Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Elegant · Contemplative
Chateau Lafite RothschildBordeaux$$$$$$$$$$Still Red
The second wine of Lafite shares the elegance and lead-pencil signature of the grand vin but with a higher Merlot component lending earlier approachability. Floral aromatic lift distinguishes it from heavier second wines.
Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · Medium acidity · Bold · Elegant
Chateau AngelusBordeaux€€€€€€€€€€Still Red
Merlot and Cabernet Franc from 27 classified hectares at the foot of Saint-Emilion's slope. Generous, opulent and structured, with dark cherry, violets and cedar complexity; certified organic from the 2021 vintage.
Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Contemplative · Elegant
Chateau FigeacBordeaux€€€€€€€€€€Still Red
The most Cabernet-dominant Right Bank premier cru in Bordeaux: near-equal thirds of Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Promoted to Premier Grand Cru Classe A in 2022. Combines peony and iris fragrance with electric energy, grainy Cabernet tannin and remarkable mineral length.
Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · Medium acidity · Contemplative · Bold
Chateau La Mission Haut-BrionBordeaux€€€€€€€€€€Still Red
La Mission Haut-Brion combines the gravel terroir of Talence with intense, brooding dark fruit. Blackberry, scorched earth, and graphite underpin a structured, powerful palate with velvety tannins and a finish that rivals the great first growths.
Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · Medium acidity · Bold · Contemplative
Chateau PavieBordeaux€€€€€€€€€€Still Red
From 42 hectares at Saint-Emilion's highest point (110m), Pavie delivers concentrated, structured Merlot-dominant blends with extraordinary mineral depth. Pairs elegance with considerable power; requires minimum 15 years to fully integrate.
Dessert · Full-bodied · High acidity · Contemplative · Elegant
Chateau d'YquemBordeaux€€€€€€€€€€Dessert Noble Rot
The world's most celebrated botrytised sweet wine; the sole Premier Cru Superieur in the 1855 Sauternes classification. Semillon-dominant with intense noble-rot character: beeswax, saffron, apricot, and honey balanced by electric acidity. Ages for decades and improves for 50 or more years in great vintages.
Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Contemplative · Elegant
Château Ducru-BeaucaillouBordeaux€€€€€€€€€€Still Red
Archetype of refined Saint-Julien: cassis and dark cherry on a bed of Gunzian gravel minerality, with perfectly integrated silky tannins and an exceptionally lengthy finish.
Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Contemplative · Elegant
Château PalmerBordeaux€€€€€€€€€€Still Red
Classified Third Growth performing at first-growth level: extraordinary richness from an unusually high Merlot proportion, with Thomas Duroux's biodynamic conversion delivering added aromatic complexity and freshness.
Dry · Full-bodied · High tannin · High acidity · Contemplative · Elegant
Château Léoville-Las CasesBordeaux€€€€€€€€€€Still Red
One of the great super-seconds of Bordeaux: extraordinarily concentrated cassis fruit with almost first-growth precision, dense tannins demanding patient cellaring of 15 or more years.
Dry · Medium-bodied · Racy acidity · Elegant · Refreshing
Château MargauxBordeaux€€€€€€€€€€Still White
A rare Sauvignon Blanc white Bordeaux of extraordinary mineral precision: gunsmoke, slate and saline drive a taut citrus frame that ages beautifully over a decade or more.
Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Contemplative · Elegant
Vieux Chateau CertanBordeaux€€€€€€€€€€Still Red
Pomerol's most Cabernet-Franc-inflected grand vin: 30% Cabernet Franc gives an aromatic lift and structural precision that sets VCC apart from Merlot-dominant peers. Sensuous and silky in great vintages, with decades of ageing potential.
Dry · Full-bodied · High acidity · Contemplative · Elegant
Chateau d'YquemBordeaux€€€€€€€€€€Still White
The singular dry white wine of Chateau d'Yquem, made only in years when the estate decides against a botrytised grand vin or in addition to it. Sauvignon Blanc-dominant, barrel-fermented in 50% new oak, offering honeyed citrus, white peach, and mineral depth unique to the Sauternes terroir.
Dry · Full-bodied · High acidity · Elegant
Domaine Etienne SauzetBurgundy€€€€€€€€€€Still White
A powerful, saline Batard with citrus, honey and hazelnut over a tightly wound mineral frame.
Dry · Full-bodied · High acidity · Elegant
Domaine RamonetBurgundy€€€€€€€€€€Still White
A powerful, broad Batard with citrus, honey and hazelnut over a saline, mineral frame.
Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Contemplative · Elegant
Domaine Comte Georges de VogueBurgundy€€€€€€€€€€Still Red
A powerful, brooding Bonnes-Mares with dark fruit, iron and a firm, ageworthy structure.
Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Contemplative · Elegant
Domaine de la VougeraieBurgundy€€€€€€€€€€Still Red
A structured, dark-fruited Bonnes-Mares with earth, spice and firm tannins.
Dry · Full-bodied · High acidity · Refreshing
Domaine Comte Georges de VogueBurgundy€€€€€€€€€€Still White
A rare white from young Musigny vines, declassified to Bourgogne, with citrus, white flowers and a saline depth.
Dry · Full-bodied · High acidity · Elegant
Domaine RaveneauBurgundy€€€€€€€€€€Still White
The most collected Chablis grand cru: intensely mineral and saline, with citrus, oyster shell and an endless finish.
Dry · Full-bodied · High acidity · Elegant
Domaine RaveneauBurgundy€€€€€€€€€€Still White
A rich yet racy grand cru, with citrus, white flowers and a deep, saline minerality.
Dry · Full-bodied · High acidity · Refreshing
Domaine RaveneauBurgundy€€€€€€€€€€Still White
A grand-cru-quality premier cru, taut and saline with citrus, white flowers and stony depth.
Dry · Full-bodied · High acidity · Elegant
Bouchard Pere et FilsBurgundy€€€€€€€€€€Still White
A precise, mineral grand cru with citrus, white flowers and a saline, tightly wound finish.
Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Contemplative · Elegant
Domaine PonsotBurgundy€€€€€€€€€€Still Red
Ponsot's flagship from very old vines: powerful, savoury and long-lived, with dark fruit, earth and a mineral spine.
Dry · Full-bodied · Medium tannin · High acidity · Contemplative · Elegant
Domaine Mugneret-GibourgBurgundy€€€€€€€€€€Still Red
Fragrant and silky Echezeaux with bright red fruit, rose and a fine mineral thread.
Dry · Full-bodied · Medium tannin · High acidity · Contemplative · Elegant
Domaine Trapet Pere et FilsBurgundy€€€€€€€€€€Still Red
A cooler, more savoury grand cru, with red and black fruit, herbs and a mineral, lacy finish.
Dry · Full-bodied · High acidity · Elegant
Domaine des Comtes LafonBurgundy€€€€€€€€€€Still White
Often called Meursault's grand cru in waiting: mineral and intense, with citrus, hazelnut and a saline depth.
Dry · Full-bodied · High acidity · Refreshing
Domaine Coche-DuryBurgundy€€€€€€€€€€Still White
A village Meursault that drinks like a premier cru, flinty and saline with citrus, hazelnut and stony depth.
Dry · Full-bodied · Medium tannin · High acidity · Contemplative · Elegant
Domaine de la VougeraieBurgundy€€€€€€€€€€Still Red
A tiny biodynamic Musigny, perfumed and silky with rose, red fruit and a mineral finish.
Dry · Full-bodied · High acidity · Elegant
Domaine LeflaiveBurgundy€€€€€€€€€€Still White
Leflaive's most refined premier cru, lacy and floral with citrus, white flowers and a saline finish.
Dry · Full-bodied · High acidity · Contemplative · Savoury
Champagne BollingerChampagne€€€€€€€€€€Sparkling Traditional
Recently disgorged La Grande Annee held far longer on lees: oak and toasted coconut over dried apricot and mandarin, bone-dry yet fruit-packed with a very long finish.
Dry · Full-bodied · High acidity · Contemplative · Elegant
Moet & ChandonChampagne€€€€€€€€€€Sparkling Traditional
Dom Perignon held to its second plenitude: a generous, plump wine of slate and crushed rock over apricot, honeysuckle and mint, with a stretched, energetic glide.
Dry · Full-bodied · High acidity · Bold · Elegant
Moet & ChandonChampagne€€€€€€€€€€Sparkling Traditional
A bold, powerful vintage rose led by black cherry and stone fruit over a deep, softly spicy core, combining flesh and richness with zingy drive.
Dry · Full-bodied · Racy acidity · Contemplative · Elegant
RuinartChampagne€€€€€€€€€€Sparkling Traditional
Ruinart's prestige cuvee, a Grand Cru-only pure-Chardonnay Blanc de Blancs in a firm, muscular, reductive style with chalk and long, lingering flavour.
Dry · Full-bodied · Racy acidity · Elegant · Contemplative
RuinartChampagne€€€€€€€€€€Sparkling Traditional
A rare Blanc de Blancs-based prestige rose: copper-hued and complex with mature Pinot, apricot and spice over gunpowder toast, vanilla and layered citrus.
Dry · Full-bodied · High acidity · Elegant · Festive
KrugChampagne€€€€€€€€€€Sparkling Traditional
A vinous, spice-driven rose with greater colour and texture from a relatively high red-wine proportion, the fruit framed by Krug's signature toast.
Dry · Full-bodied · High acidity · Contemplative · Savoury
KrugChampagne€€€€€€€€€€Sparkling Traditional
Krug's expression of a single year: citrus and stone fruit over toasted nuts, spice and honey, with vinous depth, fine chalk and a complex, savoury, very long finish.
Dry · Full-bodied · Racy acidity · Contemplative · Elegant
Champagne LansonChampagne€€€€€€€€€€Sparkling Traditional
A single-vineyard Blanc de Blancs from a walled vineyard inside the city of Reims: citrus and white flowers over chalk and subtle toast, taut and racy with saline mineral depth.
Dry · Full-bodied · Racy acidity · Elegant · Contemplative
Louis RoedererChampagne€€€€€€€€€€Sparkling Traditional
The original prestige cuvee, created for a tsar: zesty candied lemon and pollen over roasted hazelnut and vanilla, with incredible tension and a chalky, honed precision.
Dry · Full-bodied · High acidity · Romantic · Elegant
Perrier-JouetChampagne€€€€€€€€€€Sparkling Traditional
The prestige rose in the anemone bottle: gentle red berries and rose over citrus and soft spice, charming and soft with fresh acidity.
Dry · Full-bodied · High acidity · Elegant · Contemplative
Champagne Pol RogerChampagne€€€€€€€€€€Sparkling Traditional
Pol Roger's Pinot-dominant prestige cuvee honouring Churchill: orange oil and confit lemon over brioche and honey, with bright saline cutting a core of apricot, mint and sage.
Dry · Full-bodied · High acidity · Contemplative · Savoury
Domaine Jacques SelosseChampagne€€€€€€€€€€Sparkling Traditional
Anselme Selosse's Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs from three Cote des Blancs villages: yellow apple and quince over toasted nuts, honey and smoke, with an oxidative, vinous depth and a long savoury finish.
Dry · Full-bodied · High acidity · Contemplative · Savoury
Domaine Jacques SelosseChampagne€€€€€€€€€€Sparkling Traditional
Selosse's extra-brut Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs: ripe orchard fruit and toasted hazelnut over honey and chalk, with vinous oxidative richness and saline mineral depth.
Dry · Full-bodied · High acidity · Elegant · Bold
Veuve Clicquot PonsardinChampagne€€€€€€€€€€Sparkling Traditional
The rose version of the prestige cuvee: powerful red fruit and citrus over rooibos tea and fine leather, the palate complex with dried flowers and smoke on a luscious finish.
Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Contemplative
FerreiraDouro Valley€€€€€€€€€€Still Red
Portugal's most iconic dry red, made only in exceptional years from Douro Superior fruit: a structured, ageworthy wine with cedar, tobacco and a long mineral finish.
Dry · Full-bodied · Low tannin · Medium acidity · Contemplative
Bodegas BarbadilloJerez & Sherry€€€€€€€€€€Fortified Sherry
Century-old solera Amontillado of extreme concentration; the rancio and mineral depth reflect decades of slow oxidative transformation in old American oak.
Sweet · Medium-bodied · Racy acidity · Contemplative
Weingut Egon Muller - ScharzhofMosel€€€€€€€€€€Dessert Noble Rot
One of the world's most coveted sweet Rieslings: botrytis-laced Scharzhofberg Auslese of extraordinary concentration, acidity and near-immortal cellar life.
Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Contemplative · Elegant
Bartolo MascarelloPiedmont€€€€€€€€€€Still Red
A single blended Barolo co-fermented from four traditional crus (Cannubi, San Lorenzo and Rue in Barolo, Rocche in La Morra), expressing the house belief that the most complete Barolo comes from mutually compensating sites.
Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Elegant · Contemplative
GajaPiedmont€€€€€€€€€€Still Red
Gaja's village Barbaresco blends fruit from several Barbaresco crus into a rich, round Nebbiolo with tarry depth, grainy tannin and a voluminous finish.
Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Elegant · Refreshing
GajaPiedmont€€€€€€€€€€Still Red
From the Cerequio amphitheatre in La Morra, Conteisa is the flowery, fresh and aromatic side of Gaja's Barolo, with sweet wild cherry, herbs and fine-grained chalky tannin.
Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Contemplative · Bold
GajaPiedmont€€€€€€€€€€Still Red
Gaja's Serralunga Barolo from the Marenca-Rivette parcels: deep, mineral and austere with sour black cherry, truffle and a decidedly salty, stony finish.
Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Contemplative · Elegant
Giacomo ConternoPiedmont€€€€€€€€€€Still Red
The benchmark traditional Serralunga Barolo, from the estate's own Cascina Francia vineyard, against which many producers measure their work: structured, savoury and built for decades.
Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Contemplative · Bold
Poderi Aldo ConternoPiedmont€€€€€€€€€€Still Red
Aldo Conterno's flagship Riserva, a blend of the estate's oldest Bussia vines (Romirasco, Cicala and Colonnello) made only in superior years and cellar-aged at least ten years before release.
Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Contemplative · Elegant
Roberto VoerzioPiedmont€€€€€€€€€€Still Red
From the famed Brunate cru, Voerzio's radically low-yield viticulture produces an intense, concentrated and sought-after modern Barolo.
Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Contemplative · Elegant
Roberto VoerzioPiedmont€€€€€€€€€€Still Red
Voerzio's Cerequio is a powerful, concentrated single-cru Barolo from the prized hill on the La Morra and Barolo boundary.
Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Bold · Elegant
ViettiPiedmont€€€€€€€€€€Still Red
From the famed Brunate cru in La Morra, Vietti's Barolo is explosive and powerful, with plum and citrusy cedar, the violet typical of the site and soft, velvety La Morra tannin.
Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Elegant · Contemplative
ViettiPiedmont€€€€€€€€€€Still Red
From the Cerequio cru on the La Morra and Barolo boundary, this is an elegant, imposing Vietti Barolo with strawberry, plum and cherry, enveloping body and a persistent balsamic finish.
Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Bold · Contemplative
ViettiPiedmont€€€€€€€€€€Still Red
From the Serralunga cru of Lazzarito, this is Vietti's most robust, potent Barolo: hay, tobacco and white pepper over stark, profound tannin and a taut mineral finish.
Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Elegant · Refreshing
ViettiPiedmont€€€€€€€€€€Still Red
From the Ravera cru in Novello, this is a very elegant, refined Vietti Barolo: complex floral and chalk-edged red fruit with taut, compact tannin and a vibrant, vertical acid line.
Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Elegant · Contemplative
ViettiPiedmont€€€€€€€€€€Still Red
From the steep Rocche di Castiglione cru, Vietti's most aromatic Barolo shows perfumed red cherry and rose with fine-grained tannin and a long, mineral finish.
Dry · Full-bodied · Low tannin · Medium acidity · Elegant · Contemplative
Chateau RayasRhone Valley€€€€€€€€€€Still White
100% Grenache Blanc from sandy old vines; an unusual and complex white Chateauneuf with delicate florals, almond pastry texture, and remarkable longevity.
Dry · Medium-bodied · Medium tannin · High acidity · Contemplative · Elegant
Chateau RayasRhone Valley€€€€€€€€€€Still Red
100% Grenache from sandy soils at low yield; deceptively light in colour but profound in aromatic complexity, with ethereal red fruit, silky texture, and great longevity.
Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Contemplative · Bold
Domaine Stephane OgierRhone Valley€€€€€€€€€€Still Red
Ogier's ultra-premium single-vine-parcel Cote-Rotie from the Lancement site, aged in 100% new oak. Among the most expressive and sought-after modern Cote-Rotie wines.
Dry · Full-bodied · High tannin · High acidity · Contemplative · Bold
E. GuigalRhone Valley€€€€€€€€€€Still Red
The most powerful and structured of the trilogy. Pure Syrah from the Cote Brune iron-rich soils delivers a wine of granite-and-iron intensity that demands decades.
Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Contemplative · Elegant
E. GuigalRhone Valley€€€€€€€€€€Still Red
The most feminine of Guigal's La La La trilogy. Cote Blonde Syrah co-fermented with 11% Viognier gives a heady floral and red-fruit profile with silky tannins.
Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Contemplative · Bold
E. GuigalRhone Valley€€€€€€€€€€Still Red
La Turque bridges La Mouline's floral elegance and La Landonne's iron power with exotic spice, dark chocolate, and 7% co-fermented Viognier.
Dry · Full-bodied · High tannin · Low acidity · Bold · Contemplative
Domaine du PegauRhone Valley€€€€€€€€€€Still Red
Made only in exceptional years from the oldest Grenache vines at Pegau; an extreme, deeply concentrated Chateauneuf of extraordinary power and longevity.
Dry · Full-bodied · Low tannin · Medium acidity · Contemplative · Elegant
M. ChapoutierRhone Valley€€€€€€€€€€Still White
One of the world's most profound white wines. 100% Marsanne from the De l'Oree parcel of the Hermitage hill, biodynamically farmed, producing liquid gold that evolves magnificently for decades.
Dry · Full-bodied · Low tannin · Medium acidity · Contemplative · Elegant
E. GuigalRhone Valley€€€€€€€€€€Still White
The white companion to Guigal's Ex-Voto rouge, from old Marsanne and Roussanne vines on the Hermitage hill. Massively rich and textured with extraordinary ageing potential.
Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Contemplative · Bold
E. GuigalRhone Valley€€€€€€€€€€Still Red
Guigal's flagship Hermitage from a specific parcel on the granite hill of Tain. Dense, mineral 100% Syrah with black fruit, leather and oriental spice complexity.
Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Contemplative
M. ChapoutierRhone Valley€€€€€€€€€€Still Red
From the L'Ermite parcel at the summit of the Hermitage hill, the most mineral and austere of Chapoutier's single-parcel reds. Demands the longest cellaring.
Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Contemplative · Elegant
M. ChapoutierRhone Valley€€€€€€€€€€Still Red
Le Meal is the most hedonistic and velvety of Chapoutier's Hermitage single-parcel reds, from mid-slope schist and granite. More immediately accessible than Le Pavillon or L'Ermite.
Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Contemplative · Bold
M. ChapoutierRhone Valley€€€€€€€€€€Still Red
Chapoutier's crown jewel, from a single parcel on the granite hill of Hermitage. Biodynamically farmed old-vine Syrah.
Dry · Full-bodied · Low tannin · Medium acidity · Contemplative · Elegant
Domaine Jean-Louis ChaveRhone Valley€€€€€€€€€€Still White
Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Contemplative
Domaine Jean-Louis ChaveRhone Valley€€€€€€€€€€Still Red
Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · Medium acidity · Contemplative · Elegant
Chateau de BeaucastelRhone Valley€€€€€€€€€€Still Red
Mourvedre-dominant prestige cuvee made in exceptional years only; extraordinary iron, meat, and herb complexity with massive structure and decades of ageing potential.
Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · Medium acidity · Contemplative · Elegant
Bodegas Vega SiciliaRibera del Duero€€€€€€€€€€Still Red
A Tinto Fino-led blend aged for a decade or more, building complexity of dried fruit, leather and cedar with a mineral, persistent finish.
Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · Medium acidity · Contemplative · Elegant
Bodegas Vega SiciliaRibera del Duero€€€€€€€€€€Still Red
A non-vintage multi-year blend of Unico vintages, offering seamless integration of dried fruit, cedar and mineral notes across selected exceptional years.
Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Bold · Contemplative
Bodegas MugaRioja€€€€€€€€€€Still Red
Muga's icon wine, a tiny-production Tempranillo-Graciano from old vines aged in new French oak; concentrated, polished and ageworthy, the house's collector bottle.
Dry · Full-bodied · High acidity · Contemplative · Elegant
Marques de MurrietaRioja€€€€€€€€€€Still White
An extraordinarily rare white Gran Reserva, released decades after the harvest; the 1986 was relaunched to acclaim, with profound nutty, waxy oxidative complexity and electric acidity.
Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Bold · Contemplative
Bodegas RodaRioja€€€€€€€€€€Still Red
Roda's icon: selected old-vine Tempranillo with super-ripe, plush tannins yet remarkable freshness, aged briefly in new French oak to preserve fruit purity.
Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Bold · Contemplative
ArtadiRioja€€€€€€€€€€Still Red
Spain's most celebrated single-vineyard Tempranillo, from a tiny old-vine plot at Laguardia; intense yet ethereal, with floral lift, silky tannins and profound minerality.
Dry · Medium-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Contemplative · Funky
Frank CornelissenSicily€€€€€€€€€€Still Red
Magma is one of Italy's most sought-after cult wines: pure Nerello Mascalese from ungrafted pre-phylloxera vines above 1,000 metres, no sulphur added, aged in amphora. The wine embodies volcanic terroir at its most extreme and unfiltered.
Sweet · Contemplative · Elegant
DisznókőTokaj€€€€€€€€€€Dessert Noble Rot
Sweet · Contemplative
Tokaj OremusTokaj€€€€€€€€€€Dessert Noble Rot
Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Bold · Contemplative
ArgianoTuscany€€€€€€€€€€Still Red
Single-vineyard Brunello from Argiano's central south-facing parcel, introduced 2015 by oenologist Bernardino Sani.
Sweet · Full-bodied · High acidity · Contemplative · Elegant
AvignonesiTuscany€€€€€€€€€€Dessert Passito
Cult Vin Santo from raisined Sangiovese (Prugnolo Gentile), 10+ years in caratelli; one of Italy's most fabled sweet wines.
Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Bold · Contemplative
Casanova di NeriTuscany€€€€€€€€€€Still Red
Single-vineyard Brunello from Casanova di Neri's Cerretalto cru, one of Montalcino's most concentrated cuvees.
Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Bold · Contemplative
Castello di AmaTuscany€€€€€€€€€€Still Red
Castello di Ama's cult 100 percent Merlot Toscana IGT from a tiny Gaiole parcel, plush and graphite-mineral.
Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Bold · Contemplative
Le MacchioleTuscany€€€€€€€€€€Still Red
Cult 100 percent Merlot Toscana IGT from Le Macchiole, often compared to its Masseto neighbour.
Dry · Medium-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Contemplative · Elegant
MontevertineTuscany€€€€€€€€€€Still Red
The canonical pure-Sangiovese IGT. Red cherry, rose and dried herbs over a tobacco-and-iron core; long, linear finish that rewards a decade or more in bottle.
Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Bold · Elegant
MassetoTuscany€€€€€€€€€€Still Red
Masseto's second wine, introduced 2017. Merlot-Cabernet Franc Toscana IGT from younger Masseto vines.
Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Bold · Contemplative
Tenuta Guado al TassoTuscany€€€€€€€€€€Still Red
Pure Cabernet Franc Bolgheri Superiore from Antinori, the estate's single-varietal showcase from a 4-hectare parcel.
Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Bold · Elegant
Tenuta dell'OrnellaiaTuscany€€€€€€€€€€Still Red
Lodovico Antinori's Bolgheri Bordeaux-blend, founded 1981. Bolgheri Superiore DOC under Frescobaldi ownership; Wine Spectator Wine of the Year 2001 for the 1998 vintage.
Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Contemplative · Elegant
Poggio di SottoTuscany€€€€€€€€€€Still Red
The Riserva amplifies the house signature: rose-petal and dried-cherry depth, iron-and-leather backbone, a very long balsamic finish. Released only in exceptional vintages.
Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Contemplative · Elegant
Tenuta San GuidoTuscany€€€€€€€€€€Still Red
The founding Super Tuscan: a Bordeaux blend planted at Bolgheri in 1944 by Mario Incisa della Rocchetta. Granted its own single-estate DOC in 1994.
Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Bold · Elegant
Marchesi AntinoriTuscany€€€€€€€€€€Still Red
Cabernet-led sibling of Tignanello, denser and more international in profile, with cassis and graphite intensity over a long Tuscan acid spine.
Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Bold · Contemplative
Tua RitaTuscany€€€€€€€€€€Still Red
Tua Rita's flagship 100 percent Merlot Toscana IGT from Suvereto on the Val di Cornia, awarded 100 points by Wine Advocate for the 2000 vintage.
Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Contemplative · Elegant
AllegriniVeneto€€€€€€€€€€Dessert Passito
The single-vineyard Fieramonte takes Allegrini's Amarone to the highest level: a single hill block in the Classico zone with extreme concentration, the Oseleta component adding signature pepper warmth to the cedar-espresso complex.
Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Contemplative · Bold
Dal Forno RomanoVeneto€€€€€€€€€€Dessert Passito
The most powerful and extracted Amarone on the market: tiny yields, four-month drying, four years in small French oak. Immense concentration of dried fruit, dark chocolate and iron. Built for multi-decade cellaring.
Sweet · Full-bodied · Medium tannin · Medium acidity · Romantic · Contemplative
Dal Forno RomanoVeneto€€€€€€€€€€Dessert Passito
Dal Forno's sweet Recioto applies the same barrique-and-concentration philosophy: deep, almost port-like sweetness balanced by the estate's signature tannin structure.
Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Contemplative · Elegant
Giuseppe QuintarelliVeneto€€€€€€€€€€Dessert Passito
The definitive benchmark Amarone: monumental concentration from multi-variety appassimento, extraordinary aromatic depth of dried fruit, leather and tobacco, with firm but resolved tannins and a finish of exceptional length.
Sweet · Full-bodied · Medium tannin · Medium acidity · Contemplative · Romantic
Giuseppe QuintarelliVeneto€€€€€€€€€€Dessert Passito
The sweet passito counterpart to Quintarelli's Amarone: residual sugar balanced by firm tannins and high acidity producing a luscious yet structured dessert red with decades-long ageing potential.