Italy

Elio Grasso began making and bottling his own wines in 1978, having taken over from his father Romano who sold his grapes in bulk.  Since 1996 Elio has worked with his son Gian Luca, and together they have established themselves as among the most outstanding producers of Piedmont.  Based in Monforte d\'Alba, all the wines produced come from the Grasso\'s own vineyards - about 18 hectares - and are matured in casks of Slovenian oak.  The Barolos from this estate are utterly brilliant, but perhaps the biggest surprise is the extraordinary quality of the 'little' wines - the Dolcetto, Barbera and Nebbiolo are among the finest examples we have ever tasted.

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

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.

The website for Tenuta dell'Ornellaia can be found at http://www.ornellaia.com/home.html

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/

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.

Luciano Sandrone began as a cellar master, and in the late 1970s had the opportunity of buying some vineyard land in the Cannubi - the heart of Barolo.  His first vintage of his own wine was 1978.  Since then he has worked with his brother Luca to produce wines which have established his reputation as one of the foremost producers of the region.  A new winery was built in 1998, but the emphasis remains always on the vineyard work.  The Sandrone wines receive rave reviews from the wine press - and rightly so.

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 Tua Rita can be found at http://www.tuarita.it/

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.

Elio Grasso began making and bottling his own wines in 1978, having taken over from his father Romano who sold his grapes in bulk.  Since 1996 Elio has worked with his son Gian Luca, and together they have established themselves as among the most outstanding producers of Piedmont.  Based in Monforte d\'Alba, all the wines produced come from the Grasso\'s own vineyards - about 18 hectares - and are matured in casks of Slovenian oak.  The Barolos from this estate are utterly brilliant, but perhaps the biggest surprise is the extraordinary quality of the 'little' wines - the Dolcetto, Barbera and Nebbiolo are among the finest examples we have ever tasted.

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.