Italian Masters

These six masterful reds are the crème de la crème of Italian wines. Rich, powerful and fragrant they are the very essence of Italian style.

Sartori Amarone Corte Bra 2008

For more than 100 years the Sartori family has been a leading producer in the Verona area. Their Corte Brà Amarone is a single vineyard wine made from traditional local grape varieties Corvina and Corvinone. The secret of great Amarone is the grape drying process, in this case a period of 3 to 4 months. The hand selected, air dried berries undergo a month long fermention, a malolactic fermentation to soften the texture, and 4 years ageing in oak casks to meld the flavours. This rich, full bodied wine is endowed with a deep ruby hue along with ripe fruit flavours of blackcurrant, raspberry, and dried herbs. An Italian classic.

Negro Barbaresco Cru Cascinotta 2010

Negro really is a family affair - brothers Gabriele, Angelo and Giuseppe have now joined parents Giovanni and Marisa to continue the guardianship of the family’s premium vineyards in Piemonte. Cascinotta is a plot in the Bassarin vineyard, yielding concentrated Nebbiolo fruit which rivals the best from many of the more famous vineyards of neighbouring Barolo. Carefully made Barbaresco like this delivers the same classic aromas of tar and roses, along with some ripe, peachy background notes. The well judged oak lends the wine hints of spicy vanilla on the extremely elegant finish.

Fonterutoli Chianti Classico 2012

Brilliant, well priced Chianti from the Mazzei family who have been making incredible Sangiovese since 1435. The wine spends between 8 and 12 months in small Slovenian oak casks, followed by 6 months in bottle before release.

Wine critic Tim Atkin gave this wine 95 points and you can see why: it has a wonderfully perfumed nose of black cherry and spice with hints of woodsmoke and tobacco, followed by a full bodied palate with ripe tannins, and juicy acidity. Benchmark Chianti from one of the region’s best producers.

Poliziano Vino Nobile de Montepulciano 2011

Poliziano’s owner, Dr Federico Carletti, is a man who is passionate about every inch of his vineyards, employing dramatically low yields to ensure that his Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon are of the very highest order. Montepulciano is situated in the Tuscan hills on soils with a higher percentage of sand than the limestone-dominant areas of Chianti Classico or Brunello. In the hands of superior producers like Poliziano, the sandy soils and warmer climate here can create ethereal, deeply aromatic wines like this one. Federico’s dedication to cultivating top quality grapes has produced a wine of power and finesse – rich and well structured, with an intense perfume of juicy, ripe, dark fruits.

Fontanafredda Serralunga Barolo 2010

Wines from the vineyards of Serralunga have a greater intensity than those labelled simply as Barolo. The Nebbiolo grapes are grown on the limestone and grey marl soils located on the medium to upper slopes of the hills, producing full flavoured wines which require a longer period of barrel ageing in order to intergrate the dark fruit flavours, tannin structure and refreshing acidity. Fontanafredda’s Serralunga spends 24 months in oak, followed by 12 months in the bottle creating an intense, garnet coloured wine with overtones of vanilla, spice, crushed roses and underbrush. This full-bodied, velvety wine can be drunk with pleasure now, but will benefit from even further ageing in the bottle.

Fattoria dei Barbi, Brunello di Montalcino 2008

This iconic producer has been a part of Montalcino’s history since 1352 and is one of the three core families that established the Brunello DOCG. The strain of Sangiovese grown here was identified as a superior clone in the 19^th century, known locally as Sangiovese Grosso or Brunello. The climate plays a part in the quality too - it is warmer and drier than Chianti country, but benefits from cool maritime breezes that cool temperatures at night, encouraging the development of complex flavours and aromas.  This full bodied, elegant wine has red liquorice, sandalwood, spice and game on the nose, leading to a deep, richly flavoured palate. It is drinking brilliantly now, but will continue to develop for another 10 years or so.

By Chris Penwarden