Complex, elegant and full of rich, dark cherry flavour. Il Poeta 2018 is an enchanting expression of the rose-scented Nebbiolo grape crafted to perfection by winemaker, Paolo, from vineyards around the prized village of Barbaresco.
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Wine Enthusiast calls Amarone “one of 15 icons in Italian wine”. They are certainly some of the country’s most treasured reds. Rooted in the ancient tradition of sun-drying grapes before fermentation, Amarone wines offer exceptional richness and a glorious combination of power and complexity that cellars well, too. No wonder they are sought after worldwide. This 2020 from esteemed Cantina Negrar pays tribute to 18th century poet Bartolomeo Lorenzi, whose epic poems celebrating rural life made Valpolicella wines famous.
The grapes are from the ancient, dry, stone terraces of the cool Marano Valley, where they ripen slowly. They are then air-dried for 120 days to intensify flavours. Decant early and enjoy with hearty dishes, or cellar.
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Renieri is owned by its grand neighbour, Marco Bacci's historic, much lauded Castello di Bossi. The same care goes into the wines of both estates. Renieri boasts 128 hectares of land, within which lie 30 hectares of vines, in the southern stretch of Montalcino. The prized vineyards for the Brunello all lie at 350 to 420 metres altitude, some of the highest in the appellation and were replanted in 1998 to meet the high specifications of the team. Meticulous work in the vineyards and ageing in a mix of small barriques and traditional larger botti barrels result in a wine of amazing power and bold, dense fruit, with the freshness and structure to enable it to age a couple of decades at least. Delicious now; will cellar magnificently.
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Antonio Federici is a small, 3rd-generation cellar in Lazio, just south of Rome. As you'll taste here, its wines are both authentic and delicious. Normally, they only supply their meagre output to top restaurants in Rome.
But with most shut in 2020, we managed to gain a small allocation of this superb, cherry-scented red. And again, the following year. On fine limestone soils (the rocks of which were used to build some of Rome's most famous buildings) they grow some of Italy's most characterful native grapes.
From these they make a small range of award-winning wines. No doubt the skill of top Italian consultant Franco and Matteo Bernabei comes into play, as well as the commitment and passion of the family.
A silky, smooth, easy red.
