VINOUS

"The Stilèma project was born as a testimony of Antonio Mastroberardino's love for his land, his vines and his wines, for their original character." Piero Mastroberardino

Merlot Dominin 2019 is explosive from the first sip. The rich bouquet is complex with raspberries, flowers, liquorice and herbs. The palate is extremely complex with overripe and opulent fruits. A wine with sheer exuberant elements, but nevertheless very coherent in its entirety. Everything is in the right place here and it is clearly the flagship wine of the boutique winery and on par with the great red wines of Miani. SUPERIORE.DE

"For the Barolo DOCG Parussi, we left the confines of Serralunga and opted for a vineyard in Castiglione Falletto. Thanks to the characteristics of Nebbiolo, which is perfectly capable of capturing the differences in microclimate and soil composition and translating them into sensations, the result amazed us. Structured, important, austere. Made with Nebbiolo grapes from our vineyard in the MGA Parussi in Castiglione Falletto." Franco Massolino

Amarone Calcarole is only produced in small quantities in the best vintages and has been officially labelled Riserva since the 2015 vintage. The single vineyard of the same name is located above Villa di Rovereti in the heart of Negrar in the Valpolicella Classico region. The vineyard offers ideal conditions for great red wines due to its particularly warm climate, stony soil and south-west exposure. The grapes are 100% dried in small crates in the historic rooms of Pojega.

Neromaccarj comes from a low-lying vineyard facing the sea and shows the ripe and juicy side of Nero d'Avola. The wine opens with a deep dark appearance and flavours that are dense and broad, forming a high wall of black plum fruit. The wine is very immediate and impressive, and you don't have to look far to recognise all these wide-ranging aromas on the nose. Full-bodied on the palate with multi-layered fruit and fine tannins. 6,500 bottles were produced. SUPERIORE.DE

Magari is a dark, rich and voluptuous wine that faithfully reflects the signature of Gaja in Bolgheri. On the palate, plump and supple fruit, dark berries and spices mingle with seamless intensity. The wine offers firm grip and long-lasting power on the finish. There is nothing not to love here. SUPERIORE.DE

Just 2,100 bottles of this 1.5 ha single vineyard Cabernet Franc "Campo di Magnacosta" (a former riverbed with mainly clay, gravel and crushed stone soil) reach the specialised trade and the menus of the best restaurants worldwide. The vines were planted in the mid-1990s and come from Pomerol. In terms of aromatic intensity, Magnacosta is probably the most sensually elegant representative of the house's three great site cabernets. It has great straightness, but somewhat less power and intensity. It subtly combines black fruit aromas with spicy notes, tar and antique leather. It is already silky and elegant and will certainly gain in finesse over the years. SUPERIORE.DE

Black cherry fruit, smoke, wild herbs, liquorice and tar form a compelling backdrop of aromas, flavours and textures as this dazzling, powerful Barolo opens up in the glass. The intense final is accompanied by delicate rose petals, lavender and a fine mineral-salty vein. Its stable tannin structure awaits a few more years of ageing in the bottle, as is typically the case with a classic Serralunga Barolo. SUPERIORE.DE

Before Elisabetta Gnudi Angelini acquired the Altesino estate, she bought Caparzo in 1998. The estate comprises 28 hectares dedicated to Brunello, and this estate bottling combines vineyards from four different areas with different sites and soils.

Marc de Grazia on his anniversary wine: "To honour the collective effort of the entire Tenuta delle Terre Nere team, I thought it appropriate to celebrate the 20th anniversary of our first release with a unique cuvée. This cuvée should represent our appellation and our winery and say something about our beginnings. Therefore, first and foremost, it should be an Etna Rosso, as this is our most important appellation. Secondly, the wine should be made from Calderara Sottana grapes, as our winery and the surrounding vineyards are located in Contrada Calderara Sottana, where we also have our largest expansions. However, it should not be confused with our Calderara Sottana bottling, which is made from the best fruit of exclusively old vines from all our Calderara estates.

The grapes for Le Ripi's top Brunello come from a 4-hectare vineyard near Castelnuovo dell'Abate on the eastern side of Montalcino, not far from the Lupi e Sirene vineyard.

Terra di Lavoro 2021 is still far too young to make a final judgement, but this much is already clear: with sufficient aeration, it continues to develop rapidly and offers new, wonderful impressions with every new sip.

Normally, the Sangiovese grapes from the 14-hectare single vineyard are mainly harvested in Ama and San Lorenzo. Since the 2018 harvest, Lorenza and Marco have decided to vinify a small quantity separately. Deep, dark ruby red colour with violet reflections. Extroverted bouquet of blackberry, raspberry and redcurrant, with notes of crushed gravel, tobacco and traces of young leather. Very powerful and beautifully textured on the palate, the various layers of primary fruit only gradually unfold, the wood pleasantly receding into the background. Finely granulated tannins and a well-integrated acidity flank this very harmonious red on an elegant, long final. There is a lot to like here, for us it is once again a typical Ama wine: racy, powerful and elegant! SUPERIORE.DE

Here comes the new single-vineyard wine, similar in style to Santo Spirito but with an "autumnal" component. Light ruby red, gravel, vanilla and a subtle hint of mint on the nose, plus some cranberry and cherry. Then fresh and exciting on the palate with a sweet and sour component and a delicate bitter vein. Compact tannin that certainly deserves a few more years of bottle ageing. The final is herbaceous, spicy and long. SUPERIORE.DE

Rocca di Frassinello's red cru "San Germano" is made from a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and a small percentage of Sangioveto grapes grown on the hill of the same name, which is also the estate's highest location, where vines were cultivated by the ancient Etruscans around 3,000 years ago. A millennia-old history that has enabled the plants to select themselves and naturally develop their defences against climatic and biological adversities, resulting in healthier and higher quality grapes.

Beautiful and very well-balanced red wine from the three main historical areas of Montalcino, which have different geoclimatic characteristics due to their different slopes and altitudes, thus ensuring a unique balance between freshness and structure, body and elegance. Ruby red in colour with garnet hues, it opens immediately with a rich, complex nose. Initially dark cherry, chinotto orange and violet. It then opens up to broader, more complex notes of blueberry, vanilla, tobacco, cinnamon and chocolate with a subtle menthol finish. The primary fruit is surrounded by spice, grilled herbs and floral earth; nice length. SUPERIORE.DE

Cerretto is a fruit-driven wine of virile, explosive power that shows, among other things, how different the wines of Serralunga can be. Black cherry, plum, sage, menthol and liquorice hit the palate in a firm, tannic Barolo that will require some patience, but already presents itself with remarkable freshness, purity and nuance. Cerretta is the embodiment of the richness and structure of Serralunga. SUPERIORE.DE

Brigaldara's Amarone Riserva is a wine born from the desire to interpret Valpolicella in its most original form. The strictly selected grapes that form its basis are chosen from the best vineyards in order to maximise the potential of the estate's own vineyards in Valpolicella.

"The Barolo DOCG Margheria comes from the calcareous soil with a slightly higher proportion of sand than in our other sub-areas, which has a strong influence on its character. It was produced for the first time in 1985 and has great ageing potential. The grapes come from our vineyard in the MGA Margheria in Serralunga d'Alba." Franco Massolino

This Riserva is only made available each year in very small quantities to hand-picked specialist retailers and top restaurants. Brilliant ruby red colour. Fine raspberry and floral notes dominate the spicy nose. Very juicy on the palate, tannins and acidity are well integrated. Riecines Riserva has length and suppleness right through to the long fruity finish. The elegance and fine melting texture are impressive. Once again, this is Sangiovese at the top level that Riecine is known for! SUPERIORE.DE

The grapes for Le Ripi's top Brunello come from a 4-hectare vineyard near Castelnuovo dell'Abate on the eastern side of Montalcino, not far from the Lupi e Sirene vineyard. Amore e Magia first impresses with its beauty in the glass: deep ruby with violet, fuchsia-coloured accents. The nose then reveals a very clear, concise bouquet with a disarming openness that is immediately captivating. We discover candied fruit, raspberries, roasted nuts and Christmas spices, then notes of leather. The first impression on the palate is rather silky and floral, the fine salinity and wonderfully integrated acidity provide vital freshness and the solidly woven tannin builds up with energy and flanks every sip right through to the multi-layered final. SUPERIORE.DE

Rose petals, spices and red-coloured fruit float in the glass, supported by fine, racy tannins. On the palate, the typical, medium-bodied characteristics of Bricco delle Viole are evident, while the contours are soft and the wine's personality demands the next sip. Vajra fans should give it a few more years to mature, despite its current accessibility. SUPERIORE.DE

This Riserva is only made available each year in very small quantities to hand-picked specialist retailers and top restaurants. Brilliant ruby red colour. Fine raspberry and floral notes dominate the spicy nose. Very juicy on the palate, tannins and acidity are well integrated. Riecines Riserva has length and suppleness right through to the long fruity finish. The elegance and fine melting texture are impressive. Once again, this is Sangiovese at the top level that Riecine is known for! SUPERIORE.DE

Barolo Cerretta is a dense, concentrated and energetic expression of Nebbiolo. Red and purple fruit flavours of cassis, dried cranberries and cherries set beautiful accents, but there is also plenty of room for the equally beautiful aromas of liquorice, campfire ash and candied orange peel that play such a deft supporting role. On the palate, it is a brilliant, polished wine with enough tannin to allow it to mature in the cellar for another 10 or 20 years. SUPERIORE.DE