Italy

I recall picking La Serra in 2009 as if it were yesterday! The sun was just up, flooding the ESE facing, cliff-like face of the white La Serra with bursting orange light. Davide’s father Giovanni had had a bad night (he died the following January) so there had been a slight delay, even though their house lies close to the vineyard. They were one of the very last to harvest. The result: an uplifting, soaring wine, the emphasis on the high tone redcurrant notes, exhibiting both pulpy grasso and saline flavours. A joyful wine despite the sad circumstances.

David Berry Green

Gloriously scented with a lightness of touchy that belies its ageworthy staying power. Rose petal, red fruit and assam overlay taut tannins and fresh acidity. Incredibly mineral on the finish. More subtle than the Brunate, but no less delicious. Drink from 2023+.
Katherine Dart MW, Wine Buyer 

Bibi Graetz considers his new-and-improved 2022 a true renaissance of Casamatta – becoming “a little Testamatta”. From around 420 metres above sea level, the Sangiovese used here comes from Bibi’s Vincigliata and Olmo vineyards in Fiesole. This is bright and energetic, vinified entirely in stainless steel to protect that character. Leaping with perfume, the wine flows with red berries and sweet dried violets. This is followed by glistening red cherries, fresh cranberries and supreme balance on the palate. This is one for the true Bibi fans.

Charlie Leech, Buying Assistant, Berry Bros. & Rudd (June 2024)

Le Volte is consistently one of the best-value drinking reds you can find anywhere in the world, and the 2022 is no different. Bright, fresh fruit adorns the palate alongside nice levels of acidity, making this incredibly moreish. Whilst high-toned and perfumed, the palate has a lovely texture to it. There aren't many better options for mid-week drinking than this.

Liam Mckeown, Account Manager, Berry Bros. & Rudd (February 2024)

Possessing more overt fruit and body than the 2012, this Brunate, layers toasted nuts with cherry and savoury graphite and tar notes. Amazing grip and clean acidity underpin the dense, ripe fruit on the core of the wine. Contained power. Drink from 2025+.
Katherine Dart MW, Wine Buyer

Calcareous soils, with smaller and paler red berries compared to the Cerretta. Dark cherry, blackberry and bramble, and crushed petals on the nose. Mineral and saline on the palate, with a juicy red fruit core, tightly woven tannins, wonderful tension and poise. Linear and precise, with outstanding potential to age. drink 2023+
Katherine Dart MW, Wine Buyer

The 2018 Chianti Classico Riserva is floral, ethereal and nicely lifted. Sweet pipe tobacco, cedar, mint, dried flowers and leather give the 2018 terrific aromatic presence. This mid-weight Riserva drinks well now, but also has enough energy to develop positively in bottle for at least a handful of years.

Drink 2022 - 2028

Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com (June 2022)

This comes from the estate’s younger vines, many planted in albarelli “bush” style. Cool fermentation and short maceration aid aromatics and drinkability. Nine months in old tonneau and terracotta amphorae retain fruit purity without sweet oak influence and give a pleasing suppleness to the tannins. This is a bright expression of Rosso, but not without complexity. Floral high notes, spice, wild mint, fresh currents, dried cranberry and cherry flesh tannins are framed by a tangy freshness and earthy Tuscan charm.

Drink 2023 - 2030

Berry Bros. & Rudd

This is the baby Testamatta Bianco. It is produced using the youngest vines on the island of Giglio. The grapes are hand harvested and vinified entirely in stainless steel. The fermentation temperatures are kept low, protecting the wine’s fresh, crisp brilliance. The coastal fingerprint is unmistakable, the palate awash with grapefruit peel and lemon peel. Also present is the signature salty, fennel-like refreshment and complexity typical of Bibi Graetz’s whites. You may not have heard of Ansonica (the dominant grape), but you will certainly be pleased you found it.

Charlie Leech, Buying Assistant, Berry Bros. & Rudd (June 2024)

The 2006 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva emerges from the glass with freshly cut flowers, sweet red berries, liquorice and spices, all wrapped around a sensual, elegant frame of the notable class. Considerable aeration is needed to bring out the wine’s depth and textural richness. This is an excellent wine, but more often than not I am attracted more to the straight Brunello here, as is the case again in 2006. Costanti gave the 2006 Riserva 36 months in oak, 18 months in medium-sized barrels, followed by 18 months in cask.

Drink 2016 - 2026

Antonio Galloni, Wine Advocate (April 2012)

The 2015 Barolo Monvigliero is a wine of pure and total seduction. The warm vintage has filled out the wine's frame beautifully. The interplay of ripe, succulent 2015 fruit and aromatic intensity from the whole clusters yields a positively stunning, breathtaking wine of the very highest level. Once again, Burlotto's Barolo Monvigliero takes a place among the most compelling wines of the vintage. Readers who can find it should not hesitate!

Drink 2023 - 2055

Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com (February 2019)

Definitely more savoury, more mysterious, with a darker hue, earthier even, than the playful fruitiness of (baby sister) Villero. Tasted from barrel just prior to bottling in July 2014, Monprivato 2010 displays an intense spicy incense character; the palate suggests essential oils, together with exquisite balance and composure. Great.
David Berry Green

Maturing mid-ruby with only a very narrow, orange-tinged rim. This is what Barolo is about: cherry, earth undergrowth and hints of dried fruit, which do not take the upper hand. Lovely supple, tangy fruit that hasn’t lost any of its lustre, perfectly balanced with chewy tannins. Already impossible to resist, but not nearly at its peak.

Drink 2020 - 2046

Walter Speller, JancisRobinson.com (November 2015)

The 2009 Flaccianello della Pieve is a bit of a shock to the palate after 20+ older vintages. Still, it is impossible to miss the wine’s striking purity and finesse. Today the 2009 is a bit of a brute, but it should mellow out over the next 5-7 years as the tannins start to soften. Firm tannins frame layers of ripe, juicy fruit in this young, extroverted Flaccianello.

Antonio Galloni - Wine Advocate - Issue#201 Jun 2012

The 1994 Masseto is not a wine I have had often, but it is so compelling tonight. The aromatics alone are totally beguiling. A whole range of floral, savory and spice notes are woven throughout a core of red-toned fruit. Delicate and nuanced, the 1994 is utterly beguiling. I absolutely loved it. Readers who own it should be thrilled. The growing season was marked by an early flowering but normal harvest time, which means the cycle was on the longer side. Maybe that explains why the 1994 is such a complete and alluring wine.

Drink 2018-2028

Antonio Galloni, Vinous (Jan 2018)

Since the 2010 vintage, this wine is named Francia (not Cascina Francia) to keep with the new Menzioni Geografiche Aggiuntive (or official cru naming) in Barolo and Barbaresco. The 2012 Barolo Francia is a seductive and silky expression that flows gracefully over the palate with power and determination.

The nose is expressive, and decidedly more articulate than many of the more muted wines made by neighboring estates in this warm vintage. The quality of the mouthfeel is of special interest. This beautiful Barolo already shows stunning texture, richness and integrity, despite this very early preview tasting.

I tasted this wine in barrel shortly before bottling.

Drink 2020 - 2050

Monica Larner, Wine Advocate (June 2016)

Unlike the previous 2007 vintage, Mascarello Bartolo’s 2008 Nebbiolo fruit was harvested with more bunches (as no hail damage), more acidity, a lower pH and a lower level of alcohol. In 2008 Maria Teresa held her nerve until after the September rains and harvested the rewards under the October sun. Almost ruby in colour, there is emphatic loganberry and currant fruit, ripeness, distilled kirsch and griottine fruit.
(David Berry Green, BBR Italian Buyer)

Mild and refreshing and exciting with real raciness and freshness. Lovely balance and a dry finish. Lip-smacking, great fruit and purity.

Jancis Robinson MW, jancisrobinson.com (May 2017)

Production is 11,000 bottles, 1,500 magnums and 200 Jeroboams.

Packaged in its distinctive red label, the 2016 Barbaresco Riserva Asili is a rich and profound wine with incredible depth and dimension. Bruna Giacosa skipped over the 2015 vintage because she felt that the fruit was not poised for long aging. From the 2014 vintage, we jump to this 2016 expression, a wine that Bruna says reminds her of the epic 2001 and 2004 vintages. She also loves the 2017 vintage, which I look forward to tasting next year.

This wine is incredibly precise and sharp; however, the volume and generous fruit weight promises a long aging future. The aromas veer toward red berry, cherry and cassis, and the darker black fruit tones that you might expect are less prominent in the Asili. The wine majestically captures the elegance and the power of this iconic vintage.

Drink 2025 - 2050

Monica Larner, Wine Advocate (September 2021)

Tignanello’s origins lie in a single vineyard Chianti Classico known simply as “Vigneto Tignanello” made for the 1970 vintage. From 1971 the wine was classified as lowly Vino da Tavola, and the Cabernets were added to the Sangiovese for the first time. The original Super Tuscan was born. The 2013 is the first release since the passing of the great Giacomo Tachis, Head Winemaker at Antinori from the late 1960s through to the 1990s and creator of Tignanello, Sassicaia, Solaia and many of the notable wines of Tuscany and Italy. The 2013 is a fitting tribute to this very talented man.

Berry Bros. & Rudd

The 2011 Sassicaia comes from a vintage with a cold winter, a mild spring with abundant rains and a very good difference in temperatures between night and day during the summer, and there were sunny days during the harvest. You can feel this sunny, bright personality in the wine. The nose is open and accessible with bright red fruit and cream aromas. On the palate, there are contrasting flavours which are a little green and firm, but these are enveloped in a luxurious texture and weight.

Drink 2022 - 2034

Susan Hulme MW, Decanter.com (November 2022)

This wine is showing exceptionally well in this classic vintage. The 2016 Guidalberto (Cabernet Sauvignon and a smaller percentage of Merlot) opens to a full and generous bouquet and a beautifully rich and velvety appearance. This edition of Tenuta San Guido's mid-level wine offers a bigger aromatic profile, more texture and more volume as well. Dark cherry and blackberry segue to spice, tar, leather and sweet fruit at the end. The mouthfeel is elegantly shaped, silky and nuanced. This may well be the best vintage of Guidalberto I have yet to tasteand you can get this wine at a great price too.

Monica Larner, Wine Advocate (February 2018)

Il Poggione is a winery steeped in history with its origins dating back to the late 1800s. Owned by Leopoldo and Livia Franceschi , it is situated below the beautiful hilltop town of Sant’Angelo in Colle, a part of the Brunello di Montalcino appellation characterised by a temperate, yet well-ventilated micro-climate. This benefits the grapes by maintaining refreshing acidity levels and extending their ripening time.

Father and son winemaking team Fabrizio and Alessandro Bindocci coax the best from these privileged vineyard sites; they are also proponents of a traditional wine-making style which includes submerging the cap with frequent pump overs (for more colour and tannin extraction), and ageing in large casks (so that wood flavours remain subtle and do not interfere with the natural expression of the Sangiovese and the Sant’Angelo terroir).

In the best vintages the wines demonstrate extraordinary development in bottle. Even better, prices have remained very reasonable, considering the superb quality of the wine. Poggione’s straight Brunello is one of the most fairly-priced, cellar worthy wines of the appellation. This is a benchmark property for fine, traditionally made Brunello capable of ageing superbly.
Chris Pollington- Private Account Manager

Il Poggione is one of the stars of Brunello, despite this it is always incredibly reasonably priced. Every year we sell through our allocation quickly and 2010 I think it is a case of blink and you will miss it! Il Poggione is a wine that reflects the more modern end of the styles in Brunello, it always has rich, lush fruit and in 2010 it is perfectly held in check by a cool freshness. Alongside the lovely cherry fruit, there are floral characters and toasted spice a wine with a sensual character.

A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (60%) and Merlot (40%), the nose of the 2012 are bright and persistent and open in the glass to reveal beautiful aromatics with layers of cassis, espresso bean & dark plum fruit characters with hints of wild herbs and spices. The palate is complex and persistent with supple red cherry fruit characters, all spice and tobacco notes balanced by a mouth-watering and finely laced freshness and a refined mineral quality which leads to a long finish. Impresses with its overall balance and finesse. Although this wine is delicious on release it will develop greater complexity with age.

Stuart Rae, Private Account Manager, Berry Bros. & Rudd

Fruit, spice and dried flowers.So youthful when tasted, but hinting at greatness. Blackcurrant notes on the palate, layer with precise tannins and vivid acidity. There is a sense of purity, elegance and intensity that one comes to expect from Monprivato. Stunning. Drink from 2025+
Katherine Dart MW, Wine Buyer 

Bartolo Mascarello's 2013 Barolo is made with the estate's traditional blend of vineyard sites. This includes the San Lorenzo cru that will go offline starting with the 2015 vintage. This is a classic and traditional interpretation of Nebbiolo with an absolutely pristine and polished flavor profile. The bouquet opens to pressed violet, cassis, licorice, wild sage and cola. There is an elegant mineral imprint as well with rusty iron and iodine. This edition is evermore solid and centered compared to the warmer 2012 vintage. It will also require extra bottle aging in order to bring out its natural, but nuanced intensity. - Wine Advocate 

Poured from Magnum

This is just starting to get into its stride. From a cool year, with a late start to spring and an early end to summer, which generally produced lighter, earlier drinking wines, Sassicaia 2014 nonetheless rises above the noise with a fresh and juicy expression of fragrant dried fruits and moreish blackberries with spicy, meaty and balsamic touches. It displays a streak of blackcurrant coulis and an aromatic note of toasted fenugreek seed on the long, gentle finish. Perhaps lacks some complexity and concentration compared to more esteemed vintages, but don't be fooled into thinking this is anything other than very good.

Drink 2023 - 2043

James Button, Decanter.com (February 2023)

Sweet rose petal, mint, chiseled red-toned fruit and chalk give the 2014 Barbaresco Sorì Tildìn its sculpted, brilliant personality. All the elements are in the right place. A wine of translucent energy and weightless elegance, the Sorì Tildìn is hauntingly beautiful today. A host of floral notes and red berry fruit infuse the persistent, chiseled finish in this fabulous Barbaresco. As it so often is, the Barbaresco Sorì Tildìn is a wine of pure charm and seduction.

Drink 2026 - 2044

Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com (October 2017)