Italy
Italy
Italy is a large country filled with vines - up to nine hundred different varieties according to some sources. So we won't attempt to try to unravel its mysteries or complexities in a couple of paragraphs here, sign up for one of our courses for that! Suffice to say that the hottest part of Italy is often in the north, and that bits of the country you've never heard of make some of the best wines.
You may think Italians are an argumentative bunch only concerned with finding a way round the rules and I couldn't possibly comment, but it's the other half who have spent months meticulously drafting and redrafting those rules in the first place, and firmly believe they're the most important part of life. In every respect Italy is infuriating and seductive, so watch out, it may become a bigger part of your life than you intended!
- Il Poggione
Il Poggione is one of the founding estates of the Brunello di Montalcino Consortium and has been selling wine since the early 1900s. The estate is still owned by the family, with Leopoldo and Livia Franceschi in charge these days. The day to day running is under the control of Fabrizio Bindocci, who has worked there since 1976 and is the current president of the Consortium.
- Inama
As my colleague Zoë said once about Stefano Inama- `well, he puts the suave into Soave!` But there is much more to Stefano than the role of charmer. Much happier as farmer, he manages the family domaine with meticulous farming practice.
- Kuen Hof/Peter PligerAt between 600-700 mts, the Pligers farm some of the highest vineyards in mainland Europe. Their part of the Alto Adige, which used to be Austrian is largely composed of quartz and shale crushed by glacial movement and provides a fantastic mineral base for their vines. Peter Pliger farms organically with a lot of biodynamic techniques also employed and this is deliberately to assist the production of delicate but intensely mineral wines. Silvaner is a fuller bodied Riesling cross and Veltliner is better known with a Gruner prefix.
- La ZerbaOriental carpet traders Luigi and Paola Lorenzi bought a holiday house in the commune of Gavi and it is easy to understand why. La Zerba is the highest estate in the area with incredible panoramic views surrounded by vineyards. They have since given up the day job and converted the garage into a winery to produce excellent Gavi from 30 year Cortese vines planted on iron-rich soils. The wine is aromatic and refreshing yet rich in personality. The Lorenzis are exceptionally generous hosts and Paola is the most fantastic chef.
- Le Potazzine
The most striking thing about visiting the home vineyard of Le Potazzine is the sense of altitude; at 507 meters it is higher than most Montalcino vineyards, exposed and open to the winds from every direction. Some modern-styled Brunellos don`t taste as if they have been made with Sangiovese; but no danger of that here, where the high vineyards bring a welcome freshness and balance to the final wine.
- LisiniLisini is among Montalcino`s most respected estates. They are also one of the most traditionalist, as befits a family who have a history that goes back to the time of the Medicis; they are proud to say they are the last of the region`s founding families still making wine here. Their estate is one of the few in the south-west of the region, surrounded by woodland and wild scrub; it is a warm area, but their vineyards are high up, and the combination of altitude, complex soils and low-yielding, old-vine Sangiovese gives a wine of rare expression.
- Luciano SandroneIt is common to classify the big names of Barolo by whether their winemaking is traditional or modern, but Sandrone like to think of themselves as bridging the gap. This is a first generation winery; in 1977 Luciano Sandrone bought a small patch of the Cannubi vineyard, and has been gradually adding to it ever since. He made his first wines in his parents` garage. From humble beginnings have come great things. The Sandrone Cannubi Boschis was one of the first Italian wines ever to get 100 Parker points, and remains Sandrone`s flagship bottling.
- Mate
San Restituta is a highly desirable corner of Montalcino, known for its fine terroir and expressive wines. The complex, fossil-rich soils lend themselves to the making of serious wines, as do the sea breezes on this side of Montalcino. Just ask the neighbours – the family-owned Mate estate is situated between those of Gianfranco Soldera and Angelo Gaja, two titans of the Italian wine scene whose wines can command prices of hundreds of pounds per bottle.
- Mauro Franchino
The Alto Piemonte village of Gattinara lies tucked into the hills between Turin and Milan. In the modern era, Barolo and Barbaresco (90 km south) hog the Nebbiolo limelight, but in the 19th century some of Italy’s most sought-after Nebbiolo came from Gattinara. Locally, Nebbiolo is called Spanna, and there is a clear stylistic difference with Barolo and Barbaresco. Slightly lighter-bodied Gattinara relies less on sheer power, and more on perfume and elegance. Yet with tangy acidity and sometimes formidable tannins, the wines of Gattinara have a long capacity to age.
- Paolo ScavinoModernism in Barolo can be misunderstood. But do not think that the wines of Scavino, which are typically classified as modernist, are anything but elegant. From the village Barolo through the Carobric blend of crus, to the crus themselves, these wines have enormous character. Their complexity comes from the terroirs, the Nebbiolo and fastidious vineyard and cellar work. Although the estate was founded in 1921, it was Enrico, the third generation, who really started the drive to make better quality wine.
- PietradolcePietradolce is an 11 hectare estate located on the northern slopes of Etna, founded in 2005. Their vineyards are between 600 and 900 feet above sea level andare made up of stoney, light, sandy loam. The native varieties are grown here (Nerello Mascalese, Nerello Cappuccio and Carricante), to produce terroir expressive wines that are intensely bright and fresh with beautiful fruit and serious drinkability. (DS 08/04/22)
- Podere Grattamacco
The affinity between Tuscan soils and the classically Bordelais grape varieties is now well-established, and in gravelly coastal Bolgheri, where Sangiovese never grew very well anyway, Bordeaux varieties are king; this is a terroir for Cabernet and Merlot, the Super-Tuscans. Nowadays there are 50 wineries in Bolgheri, but you don`t have to go that far back to reach a time when there were only two. Cabernet Sauvignon came out of the shadows with the first commercially released vintage of Sassicaia in 1969; Grattamacco joined it in 1977 as the second-ever Super-Tuscan.
- Poggio di Sotto
On the south-facing slopes of Montalcino’s warm southern sector, it can get very hot. But on the high slopes where Poggio di Sotto’s vineyards are planted (vertiginous views if you ever visit) it can also get very cold at night, with the hulking presence of Monte Amiata and the nearby River Orcia drawing sea breezes down the valley. Such contrast between day and night temperatures is increasingly viewed as an essential ingredient in truly great wines.
