Brunello di Montalcino DOCG is one of Italy's great reds and comes from Montalcino, a hillside town that's about 42 kilometres from the city of Siena, 150 kilometres from Florence and is 567 metres above sea level. 

Brunello di Montalcino must legally be aged for five years prior to its release in bottle, so when looking at the great wines from this small township, it's important to take that into consideration. 

The name Brunello comes from the Italian word Bruno, which means brown. It was given to the grape variety that Brunello di Montalcino is made from; it's a 100% varietal wine, meaning it is made entirely from only one grape variety. And until 1879, that grape was thought to be a distinctively different variety than the main grape in Tuscany, namely Sangiovese. 

In 1879, it was discovered that the Brunello grape is, in fact, a clone of Sangiovese which happens to produce particularly powerful, velvety smooth reds in this little highly prized hillside appellation. So, Brunello is one of Tuscany's few red wines that is made 100% from the Sangiovese grape and it is one of Italy's great red wines. 

Seductively fruity and powerfully tannic are two of the hallmarks of great Barolo and this wine more than meets the mark with its massive depth of earthy, dark flavours and its delicate aromas of red fruit. It is a sensational Barolo, available in small volumes in New Zealand. 

This is Barolo at its best. It is alluringly tasty now and undoubtedly has a long life ahead for those with willpower to cellar it for up to and beyond a decade.

Giacomo Fenocchio is regarded as one of the best Barolo producers today. Here's a piece that sums up why he is so highly respected and what makes his wines an authentic expression of Piemonte as a wine region.

Giacomo Fenocchio is regarded as one of the best Barolo producers today. Here's a piece that sums up why he is so highly respected and what makes his wines an authentic expression of Piemonte as a wine region.

What the critics say

"Woodland-berry, new leather, camphor and fragrant blue-flower aromas align in the glass. Showing youthful tension and depth, the palate is still immaturely austere but delivers juicy cherry, raspberry and licorice alongside firm, refined tannins. Fresh acidity keeps it well balanced. Drink 2024–2041." 

96 points
Wine Enthusiast

"The Villero cru is quickly gaining in prestige and celebrity. The 2016 Barolo Villero raises the bar on this group of new releases from Giacomo Fenocchio. If some of the other Baroli are slightly muddled in aromas, this wine shows a greater degree of focus and precision. You are aware of clear aromas of black fruit, plum, spice, leather and cured tobacco. The tannins are textured but integrated into the rich fiber of this vintage."  

92 points
Robert Parker Wine Advocate

Giacomo Fenocchio's winemaking philosophy

"Claudio Fenocchio took over from his father Giacomo in 1989 – probably the moment of greatest pressure to follow the ‘modern’ winemaking path of short fermentations and aging in new barriques. In fact, it’s difficult now to understand how much pressure was exerted – from peers and neighbors, old and young, from the press, importers, customers, and that mysterious thing called “the market”. It took a strong will to resist, and a strong devotion to tradition. Lucky for us that Claudio stuck with the best of tradition – organic farming, long fermentations, and aging in large Slavonian oak casks. Easy for us too, since we get to drink his wines. Here’s a rare group of Fenocchio bottles spanning the generations, and ending with the beautiful 2016s."

From Chambers Street Wines

100% Freisa from hillside sites of Helvetian soils with clayey sediments, blue marl and tuff at around 300 metres.

Traditional fermentation with skin contact and natural yeasts for approximately 8 days in stainless steel tanks prior to aging for six months in stainless steel and six months in Slavonian oak barrels - subsequent refinement in bottle

An intense ruby red colour with intense spicy aroma and flavours (red cherry, black cherry, raspberry, grilled red plum, violet, rose, and cocoa bean) with good body and tannins.

Arneis is a white grape varietal from the Piedmont region in Italy. This wine is tangy, dry and full-bodied. The nose is bright and floral with a fresh pear quality. The palate is rich with stone-fruit and a light nuttiness.

Barbera is the juicy popular everyday red wine from Piemonte in north west Italy but it can also be complex, layered and succulently good, like this great example. Aromas of spice and fresh cedar lead into a full bodied, rewardingly interesting and smooth Italian red.

Moscato d’Asti Gianni Doglia produced with 100% Moscato Bianco
Place of production: Fraz. Annunziata, Castagnole Lanze (Asti) Italy
Harvest: Beginning of September
Yield: 9000 kg per hectare/Ha

Vinification:
To preserve in the wine all of the fragrance of the fruit you need to adopt a particular technique of harvesting and vini cation. In fact, the grapes, from vineyards owned by the company, are harvested manually in the vineyard and lied with care in boxes for the transportation to the winery; here they are pressed gently and the must obtained is preserved in cooling vats (-1,5° C) until it is time to vinify it in the autoclave. The fermentation takes place at a controlled temperature and with the help of selected yeasts until it reaches 5% alcohol. Afterwards the wine will be altered and bottled. This is how you obtain a lively wine with strong and intense varietal characteristics.

5% ABV

Color: straw yellow with green hues.
Nose: intense and exciting. The varietal aromatic tones are articulated in delicate oral notes like jasmine, rose, sage, mint with fruity tones of peach, apricot, pineapple and banana.
Taste: A Natural slightly sparkling wine; the sweet and aromatic taste is accompanied from a fresh citrus finish with a long persistence.
Food coupling:
The Moscato d’Asti is an excellent wine for dessert that goes well with pastries and fruit cakes; moreover, thanks to the moderate alcohol content is a pleasant refreshing drink in the summer. More provocative is the coupling with cold cuts and cheeses; a provocation that will amaze you.

Ruby red colour, aromas of red fruits. In the mouth it is fresh withan excellent tannic texture. Ideal for first and second courses based on meat. Destemming and pressing of the grapes, fermentation and after a part of the wine is aged for 6 months in wooden barrels.

Primitivo comes from Puglia in the south of Italy where the hot Mediterranean climate provides ideal growing conditions to ripen grapes into a big, full bodied, plush and fleshy red wine, such as this one from Giordano.

This is a next level expression of a grape renowned for making big, dry, friendly drinking reds. It drinks well now and can age for another four to five years, developing into a more complex, savoury wine.

Grosjean's velvety Gamay from north east Italy tastes ideal with cured meats such as salami, prosciutto and Italian soups.

Gamay's smooth red fruited flavours and lifted red floral perfume are best known from France's Beaujolais region but here's an Italian take on the same theme from the dramatic beauty of the Valle d'Aoste in north east Italy. Grosjean is a small volume, high quality focussed producer, which makes this wine from grapes grown between 700 and 850 metres above sea level on steep sunny mountainous slopes.

The Grosjean family traces its roots back to the village of Fornet in the high mountain passes of the Valle d’Aosta known as Valgrisenche where they raised cattle. During the summer months, the family cultivated grapes and chestnuts on the slopes at a lower altitude, stocking up on wine to supply themselves over the long winters. In 1969, Dauphin Grosjean, the father of the five sons that now collaborate to produce the wines of this estate, was encouraged to present his wine at the local “wine expo”. The exceptional quality of his work was recognized and the entire family became engaged in the expansion of the vineyards and in the production of wine.

The estate has now grown to encompass seven hectares of vineyards. The domaine is located in the hamlet of Ollignan on the border of the towns of Quart and Saint Christophe and includes “cru” vineyard sites such as Tzeriat, Rovettaz, Creton, and Touren in Quart, plus Tzantè de Bagnere, Merletta and Castello di Pleod in Saint Christophe. After starting out with the traditional Petit Rouge along with some Gamay, Pinot Noir and Petite Arvine, the Grosjeans have planted other local varietals such as Fumin, Cornalin, Premetta and Vuillermin.

Sustainable farming techniques have been in place since 1975: only organic fertilizers are applied and no pesticides or herbicides are used. Natural yeasts are utilized for fermentation.

Vinupetra : a Sicilian dialect word meaning "wine produced in stony soil." The vineyard is cultivated by hand using natural products. No biotechnology is used in the winemaking process. District: Porcaria in the municipality of Castiglione di Sicilia – Etna Nord at 580 meters above sea level. Parcel: VignaCalderara. Grape varieties: Nerello Mascalese 80%, Nerello Cappuccio 10%, Granache & Francisi 10%.

Number of screws approximately:  3,800

Land area: approximately 0.38 hectares

Density of vines per hectare: 10,000

Vine Age: Over a hundred years old, on its own rootstock, with part replanted in 2005

Vineyard cultivation: Albanello di Etna (Etna Bush Vine method) with Etna chestnut support.

Average yeild per hectare:  9,000kg

Average liters of wine produced per hectare:  6,000L

Average total number of 0.75 l bottles produced: 3,100

Harvest period: second ten days of October

Vinification: Pressing of the grapes, 30% of which with the stems. Maceration on the skins for at least 15 days in a 2500-liter wooden vat.

Yeasts: addition of native yeasts (Pied de cuve)

Duration of alcoholic fermentation: 10 days

Aging period: in 225 and 500 litre barrels for 12 months

Filtration: only during bottling

Clarification: natural decantation

Decanting during refinement number: 6

Addition of sulfur dioxide: in small doses before fermentation and bottling

Average alcohol content: 13.5%

Average total acidity grams per litre: 6.5

Average pH: 3.35

Total sulfur in freshly bottled wine (mg/l) average: 60

Bottling: in May of the second year following the harvest

First Year of Production: 2001

Hand harvested, fermented in Palmiento aged in underground amphorae. The vineyard is biodynamic and only minimal filtration takes place through a wicker basket. Ruby red color. Notes of red berry fruit, raspberry and cherry predominate on the nose. On the palate it is fresh and soft, with a well present but velvety tannin. A well balanced wine.

It’s not often we come across wines that date back to 1398 but Chianti is no everyday wine, especially when it's labelled Isole E Olena. All grapes in this wine were hand picked. It's a blend of 80% Sangiovese, 15% Canaiolo and 5% Syrah, which balance each other nicely with their ripe red berry flavours of cherries and raspberries which sit alongside complex notes of spice, smoky leather and a hint of cedar. This wine's lively acidity adds a freshness and gives length to the wine. 

This great red will benefit from ageing thanks to stellar winemaking and viticulture from Paolo di Marchi, one of the kings of the Sangiovese grape, who took over the winemaking in 1976. He ended decades of sharecropping and focussed on fine tuning work in the vineyards and pioneered Tuscan reds made entirely from the Sangiovese grape, such as the great Super Tuscan, Cepparello; now one of the region’s most iconic wines. 

Isole e Olena Chianti Classico is one of the great Tuscan reds.Try it. 

THE CHIANTI CLASSICO APPELLATION

Chianti Classico is the heart of the wider Chianti production zone and its wines are distinguished by a trademarked black rooster on their labels. The wines of Chianti Classico are higher in quality and noticeably so in taste than wines labelled Chianti, which come from a broader area in Tuscany. The wines taste better because the vines are planted on hillsides with a higher degree of  iron rich soils and a greater diurnal temperature range, which provides more powerful, riper fruit flavours, which are balanced by higher acidity thanks to the cooler night time temperatures. 

The Sangiovese grape must make up 80% of all wines labelled Chianti Classico compared to 70% Sangiovese for wines labelled Chianti. 

Chianti was first defined as a wine producing sub region within Tuscany in 1716 by the Grand Duke of Tuscany Cosimo III, whose wanted to protect the integrity of the wines and prevent fraud. The Chianti Classico Wine Consortium was formed in 1924 with the distinctive Black Rooster trademark chosen to feature on the labels. 

It takes a fair bit of work to create a Pinot Grigio as complex, rewardingly delicious and layered as this one from the northern Italian wine region of the Veneto. Dry with intense flavours of lemon pith, red apples and hints of saltiness, this wine makes an outstanding match with salads and seafoods and is a great aperitif on its own. 

Hand picked grapes were gently pressed and given temperature controlled fermentation with wild yeast. The finished wine was aged for three months pre release. 

An outstanding Pinot Grigio.

This rosé will change your perceptions of what pink wine is all about. It's from Abruzzo, a region in Central Italy where Montepulciano is the most planted red grape and is responsible for high volumes of tasty, full bodied, smooth Italian red wines and also as a key ingredient from which to make rosé, such as this refreshing dry one.

This wine is 100% Montepulciano and the grapes were grown to comply with certified organic guidelines then hand picked and fermented at cool temperatures to preserve fruit purity and freshness. 

If you're looking for complexity and a deliciously refreshing rosé at the same time, here it is.