Wines from Tuscany

Pacenti's flagship Brunello di Montalcino Vecchie Vigne 2017 is a blend of equal parts fruit from the north and south of Montalcino with great texture and resonance. The aromas are dark and textured through and through. Dark red fruits and stone fruits, new leather and cedar gradually open up in the glass, but it needs time to fully develop, partly because the Vecchie Vigne has slightly more new oak than the Pelagrilli. A powerful, spicy representative of the appellation that will only reach its true top form with a few years of bottle ageing. SUPERIORE.DE

Bright red colour. Sweet spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla complement the aromas of dark red and black cherries on the fresh, sexy nose. Lively, juicy and sweet on the palate, but with a tactile mouthfeel and spicy flavours of red cherries, herbs and sassafras. The youthful, crisp finish, which emphasises notable but polished oak nuances, is pleasantly persistent. A real plus point is the balance of this wine, it is a spicy, well-structured Rosso on a clear Brunello level and a real beauty! SUPERIORE.DE

The Aleatico grapes for this very small edition (< 500 hand-numbered bottles) dry slightly on the vine when they are harvested. They are then subjected to further drying in well-ventilated rooms for about 45 days, as in the production of Amarone. The first fermentation takes place in stainless steel, the further course then in new small wooden barrels of medium toasting.

When Paolo Panerai realised his vision of a great Tuscan red wine made exclusively from indigenous grape varieties at the end of the 1970s, hardly anyone suspected that this wine would make history. As early as 1988, the Wine Spectator catapulted it into the international wine elite with sixth place in its first Top 100 – a triumph for a Supertuscan that deliberately eschewed Cabernet and Merlot in favour of the genetic purity of Tuscan vines. The name itself tells of the terroir: "Sodi" is what Tuscan winegrowers call those hard, stony soils that were too heavy for teams of oxen and had to be laboriously worked by hand. Here, on calcareous Galestro soils between 350 and 400 metres above sea level, around the medieval church of San Niccolò, the vines fight for every drop of water – 85 per cent Sangioveto, the original, small-berried form of Sangiovese, and 15 per cent Malvasia Nera, an almost forgotten grape variety – an almost forgotten grape variety that was abandoned in many places due to its low yields – result in a cuvée of unnerving power and unmistakable race. The 2021 vintage perfectly embodies this philosophy: After 18 to 25 days of maceration in steel tanks, the wine matures for up to 30 months in barriques, two thirds of which in new wood, before resting for a further twelve months in the bottle.

In the late 1970s, Paolo Panerai brought together four separate "poderi" – small farms whose soil was so hard and stony that no one could work it with oxen, only by hand – to form a single vineyard. The Tuscan farmers called such unyielding land "I Sodi". The farms surrounded an old hamlet, dominated by the church of San Niccolò – hence the full name. In 1977, Panerai produced the first vintage. In 1988, "I Sodi di San Niccolò", with its 1985 vintage, became the first Italian wine ever to be included in Wine Spectator's Top 100 – a success that was repeated in 1989 with the 1986 vintage. To this day, it remains one of the few Super Tuscans produced exclusively from indigenous grape varieties – proof that Sangioveto needs no crutches from Bordeaux. Its origins lie in genuine research: the first experimental vineyard in the Chianti Classico region, established in collaboration with the Universities of Milan and Florence, as well as the San Michele all'Adige Institute, to identify the best clones. 2022 marks the 45th harvest of this historic wine.

If only it were true. This Italian idiom, full of longing and hope, lends its name to Angelo Gaja's Tuscan masterpiece, *Magari*, and tells the story of a dream that became reality. When the Piedmontese patriarch first explored the Maremma coast in the 1990s, he saw the potential for something extraordinary in the rolling hills of Bolgheri. It took eighteen rounds of negotiations to acquire the Ca' Marcanda estate – "the house of endless negotiations", as it has since been known.

If only it were true. This Italian saying, full of longing and hope, gives its name to Angelo Gaja's Tuscan masterpiece, *Magari*, and tells the story of a dream that became reality. When the Piedmontese patriarch first explored the Maremma coast in the 1990s, he saw the potential for something extraordinary in the rolling hills of Bolgheri. It took eighteen rounds of negotiations to acquire the Ca' Marcanda estate – "the house of endless negotiations", as it has been known ever since.

Pian dell'Orino's Rosso di Montalcino 2021 impresses with bright and crisp fruit that is impossible to resist. If a Rosso can taste this good, we can look forward to great things when the 2021 Brunello wines come onto the market. The fruit is bright, firm and pure. Wonderfully tactile mouthfeel with spicy flavours of red cherries, herbs and sassafras. The youthful, crisp finish, which highlights notable but polished oak nuances, is pleasantly persistent. A real plus point is the balance of this wine, it is an absolute beauty. SUPERIORE.DE

For three years, the team at Tenuta San Giorgio got to know their vineyards. Not as an end in itself – but because they needed to know which plots had what it takes to produce a Riserva. The Brunello Disciplinare is clear on this point: the Riserva must be the exceptional, not the standard. It was not until 2018, after three years of careful observation and selection, that the answer was clear enough to take the first step: the first vintage of Ugolforte Riserva was put into the barrels. Climatically, 2018 was not an easy year in Montalcino. But in oenology, it is often the case that the most challenging vintages produce the most elegant wines. Selection of the best grapes from the best plots, fermentation in oak vats and concrete tanks with long maceration periods, 30 months in 30-hectolitre Slavonian oak barrels, bottled in November 2021, released in January 2024. A Brunello that was shaped over six years before leaving the estate.

A debut is followed by confirmation. The second vintage of Ugolforte Riserva shows that 2018 was no fluke – and, at the same time, that every vintage speaks its own language. Whereas the 2018 was fresh and vertical, the 2019 is deeper, spicier and more full-bodied. A different character, the same origin. Castelnuovo dell’Abate, south-east of Montalcino, 250 to 400 metres. Views over the Val d’Orcia. The complex soils – clay, tuff, galestro, red soils – and the temperate Mediterranean climate, cooled by a constant breeze. Organically farmed since the estate’s first certified organic vintage. Hand-harvested with careful selection in the vineyard, fermentation in oak vats and concrete tanks with long maceration periods, followed by 30 months in 30-hectolitre Slavonian oak barrels. The same philosophy: minimal intervention, maximum expression of the terroir.

Dark, translucent ruby red in the glass, elegant even at first glance. An inviting aroma of red and black fruit flavours, almost a mix of wild berries and sour cherries. And then again that spiciness so typical of Tenuta di Valgiano, herbaceous and mineral, fresh and yet Mediterranean, simply incomparable. Full-bodied on the palate, very juicy, extract-sweet fruit, again accompanied by this mineral flavour. Juicy, deep, with a silky, elegant tannin structure and a wonderfully balanced interplay of fruit and acidity. A wine with finesse and piquancy, length and ageing potential for a good fifteen to twenty years. This wine should be decanted and left to breathe in the carafe for at least one to two hours before drinking. SUPERIORE.DE

Just 2,100 bottles of this 1.5 ha single vineyard Cabernet Franc "Campo di Magnacosta" (a former riverbed with mainly clay, gravel and crushed stone soil) reach the specialised trade and the menus of the best restaurants worldwide. The vines were planted in the mid-1990s and come from Pomerol. In terms of aromatic intensity, Magnacosta is probably the most sensually elegant representative of the house's three great site cabernets. It has great straightness, but somewhat less power and intensity. It subtly combines black fruit aromas with spicy notes, tar and antique leather. It is already silky and elegant and will certainly gain in finesse over the years. SUPERIORE.DE

Love is madness. And madness, says Francesco Illy, always creates something magical. This statement is not only the inspiration behind the name of this wine – it explains the entire Podere Le Ripi project: in 1997, a nature photographer bought a wild stretch of Tuscan countryside near Castelnuovo dell'Abate, planted it according to biodynamic principles, surrounded himself with a young, ambitious team – and created one of the most unconventional Brunello producers in the appellation. "Amore e Magia" comes from the eastern side of Montalcino, where Monte Amiata protects the vineyards from harsh weather like a silent guardian and sends cool downdrafts through the vines at night. The soil here is ancient and salty – oceanic clay and limestone from a time when these hills were still the seabed. You can taste it. A vibrant, iodine-rich minerality that carries the wine from within. Fermentation with wild yeasts in open vats, 50 days' contact with the skins – no intervention, just consistency. Then three years in large oak barrels, followed by cement. No new oak to overpower the wine. No compromise to smooth it out.

In 1975 – two years after Riecine's first Chianti Classico – John Dunkley decided that some vintages and some grapes deserved more than the usual treatment. The Riserva was born. Since then, it has only been produced when the selection allows: the finest vineyards, the oldest vines, two stages of selection – in the vineyard and on the sorting table – before the grapes enter the cellar. The vines used for the Riserva are between 25 and 45 years old. After selection, the must is transferred to unglazed Nomblot concrete vats. There, the must is initially kept cool with dry ice for four to five days before spontaneous fermentation begins – slowly and naturally. After fermentation, the wine spends a further ten days on the skins, with the cap submerged. Then comes the centrepiece: the entire Riserva production is transferred into a single large oak cask from Grenier. Untosted – no toasty aromas, no vanilla, no foreign character. Just the neutral, 'breathing' structure of the wood. 22 months. Then back into concrete tanks for natural stabilisation and clarification. Finally, three months in the bottle.

In the heart of the Valdarno Superiore, where the ancient Via dei Setteponti inspired Leonardo da Vinci to create his immortal landscape studies, lies Tenuta Sette Ponti – named after the seven bridges that have linked Arezzo and Florence since Etruscan times. Here, on 300 hectares where history meets modernity, Dr Antonio Moretti Cuseri realised a visionary idea in 1999: to create a Tuscan Bordeaux-style wine that combines international elegance with the soul of Tuscany. Oreno – named after the small river that flows through the estate in that clay-rich area where the Merlot vines put down their deepest roots – was born out of a passion for Bordeaux finesse. Fascinated by his travels to Bordeaux, Moretti Cuseri had existing vineyards grafted with Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Whilst the Merlot thrives in the clay-rich soils, the Cabernet vines find their home in gravelly terraces that offer perfect drainage and natural temperature regulation. The Petit Verdot rounds off the cuvée with spicy notes and intense flavour.

The grapes for Le Ripi's top Brunello come from a 4-hectare vineyard near Castelnuovo dell'Abate on the eastern side of Montalcino, not far from the Lupi e Sirene vineyard.

The Rosso di Montalcino comes from slightly younger Brunello vines and is matured for 12 months in large oak barrels. It undoubtedly bears the signature of the top winery Biondi Santi: delicately sweet, open flavours of red berries, flowers and cloves. Like all of the winery's other wines, the Rosso is classic and firm in style, with a bombastic structure and a brilliant, long finish. True to the house, it also has a long ageing and maturation potential and can compete with some of the Brunello wines of the appellation today and in the future. SUPERIORE.DE

The Sangiovese grapes for this wine come from the vineyard of the Empire of His Royal Highness, the Count of Turin, Vittorio Emanuele of Savoy, who planted it in 1935. The soil is a mixture of clay and gravel, rich in marl and rock, which gives the grapes a spectacular minerality. The temperature fluctuations during the day play a decisive role in developing the finest flavours, which are elegant and complex. The wine, bottled in numbered bottles, is not filtered in order to preserve all the typical varietal notes and characteristics of Sangiovese. SUPERIORE.DE

In 2011, Giampaolo Motta created a manifesto of love for both his daughter Carla and that unruly Tuscan diva called Sangiovese. After two attempts that proved unsatisfactory, the breakthrough came in 2011: the birth of a wine that comes exclusively from plot number 6 – a unique terroir of grey slate and sand that rests like a mysterious treasure in the golden Conca d'Oro of Panzano. What Bordeaux romantic Motta and his famous Oenologist Stéphane Derenoncourt have achieved here is a completely new interpretation of a single-varietal Sangiovese wine. "This wine is made by the soil, not the vineyard," philosophises Motta – a subtle but crucial distinction between terroir and mere geography.

Giacomo Neri's Pietradonice is Cabernet Sauvignon at the highest level and is now a legend, as there is hardly a wine in Montalcino that can even come close to equalling it. Monumental and very concentrated, with hints of sour cherries and a fine cedar wood and liquorice note. The exciting thing: Pietradonice is clearly recognisable as a Montalcino wine 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

Chianti Classico Riserva Castello di Volpaia is a dark, powerful wine. Black cherry, smoke, liquorice, incense, mocha, menthol, lavender and leather give this virile, brooding Riserva plenty of character. The palate is very aromatic with sweet red cherries, cedar wood and nuances of blood orange, yet very powerful and multi-layered with terrific depth and structure. A dream for Sangiovese lovers. SUPERIORE.DE

Monica Raspi remembers: "I took my first steps as a winemaker in the Omino vineyard. The grapes grown here produce the wine that is the absolute benchmark for my very personal interpretation of the Sangiovese grape."

In 1987, Sandro Chia drew a pencil sketch: a Roman centurion in the foreground, the castle in the background. The centurion as a symbol of transience, the castle as a symbol of eternity. He called the drawing "Romito del Romitorio" – the hermit of the Romitorio. And made it the label for the first wine that Castello Romitorio ever produced. Thirty-two years and many vintages later, Filippo Chia decided to rethink the Romito. Until 2018, it was a blend – sangiovese, Cabernet and Canaiolo. Then they reached deeper: Petit Verdot has been growing in the vineyards of Tenuta Ghiaccio Forte in Maremma since then, which Sandro Chia planted in the early 2000s. Soils of Pliocene origin – red clays and gravel at 170 metres. During the day, the Tyrrhenian Sea regulates the heat, while continental currents from the extinct Monte Amiata cool the evenings. A terroir made for a grape variety that is difficult to tame elsewhere. The hand-picked grapes travel to Montalcino, where they are selected and fermented in concrete vats. Fourteen months of ageing in semi-new French tonneaux, bottled unfiltered.

Thirty years. Thirty Tuscan harvests. When Sean O'Callaghan arrived in Tuscany in 1991 – a native Briton, influenced by his viticultural studies in Geisenheim and trained as a cellar master at Schlossgut Diel – he had a vision: not to tame Sangiovese, but to understand it. At Riecine, he spent a successful quarter of a century trying to unlock the secrets of this stubborn grape variety. Today, at Tenuta di Carleone in Radda in Chianti, the winemaker has become a true "whisperer". And the Uno 2021 marks his thirtieth harvest in this region – a quiet anniversary that looks inwards, not outwards.