Wines from Tuscany

Nastagio (also known as Nastasio) is the name of an ancient farmhouse of the Fattoria di Sant'Angelo, which was already recorded in the maps of Grand Duke Leopold. Brunello Nastagio is released on the market five years after the harvest, as if it were a Riserva, and is the result of the many years of experience that Col d'Orcia has gained in the development and cultivation of the Sangiovese vineyard. It is also the result of the many research chapters that Col d'Orcia has been carrying out with the University of Florence for more than twenty years. The ageing in tonneaux (500 Liters) oak barrels and then in the traditional large "botti" represent an ideal combination between tradition and modernity, while maintaining the essential aspect of longevity.

Laura Brunelli's Brunello is an outstanding reflection of the appellation every year. A floral bouquet, the purest expression of cherry and strawberry imaginable, hints of mint, sage and cedar dust - all are found in its stunning bouquet. The youthful density of the ripe primary fruit contrasts with salty minerality and lively acidity, leaving a cascading and crisp impression on the palate. SUPERIORE.DE

Treat yourself to a large glass, or even better: decant the wild and racy Il Guercio, then a dark berry mix with black cherries and a hint of dark chocolate will be in the air. Equally juicy Sangiovese fruit on the palate, full-bodied with fine silky tannins, elegant and finely structured, with animating acidity, very precise and animating in the long finish. Potential for many years in the cellar. Not at all loud, but a highly impressive wine full of elegance and the winery's masterpiece. SUPERIORE.DE

In Bolgheri, less than four kilometres from the Mediterranean Sea, lies that "El Dorado" of Italian viticulture which the legendary Oenologist André Tchelistcheff once visionarily recognised. Here, on the volcanic soils between an ancient cypress-lined avenue and the Tuscan coast, Le Volte emerges as the approachable calling card of a winery whose name is synonymous worldwide with uncompromising quality. The cuvée, comprising 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot, is vinified separately by grape variety in small stainless-steel tanks to preserve the individual characteristics of each. Following malolactic fermentation, the wine matures for ten months, partly in used Ornellaia barriques and partly in concrete tanks – a deliberate balance between structure and fruit expression.

700 bottles. That is the entire production of this Vin Santo – from the Vigneto delle Valli at 420 metres, 5,000 vines per hectare, 1.5 kilograms of grapes per vine. Trebbiano Toscano and Malvasia Bianca, half each, harvested by hand in the first days of September 2018 and then transferred to the appassimento. The grapes were left to dry for four months in the ventilated appassitoio – four months in which the water drained away, the sugar concentrated and the flavour intensified. Then manual pressing with a mechanical hand press. What remains finds its way into 100-litre chestnut Liters– sealed with the winery's mother yeast, which is passed on from vintage to vintage. There the must rests, ferments slowly and matures for five years. Five years in which wood, yeast and time do their part.

Neris Edel-Rosso was born with the purchase of a very special vineyard. True to the winery's philosophy of only producing wines from the best terroirs around Montalcino, the small 7-hectare plot with over 45-year-old vines was acquired in 2018. This was preceded by over 40 years of friendship with the previous owners, with whom Giovanni Neri planted the vines and nurtured and cared for them over the past decades. Incidentally, the best grapes from this vineyard have been used for a small quantity of the eponymous Brunello di Montalcino since the 2018 vintage.

In 1971, Giovanni Neri bought Podere Casanova, east of Montalcino. He was 48 years old, a grain merchant from Montevarchi, and had just one dream: to produce a great Italian red wine. At that time, the Brunello DOC comprised barely thirty producers; the area was rugged and undeveloped. Giovanni Neri saw what others had not yet seen. He lived long enough to introduce his son Giacomo to the business – but not long enough to see what became of that first Podere. Giacomo and his sons, Gianlorenzo and Giovanni, have seen it. To mark the estate's fiftieth anniversary, they dedicated a wine bearing the founder's name to him.

Pure Burgundian elegance and Tuscan flavour. A Sangiovese in Riserva quality that impresses with its long, continuous course of flavoursome fruit and carefully extracted tannins. Light ruby colour with garnet-red reflections. Clear nose with notes of pomegranate, raspberry and a hint of saffron. Fresh, juicy and superbly unadulterated on the finish and with great ageing Storage potential. SUPERIORE.DE

This exceptional Sangiovese comes exclusively from the historic "Palmina" vineyard – the oldest vines that John Dunkley and Palmina Abbagnano found back in 1971 when they acquired the small estate from the neighbouring Badia a Coltibuono monastery. A hillside vineyard with a low yield, as the purchase contract noted at the time. Since 2010, the grapes from this unique hectare at an altitude of 480 metres have been vinified separately. Today, the 60-year-old Sangiovese vines with their extremely low density of just 3x1 metres yield barely more than one kilogram of grapes per vine, but they are of incomparable concentration and purity.

Coniale – pure Cabernet Sauvignon – is an elegant and expressive wine that hits the palate with fabulous intensity and richness. Saddle leather, smoke, sage, rosemary and tobacco pour from the glass in a structured, imposing Cabernet Sauvignon with class and personality. An exotic blend of black fruits, smoke, spicy herbs, leather and tobacco resonates on the finish. It is a wine with real pedigree. SUPERIORE.DE

In the hills of Bibbona, where the vineyards of the Alta Maremma overlook the Tyrrhenian Sea, this characterful cuvée is the result of the Antinori brothers' ambitious project. The name Insoglio is a poetic reference to the places where wild boar burrow in the ground – a symbol of the wild, unspoilt nature of the Maremma landscape. Composed mainly of Syrah, supplemented by Petit Verdot, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon, this wine is an intense purple-red colour with violet reflections. The nose reveals scents of violets and wild berries, interspersed with the characteristic pepper spice and Mediterranean scrub with myrtle and rosemary. Enveloping and fresh on the palate, with polished tannins that create the perfect balance between territorial character and elegant drinking pleasure. A wine with a strong personality from Antinori's Tenuta di Biserno winery. SUPERIORE.DE

L'Alberello is a beautiful Rosso made primarily from Cabernet. The wine comes from a two-hectare plot planted entirely with long rows of Alberello vines planted at an altitude of 30 metres above sea level on predominantly clayey soils. Fermentation takes place in stainless steel and the wine matures for 18 months in barriques. Starts fresh and vehement with warm, dark fruit flavours, then opens up further with a bouquet of herbs, coffee and a pinch of pepper. Remarkably polished and juicy on the palate, everything is in balance, silky and very charismatic on the long finish. SUPERIORE.DE

In 2004, Grattamacco did something that nobody in Bolgheri thought necessary: converting two hectares of vineyards to the Alberello training system – the traditional, bushy training system that has been practised in Sicily and Sardinia for centuries, but which simply did not exist in Bolgheri. This was not a nostalgic look back, nor a romanticisation. It was a response to an increasingly pressing reality: heat and drought. The Alberello training system makes the vines more resilient. Their low, spreading growth shades the ground, reduces water evaporation and forces the roots to grow deeper. The vines were planted according to the so-called ‘settonce’ pattern – a hexagonal system in which each vine is exactly the same distance from all its surrounding neighbours. An arrangement that combines maximum space with minimal competition.

With the 2006 vintage, Monsanto's Vin Santo was released for the first time as "Occhio di Pernice", meaning it was made from 100% Sangiovese grapes. It is vinified only in the very best years; the grapes are carefully harvested by hand in October and then placed on special racks, where they rest until the start of the following year. After gentle pressing, the must is sealed and ferments in small oak, cherry and chestnut barrels in the Vinsantaia, where it is exposed to seasonal temperature fluctuations.

Dievoles Chianti Classico Petrignano is the result of the endeavour to highlight the identity characteristics of particularly suitable vineyards, leading to ever more precise expressions of Sangiovese. Petrignano is the name of a characteristic area with a soil rich in minerals and stones. At an altitude of around 330 metres, rocks protrude from the ground that are typical of the geological formation of Monte Morello. The abundance of stones, the depth of the roots and the low growth of the vines result in an expressive and lush wine from this characteristic and authentic cru site.

Intense ruby red Vino Nobile Riserva with a spicy bouquet of aromas of dried fruit, cinnamon, cloves and liquorice. Smooth on the palate with a variety of nuances, beautiful fullness, structure and intensity, supple tannins. Very elegant pleasure at an excellent price. SUPERIORE.DE

Castello Romitorio's 2019 Brunello di Montalcino is a classic expression of the 5-star vintage in Montalcino (consortium rating), showing plenty of ripe fruit, minerality, herbal nuances and varietal purity. This wine hits the sweet spot between elegance and power, which is not easy to achieve. It offers a wide range of Sangiovese flavours with wild cherry, forest floor, crushed clove and medicinal herbs, but it also shows a plump density and a velvety texture. Filippo Chia and his team have created a highly attractive Brunello for medium to long drinking. SUPERIORE.DE

From the legendary San Guido estate, the cradle of Sassicaia, comes Le Difese, a wine that combines the essence of two worlds: the international class of Cabernet Sauvignon with the Tuscan soul of Sangiovese. Named after the golden boar tusks on the label – a symbol of the wild Maremma –this blend, first created in 2002, embodies the accessible side of an icon. After gentle hand-picking and temperature-controlled fermentation in stainless steel tanks, Le Difese matures for twelve months in French and American barriques, followed by three months in the bottle.