Italian Summer Reds

Alberto Graci, a Sicily native, went to study in Rome and then worked in banking in Milan until he was drawn back to his home to produce wine in 2004. His family vineyards were not in Etna however, so he sold them on his return and bought land, mostly at altitude in Passopisciaro on the north east part of Etna. Graci is a pioneering winery that has focused on old vines, indigenous varieties and single vineyard sites to bring Etna to the forefront.

If Etna is the Burgundy of the Mediterranean, then Girolamo Russo is one of the producers contributing to that reputation. Winemaker Giuseppe Russo crafts hugely elegant, energetic, balanced and clean wines. They have around 15 hectares of high altitude volcanic vineyards up to 800 metres above sea level, on the cooler Northern slopes of Mount Etna. Sadly some of their bottlings are miniscule, with the Piano delle Colombe from the San Lorenzo vineyard producing less than 150 cases for the world. We strongly encourage you to seek these wines out. As Monica Larner from Wine Advocate said "Giuseppe Russo makes some of the best wines on Etna. Full stop."

This estate was founded in 1975, on virgin land to the south of Montalcino, by Gabriele Mastrojanni, a Roman lawyer. The potential of the site quickly became apparent and, especially following Andrea Machetti’s appointment as winemaker in 1992, Mastrojanni has risen to become one of Montalcino’s finest producers. The Illy family (of coffee fame) took control of the estate over a decade ago, and have invested to improve quality still further. This is a great estate on the rise.

Although the Grasso estate itself dates back to 1928, Elio Grasso hadn’t actually made wine before leaving a Turin banking career in the late 1970s. Until then, the family sold their grapes to be blended into a third party’s wine. But Grasso realised the potential of some of their sites in top crus around Monforte d’Alba, in the south of the Barolo zone. So in the early 1980s, he made the decision to vinify Barbera, Dolcetto and, above all, Nebbiolo – and crucially, he vinified the different sites separately. Since then, making meticulous single-vineyard Barolos, expressing the extraordinary subtlety of this terroir, has been his passion – and it shows. A self-confessed disciple of the great Piedmont winemaker, the late Aldo Conterno, Grasso has followed Conterno’s modern-traditionalist style, blending technical precision with classic Barolo structure. Now managed by his son Gianluca, the wines have won highly praise from critics over the past two decades.

Michele Chiarlo is one of Piedmont's most prestigious wine producers, creating outstanding wines from some of the most exceptional sites in Piedmont, including Barolo’s world-famous Cannubi and Cerequio vineyards. Founded in 1956 by the great Michele Chiarlo and now run by his sons Alberto and Stefano, the Chiarlo philosophy “is to capture the terroir” from their sustainably cultivated vineyards, which hold the Equalitas certification. With a judicious use of oak, they hand-craft a selection of wines suitable for ageing and some which can be enjoyed earlier. Their stunning collection of Barolo and Barbera wines consistently receive 90+ points from Wine Advocate, James Suckling and Wine Enthusiast.

Guido Porro’s tiny winery has been passed from father to son for four generations. It was only in the 1980s that they started bottling their own Barolos, rather than selling the grapes on to the local cooperative. Their wines are perfect for anyone who loves traditional Barolo. Not beholden to trends or fads, Guido lets his wines take their own shape as top Barolo has done for years. He uses large oak barrels and lets his wines age as long as they need. There’s nothing rushed here.

The Cavallotto family’s wines are inextricably linked to Bricco Boschis, the beautiful Barolo cru of which they are the main owner. Giacomo Cavallotto bought this land in the Castiglione Falletto zone back in 1928 and started bottling his own wine in 1946, in an era when – incredible as it seems today – most local growers sold to négociants. Since the 1970s, the family has pioneered organic agriculture, today growing cover crops between rows and experimenting with a range of innovative practices. Today the estate is managed by the fourth-generation siblings Alfio, Giuseppe and Laura Cavallotto. While they grow local grapes including Barbera and Grignolino, Nebbiolo remains king. The wines are more traditional in style, the emphasis on elegance and longevity, with long maturation in large barrels. The Cavallottos’ wines are prized for their intense fragrance and structure, above all that of the flagship Vigna San Giuseppe, planted on the highest, best-exposed part of the hill.

Marco Ricasoli-Firidolfi has winemaking in his blood. His family has played a key role in the history of Chianti Classico, a tradition he proudly upholds. Marco’s wines are authentic and a joy to taste, made from a small organic farm in Gaiole using traditional methods. Praise for the estate, locally and from critics, is notable and it’s easy to see why.