Carletti family estate founded 1961 at the foot of Montepulciano. The Asinone single-vineyard Vino Nobile, named after the donkey-shaped hillside, is among the most consistently reviewed wines of the DOCG.
Signature wines: poliziano-asinone, poliziano-vino-nobile, poliziano-le-stanze
Scores: Wine Advocate 94 (2019), Vinous 94 (2018)
Address: Via Fontago 1, 53045 Montepulciano Stazione, Siena, Italy, Tuscany
The Bolgheri estate where Mario Incisa della Rocchetta planted Bordeaux cuttings in 1944. First released as Sassicaia 1968; awarded its own Bolgheri Sassicaia DOC in 1994.
Tasting: Strictly limited visits; the estate prioritises trade and allocation customers. Public access is rare.
Signature wines: sassicaia, guidalberto, le-difese
Scores: Wine Advocate 100 (1985)
Bolgheri estate founded by Lodovico Antinori in 1981 and fully owned by Frescobaldi since 2005. Bordeaux-cloned reds with Masseto and Ornellaia as flagships; the estate is ICEA-organic certified.
Tasting: Cellar tours, vineyard walks and tutored tastings by appointment; the Vendemmia d'Artista label programme is on display at the cellar.
Signature wines: ornellaia, le-volte-dell-ornellaia, ornellaia-bianco, le-serre-nuove-dell-ornellaia
Scores: Wine Spectator 96 (1998), Wine Advocate 98 (2015)
A 7-hectare blue-clay Merlot parcel inside the Ornellaia estate. First released as a separate brand in 1986. Now operates with its own dedicated cellar opened in 2020; widely considered Italy's most prestigious Merlot.
Tasting: Visits to the dedicated Masseto cellar by very limited appointment; one of Italy's hardest-to-secure cellar tours.
Signature wines: masseto, massetino
Scores: Wine Advocate 98 (2001), Wine Advocate 100 (2015)
Antinori's Bolgheri estate, established as a standalone vineyard in 1990 from the family's 1932 land purchase. 320 hectares; Guado al Tasso Superiore is flagship.
Tasting: Cellar visits, vineyard walks and the Osteria Magona village kitchen at Bolgheri; bookings via the Antinori hospitality desk.
Signature wines: guado-al-tasso, il-bruciato, scalabrone, matarocchio
Scores: Wine Advocate 97 (2015), Vinous 97 (2018)
Family estate founded 1983 by Eugenio Campolmi; Cinzia Merli has led the property since his death in 2002. Single-varietal Cabernet Franc (Paleo), Merlot (Messorio) and Syrah (Scrio) bottlings; CCPB-organic certified.
Tasting: Cellar visits and tutored tastings by appointment; vegan vinification practices used since 2014.
Signature wines: le-macchiole-paleo-rosso, le-macchiole-messorio, le-macchiole-scrio, le-macchiole-bolgheri-rosso
Scores: Wine Advocate 97 (2015), Vinous 96 (2019)
The second estate to release a Bolgheri red after Sassicaia, founded 1977. Acquired by Claudio Tipa's ColleMassari group in 2002; CCPB-organic certified since 2014.
Tasting: Cellar visits, vineyard walks and tastings by appointment; certified organic since 2014.
Signature wines: grattamacco-bolgheri-superiore, grattamacco-bolgheri-rosso, grattamacco-grattamacco-bianco
Scores: Wine Advocate 96 (2019), Vinous 95 (2018)
