Tenuta Il Poggione, Montalcino

Located in the Montalcino DOCG appellation of Tuscany, Tenuta Il Poggione is an estate especially known for its outstanding Brunello wines. When Florentine land owner Lavinio Franceschi visited the area in the late 19th Century he fell in love with the landscape so much that he decided to purchase land and begin growing treasured Sangiovese grapes. The estate is stretched over 1,480 acres of land with 309 of them being planted to vines. With both traditional and modern practices, the winery, built in 2004, focuses on aging in larger, 300-500 liter French oak barrels. The Riserva Vigna Paganelli, Il Poggione’s flagship wine, is only produced in the best vintages and solely from the oldest vineyards on the estate, while the younger Brunello wines typically provide the fruit for the Rosso di Montalcino bottling. The wines are known for their balance of fruit and savory characteristics which provide a classic representation of the Brunello DOCG.

Tenuta di Trinoro - Andrea Franchetti, Val d’Orcia

Andrea Franchetti’s family have been visionaries across centuries, a noble, Italian family of Jewish origin, related by marriage to the Rothschilds. Andrea’s uncle was the American artist Cy Twombly, Hemingway was a family friend. In his early years, Andrea cycled and hitchhiked to Afghanistan - a hint of his intent always to take the road less travelled. He had fallen in love with the wines and modus operandi of Bordeaux and there he learned of the importance of terroir from some of the great cult producers of the right bank: Jean-Luc Thunevin and Peter Sisseck among them.

Franchetti purchased the estate during the 1980s, and in the early 1990s, he planted the first vines. In the rugged wilderness that would eventually transform into Trinoro, he identified clay-limestone and gravel-rich soils that harkened back to the revered terroirs of Saint-Émilion. Amidst vast expanses of cobalt-blue clay, select plots were deemed fit for viticulture. These patches were meticulously cleared by hand and then cultivated in the Bordelais tradition, characterized by high-density plantings, meticulously spaced meter-by-meter, using cuttings sourced from some of Bordeaux’s most esteemed vineyards.

Franchetti’s winemaking philosophy revolves around the tenets of close plantings, rigorous thinning, minuscule yields, extraordinary ripeness, and an unyielding pursuit of concentrated flavors. The wines that emerge from this philosophy are a sensory symphony, exuding intoxicating perfumes and opulence. They are simultaneously inviting in their youth yet destined for a graceful evolution within the confines of a patiently aging bottle.

Tenuta di Trinoro’s top wine is a cult red, Merlot and Cabernet Franc-driven. It sits in the same echelon as the other great Super Tuscans: Sassicaia, Masseto, Solaia and Ornelaia.

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Bruno Giacosa

Giacosa’s wines are revered globally, with a reputation built on the elegance, purity and complexity of wines produced over the lifetime of Bruno Giacosa, who died in 2018. Over the course of 60 years, he came to be recognised as one of Piedmont's greatest winemakers. In 1945, at the age of 16, Bruno began working full-time in the family cellar. Rather than studying oenology, he instead absorbed the traditional knowledge and techniques passed down through his family. His approach was deeply considered, single-minded and perfectionist. Famously exacting and modest, he let his wines speak for themselves.

Since 2006, the estate has been ably run by Bruno’s daughter, Bruna. Bruno’s standards have been upheld, with continued, unwavering commitment to producing wines of both the highest quality and of true vineyard expression. Since the 2012 vintage, all of their Barbaresco and Barolo have been made exclusively from estate-grown fruit.

*ICON WINERY

*HIGHLY ALLOCATED/RARE

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Vietti

Located in the heart of the Langhe hills, at the top of the village of Castiglione Falletto, the Vietti family produced wine for five generations in Castiglione Falletto, at the heart of the Barolo area. Carlo Vietti founded the winery in the 1800s and his son Mario and the next generations carried on his legacy, focusing on improving the production.

After four generations of his family had already produced wine for Vietti, Mario Cordero joined the company in 1960 and the winery's real triumph began with him. The traditional methods of winemaking were combined with the use of modern technology, intelligent work in the vineyard and, above all, a rigorous selection of grapes. With intuition and foresight – from the production of one of the first Barolo Cru (single-site) wines, Rocche di Castiglione in 1961. This was a radical concept at the time, but today virtually every vintner making Barolo and Barbaresco wines offers “single vineyard” or “cru-designated” wines.

After Mario Cordero's decision to be the first winery in Piedmont to produce a single-varietal Arneis as early as 1967 – Vietti's successful path into the future was paved.

The estate has gradually grown over the course of time, and today the vineyards include some of the most highly-prized terroirs within the Barolo winegrowing area.

Today, Vietti is owned by the Krause family (USA), who already own the Barolo winery Enrico Serafino.

*ICON WINERY

*HIGHLY ALLOCATED CRU WINES

Cordero San Giorgio

Cordero San Giorgio is a new beginning for three siblings who grew up surrounded by their family's vines at the legendary Vietti Estate in Castiglione Falleto in Barolo.​ The siblings Francesco, Lorenzo, and Caterina Cordero, are grandchildren of Luciana Vietti & Alfredo Currado, one of the pioneers of the first Barolo crus and considered the "father of Arneis." Their father is Mario Cordero, Alfredo and Luciana's son-in-law, who was the company's co-owner from the beginning of the '80s until 2016 when it was sold.

Boasting 22 hectares of land, 20 of which are dedicated to vineyards planted at elevations between 200m-250m, plus 17.5 ha rented, the estate core foccus is Pinot Nero but also offers a diverse array of varietals, including Pinot Grigio and Chardonnay.

Cultivated according to organic principles since July 2019, the vineyards have officially been certified with the 2022 harvest.

Il Conte Villa Pandrone

Multi-generation family of grape-growers who decided to make wine in the 1980s. Delicious coastal whites and red. High-scoring in Wine Spectator's Top 100 2021

Wines are juicy and fresh, made with Montepulciano d’Abruzzo and Sangiovese grapes.

Passopisciaro, Andrea Franchetti

After a decade of experience making wine at Tenuta di Trinoro, in 2000 Andrea Franchetti dedicated himself to a new project on the northern slopes of Mount Etna near the town of Passopisciaro in the district of Castiglione di Sicilia. Franchetti lovingly restored the long-forgotten terraces adorned with age-old vines. At about 1,000 meters above sea level, he meticulously replanted at a density of 12,000 vines per hectare in the mineral-rich volcanic soil.

Andrea’s presence on “the mountain” (as locals call it) played a pivotal role in bringing Etna wines to the international stage. At Passopisciaro, Franchetti devoted attention to the indigenous grape, Nerello Mascalese, exploring its diverse expressions of terroir through a series of single subzone wines. Where Nerello Mascalese isn’t planted, he grows Chardonnay, Petit Verdot, and Cesanese d’Affile.

Passopisciaro includes 9 different wines, with 6 showcasing Nerello Mascalese. Recognizing the varied characteristics of Nerello from the different contrade, Franchetti decided in 2008 to bottle his top sites separately. These wines—Contrada C, Contrada P, Contrada G, Contrada S, and Contrada R—are harvested from vineyards at various elevations and on distinct lava flows of different ages and makeup. 

Sadly, in 2021, Andrea passed away from cancer, but his four children will continue his legacy.

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