Back Vintage Italian Gems
We are thrilled to present a selection of fantastic back-vintage Italian wines. Spanning the vintages 2006 through to 2017 there are gems here from world-class producers Piedmont and Tuscany that will be drinking beautifully for many years to come.
From the excellent 2006 and 2010 Tuscan vintages, we have an array of superstar wines. The 2006s from Poggio di Sotto and Salvioni are classy and imperious Brunellos of the very highest order that have over a decade and a half of much-needed maturity. From 2010, we have more Salvioni, the iconic Sassicaia and the 100-point Cerbaiona Brunello.
From 2013 onwards, we move North into Barolo. 2013 is represented by Vietti’s 100-point Barolo Ravera and 2015 by the Barolo Lazzarito from the same producer. We finish with our last cases of the 2017 Corino Barolo Rocche dell Annunziata, an under-the-radar treasure that punches massively above its price point.
2006 Poggio di Sotto, Brunello di Montalcino
1cs @ £1,250 per case (6*75cl OC) in bond
97 points Antonio Galloni
The 2006 Brunello di Montalcino is an explosive, structured wine bursting with dark fruit. It is one of the most inward, brooding wines of the vintage. Black cherries, menthol, spices and new leather are some of the nuances that flow as this expansive Brunello literally covers every inch of the palate. This is a totally mesmerizing, sublime wine of the highest level. (2011) www.vinous.com Drink 2016-2031
2006 Salvioni, Brunello di Montalcino
1cs @ £975 per case (6*75cl OC) in bond
97 points Antonio Galloni
Every bit as monumental as I had hoped, Salvioni’s 2006 Brunello di Montalcino is rich, towering and explosive, with fabulous depth and intensity. Dark cherry, smoke, spice, leather and plum gradually open up in a powerful Brunello that still needs time to soften. Epic in its dimension, the 2006 remains one of the very best vintages ever made here. (2016) www.vinous.com Drink 2018-2036
2010 Salvioni, Brunello di Montalcino
1cs @ £1,125 per case (6*75cl OC) in bond
98 points Antonio Galloni
One of the many highlights in this vertical, the 2010 Brunello di Montalcino is exceptionally beautiful. Today, the 2010 comes across as refined and polished, with veins of bright acidity that give the wines its sense of energy, drive and polish. Over the last few months, the 2010 has begun to close in on itself. I can’t say that is surprising given how much stuffing there is. Readers lucky enough to own the 2010 are in for a real treat. When all is said and done, the 2010 is profound and riveting in every way. (2016) www.vinous.com Drink 2018-2040
2010 Sassicaia
2cs @ £1,225 per case (6*75cl OWC) in bond
96 points Antonio Galloni
The 2010 Sassicaia is just beginning to show the first signs of aromatic development. Sweet tobacco, mint, pine, dried cherries and licorice open up in the glass, but only with great reluctance. The 2010 remains a wine of striking precision and nuance, but it also has an element of classical austerity that is especially apparent today. Readers should be in no rush to drink the 2010. (2015) www.vinous.com Drink 2020-2040
2010 Cerbaiona, Brunello di Montalcino
5 btls @ £330 per bottle (1*75cl) in bond
100 points Antonio Galloni
The 2010 Cerbaiona Brunello di Montalcino brings the evening to a rapturous finish. The most anticipated wine of the night, the Cerbaiona shows why it belongs in the pantheon of the most epic wines ever made in Montalcino. A Brunello with no beginning and no end, the 2010 Cerbaiona just is. Every aroma, every shade of nuance, every texture is just…perfect. The 2010 has been nothing less than thrilling every time I have tasted it, going back to the days when it was a young wine in cask. It is every bit as magnificent on this night. (2015) www.vinous.com Drink 2018-2040
2013 Vietti, Barolo Ravera
1cs @ £1,400 per case (6*75cl OWC) in bond
100 points Antonio Galloni
The 2013 Barolo Ravera is a real stunner. An exceptional, brilliant wine, the 2013 Barolo Ravera possesses breathtaking aromatics, translucent fruit and energy to burn. In 2013, the Ravera is dark and brooding, with fabulous intensity and the linear, focused precision that is the signature of this site in Novello. I have tasted and followed the 2013 Ravera for a number of years. It has never been anything less than thrilling. It is all that and more today. Readers who can find the 2013 should not hesitate, as it is tremendous. (2016) www.vinous.com Drink 2025-2053
2015 Vietti, Barolo Lazzarito
2cs @ £300 per case (3*75cl OWC) in bond
96+ points Monica Larner
Opening to a beautifully floral bouquet, the 2015 Barolo Lazzarito delivers fragrant tones of violets, wild rose and a touch of orange blossom. As is the norm at Vietti, I tasted this wine and then wrote this review based on impressions gained from two samples—one opened several hours before my tasting and one opened at the moment of my review. Those floral notes came forth with increased intensity and clarity in the bottle that had been opened longer. The bouquet continues to surprise with touches of black fruit and freshly milled white pepper. However, like many wines from Serralunga d’Alba, this expression from Lazzarito reveals a pretty inner paradox. Those ethereal and balsamic aromas cede to a dense and rich mouthfeel, characterized by structure and power. Those two sides of the wine reach beautiful parity and lasting harmony. (2019) www.robertparker.com Drink 2022-2045
2017 Renato Corino, Barolo Rocche dell Annunziata
7cs @ £235 per case (6*75cl OC) in bond
94 points Antonio Galloni
The 2017 Barolo Rocche dell’Annunziata is such a pleasure to taste. I feel like I am in La Morra, in Rocche dell’Annunziata, looking down the patchwork of parcels on this steep hillside. Freshly cut flowers, mint, spice and sweet red/purplish berry fruit notes abound. More than anything though, the 2017 is distinguished by its silky tannins and exceptional balance. In a word: sublime. (2021) www.vinous.com Drink 2025-2037
Offered subject to final confirmation. Available in the UK in 8-12 weeks.
