The RISECCOLI Chianti Classico is a true representation of the estate’s terroir.

The Sangiovese is fermented and kept separately for 12 months in temperature-controlled cement vats. Fermentation for the Merlot (when required) takes place in stainless steel tanks and then aging is completed in French barriques before blending with the Sangiovese.

Details
Region: Chianti Classico
Type: Chianti Classico DOCG Organic
Current Release: 2021
Varieties: 90%-100% Sangiovese
Alcohol: 13.5%

The 2021 Le Difese is redolent of crushed red berry fruit, rose petal, lavender, spice and sweet pipe tobacco. Medium in body yet nicely layered, the 2021 is impeccably balanced. It is also a sheer delight to taste at this early stage. In many vintages, Le Difese is a fruity, forward wine, but the 2021 has a nervy feeling of classicism that is hugely appealing. It's one of my favorite recent vintages. As it has been for some time, Le Difese is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon from the estate and Sangiovese purchased from several properties in Chianti Classico, with the energy of Sangiovese very much driving the feel in this vintage. 

91pts – Vinous Media

Tornatore’s Etna Rosso is a medium-bodied Sicilian wine with beautiful personality, aromas of wild berries, black cherries and spices, and a full, savory and juicy mouthfeel. It matures for about 12 months in large barrels and is characterized by excellent value for money.

VARIETY: Nerello Mascalese and Nerello Cappuccio.

ETNA PRODUCTION AREA: northern slope in the municipality of Castiglione di Sicilia

GROWTH SYSTEM: Counter-espalier

PRUNING SYSTEM: Spurred Cordon

YIELD PER HECTARE: 70 qli

TIME OF HARVEST: 2nd and 3rd decade of October

AGING: About 6 months in large wooden barrels and about 3 months in bottle

Vinification
Grapes harvested by hand in small crates are brought quickly to the winery and undergo manual selection on a belt. De-stemmed and not totally crushed, they are sent to concrete tanks, where they macerate for about 10/12 days at a temperature of 22/25°C. Once fermentation is finished, the grapes are left to macerate for a few more days after which they are racked and pressed using a traditional vertical press.

Organoleptic Characteristics
Light ruby red with faint purplish reflections they, typical of the variety that is not very rich in color. Hints of small red fruits, morello cherry, black cherry are evident on the nose. The palate is distinguished by its typical balanced tannicity and surprising fullness, savoriness and length.

Big dark red with smooth mouthfeel and soft plummy flavours of ripe fruit, spice and liquorice notes leading into complex blueberry flavours. Montepulciano is one of the great red grapes of Italy, but is often considered a bit of a workhorse because it  naturally grows big bunches of grapes, which makes it easy to make high volumes of wine from. This wine is a step up from the most straightforward Montepulcianos on the market, and it's an incredibly smooth, deliciously drinkable red - a great wine to enjoy now and over the next two to three years. 

If you're looking for a next level red at an accessible price, here it is. 

Amaranta is a cru wine obtained from Abruzzo's most important red grape, the Montepulciano D'Abruzzo. This is a deep red wine with an intense perfume of red fruit and complex spice characters. The palate is well structured, complex and elegant, with a long, rich finish. 

Umani Ronchi is an excellent Italian wine producer in the Abruzzo region of central Italy. It's a company that makes a wide range of wines, including this incredibly delicious Montepulciano, which massively over delivers in taste. 

Big, bold and deep in colour, it has powerful dark fruit flavours held together in a smooth full bodied style with spicy notes adding complexity. Medium acidity adds balance to the blend, making for a beautifully integrated wine which is stunning value for money.

Sealed with a screwcap for freshness.

Vigor is made from Sangiovese and Merlot grapes grown in the Marche hills, rolling down the Appennine mountains to the Adriatic sea. Aged for one year in oak cask. This is a very fruity wine with savoury undertones. Medium bodied on the palate with balanced acidity, Vigor is a very versatile wine.

Casal di Serra Verdicchio was first made in 1983 from grapes grown in the Montecarotto Vineyard. It now includes grapes from three other vineyards, all of which are fermented with natural yeasts in stainless steel tanks to preserve freshness and fruit flavours. It is then aged in tank for five months in contact with yeast lees but with no malolactic fermentation. 

Verdicchio tastes great with Seafood, the ideal match with Verdicchio, as is soft cheese.

The Marche region

The altitude vineyards and sea breezes in the warm Mediterranean Marche region both combine to create a wine with vibrant freshness and bright acidity as well as a medium to full body. Verdicchio is nearly always made as a 100% varietal dry white and also lends itself to high quality sparkling wine, thanks to its robust acidity.

The earliest written mention of the Verdicchio grape is in 1569 and it makes some of the most age worthy dry whites in all of Italy, even at relatively modest prices such as this outstanding wine from Umani Ronchi, which is now organically certified and represents one of our greatest hidden treasures on our white wine shelves.

Buy it by the case and watch its tasty flavours unfold over four to five years, potentially longer.

If you're looking for Italy in a glass, here it is - a complex Chianti Classico (90% Sangiovese and 10% Merlot) from  a hillside vineyard in Tuscany called Poggio Teo. This 10 hectare site is situated about 400 metres above sea level where its vines gain maximum sunshine and benefit from cool nights, both of which enhance this wine's deep velvet smooth mouthfeel and complex, dry savoury aromas. Fleshy black plum flavours and a soft textured mid palate are followed by a lingering flavoursome finish. 

A great wine for drinking now (must be decanted to show at its best) and to save for another five to six years. 

98 points- Jeb Dunnuck

"Located in Novello, from three hectares of the Ravera MGA with southwest exposure, the 2017 Barolo Ravera was aged for 32 months in large oak casks. It is forward and expressive with fresh pine, candied cranberry, orange oil, and aniseed. The palate is full of energetic tension, balance, and purity, with apricot pit, tea leaf and saline minerality. An inspiring wine to close out the Vietti 2017 lineup." Drink 2025 - 2050

97 points - James Suckling

"Dried strawberry and citrus rind, as well as subtle undertones of smoke and dried flowers. Full-bodied, yet so tight and composed with freshness and lightness, yet power, too. Long finish. This really needs time to open. Classic style. Try after 2025."

96 points - Vinous, Antonio Galloni

"The 2017 Barolo Ravera is a powerhouse. My impression is that the 2017 is going to develop into something truly special. It has all the energy that makes this site so distinctive, but with an extra kick of fruit density and a whole range of exotic aromatics that make for a truly drop dead gorgeous wine. Bright red/purplish fruit, rose petal, chalk and white pepper build into a finish laced with searing intensity. This is such an impressive wine." Drink 2027 - 2042

The 2020 Langhe Nebbiolo Perbacco is another fantastic starting point wine from one of Piemonte's top producers, the family owned company, Vietti.

In this vintage, the Perbacco is especially good quality with flavours of dried cherry, herbs, mint, crushed flowers, anise and orange peel grace this striking, alluring Nebbiolo. There is enormous depth in this wine and, as with many earlier vintages, the Perbacco overdelivers, big time. 

What the critics say

"Quite frankly, the 2020 Perbacco is more satisfying than many Barbarescos and Barolos I tasted this year. Drink 2022-2030"

92/100 Vinous, Antonio Galloni

One of our favourite Italian white grape varieties here at Regional Wines and definitely one of the world's least well known whites. - Timorasso. This Italian white variety comes from the tiny hillside appellation of Colli Tortonesi DOC in Piemonte. 

The grapes in this wine were grown on vineyards located in Monleale in the Alessandria Province, which has a south east and south west exposure and clay limestone soils.. 

This dry white has high acidity with a medium to full body and white floral notes with flavours of peach, nectarine and a nutty taste on the finish. It drinks well now but definitely has the potential to age. 

Winemakers Elena and Luca Currado Vietti fell in love with Timorasso when they first tasted it in the 1990s and have now joined the ranks of producers of this grape, which they describe as a thoroughbred varietal. 

Timorasso...

Timorasso can be traced back to the Middle Ages and is a vigorous grape in terms of growth. It was nearly extinct after the European phylloxera epidemic of the late 1800s and has slowly been revived so there is now a total of 110 hectares, of which Vietti has 7.1 hectares. 

Its production is centred around the town of Tortona, known in Roman times as Derthona, hence the name on the label.

Here's a great little red blend from Antinori, which is a gorgeous expression of the insanely beautiful Tuscany region, but which is made from an interesting mix of Italian and French grapes. Sangiovese leads the way here with small quantities of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Syrah, all grown in Tuscany. 

Antinori's winemakers describe this wine as firm bodied on the palate, supple with  velvety tannins and a long, savoury aftertaste.