Italy
With its lofty sedimentary, calcareous and volcanic soils, noble autochthonous grapes bringing individual terroir to life, a peerless gastronomic culture and a rich viticultural heritage, Italy is at long last emerging from the shadow of neighbouring France to showcase its ancient and classic fine wines. The current crop of producers are placing a greater onus on authenticity to gently exalt the quality of the fruit and terroir.
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2017 Berry Bros. & Rudd Barolo by Giovanni Rosso, Piedmont, Italy
This is a classic blend of three Barolo communes, showcasing the quality and complexity of the region’s vineyards. The commune of Barolo gives chewy power and fruit depth; Castiglione Falletto lifts the nose with floral charm; and the ancient white soils of Serralunga d’Alba give an unmistakable mineral grip. This is a succulent vintage with notes of roses, ripe red fruits and cloves.
Davy Żyw, Senior Buyer, Berry Bros. & Rudd
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2009 Barolo, Serra, Giovanni Rosso, Piedmont, 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 -
2016 Chianti Classico, Marchese Antinori, Riserva, Tignanello, Tuscany, ItalyAlluring aromas of cranberry, pomegranate and oak-driven spice shape the nose. The aromas follow through to the elegant, savory palate along with vanilla, star anise and a hint of coconut while bright acidity and supple tannins provide support and finesse.
Drink 2021 E028.
- Wine Enthusiast 92/100 -
2018 Rosso di Montalcino, Poggio di Sotto, Tuscany, ItalyThis was grown as Brunello, with tiny yields from fossil-filled vineyards. It was spontaneously fermented in botti before spending two years in smaller casks. This is bright, pretty and vivacious, with incredible aromatics. The palate is elegant and complex, superior to many Brunellos. This is a work of the highest craft: Brunello intensity meets Burgundian finesse.
Drink now to 2032. -
2012 Solaia, Antinori, Tuscany, Italy
Solaia is derived exclusively from its namesake vineyard, Solaia—meaning sunny one—a 10-hectare, southwest-facing site that is comprised principally of marl soils and albarese rock.. The Marchesi Antinori firm produced this wine for the first time in the 1978 vintage with an initial blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Cabernet Franc, a blend repeated again in 1979.
Solaia is a 50 acre (20 hectare), southwest-exposed vineyard of the Tignanello estate situated between 1150 and 1320 feet (350-400 meters) above sea level on stony soils consisting of calcareous clays and limestone rock. The Marchesi Antinori produced this wine for the first time in the 1978 vintage with a blend consisting of 80% Cbernet Sauvignon and 20% Cabernet Franc, repeating the initial production in 1979. In the following vintages 20% of Sangiovese became part of the blend and certain corrections in the ratio of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc were made as well until the current composition of the blend was defined and became definitive. Solaia is produced only in high level vintages and was not produced in 1980, 1981, 1983,1984, and 1992.
2012 Solaia, Antinori, Tuscany, Italy2012 Solaia, Antinori, Tuscany, ItalyBottle Price 75cl $489 -
2011 Barolo, Vigna Rionda, Riserva, Massolino, Piedmont, Italy
Massolino's 2011 Barolo Riserva Vigna Rionda is a more than worthy follow-up to the stellar 2010. Silky, perfumed and incredibly inviting, the 2011 will also give up its considerable charms much earlier. Sweet red cherry, rose petal, spice, hard candy, and mint give the 2011 its inner sweetness. Above all else, the 2011 captures a compelling middle ground that balances the warmth of the year with a classic sense of structure. The 2011 is a racy, alluring Rionda that will be nearly impossible to resist, even young.
Brothers Franco and Roberto Massolino decided to give their single-vineyard 2013 Barolos a bit more time in barrel than normal. Tasted from bottle, those wines are every bit as impressive as they were from barrel. Massolino has made compelling Barolos for several decades. Still, in recent years, they have made additional investments that include a greater focus on quality, acquiring more vineyards and completing a significant cellar expansion. As for the wines themselves, they have never been better.
Drink 2021 - 2036
Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com (October 2017)
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2004 Barolo, Vigna Rionda, Dieci X Anni, Riserva, Massolino, Piedmont, Italy
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)
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2016 San Leonardo, Trentino-Alto Adige, Italy
Notes of rich, dark fruits on the nose, intermingled with spice and ripe herbs. Full-bodied and palate-filling in the mouth with loads of dark cherry, cassis and plum notes, a touch of vanilla, summer herbs and hints of tobacco and graphite. Crisp acidity and fine-grained tannins round this off on the long finish. This is a very impressive San Leonardo which will drink well young and age gracefully for decades.
Drink 2023 - 2040
Chris Pollington, Senior Account Manager, Berry Bros. & Rudd
2016 San Leonardo, Trentino-Alto Adige, Italy2016 San Leonardo, Trentino-Alto Adige, ItalyBottle Price 150cl $260 -
2019 Rosso di Montalcino, La Serena, Tuscany, Italy
These vines are planted at 300 metres altitude on a mix of clay, sand and galestro. This 2019 is excellent: bright, serious and charming. Long, slow fermentation in steel, followed by 12 months in large oak, gives a floral nose with high-toned cherry and some wood spice. The palate is berry-laden and gleaming, with fleshy Sangiovese chew; the finish is vibrant.
Drink 2022 - 2030
Davy Żyw, Senior Wine Buyer, Berry Bros. & Rudd (February 2022)
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2007 Barbaresco, Rio Sordo, Cascina CruciataCascina Bruciata, Barbaresco "Rio Sordo" DOCG -is elegant red wine from the Nebbiolo varieties of berries collected in the vineyards in the area Rio Sordo. This wine is characterized by a special harmony velvet tannins and a pleasant dry in taste.
Vinification made in a traditional Barbaresco style, the wine is dark ruby in colour with a nose and palate of dried fruit, cedar wood and tobacco.2007 Barbaresco, Rio Sordo, Cascina Cruciata2007 Barbaresco, Rio Sordo, Cascina CruciataBottle Price 75 cl $280 -
2019 Barbera d'Alba, Scarrone, Vigna Vecchia, Vietti, Piedmont, Italy
Deep ruby purple color. Pronounced and intense aromas of ripe red and black cherries and blackberries, paired with notes of spices and a hint of tar. Full bodied, with intense fruit on the palate that is paired with refreshing acidity. The single vineyard Scarrone has finesse, excellent balance, great complexity and a long lingering aftertaste.
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2006 Barolo, Le Vigne, Luciano Sandrone, Piedmont, ItalySoaring aromatics make a strong first impression in Luciano Sandrone's 2006 Barolo Le Vigne (Library Release). Stunningly beautiful and vivid, the 2006 possesses tons of pedigree. Silky tannins, expressive floral notes and delineated, red-toned fruit set the stage for powerful, voluptuous Barolo that satisfies all the senses. Like the Cannubi Boschis, the 2006 Le Vigne is in a gorgeous spot to deliver phenomenal drinking pleasure now and over the next 10-15 years, perhaps longer.
- Vinous 97/100 -
2007 Barolo, Le Vigne, Luciano Sandrone, Piedmont, ItalyThe 2007 Barolo Le Vigne presented a beguiling combination of explosive, ripe fruit and finessed silky tannins, making it a thrilling wine to taste, even at this stage in its development. Small red berries, minerals, crushed flowers, vanillin and sweet spices are woven together in a fabric of indescribable elegance. The French oak has never been better balanced, while the vibrant, crystalline finish leaves a lasting impression.
The 2007 Le Vigne has all the potential to develop into a spectacular wine; it already is. This is a stunning bottle of Barolo. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2027. Luciano Sandrone’s wines have never been more elegant than they are today. The French oak is increasingly well balanced, and the at-times excessive heaviness of some prior vintages is long gone.
Simply put, Luciano Sandrone is at the top of his game.
Never one to be satisfied, this year Sandrone showed me several experimental wines, including a barrel sample of 2009 Barolo Le Vigne vinified with 100% stems, an approach that is virtually unheard of in Piedmont. Although this wine will ultimately be blended into the Barolo Le Vigne, the all-stems Barolo was huge, explosive, and compelling. Sandrone fans have much to look forward to, as the 2008s and 2009s appear promising at this early stage. As for the 2007s, they are off the charts.
Drink 2015 - 2027
Antonio Galloni, Wine Advocate (February 2011) -
2010 Flaccianello della Pieve, Tenuta Fontodi, Tuscany, Italy
A rush of intense blue and black stone fruits, tobacco, smoke, licorice, spices and new leather hits the palate in the 2010 Flaccianello. A wine of considerable immediacy and intensity, the 2010 captivates all the senses with its magnificent richness and pure texture. There is so much to like here.
Antonio Galloni, Vinous (May 2014)___
Dark, rich and powerful, the 2010 Flaccianello wraps around the palate with serious depth and density. The aromas and flavors are totally alive in the glass. Smoke, tobacco and savory herb notes add complexity over time. Initially quite muscular, the 2010 finds quite a bit of finesse with time in the glass. The 2010 Flaccianello is exceptional, but the competition is tough this year at Fontodi! Still, the sensation of tannin is virtually nonexistent in a Flaccianello that is all about elegance and pure refinement.
96+/100 - Antonio Galloni, Vinous (August 2013) -
2009 Flaccianello della Pieve, Tenuta Fontodi, Tuscany, Italy
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 -
1994 Masseto, Tuscany, Italy
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)1994 Masseto, Tuscany, Italy1994 Masseto, Tuscany, ItalyBottle Price 75 cl $1,817 -
2012 Barolo, Francia, Giacomo Conterno, Piedmont, Italy
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)