Easter Cellar Raids - Italy

This 2018 is showing great purity of red cherry and berry fruit, supported by liquorice and clove spice. Hints of blood orange and a stony minerality add complexity, combined with the wine's chalky tannins and vibrant acidity.

The 2020 vintage is bright and alluring with great juiciness and suppleness. Red berry perfume dominates the aroma profile, with sweet spice and wild flowers evident on the palate. There is a silkiness to the core that makes this wine very quaffable.

72 year old vines. Lovely freshness here, dark fruit, tension, power, salinity and nervous energy. This is intense and powerful, with loads of salinity: so mineral, but also lots of burnt orange peel, and some almond kernal. It’s so complex and very well balanced: an astonishing Barolo from a real magician.

With fresh mountain strawberry notes, silky tannins, and so much minerality, the 2014 Ravera is simply stunning. The palate is so full of life, and there's a gorgeous coolness to the fruit. This is long and fine, with such excellent balance and drive. Brilliant.

With vineyards planted in the late 90s and early 2000s, the vines are starting to get some age and this is seemingly having a great impact on the wine with quality going up every vintage. 82% Merlot and 18% Cabernet Sauvignon this wine exudes liquorice, vanilla and clove spice combined with layers of juicy red berry fruits. The texture is wonderfully supple with chalky, firm tannins that bring focus and direction into this truly beguiling wine.

With the grapes coming from 3 different vineyards with a number of old vines, the wine takes on additional layers and weight. The 2020 combines juicy red cherry and pomegranate fruit with floral and sweet spice notes as well as an energetic core with chalky, well integrated tannins.

Made from the younger vines from within the Ravera vineyard, this Barolo is enticing with its rose floral and black cherry aromas. The crisp acidity is balanced with a juicy, ripe core and chalky, firm tannins

A blend of Verduno vineyards, this has notes of balsamic, and it has the strawberry fruit and soft, sandy tannins you'd expect from this commune. So much drive and energy: just such a delicious Barolo.

Querciabella’s Super Tuscan, the 2017 Camartina is 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Sangiovese. The trick here is the estate’s high-altitude vineyards, bringing freshness and poise alongside astonishing depth of flavour and complexity. One of Italy’s greatest wines, this shouldn’t be missed.

From a one hectare site in Baudana, in Serralunga d’Alba, and you immediately feel the difference in tannic structure. There’s saline, limestone texture, lots of purity of fruit, and a red strawberry wash across the palate. Very not, with a tonic-like note on the finish.

Sangiovese from the single Boggina vineyard, aged in Amphora. The result is as pure an expression of Sangiovese as you’ll find. Lovely grippy tannins, soaring aromatics, and a savoury, long finish. This was one of our discoveries of the year.

From a vineyard that sits within a stone's throw of Bricco Boschis, the 2017 Vignolo is slightly more savoury and broader than the wines from its more famous brother. There's such intensity and concentration here, but there's also a sense of balance and refinement. The mineral, saline finish, seems to go on for minutes.

The same soil as Rabaja, it’s the exposition here that’s key. This is very energetic, with grippy tannins, lots of minerality, and excellent balance of richness and bright acidity. A really charming Barbaresco.

Juicy, zesty, fine-boned, and moreish: this is a brilliant food wine. What more could you want from Barbera? This comes from a plot in the Ravera vineyard.

Orange peel and fresh beef tomatoes. And blueberry fruit and some violets. Lovely density: there's a weight and tannins to this, with such impressive length. Lovely acidity here, so much energy and a beautiful finish.

Montevetrano is a blend of Aglianico, with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. It's an intense, powerful wine, but what marks it out is the freshness and textured layers here. A brilliant southern Italian red.

This sees one year in old oak barrels, and shows incredible suppleness and lots of cherry fruit and orange blossom. The fruit is creamy, and that’s balanced with citrus fruit and juicy plum fruit. Sappy tannins make you reach for another glass.

2017 was a warm vintage and the wine displays a richness and concentration with cranberries, blackberries and hints of purple fruits. Tannins are firm yet there is a juiciness and concentration on the palate to balance them rather nicely.

The 2015 Monvigliero has an open-knit generosity characteristic of the warm 2015 vintage with layers of ripe strawberry, orange peel and licorice and a mouth-watering, saline finish. This is a well-crafted wine of real refinement which is at an incredible place in its development. It’s sure to continue to provide drinking pleasure over the next decade.

Gianfranco's young vine cuvée, this has notes of ripe plums, prunes, and lots of store cupboard spice. The tannins need time to soften, but put this with food and you'll be richly rewarded.

The 2019 Bricco delle Ciliegie from Giovanni Almondo is an astonishingly good expression of the Arneis grape. Incredibly complex, notes of orange blossom, rosemary, and pine needles swirl from the glass. The palate is textured and savoury, with a core of fresh conference pears, and a thread of acidity that makes this so thirst-quenching.

The Bussia comes from vines around 30 years old from certain south west facing plots (Cicala, Romirasco and Colonnello) within the famous and highly regarded Bussia vineyard. from the Cicala, plots within the Bussia vineyard. 2019 is a year for the Nebbiolo lovers, a vintage that showcases the grape perfectly and has been described by many as a classic vintage. Expect wild flowers, cherries and liquorice spice and concentration that is supported by firm, chalky tannins.

Only 1,000 bottles made. From 45 year old vineyard. This is very pure and mineral on the nose. There’s dark fruit, and there’s a core of wild herbs and lot of minerality. There’s also an almost citrus, pomegranate character. This is nicely complex and very finely judged.

A blend of 30% from La Morra’s Rive vineyard, bringing flesh and body, 30% from Castiglione Falletto’s Scarrone, giving an earthiness and savouriness, and 40% from Serralunga d’Alba’s Baudana & Broglio, bringing tension and brilliance.This is pale and translucent, with pure fruit, silky tannins, and stunning energy. This is a brilliant wine, and is not to be missed

Gramolere is the most celebrated vineyard of the estate, and the 2017 doesn’t disappoint. Really pure fruit, feel the sweetness here, but it’s so well balanced, with amazing tannic purity. There’s amazing length, with strawberry fruit and then also that salinity on the finish, and then lots of grip. With time this will be outstanding.

A charming, elegant wine from a brilliant producer in Valtellina, this is a wonderful wine. There are notes of wild thyme and plenty of strawberry fruit, and a long, defined finish. A charming bottling.

With only 6000 bottles produced, this 2019 sparkling is precise and very linear. White blossom, crushed shells as well as a nervy acidity produce a wine that is razor focused. At only 4 grams dosage, the wine is savoury and rather refreshing.

Nascetta is an indigenous variety of Novello and produces this delicious white that displays yellow fruits with herbs and ginger spice. There is an attractive note of reduction and the palate is crisp and refreshing.

2019 is a great Barbaresco vintage, and this has cool fruit and plenty of acidity. There’s a tension here, and lots of rippling energy, with flavours that develop on the palate. Very impressive indeed.

From plots throughout the estate, generally sited on cooler terroirs, the Barolo is selected from more approachable barrels. In 2017 it’s full of precision and poise, with wonderfully fresh fruit, rose petal, and a hint of tar on the finish. This is a classic Barolo, with everything in perfect balance. Very good indeed.

50% Chardonnay and 50% Pinot Bianco, aged in barrel for 10 months (10% new), a wine that stands out from other Italian whites and is more Burgundian in style. There is a richness and ripeness to the palate as well as a breadth, yet the core is pithy and saline and gives energy to this beautiful wine.

From the Baudana cru in Serralunga, this is nervy and ethereal, with notes of grapefruit and peach skin, and so much lift on the palate. Very Serralunga, with the refined, mouthwatering tannins we’ve come to expect from Clerico.

Manuel’s Dolcetto is getting better every vintage thanks to pulling back somewhat on the opulence and tannin extraction. Expect bright violet and blue plum aromas with bramble fruits and crushed gravel. Tannins have a wonderful suppleness to them.

Mario decided that the 2018 Monvigliero needed less time in barrel, and felt it won’t age quite as long as some vintages, so this isn’t a Riserva this year. This is so refined, pure, and energetic, with lovely finesse, and sumptuous tannins. This is pure Monvigliero, and such a delight already.

A really charming expression of Barbera, this shows black fruits and then spice, and there’s just a hint of dried herbs, too. The tannins are fine, and there’s a juiciness here, too. Very nice indeed.

With a few years of bottle age, this is hitting its stride. Pithy and mineral, with just a hint of honey and freshly cut herbs, the price of this is astonishing. Complex, long, and stunningly delicious.

Sourced from a 2.5 hectare parcel at the top of Falletto, the red label Le Rocche del Falletto Riserva is one of Barolo’s most iconic wines. Dark and layered, the 2017 iteration of the wine offers up an aromatic intensity that’s perfectly wrapped in suave, impeccably judged tannins. This year's top Barolo from Bruno Giacosa is outstanding, and yet again it’s well worth seeking out.

Undoubtedly the standout wine of the Roero zone, the 2017 Bricco delle Ciliegie doesn't disappoint. There's richness and roundness here, that comes from some clay in the soil, but also stunning tension and coolness to the fruit. The texture on the saline finish is wonderful - it has you reaching straight for another glass.

There’s a lot of freshness to the 2017 Monvigliero Riserva, and also a very silky palate, despite the challenges of the vintage. This has grip and grows on the palate, and there’s notes of sea spray and red fruits, and then some balsamic. Very complex, with time this will blossom into a wonderful wine.

Casa Maté is always a more structured expression from Grasso, and this treads a beautiful line between richness and freshness. There's notes of rose petal and tar - this is classic, classy Nebbiolo - and the finish is long and incredibly mineral. A real beauty in the making.

From one of the most famous sites in Neive, this shows the classic character of the commune. Very delicate and fragrant, this shows the classic tar and roses that we love in so much great Nebbiolo. Very pretty, and alpine tinged.

This single vineyard situated in the prestigious village of La Morra is planted to 60 year old vines at the top of the hill on dark sand over clay soils. The profile is juicy and concentrated with red plum, cherries and liquorice spice with very approachable tannins and a delight to drink now.

A cool, suave, delicious wine from Mauro and his family. There’s a coolness and freshness here, with incredible purity. Red berries and just a hint of minty complexity, there’s an energy and finesse here: delicious.

3,600 bottles. So elegant on the nose, so silky, with notes of rose hip, and so much purity of tannins, with fine-boned tannins. This has lots of energy, with amazing salinity and raspberry fruit, mouth watering tannins on the finish: very fine and long.

Mineral, fine, and remarkably complex, this 2018 is a really lovely wine. The palate has cherry fruit with some rose petals, and then lifted notes of seville oranges, and just a hint of spice. There’s a quinine-like minerality that comes through on the finish, making the finish of the wine very long, and making you reach for another glass.

The flagship wine from one of our favourite Tuscan estates, Tenuta Sette Cieli, is fabulous in 2017. A blend of Malbec, Cabernet, and Merlot, the Indaco spends 18 months in oak before being bottled. There's lovely richness here, peppery and red fruit aromas, and a finish that lasts a long time. A very impressive, incredibly well balanced Indaco from winemaker Elena Pozzolini.

From a vineyard planted in 1978. Wow. What a nose. So detailed and floral, and there’s notes of clove and liquorice, and a balsamic character, too. The palate is silky and mineral, with lots of salinity, and powdery, fine-grained tannins that grow. Really nice texture here, with plenty of focus. Very long indeed. This is intense and powerful, yet such a baby. Outstanding. And there’s a hint of nice bitterness on the finish, which keeps the mouth watering.

From a small parcel in the Gramolere vineyard, named after the small house (the Bricat house). This is a real charmer in 2018. There are talc-like tannins, and then loads of dark berry fruit. There’s a freshness and energy here, with incredible purity on the finish. This is beautifully balanced, and very long indeed.

Wild aeroplane' as Domenico was named by his father, this wine reflects his adventurous and wild streak by finding a vineyard outside of his beloved Monforte and into Serralunga. This wine is so floral and so charming in its profile with blood orange and pomegranite at the forefront.

Fossacolle is a small 4 hectare property, which enables the owner and winemaker Stefano Bambagioni to be meticulous in his approach. The 2018 Brunello is a real stand out displaying great vibrancy and zesty acidity. Black cherry and wild berry perfume is supported by a spice and hints of leather, with a sweet and juicy core that is balanced beautifully with firm, chalky tannins.

From Monforte, this always takes a while to come round. Dark and balsamic, but with small berry fruit, and chunky yet savoury tannins, this is Monforte with the lightest touch. Brilliant.

Wild strawberries, redcurrant and bright red cherry notes exude from the glass whilst the chalky, tight knit tannins provide the perfect backbone. There is a concentration and accessibility on the palate creating a rather enticing Langhe Nebbiolo.

A curiosity of this corner of Northern Italy, this is the best Sforzato we’ve tried. It’s made like Amarone in Valpolicella: here, Nebbiolo grapes are dried on mats before being fermented dry, bringing an intensity and power, with notes of dried cranberries, and dried herbs. This is so perfectly balanced: it’s a really fascinating wine.

This smells beautiful and has blood orange notes with plenty of focus and a lovely energy. Mouthwatering freshness, and there’s a real focus on the nose. Plenty of density here, with notes of baked earth, and lovely tannins on the finish. This is so juicy and fine, and with another year in bottle, this will open up even more, with so much texture and finesse. A brilliant Brunello.

Predominately Carricante, with a small percentage of other indigenous whites, the wine that has a non-interventionist approach to winemaking. Lime and grapefruit core with fresh apricot and hints of herbal notes and spice.

Attractive perfume of red cherries, wild flowers and raspberries combine beautifully with a savoury gravelly note. The palate is very precise with a zesty acidity and well knit tannins. An approachable Barolo that showcases the best the region has to offer.

Barone Villagrande is situated in the Contrada of Villagrande in Milo on the cooler eastern slopes of Etna. It has been in the Nicolosi family for over 300 years, who were instrumental in getting Etna established as DOC status. The Contrada Villagrande white is concentrated with lots of depth and intrigue. There is a waxiness on the palate with honey blossom, fleshy peach and fresh apricot notes. The core has a density to it, yet the acidity is wonderfully refreshing and nervy.

Lovely creamy fruit here: this has lovely purity to the dark berry fruit, blackberries and cherries. And there’s refinement of tannins, lovely acidity, and just a hint of ripe beef tomatoes. Lovely perfume here, too. This is a very good Barbera.

One of our favourite whites, this is a wine that really shows off its origins. Smoky and savoury, with a taut, linear palate, and so much saline energy. This is such a joyful wine: not to be missed.

Just 4,000 bottles are made from the 2ha at the historic heart of the Ravera cru. There’s lots of tension here: this will take time to unfurl, but when it does it will be a truly remarkable wine. There’s such minerality and talc-like tannins. Astonishingly beautiful.

With a year in large Slavonian oak the wine has hints of smoke and and savoury spice. There is a delicious richness of bramble fruits and the tannins provide great structure.

Dark pink in colour, this rosato is a serious rosé that has a lot going on in the glass and a breadth on the palate that makes it a perfect pairing with food. Summer fruits combine with pomegranate and citrus peel. Juicy, refreshing acidity, and a long saline, mineral finish. Delicious!

Aged in cement, the purity of fruit shines through in this wine. Strawberries, red plum and aniseed come to the fore, with clove spice and herbal notes taking a supporting role. The wine’s tannins have a lightness of touch and combine extremely well with the juicy palate.

The Romirasco vineyard is 50 – 55 years old and situated on the highest point of the hill of Bussia, with a lot of the fruit going into their iconic Barolo ‘Granbussia’. This is a full bodied wine with a mix of red and black berry fruits, spice and leather notes adding layers of complexity. The firm, chalky tannins of the 2019 vintage provide enough support to the wine's concentration and generosity on the palate. With only 6000 bottles produced, this wine has it all and is well worth ageing in the cellar for several years.

The forgotten grape of Piemonte, Cavallotto's Freisa is a real joy. So much fresh fruit and pure energy, and there's a slight crunchiness here too. Notes of fresh thyme and plenty of grip of the finish complete the picture. This is a delicious red from one of the region's greatest names.

Pelaverga is the indigenous grape variety to Verduno and is being revived by some high quality producers, such as Castello di Verduno. 2020 is a beautiful vintage that is approachable and instantly attractive. Expect an explosion of pepper and red berry and wild flower perfume.

From Tortonian soils, as found in Barolo and La Morra, this is for those who like a slightly silkier, richer style of Nebbiolo. Notes of tar and tobacco on the finish, and there's exotic spice, too. Beautifully complex, and very long.

Alberto Graci returned from a career in banking in Milan to his native Sicily in 2004, convinced of the quality of the region and its true potential. High altitude plots, older vines, indigenous grapes on the northern slopes of Etna have been the estate’s focus. This Nerello comes exclusively from the Arcurìa Contrada that has 15 hectares of Nerello planted in this amazing amphitheatre where there are cool and dry breezes constantly blowing through the vineyard. Expect wild flowers, herbs and crushed stone aromas that are supported with spice layers. Tannins are fine grained and the palate is deliciously silky.

Juicy, lively, and pure joy in a glass, this is exactly what Dolcetto should be. There’s stunning finesse on the palate with a chalky finish.

Quite ripe nose, dark cherries and power and also a ripe floral character. Savoury and saline and really fine, salty tannins. Lovely elegance to the fruit and a really juicy finish. Very clean and finely judged, floral and very long and silky. Impressive.

Sourced from 3 vineyards (La Volta, Fossati and Coste di Vergne) with different expositions of up to 480 metres altitude benefitting from fossil and limestone marl soils, this wine is the most approachable in its youth, yet due to the wine’s innate quality has plenty of life in it. Vivid sour cherry, pomegranate and redcurrants are supported by a lively, crisp acidity and compact tannins. Wild flowers persist on the finish of this rather enjoyable Barolo.

This rather unique blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon and 50% Pugnitello works rather well indeed. This wine has a lot going on in the glass and certainly isn’t shy, but it also has balance and restraint at the same time. Expect Black cherry, blackberry, black olive and herbal notes with a zesty acidity and firm tannins.

This family estate has been leading the charge in making high quality Trebbiano whites with real character and soul. Mineral and salty on the palate and supported by red apple and citrus aromas with hints of thyme and verbena.

Darker and more brooding than the Gallina, this has more spice and sour cherry and lots of grip. Savoury, with impressive potential, and lots of dried herbs on the finish. A serious Barbaresco.

The Bricco Pernice is powerful and structured and displays a juicy core with pomegranate and blood orange notes as well as bramble fruits and pepper spice.

Really pure fruit, feel the sweetness here, but it’s so well balanced, with amazing tannic purity. There’s amazing length here, with strawberry fruit and then also that salinity on the finish, and then lots of grip. With time this will be outtsanding.

The 2017 Vin Santo from Castello di Volpaia is a magnificent effort that exhibits superb depth, density and complexity. Expect dried figs on the nose, with apricot and light caramel. There’s also a creamy texture here and an ever so slight nuttiness to the finish: almonds and toasted hazelnuts. Only the estate’s finest bunches of Trebbiano and Malvasia are selected for the this wine, and the qualityof this wine is soaring.

With vineyards planted in the late 90s and early 2000s, the vines are starting to get some age and this is seemingly having a great impact on the wine with quality going up every vintage. Based on Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon the wine is more on the red plum and bramble profile, with a firm tannin structure. Savoury leather and sweet clove spice add complexity, with a vibrancy from the acidity creating balance

Sourced from across the Barbaresco region, from trusted suppliers, this is a wonderfully fragrant example of the region's everyday grape variety.

The Mulinvecchio comes from a 1 hectare plot in the direction of Montalcino, with the vines planted on tufa, volcanic soils. The wine is concentrated and has lots of red berries and wild herbs, supported by clove and liquorice spice. The tannins are chalky and well integrated and the wine demonstrates great freshness and vibrancy.

Planted in 1972 and 1978. Quite dark and powerful, lovely energy, silky, very cherry, lovely tannic character, hint of rose and talc too, nice texture and very good energy and length. Racy but a sweetness of fruit. Cassis on the finish, and good length.

This wine comes from a 1.5 hectare vineyard with 80-year-old vines planted on the cooler, northern side of Etna at 600 metres altitude. Planted with Nerello Mascalese and a small part with Nerello Cappuccio, this is a picturesque plot that is surrounded by olive and almond trees. The red berries are ripe and luxurious and display notes of sour cherries, red plum, liquorice and graphite. The core is juicy and there is real density and concentration that is supported rather elegantly with firm, chalky tannins.

Riesling may not be the first grape variety you’d expect to find in the rolling hills of the Langhe. But Aldo Vajra was fascinated by the grape variety while at university, and decided to try his hand at making a few bottles of the grape, planting his first vineyard in 1985. Now made from a blend of clones from Alsace, Geisenheim, and the Pfalz, from two separate vineyards, one of which is the legendary Barolo vineyard of Fossati, this is a taut yet generous dry Riesling which, like the Nebbiolos of the region will require patience to show its very best.

The Riserva is only made in exceptional vintages where the estate thinks the wine can keep in the bottle for at least 20 years. The wine has a lot of structure with the tannins and acidity giving the core focus and tension. The aromas project cool red berry fruits and wild strawberry and herbs with hints of spice and black tea.

Tasted as a barrel sample. This has a lot of concentration, with real intensity and purity to the fruit. It comes from the vineyard surrounding the winery. There are Serralunga-like chalky tannins, and crisp acidity, from a vineyard that’s around 450metres-420metres above sea level.

Made from a selection from the San Marcellino vineyard, this wine is only produced in high quality vintages. A small vineyard that is majority old vines, the wine has 5-10% of the indigenous Pugnitello grape added, a Tuscan grape that brings colour and perfume to the wine. Aged for 24 months in barrel, the wine has leather, coffee and spice at the forefront with wild flowers, brambles and blood orange notes that support it in the background. Tannins are evident, however there is a lot of concentration and matter on the palate to balance this.

Pajana is a single vineyard in the plot of Ginestra,in the heart of Monforte from 1971 plantings. The core is concentrated with sour cherry, redcurrants and cranberries that are supported by spice and balsamic notes.

The Pajana comes from the Ginestra cru in Monforte d'Alba, and is undoubtedly a Grand Cru of Barolo, particularly in 2016. Intense on the nose, with notes of tar and rose petal, the palate is structured and intense. This is a viscerally thrilling wine: one with astonishing poise and balance. So long, and so impressive.

Yet another wine that shows just how good the 2014 vintage is. Soaring aromatics, incredible finesse, and remarkable length. A complete wine.