As seen in The Guardian - an elegant and complex Barbera, flavours of fresh raspberry, cherry and vanilla

"This version of barbera, sourced from two south-facing vineyards, is so alluring, its deliciously tangy cherry and savoury notes taking you straight to the rolling hills around Alba." - The Guardian

This delicious Barbera wine is made from 100% Barbera grapes grown in two cru vineyards: Fausoni and San Cristoforo, located west of the town of Neive.

Both vineyards are located on two steep hills facing South-East, a very favourable aspect that helps the grapes to ripen well. As a result, the wine is well-balanced and fresh, with elegant and pronounced aromas of fruits and spices.

The name of the wine, “The Patriarchs”, is dedicated to Alberto and Adriano Francone, who founded this award-winning winery seventy years ago.

Winemaking

The grapes are hand-harvested in early October, and fermented with traditional maceration for ten days. The wine is then matured for 12 months, partly in large French oak barrels that lend a subtle flavour, and partly in small barriques which impart more poignant flavours of vanilla and cinnamon.

Tasting notes

Medium ruby colour. Pronounced and complex aromas of raspberry, red cherry and strawberry, with delicate hints of cinnamon, cloves, vanilla and leather. The wine is dry and full-bodied, with a pronounced flavour intensity, which balances the natural high acidity and freshness of the Barbera grape. Medium tannins are rounded through careful ageing. The wine has a long – and highly enjoyable – finish.

Awards

Decanter World Wine Awards 2021 - Bronze Medal (2019 vintage) | The WineHunter - Rosso (2019 vintage) | I Vini Di Veronelli - 2 stars (2018 vintage) | Luca Maroni (Italian wine critic) - 94 points (2017), 92 points (2018)

Dark and powerful Lagrein from the Gries cru, with tastes of sweet black cherries, dark Darjeeling tea, black pepper and dark chocolate. "Best in Show" award at Decanter 2020

This Lagrein Riserva wine by K. Martini comes from a vineyard in the Gries area of Bolzano. This land has been the best-known historic cru for Lagrein since the 11th century. Ian D'Agata writes "at that time the monks of the abbey at Gries were the most famous local producers of the wine - not surprising, considering that the terroir of Gries is the one true grand cru for this variety". I picked this Lagrein Riserva because in my opinion it's one of the best examples of this wine: in 2020, Decanter Magazine named it "Best in Show", and in 2021 it continued its winning streak and brought home the Decanter Silver Medal.

Lagrein wine is dark and deep. It's known as Dunkel - dark- in German. It's because it has the highest level of anthocyanins (a type of tannins responsible for dark ruby colour) among all Italian grapes. Lagrein is a late-ripener that needs a lot of warmth, and a very finicky grape with unstable productivity. So it's only cultivated by the most dedicated and hard-working winemakers who dare to go the extra mile.

Winemaking

Grapes are picked by hand in the first week of October. Back in the day, Lagrein wine was known for its bitter aftertaste. But now any unpleasant flavours are avoided thanks to modern techniques such as cold fermentation. Lucas Martini, the winemaker, ferments grape must for 20 days in stainless steel tanks, at a controlled temperature of 25°C. After malolactic fermentation, the wine is placed in 1500-litre French oak barrels for eighteen months, for ageing and refinement. Ultimately, the wine is lightly filtered, bottled and left in the cellar to rest for at least seven months, where it finished developing while the flavours integrate.

Tasting notes

In the glass, this Lagrein Riserva has a dark, deep ruby colour. The wine offers rich flavours of sour black cherries, blackberries and sweet prunes. It has silky, dense tannins, and is packed with flavours of Darjeeling tea, black pepper, dark chocolate as well as balsamic notes. Despite the deceiving sweetness, the wine is perfectly dry, with only 0.8 g/l residual sugar.

Awards

Decanter World Wine Awards 2021 - Silver Medal (2018 vintage) | Decanter World Wine Awards 2020 - Best in Show (2017 vintage) | Decanter World Wine Awards 2019 - Silver Medal (2015 vintage) | I Vine di Veronelli - 3 stars (2016 vintage)

Barrel-fermented Pinot Grigio Riserva wine made from the best grapes grown in the foothills of the Alps

As featured in The Independent: "Aromatic, with notes of passion fruit and elderflower, it bursts on to the tongue with a textured fruitiness balanced by a measured acidity. Pinot grigio has never tasted so good." - John Clarke

Aside from the grape, Pinot Grigio Riserva Giatl has nothing in common with inexpensive supermarket Pinot Grigio. This wine stands out because of its prominent flavours of passion fruit, guava and elderflower. Peter only picks the very best grapes from his “Giatl” vineyard, located in Bassa Atesina / Unterland on the valley floor. “Ora del Garda” – a cool afternoon breeze from Lake Garda – helps the grapes to retain acidity and makes the resulting wine suitable for longer ageing.

Fans will be pleased to hear it's also available in a 1.5 litre magnum-sized bottle, perfect for family gatherings and gifting.

Winemaking

Peter harvests his Pinot Grigio grapes by hand. First, they go through cold maceration overnight, to enhance their fruity flavour. After that, the grapes are pressed and the juice is delicately clarified by gravity, without using a centrifuge. It takes more time, but doesn’t stress the wine. The juice is then fermented in small French oak barriques. Once it reaches the right alcohol level, it stays in the same barriques for another twelve months to age and develop complex flavours. The wine is then bottled and aged for an additional few months to further evolve its taste and aromas. This style of winemaking produces a unique wine with pleasant tropical flavours that has won it a number of prestigious awards.

Tasting notes

Pale gold colour. On the nose it has a medium aromatic intensity, with delicate aromas of passion fruit, guava, pear and elderflower, as well as a touch of ginger and honey. On the palate, it is dry and well-balanced, with pleasant medium acidity, a high level of alcohol and a full body. In the mouth, the wine offers a pronounced and complex blend of passion fruit, elderflower, pear, honey and ginger.

Ageing potential

8-10 years

Awards

Gambero Rosso - Three Glasses (2018 vintage) | Decanter World Wine Awards 2021 - Bronze Medal (2018 vintage) | Decanter World Wine Awards 2020 - Gold Medal (2017 vintage) | Robert Parker - 93 points (2018 vintage) | James Suckling - 93 points (2017 and 2018 vintages) | Mundus Vini 2019 - Gold Medal (2016 vintage) 

Old-vine Barbaresco with flavours of dried rose, liquorice, leather and tobacco.

As seen in The Independent: this wine was selected as an Indy Best Buy product in the best organic wines range (2017 vintage).

Barbaresco DOCG is one of Italy’s greatest red wines, and this UK-exclusive is an excellent example. It was awarded a remarkable 94 points by Wine Enthusiast – and for good reason. Grapes are grown in the old vineyard L’Ciaciaret, in the Gallina MGA (cru) in the municipality of Neive. Gallina is one of the most valuable crus in the Neive area, and is listed on Renato Ratti’s historic map of Barbaresco cru-vineyards. In 2014, the winery and the Francone vineyard were listed as part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Only 3,000 bottles of this Barbaresco are produced per year, making this a seriously exclusive wine. We recommend buying now if you want to taste it.

Sustainable winemaking

Grapes are harvested by hand in the first part of October (usually around the 10th of the month). After fermentation and 14 days of maceration on the skins, the wine is matured for 18 months in French oak casks, and refined further in bottle.

This sustainable Barbaresco wine is produced following the “Green Experience” system. This is a set of rules for eco-friendly grape-growing. It started in Piedmont, where winemakers decided that the traditional organic laws don't provide enough protection for the environment. It already unites more than 100 vineyards, including renowned producers of Barolo and Barbaresco.

Tasting notes

In the glass, this old-vine Barbaresco has medium garnet colour. It's refined, concentrated and deep, with classic Barbaresco flavours of dried rose, liquorice and clove. Seconds later, the wine reveals nuances of sweet pipe tobacco, old leather and chocolate. Very tannic.

Ageing potential

20 years

Awards

Wine Enthusiast - 94 points (2019 vintage) | Decanter World Wine Awards 2020 - Silver Medal (2017 vintage) | Decanter World Wine Awards 2019 - Gold Medal (2016 vintage) | Luca Maroni, 91 points (2017 vintage)

An organic, low-sulphite Ripasso wine produced by sustainable winemaker Camilla Rossi-Chauvenet. Tastes like fresh red cherries and cherry conserve.

As seen in The Independent: "It has flavours of cranberry, cherries and cinammon and aromas of eucalyptus. All that and a very non-traditional label." - Terry Kirby, "The 12 Reds for Christmas", The Independent 11.12.2020

Marchesa MariaBella - a delightful Valpolicella Ripasso wine - is made from three types of grapes: Corvina, Corvinone and Rondinella, all picked by hand. The wine is packed with tastes of fresh cherries, underpinned by notes of spices and cherry conserve from Amarone grape skins used in the fermentation process.

Winemaking

First, the bunches are gently crushed, and left for a long maceration. The wine is then fermented in stainless steel tanks to preserve the delicate flavours. After several months, Amarone skins are added to the wine, effectively starting a second fermentation. This adds structure and an intense fruity flavour to the wine, as well as increasing the level of alcohol. The wine is then aged in small French oak barrels for twelve months to soften the tannins and develop complex aromas.

Ripasso is a traditional method of winemaking in the Valpolicella region, making use of grape skins from Amarone della Valpolicella. Just before the Amarone wine finishes fermentation, the skins are drained and transferred to a vat of Valpolicella wine, that has already completed its fermentation. The Amarone grape skins continue fermenting, adding more colour, tannins and flavour to the resulting wine.

Camilla Rossi-Chauvenet was one of the first female winemakers in Valpolicella, and one of the first ones to switch to sustainable and organic methods. Her winery Massimago is now 100% organic. She believes in protecting animal and vegetal biodiversity in the vineyard. 80% of all electricity used at Massimago is produced by solar panels. Camilla limits the use of machinery to an essential minimum, with most processes done by hand.

Tasting notes

Medium ruby colour. Pronounced aromatic intensity, with notes of kirsch and cranberry, enriched by aromas of eucalyptus, nutmeg and fruit jam. On the palate, the wine is dry and full-bodied, with refined soft tannins, high natural acidity and a high level of alcohol. It fills your mouth with a taste of fresh red fruits, spices, herbs and cherry conserve, with a lingering fruity finish.

Ageing potential:

5 years

Awards

Decanter, Tasting by Andrea Briccarello - 92 points (2017 vintage) | I Vini di Veronelli - 2 stars (2018 vintage) | James Suckling - 87 points (2016 vintage) | Wine Searcher - 88 points

Sharp and fresh Alpine wine with flavours of white flowers and tropical fruits

This Rhine Riesling is crafted by Peter Zemmer, in the German-speaking part of Italy in Alto Adige. It has a remarkable taste of fresh fruits and flowers, particularly melon, elderflower and honeysuckle. Peter produces wines of very high quality, and four of them have won the "Two Glasses" award from Gambero Rosso - probably the most prestigious national wine competition in Italy. Peter's secret is that his vineyard lies in the foothills of the Alps, so he's able to grow grapes with expressive aromas and a high level of zingy natural acid. Even in summer, cool winds from the glaciers blow through the vineyard and help to preserve the refreshing zest found in this flavoursome wine.

Peter follows a winemaking technique that enhances the wine's natural fruitiness. First, he cold macerates his grapes for eight hours, to bring out the natural flavours. After that, the grapes are pressed and the juice is delicately clarified by gravity, without using a centrifuge. It takes more time, but doesn't stress the wine. The juice is then fermented in stainless steel tanks, at a controlled temperature of 19 °C.

Tasting notes

Pale lemon colour. On the nose, this wine has expressive aromas of melon, elderflower, honeysuckle, yellow apple, and bread dough.  It is dry on the palate, with pronounced flavours of fruits balanced by high acidity - a combination that offers a very refreshing taste. The wine has a medium level of alcohol and a medium body. It is youthful and will age beautifully in the cellar, where it will continue to develop its complex aromas.

Awards

Wine Enthusiast – 90/100 points (2019 vintage) | I Vini di Veronelli 2021 - Two Stars (2019 vintage) | Gambero Rosso - Two Glasses (2017 vintage)