheri's established Bordeaux excellence and unite the Tuscan elegance of Sangiovese with the Mediterranean complexity of Syrah. Three years later, in 1994, Piastraia was born – the wine that changed everything and catapulted Michele Satta into the ranks of the great Bolgheri producers. The name comes from the chestnut trees that surround the vineyard – piastraia refers to the characteristic paving of chestnut leaves that covers the ground. But it is more than just a name: it is the manifestation of a philosophy that combines international greatness with Tuscan soul. Almost three decades after the first planting, Piastraia has found its final form. Since 2012, it has proudly borne the designation "Bolgheri Superiore" – an honour for vineyards that have reached their full complexity after two decades. From the 2019 vintage, Satta said goodbye to Syrah in this blend to make room for the pure essence of Bordeaux varieties and Tuscan Sangiovese.

There are moments in wine history when terroir, vintage and human mastery come together to create something extraordinary. The Barolo Bricco Boschis 2021 is one such moment – born from one of the most celebrated vintages in recent history and from a vineyard that has belonged exclusively to the Cavallotto family for almost a century. 2021 was the year that reminded Barolo lovers of the classic virtues of the great vintages: elegance instead of power, finesse instead of opulence, freshness instead of overripe sweetness.

Forty vintages. You have to let that melt in your mouth: When Pierluigi Talenti left the mountains of his native Romagna in the early 1950s and came to the hills of Montalcino, he not only found work at Sant'Angelo in Colle, but also his life's work. For over four decades, he shaped one of the appellation's most famous addresses as cellar master of Il Poggione – and is still considered one of the founding fathers of modern Brunello. He selected his own Sangiovese clones, set new quality standards and became a role model for an entire generation. In 1980, at the end of this era, he bought the Podere Pian di Conte – an old estate with a round tower overlooking the Orcia Valley – and began to press his own Brunello. Pierluigi died in 1999. Since then, grandson Riccardo has run the estate with the same tenacity, advised by Carlo Ferrini and supported by the knowledge that there is something special in these soils of sandy loam, clay and galestro.

A radiant ruby-coloured eye-catcher – underneath is the Barolo Arborina 2020, one of the most important wines from the house of Elio Altare. The grapes come from the single vineyard Arborina, a south to south-east facing amphitheatre in the hills of La Morra, whose calcareous and clayey soil is marked by elemental minerality. The 2020 vintage certainly presented a challenge: Periods of heat and rapid ripening demanded the utmost attention when working in the vineyard. Nevertheless, a concentrated, elegant result was achieved. The grape harvest followed with ideal timing, guided by finesse and a feel for the critical moment. The wine was aged for around 24 months in 30% new and 70% used French barriques before being left to mature in the bottle.

The grapes for the profound Le Vigne come from Baudana in Serralunga d'Alba (for the power), Villero in Castiglione Falletto (for the precision), Vignane in Barolo (for the purity of the flavours) and Merli in Novello (for the fullness of the fruit). It opens wide with aromas of fresh red fruit and a delicate spicy note. Very intense on the palate, remarkably elegant, fine-grained tannins, extremely clear, structured and long. SUPERIORE.DE

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

Rosso Ca'del Merlo is a refined cuvée of Sangiovese, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Corvina, Croatina, Nebbiolo and Rondinella. With its 7 years of ageing in wood and its dark, fruity Cabernet style, it once again demonstrates the great class of the house. In the breathtaking bouquet, peppery herbs and flowers meander towards a mixture of crushed blackberries and cloves. Silky and elegant on the palate, with a pure blend of wild berry fruits and sweet spices framed by a mineral acidity. Violet blossoms resonate on the long and slightly smoky finish, which ends long and fresh with a tart hint. Power meets grace, with tremendous style and breed. SUPERIORE.DE

Altesinos Montosoli displays the famous characteristics of this particular site, which are always characterised by a pronounced mineral intensity, with hints of crushed granite and lead pencil layers. The five-hectare vineyard has a higher concentration of Galestro clay-slate rock, and the altitude contributes to the freshness of the wine.

Bussia is the beating heart of Aldo Conterno – those five hectares in Bussia Soprana from which it all began. When Aldo bought Cascina Favot in 1969 and parted company with his brother Giovanni, he did so not out of rebellion, but out of conviction: He wanted to make Barolo friendlier, more accessible, without betraying its soul. Shorter macerations, pumping over instead of submerged pomace cap – these techniques quickly threw him into the "modernist" camp. But because he never gave up the large Slavonian oak barrels, his wines lack the barrique lustre that characterises many modern Barolo. The Barolo Bussia is the classic base cuvée – a blend from various parcels of Bussia, from vines at least 20 years old. Vinification follows the Conterno philosophy: manual harvest in mid-October, temperature-controlled fermentation in stainless steel tanks with indigenous yeasts, two to three weeks of maceration depending on the vintage. The wine is then aged for 26 months in large Slavonian oak barrels of 25 to 75 hectolitres, which are replaced every 15 to 18 years. This is followed by a further year of bottle ageing – for a total of three years before the wine leaves the winery.

The single-varietal Cabernet Sauvignon Toren is the only red cru from Tiefenbrunner's rare Vigna line and comes from a 0.6 ha micro-location with clay and limestone gravel soils: sparkling garnet red with a slight violet tinge. Very intense and appealing nose, with aromas of cassis, blackberry, tobacco and mint. Rich, concise fruit on the palate, mountains of cassis and cranberries, juicy and dense, builds beautifully with ripe tannins, long final. The name suffix "Secundo" was chosen for this vintage as there was unfortunately only a tiny harvest in 2021 and, unlike its predecessors, the wine is characterised by more finesse and elegance than the usual unbridled power and opulence. SUPERIORE.DE

Grattamacco is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Sangiovese, the latter grape variety certainly contributing to the fresh style of this wine. However, the overall picture is only complete when you realise that the vineyards used for this blend are among the best in the appellation. The Grattamacco Bolgheri Rosso Superiore is characterised by its typical aromas of leaves and Mediterranean forest, with subtle flavours of kiwi peel, cassis, paprika and chocolate. Velvety, youthful and firm on the attack, less light than the Alberello, but more tightly woven and of great elegance. Its length is astonishing, great potential! SUPERIORE.DE

1997 saw the birth of Bradisismo, named after the geological event that led to the formation of the Colli Berici. It is a successful symbiosis of the intense, concentrated flavour of ripe Cabernet cherries and the lively, spicy notes of Carménère. With its bouquet of small dark berries, spices, pepper and chocolate, it is a wonderfully inexpensive alternative to the great Bordeaux blends or Supertuscans. On the palate, it has a velvety texture, with a mix of dark fruits, cherries, floral notes and fine tannins that glide seamlessly over the palate. Deep, long finish and very good ageing potential. SUPERIORE.DE