Italy

Ampeleia is a beautiful & elegant Super Tuscan from Elisabetta Foradori’s new estate located in the hills of the Maremma region high above the Tuscan coast. Maremma's reputation is burgeoning, and whilst this particular Maremma gem continues to fly under the radar it offers nothing short of astonishing value for money.

Elisabetta is one of Italy’s leading winemakers with a fine reputation founded on the outstanding wines produced at her estate in Trentino and she has brought all of her dynamism and talent to bear on this exciting Tuscan venture, delivering truly authentic Super-Tuscan finesse without the high prices usually associated with Tuscans of this quality.

The website for Villa di Argiano can be found at http://www.argiano.net

To make life confusing, the founding family of this fabulous Piedmontese producer has used the names Pio and Cesare in varying orders with each passing generation.  The winery was established in 1881 by Cesare Pio who was succeeded by his daughter Rosy Pio and her husband Giuseppe Boffa.  Their son Pio Boffa is now in charge of the operation, assisted by his nephew Cesare Benvenuto.  The family owns a little over 50 hectares of vines and in addition buys grapes from growers with many of whom agreements have been in place for several generations.  The winemaking is largely traditional, although a portion of a number of the cuvées is aged in small French barrels which sit alongside the traditional Italian ‘botte’.  The wines are outstanding.

Twins Francesca and Margherita Padovani run this tiny estate of just 2½ hectares of vines.  The Campi di Fonterenza is a small traditional Tuscan farmhouse, tucked away in the hills between Sant’ Angelo in Colle and Castel Nuovo dell’Abate, south of Montalcino, and the vineyards lie within the Montalcino ‘appellation’.  The twins do everything by hand here, and are completely passionate about the wine (and the olive oil) they produce.  This is Tuscany as it ought to be: peaceful, unhurried and dedicated to the production of all things delicious - the sort of place that makes you want to move there at once.

The website for Bruno Giacosa can be found at http://www.brunogiacosa.it/

The website for Sassicaia (Tenuta San Guido) can be found at http://www.sassicaia.com

The 300 hectare San Leonardo estate, with its 20 hectares of vines, lies in an idyllic setting alongside the River Adige near Borghetto in the heart of the Vallagarina.  This is the southernmost corner of Trentino, close to the border with the province of Verona, where the wide valley floor is bounded on either side by the beautiful Monti Lessini – a truly impressive landscape.  Anselmo Guerrieri Gonzaga and his father Carlo, whose distinguished family has owned the estate since the 18^th century, have together made this one of the greatest producers of the Alto Adige.  Perhaps partly inspired by their famous Incisa cousins at Sassicaia, the planting of Bordeaux varietals has enabled them to produce wines of outstanding calibre.

The website for Tenuta San Leonardo can be found at http://www.sanleonardo.it/

The Castello di Magione, west of Perugia, dates from around 1150, beginning as a shelter built by the Knights Hospitallers for travellers on the pilgrim routes between Compostella, Rome and Jerusalem.  Defensive fortifications were added later, when the building was enlarged, first in 1367 and then again in 1471, in response to the turbulent nature of central Italian geo-politics in the 14^th and 15^thcenturies.  The Magione estate today covers 1,325 hectares of agricultural land of which 30 hectares are planted with vines.  Several sections of the estate are covered by a cabreo – a map and inventory of its many constituent parts drawn up in the 19^th century – the estate archives hold an extraordinary collection of these remarkably detailed documents.  Where appropriate, the Magione wines take their names from their historic cabreo.  The vineyards are planted on the slopes facing towards Lake Trasimeno; the microclimate here is especially good, with the influence of the lake tempering the heat of the Umbrian summer.  The estate has benefitted from the construction of a fabulous, genuinely state-of-the-art (an otherwise much over-used phrase) new winery which was opened on 5^th September 2009, in time to receive the 2009 harvest.

On the edge of the town of Montalcino itself is this tiny property, bought by Marino Colleoni in 1989.  He has just 1.5 hectares of vines, mostly in the northern zone of the appellation.  The vineyards are run along organic lines – no chemical herbicides or pesticides used – and the winemaking follows traditional lines.  Marino is however a man with an inquiring mind: he has conducted various experiments when ageing his wines prior to bottling – including most recently two barrels made out of chestnut and mulberry wood respectively.  The man’s exuberant enthusiasm spills over into the style of these wonderfully expressive wines.

Giampaolo Motta is one of the most passionate winemakers with whom we are lucky enough to work.  2011 will be the first vintage he makes in his brilliant new winery, so we can expect him to go from strength to strength.  He has posted a letter on James Suckling's blog and quoting it in full allows him to speak for himself in explaining part of what lies behind his decision to withdraw from the Chianti Classico system:

"I made the choice to declassify my wines 8 years ago for two primary reasons: commercial and personal. However I have steadfastly concentrated on producing wines of high quality that reflect, as James [Suckling] points out, my dream. I cannot go into great detail, in this forum, to explain the commercial reasons but I will say that I made the correct choice for me and for my winery. As for the personal reasons: I want to make wines that reflect my personality and my dream to someday make what I call a "great" wine. With La Massa I.G.T., Sangiovese is the soul of the wine. I choose the best grapes from our vineyards and try to obtain the best expression that this variety has to offer by doing a delicate extraction and short vinification. Giorgio Primo is my heart, my dreams and my personality. It is the style of wines I enjoy the most. My first experiences in wine were in Bordeaux many years ago. Its wines have had a great influence on my palate; its wine makers, a great influence on my thinking about wine; its methods, on my wine making. I have reverence for its history and precision and the expression the wines show of its terroir. Don’t forget that Cabernet Sauvignon is present in Tuscany since 1600 under the name of “uva francesa”. For me, today, it is about having the liberty to express my dreams, my personality and very importantly the incredible terroir (not VARIETY) of this place - LA MASSA."  Giampaolo Motta

A 20 hectare estate of which 13 hectares are south of Montalcino, and 7 to the north, where the winery is to be found, a mile or so off the road to Buonconvento and Siena. Giancarlo Pacenti’s new winery is a truly a state of the art construction, allowing him the space and facilities to meet his self-imposed exacting standards.  I was amused by his statement that the sorting table is always staffed by women – on the grounds that their work in picking out any grapes not in absolutely perfect condition is so much more precise and reliable.  Giancarlo is fortunate to have a high proportion of old vines – 40-45 years – amongst his holdings, planted by his maternal grandfather, Alessandro Pieri; it is to these that he attributes the exceptional complexity of his wines.  He may be right – but it takes a great wine maker to bring such potential to fruition in the winery.

The website for Tenuta di Petrolo can be found at http://www.petrolo.it/

The website for Riecine can be found at http://www.riecine.it/

Giulio Salvioni has for nearly twenty years been universally regarded as one of the true masters of Brunello di Montalcino.  In particular, he is one of the finest exponents of the old ‘traditional’ style of Brunello, producing genuinely hand-crafted wines, aged in the old-style large oak botte.  His wines perfectly display the essence of Montalcino terroir: an ethereal fragrance, distinctive savoury notes and a unique textural quality.  With just two hectares of vines, production is miniscule.

Giuseppe-Maria and Sarah Sesti own this sublime 102 hectare estate, Castello di Argiano, in the hills south of Montalcino, overlooking the Orcia valley.  There are 9 hectares of vines, with the rest of the estate a mixture of olive groves, grazing and woodland.  The Castello is a 12th century hilltop fortification occupying a site first settled by Etruscans, then by Romans and then by Cistercian monks sent from the nearby abbey of San Antimo.  It is the Cistercians’ 9th century oratory which still stands at the heart of the hamlet, dominated by the tower built to keep watch over this important strategic site on the southern marches of the old republic of Siena.  Sesti began planting vines in the early 1990s, and over the last 15 years has established a strong reputation for the outstanding quality of his wines.  Everything here is run strictly according to the influence of lunar phases, reflecting Giugi’s other great area of expertise – astronomy.  Their daughter Elisa, was born at Argiano and educated in Italy and England.  In 1999 she returned to Argiano where she is now co-director, and involved in all aspects of running the estate.

http://www.sestiwine.com/

The website for Sportoletti can be found at http://www.sportoletti.com/

Giuseppe-Maria and Sarah Sesti own this sublime 102 hectare estate, Castello di Argiano, in the hills south of Montalcino, overlooking the Orcia valley.  There are 9 hectares of vines, with the rest of the estate a mixture of olive groves, grazing and woodland.  The Castello is a 12th century hilltop fortification occupying a site first settled by Etruscans, then by Romans and then by Cistercian monks sent from the nearby abbey of San Antimo.  It is the Cistercians’ 9th century oratory which still stands at the heart of the hamlet, dominated by the tower built to keep watch over this important strategic site on the southern marches of the old republic of Siena.  Sesti began planting vines in the early 1990s, and over the last 15 years has established a strong reputation for the outstanding quality of his wines.  Everything here is run strictly according to the influence of lunar phases, reflecting Giugi’s other great area of expertise – astronomy.  Their daughter Elisa, was born at Argiano and educated in Italy and England.  In 1999 she returned to Argiano where she is now co-director, and involved in all aspects of running the estate.

http://www.sestiwine.com/

The late 16^th century Villa Giustiniani in Spresiano, close to the River Paive, is the headquarters of a 435 hectare estate the heart of which was owned for many years by the Giustiniani family before passing to the Order of Malta.  Mostly given over to arable farming on the fertile river plain, there are also 15 hectares of pear orchards, 40 hectares of walnut trees and 20 hectares of vineyards.  Of these, 10 are planted with Prosecco for the production of this delicious sparkling wine.

The Rocca Bernarda – more villa than fortress despite its appearance – stands in a classic Italian setting of ancient cypress trees and vines, with spectacular views over the surrounding country and the village of Premariacco, near Udine.  It was built by the Counts Valvason Maniago in 1567, by which time wine was already being made on the estate, and after a number of changes of ownership, passed to the current owners in 1977. As well as its ‘regular’ wines, the estate also produces a remarkable pudding wine from Picolit – a variety which effectively owes its continuing existence in the region to the passionate work of previous owners of the estate, Giuseppina Perusini and particularly her son Gaetano, who did so much to preserve its cultivation in the 1950s. The estate’s vineyards are especially well placed, on gentle slopes which allow good exposure both to the cooling winds which blow from the north and to the coastal summer breezes; these ensure a wide range of temperatures and the development of correspondingly complex aromas and flavours in the wines.  Grapes are hand picked and vinified in stainless steel vats.

La Casada is a part of the Casa Vinicola Botter, established by Carlo Botter in 1928 in Fossalta di Piave, north-east of Venice.  The company is now run by Carlo Botter’s grandchildren, and has established a remarkable reputation for the quality of its wines, exporting some 90% of its production to 35 countries world-wide.  With Pinot Grigio firmly established as one of the ‘staples’ from Italy, we are delighted to have found one which does all that it should, at a very sharp price.

To make life confusing, the founding family of this fabulous Piedmontese producer has used the names Pio and Cesare in varying orders with each passing generation.  The winery was established in 1881 by Cesare Pio who was succeeded by his daughter Rosy Pio and her husband Giuseppe Boffa.  Their son Pio Boffa is now in charge of the operation, assisted by his nephew Cesare Benvenuto.  The family owns a little over 50 hectares of vines and in addition buys grapes from growers with many of whom agreements have been in place for several generations.  The winemaking is largely traditional, although a portion of a number of the cuvées is aged in small French barrels which sit alongside the traditional Italian ‘botte’.  The wines are outstanding.

Stefano Inamais one ofItaly’s great ambassadors, tireless in his ambition not only to make wines of the highest quality in this great region, but also to bring them to a wider audience.  His 30 hectare estate was established by his father Giuseppe in the early 1960s, and is centred on the steep volcanic slopes of the Monte Foscarino, high above the medieval walled town ofSoave.  The local grape variety, Garganega, is naturally precocious, but the rocky slopes, combined with Stefano’s very tough pruning and canopy management of the vines ensures that yields here are among the lowest in Soave.  His very attractive labels, incidentally, were designed by an English architect friend.

The Castello di Magione, west of Perugia, dates from around 1150, beginning as a shelter built by the Knights Hospitallers for travellers on the pilgrim routes between Compostella, Rome and Jerusalem.  Defensive fortifications were added later, when the building was enlarged, first in 1367 and then again in 1471, in response to the turbulent nature of central Italian geo-politics in the 14^th and 15^thcenturies.  The Magione estate today covers 1,325 hectares of agricultural land of which 30 hectares are planted with vines.  Several sections of the estate are covered by a cabreo – a map and inventory of its many constituent parts drawn up in the 19^th century – the estate archives hold an extraordinary collection of these remarkably detailed documents.  Where appropriate, the Magione wines take their names from their historic cabreo.  The vineyards are planted on the slopes facing towards Lake Trasimeno; the microclimate here is especially good, with the influence of the lake tempering the heat of the Umbrian summer.  The estate has benefitted from the construction of a fabulous, genuinely state-of-the-art (an otherwise much over-used phrase) new winery which was opened on 5^th September 2009, in time to receive the 2009 harvest.