Wines from Tuscany | Montalcino

Once upon a time, there was a vineyard that was particularly spoilt by the Montalcino sun; it still bears the name Vigna Loreto to this day. Only in the best vintages does a Brunello come from this exposed site that is bursting with richness, complexity and assertiveness. It possesses a textural depth and balance that is captivating. Fruit, spice and very unique nuances such as savoury herbs, liquorice, tobacco and a firm tannin make this impressive wine monument linger on the palate and in the memory for a long time. With every sip, it opens up further layers and you might almost sink into it, such is the shift in the boundaries of what is comparable. The 2019 Vigna Loreto is not only extremely elegant, but also profound and almost outrageously juicy. SUPERIORE.DE

Rennina from the dream year 2016 is a proud parade drop - everything is in the right place here and, for the true connoisseur, a lot more besides. Deep, almost impenetrable ruby red colour. Initially a rather closed nose with mineral notes and a hint of oak sawdust. Then gravel road, mint and hints of caraway. The palate is fleshy, powerful, with concentrated sour cherry fruit and a present but never intrusive tannin. Despite a certain opulence, it is a balanced wine that - away from the mainstream - is guaranteed to find its friends who will give it the necessary understanding, plenty of experience and patience. SUPERIORE.DE

The Spuntali vineyard is historically known as the best area of the south-west, sea-facing slope of Montalcino. Spuntali is a historic cru for Brunello di Montalcino: it is its unique terroir, it is also the sunniest and driest of the three slopes of Brunello, and the sea, just 40 kilometres away, already provides a Mediterranean climate here.

The 1.6-hectare Loreto vineyard is located on a slope right next to the winery and has an ideal south-east exposure. Vigna Loreto is only vinified in the best vintages and is an even more intense interpretation of the Sangiovese grape. On the palate, the texture is both creamy and robust, with a depth and fullness that make it very rich and exceptional. With further aeration, beautiful notes of black fruits, tobacco and spices. Aristocratic, powerful and very long. SUPERIORE.DE

The grapes for the Vigneti del Versante 2019 come from the Scopeta, Cancello Rosso and Bassolino di Sopra vineyards. Bright red colour. Very deep, complex, expressive aromas of red cherries, raspberries, balsamic oils, violets and sweet spices on the highly perfumed nose, clearly recognising the terroir of Sesta. Great fibre and density on the palate, with much of this power coming from the heavier soils of the vineyards. The overall expression is profound and precise with sharply defined aromas of wild berries, liquorice, lavender and lightly toasted almonds. Violets on the finish, supported by a silky, fine texture. One of the most stunning Brunello from the dream 2019 vintage, which, as always, comes onto the market a year later than its neighbours. SUPERIORE.DE

This dazzling wine is something for Sangiovese purists and lovers of extreme finesse. It literally vibrates with electric energy and charm. Opening with enticing aromas of roses, violets, berries, ploughed earth and new leather, it is youthfully intense but already a classic at this stage. With its velvety texture, it envelops everything it touches with masses of dark red fruit, liquid violet blossom, notes of lavender and sage, plus a subtle savoury note. Taut, refined tannins and bright acidity ensure a perfect balance and a promising, long ageing potential! SUPERIORE.DE

Poggio Antico's noble new addition to the portfolio makes its debut in the very first vintage with the typical class of the winery: precise and with great personality, it shows a lively fruit of outstanding quality, reminiscent of black plums, blackberries, pressed blueberries, plums, wild myrtle, milk chocolate, roasted hazelnuts and a light vanilla note. Citrus undertones and an elegant acid wire slim down the extract sweetness in the best possible way. Full-bodied on the palate, very well polished tannins and a solid, powerful finish that shows both muscle and relaxation. The grapes come from the small vineyard of the same name at over 550 metres above sea level. SUPERIORE.DE

Produced only in the best vintages and in small quantities, this Riserva follows the classic promise of a traditional and powerful Brunello that becomes softer and better with age. Brilliant deep red colour. Fragrant aromas of raspberries and blueberries, emphasised by violets, incense and cinnamon. Wonderfully sweet and penetrating on the palate, but light on its feet, with real class and energy, not to mention the powerful minerality of the densely packed flavours of red berries, pomegranate, tobacco and wild herbs. The finish is very long, supple and subtle with very fine tannins. SUPERIORE.DE

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.

Cerretalto 2018 is an expressive, exuberant and impressive wine that opens with a dark ruby red colour and a rich texture. The bouquet is endlessly intense, closely followed by finely tuned aromas of black cherries, spices, grilled herbs, cloves, tobacco, damp earth and white truffle. Over time, elegant mineral tones unfold, and later these flavours transition into cola, liquorice and tar. The mouthfeel is silky and supple, and there is enough power to move the wine seamlessly across the palate. Cerretalto continues to develop endlessly over 24 hours in the glass. Clear case: this is a bottle for the back of your cellar. SUPERIORE.DE

Luce Brunello is dark and impenetrable, as always in its more international style. On the palate, it delivers ripe and round fruit flavours of blackberries and plums with plenty of opulence, power and breed. SUPERIORE.DE

This dazzling wine is something for Sangiovese purists and lovers of extreme finesse. It literally vibrates with electric energy and charm. Opening with enticing aromas of roses, violets, berries, ploughed earth and new leather, it is youthfully intense but already a classic at this stage. With its velvety texture, it envelops everything it touches with masses of dark red fruit, liquid violet blossom, notes of lavender and sage, plus a subtle savoury note. Taut, refined tannins and bright acidity ensure a perfect balance and a promising, long ageing potential! SUPERIORE.DE

The vines cover two hectares directly below the small chapel that gave the wine its name. This is the steepest, oldest part of the estate, where Alessandro Mori heard the bells over the vines as a child. If there is a wine that is to become his legacy, then it must come from here. Brunello Madonna delle Grazie does not appear every year. There was none in 2002 and 2014 – the grapes were not good enough. This decision costs money, but Alessandro Mori has never acted on it. What distinguishes the Madonna from all other Brunellos in the appellation – even from its own basic Brunello – is the vinification. While the classic Il Marroneto is born with fermentation temperatures of up to 40°C and intensive extraction, the Madonna follows the opposite path: two days of rest after the harvest, then cool fermentation at 28°C for three to four weeks. The extraction is gentle, almost tender – more of an infusion than a maceration, closer to Pinot Noir than to classic Sangiovese. Then matured for 40 months in neutral vats.

2020 was the year in which the silence of the vineyards became a calculation. While the world stood still, Montalcino's winegrowers transformed the enforced slowness into precision: vineyard by vineyard, vine by vine, with an attention that other years would not have allowed. At Poggio di Sotto, this benefited a winery that is never in a hurry anyway. The summer of 2020 was hot – no question about it. But Monte Amiata, always vigilant behind the vineyards, moderated with its cool nights. Rain at the end of September, then a long, leisurely autumn with thirty days of marked day-night difference. Poggio di Sotto harvested late, only at the end of September – and took its time. In hot years, the estate characteristically chooses the deeper plots for its Riserva: cooler clay and Galestro, the natural brake against over-ripening. The result is a 2020 that carries the warmth of the vintage without being dominated by it.

A Riserva is not created according to plan. It is created when a vintage forces the house to do so – when Leonardo Berti goes into the cellar after a long rest in barrels, listens to the best foudres and decides: this wine needs more time, and it deserves it. 2019 was such a year. Together with 2016, it is considered the benchmark of modern Brunello history – warm, but never too hot, with rain at the right time, a harvest between 5 September and 4 October that Berti describes as almost textbook. Two parcels were chosen for the Riserva, which reflect the terroir of Castelnuovo dell'Abate in all its diversity: Terra Rossa, at 220 metres, with reddish gravel soil rich in minerals and organic matter – structure and depth. Pietranera, the historical place name of the estate, near the Orcia river on pure Galestro – natural yield limitation, river freshness, finesse. Spontaneous fermentation in wooden vats, maceration for at least 30 days, then 48 months in 30-hectolitre Slavonian oak barrels – almost a year longer than the Annata. Bottled unfiltered. 5,500 bottles.

The PS comes from a 1.5-hectare plot in the oldest part of the Pelagrilli vineyards in the north-east of Montalcino and is only produced in small quantities in the very best vintages. Rich and intoxicating in the glass. It exudes a captivating blend of plum sauce, grilled sage, crushed stones and a pinch of savoury spices. Its velvety, almost creamy texture soothes the palate as it introduces a wave of ripe red and black fruits, complicated by salty mineral tones that add an almost crunchy feel towards the finish. It remains structured and youthfully dry, with superfine tannins that saturate, along with a tart concentration of wild berries and subtle nuances of tangerine. 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.

There are a handful of wines in Italy that make us nervous every year before the first tasting because the expectations are huge. Cerretalto is undoubtedly one of them. What's more, as in this case from an exceptional year like 2019, it didn't disappoint our expectations - how could it have been otherwise?

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.

It is always nice to see when the outer form of a product is in harmony with the inner values. This is also the case with Valdicava's debut vintage from the large single vineyard Montosoli. Deep bouquet of lavender, violets, lilac and an initially very restrained dose of small red berries. With increasing aeration, the fruit comes to the fore and the aromas increase in detail and precision. Very firm and structured on the palate, with a wonderful balance of power and elegance. Just 1,500 magnum bottles of this are available - the curious should open it at least 12 hours before enjoying it, or even better: forget it in the cellar for at least five years. SUPERIORE.DE

Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Madonna del Piano 2015 is a huge, outstanding wine. Waves of vibrant, intensely fragrant fruit appear on the palate, supported by the firm, broad tannins of the plump, very rich vintage. Violets, spices, new leather and liquorice unfold in the glass, clean mineral notes frame an eruption of dark cherries, plums and camphor in a finish that fills the palate endlessly. Madonna 2015 is well on its way to becoming one of Vincenzo Abbruzzese's very great wines! SUPERIORE.DE

Giacomo Neri's Pietradonice is Cabernet Sauvignon at the highest level and has become a legend, as there is hardly a wine in Montalcino that can even come close to it. Monumental and very concentrated, with hints of sour cherries and a fine cedar and liquorice note. The exciting thing: Pietradonice is clearly recognisable as a Montalcino growth and yet, with its herbaceous spiciness, it is just as typical of Neri as it is of the grape variety and thus again as if from another larger world. SUPERIORE.DE

Madonna del Piano is a top wine from a top vintage, what more could you want? We are deeply impressed by its energetic tension and complexity, plus a harmony only imagined in the wildest dreams. Focused and racy bouquet of dark cherries, herbs, smoke and mineral hints. Very animating in the drink, the acidity plays around the primary fruit, then the polished tannins set in and glide this beautiful red into its almost endless finish. An extremely characterful and polished wine that is already one of the most beautiful of its appellation. SUPERIORE.DE

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