La Riva dei Frati, Veneto

Prosecco is an under-appreciated drink – its image having being tarnished by some shoddy examples over the years. When made with care and attention, it can be a revelation. Crisp, fresh flavour combined with a frizzante finish create one of the most refreshing drinks around. Care and attention at La Rive dei Frati extends from the winemaking right through to the attractive presentation. It is therefore not only very good and attractively packaged, but also outstanding value for money.

Azienda Fattori, Veneto

Brothers Antonio and Giovanni share the duties (and accolades) for the family run winery. They own 25 hectares of vineyards and produce a mere 7,000 cases per annum – relatively small given some of the production volumes for the much maligned Soave and Pinot Grigio bottlings. In quite literally a sea of wines from this region, their wines stand out as uncommonly fresh and individualistic.

For refreshing wine with an intense, heady aroma, it cannot be beaten. The Sauvignon Blanc is crisp and fresh, with a nice grassy, citrus twist to the finish.

Fratelli Degani, Veneto

The discovery of Aldo and Luca Degani is certainly interesting – as even the brothers themselves are something of an enigma! One of our objectives on our annual trip to VinItaly was to source another Veneto producer whose wines would be less expensive than Bussola, yet still offer outstanding quality for the price. Having spent three full days tasting hundreds of wines, we were naturally excited (and relieved) to have narrowed the options down to four producers. As ever, we blind taste the wines again on our return to Dublin – and also include what is already available on the market. However, much to our disappointment, none of the prospective wines lived up to their promise. After all the time and effort, we were back to square one!

And then we came across Aldo and Luca – completely by chance. The wines are simply stunning. Their estate has been around since the early 20th Century, but it was not until Aldo and Luca joined in 1988 that things took a definite upward swing in terms of quality. Aldo is the perfect example of the traditional winegrower whose watchwords are self-denial and hard labour, whereas brother Luca personifies the up-todate, forward thinking technician: from this apparent clash of personalities comes a highly successful synergistic team that produces absolutely exemplary wines.

Leonildo Pieropan, Veneto

Nino and Teresita Pieropan have developed a winery that is regarded as a benchmark by producers all around the world. For all that they have achieved, there are no tricks or secrets involved – quite simply a profound commitment to the terrior and tradition of Soave. The philosophy that no cellar can give the wine something that nature does not provide in the vineyard is central to their approach. Techniques such as short pruning, green harvesting and organic maturing combined with the acquisition of prestigious hillside vineyard crus such as Calvarino and La Rocca have allowed them to exploit Garganega’s potential to the full.

A vertical tasting in the winery showcasing vintages back to the mid-eighties emphasised the phenomenal ageing capability of the wines – a credit to their origins.

Tommaso Bussola, Veneto

Ask anyone who makes the most sought-after wines in Valpolicella and they will name Quintarelli and Dal- Forno. Both producers craft wines with unbelievable richness, power and personality – and prices! Some years ago, and now recorded almost like a legend, Quintarelli was asked who he thought would be Valpolicella’s next star and he didn’t hesitate with his answer: Tommaso Bussola. What is even more remarkable is that Tommaso is self-taught. While respecting the traditions and specific features of the Veneto region, Tommaso Bussola’s wines all have a personal hallmark that makes them instantly recognisable. He is a perfectionist in the Quintarelli school and his wines are handcrafted to a high level of quality and individuality with incredible density of fruit – something that in our opinion differentiates him from Dal Forno and Quintarelli.

Something of a rush has occurred for his wines and very favourable reviews in the Gambero Rosso and 98+ scores in the Wine Advocate have made them highly sought after. Consider these recommendations from the Gambero Rosso: “the best winery in Valpolicella and beyond” and “the greatest Recioto della Valpolicella producer of them all.” Only about 700 cases of each wine are produced annually, making these even more difficult to find and enjoy.

Cantina San Michele Appiano, Alto Adige

Cantina Produttori San Michele/Appiano, hereafter referred to as St. Michael, is a wine growers association that was founded in 1907. This is not a small place: St. Michael Eppan Winery has 355 members, 350 hectares of vineyard and produces 2.5 million bottles every year and has become renowned worldwide. The “Riserva“ label is their top range.

This is a winery that is rated as highly as Angelo Gaja, Sassicaia and Ornellaia by the influential Gambero Rosso guide to Italian wines. So much so that they were awarded Winery of the Year in 2000.

Foradori, Trentino

Elisabetta Foradori, stepped into winemaking at 19 to help her mother, who was managing the small family winery after the tragic death of Elisabetta’s father years before. A single mother with four children, she has been running her winery, located in the valley of Trentino in the shadow of the Dolomite Mountains, for 20 years already, doing much of the vineyard and cellar work herself.

The Foradori wine estate, about 26 miles south of Bolzano, is small and perfectly kept. The winery looks like something out of an Alpine fable, with its chalet-style wooden roofs and stone walls. The 12 acres of vineyards around the winery look like a garden; everything is perfectly trained and managed. Foradori owns smaller vineyards nearby, with the total equalling about 40 acres.

It ratcheted up the degree of difficulty that she decided to make her name with a difficult and relatively unknown red wine grape called Teroldego. Teroldego is a "cousin" of Syrah, and thrives in the warm and cool nights of this mountainous region. Her top Teroldego, Granato, (a regular Three Glasses winner in the Gambero Rosso) is a stunning red. It brims with exotic and ripe fruit character, yet remains polished and refined. The ‘regular’ Foradori is dark and spicy, is medium to full bodied red and is brimming with bright fruits and hints of black pepper and herbs.

Enzo Boglietti, Piedmont

“It would take a Bruce Springsteen ballad to describe the scene in this corner of the Langhe: father and son washing the barriques in the courtyard, the doorbell ringing, the sound of footsteps, the burning July sun. A man in his early thirties comes out to meet us wearing boots, jeans and a black shirt. It is him, Enzo Boglietti, the rock star of Barolo. He welcomes us into the kitchen and begins to talk. He has been married for two weeks and has been making wine for five or six years. Two Godfathers keep watch over him, just like Jerry Lee Lewis and Roy Orbison: the one looks after his modern side (the barrique) and the other looks after his traditional, melodic lyricism (in other words, balance). And this is what his wines are like.”
- Gambero Rosso.

Funny thing is, we couldn’t have dreamt of a better description ourselves! With spectacularly sited vineyards and old vines he produces rich normale and incredible cru Dolcetto, Barbera and Barolo of profound quality.

Bruno Giacosa, Piedmont

Bruno Giacosa’s winery has been making wine for three generations, and Bruno Giacosa himself says that this success is due to his respect for traditional winemaking methods which he believes enhance the characteristics of Piedmont’s varietals.

His own property covers 37 acres totally cultivated with vines. The altitude of the estate with its ideal south-west exposure and the microclimate combine to create optimal winegrowing conditions. Bruno Giacosa also makes wines with grapes purchased from other growers under the Azienda Agricola Falletto labels. These are growers he has known for 35 years and trusts completely and these wines have also earned him a reputation as an outstanding selector of fruit.

Giacosa is the antithesis of many Northern Italian producers who do the image-making and talking for their wines – he is without doubt one of the quietest and most dignified winemaking genius’s and one of the least promotion-conscious winemakers in Italy who prefers to let his wines do the talking for him.

Silvano e Elena Boroli, Piedmont

The Boroli family’s rise to fame has been quicker than most. Previously a big name in the Italian publishing world, the Boroli family decided to branch out into the wine business. In 1998, they bought two farms in the Langhe. Enzo Alluvione, an oenologist of many years standing, runs the technical side of things with the Boroli’s son Daniele. Beppe Caviola is one of the consultants.

Fearful of being labelled as ‘lightweights’ the family initially limited themselves to only bottling their best selections. This brought them instant recognition as the quality was unusually high. Now, some eight years later they have completed the main overhaul of the winery and viticultural reforms and a full range of top quality wines is on offer.

The style leans towards modernist rather than traditionalist. The wines are fruit driven with very good structure. Barriques are used in moderation and the wines, including the Barolo, are supple and very drinkable. So much so, that in a recent Wine Spectator major tasting of the 1999 and 2000 Piedmont vintages, the Borolis scored some of the highest marks – with their wines at a fraction of the cost of many other peers.

Azienda Agricola Poliziano, Tuscany

Updating an entry for an estate like Poliziano is not an easy task. What can one write about that isn’t already known – one of the most celebrated estates in Tuscany, but one that is not content to rest on its laurels and drives forward in the quest for improving existing wines with an uncompromising commitment to quality whilst developing new and exciting bottlings.

The teamwork of Federico Carletti and longstanding consultant Carlo Ferrini pays dividends year after year – even when it would seem to be difficult to find things to improve. There are few producers that offer such quality and value for moneyat both their entry-level and ‘reserve’ bottlings. The ‘everyday’ Rosso di Montepulciano puts most otherTuscan reds in the shade – even those at far higher prices!

Fattoria di Basciano, Tuscany

Paolo Masi’s wines are now well established since our original exhaustive hunt for an outstanding Chianti at a reasonable price – a task that proved to be more difficult than it originally seemed. His approach is one of the best, yet simplest – honesty and care. Here is a producer who will talk openly about the challenges he faces, yet is immensely proud of every wine he bottles.

Paolo’s family have owned the estate since 1900, with 20 hectares under vines. Wines are produced under two labels. Renzo Masi is a ‘negociant’ bottling made from carefully selected grapes bought from producers with whom they have long-standing relationships that include input into the management of the respective vineyards. The ‘estate’ wine is bottled as Fattoria di Basciano and is from grapes grown by the family. Both showcase the skills of not only selecting good fruit, but also of a truly holistic approach to the production of the wines.

Roxan, Abruzzo

Roxan and the next entry on our list, San Donaci, fall outside the category of ‘small’ producers as they are both large co-operatives. However figures can often be misleading. In the case of Roxan, although some 1,000 hectares are farmed by 700 growers, less than 10% is bottled by the co-operative – and each bottling is drawn from vineyard specific sites where they have established long term relationships with the growers. The three wines we have selected offer all of the benefits of individual grower input in terms of viticulture combined with the cost effective and experienced vinification within a co-operative set-up. The result are wines that taste like they should cost far more!

San Donaci, Puglia

Cantina San Donaci are another co-operative producing wines of stunning quality without a price premium, right down in Italy‘s Southern-most region. Established in 1933 by a group of 12 farmers, the Co-operative now has almost 1,000 associates (albeit small producers) and produces a range based around the Negroamaro and Malvasia grapes. Driven by the dynamic Presidente, Rocco Vincente, investment has modernised and revolutionised both the viticulture and vinification here. The results are already ably demonstrated by what’s in each bottle. The long term potential here is phenomenal. The straight Salice Salentino is 100% Negroamaro, aged for 12 months in oak prior to release and has an inviting nose of rich plums and cherries, with soft ripe tannins. The Riserva spends an additional year in oak – 24 months total! The wine is almost port-like in body, with concentrated rich fruits and amazing length.

Argiolas, Sardinia

The island of Sardinia (or ‘Sardo’ to the locals) is one of Italy’s most interesting wine producing regions. Ironically, the most lingering historical influence is Spanish as is evidenced by the presence of grape varieties such as Cannonau (a relative of Grenache), Monica and Vermentino – all of Spanish origin. Located amid Sardo’s natural beauty, just north of Cagliari, is the Argiolas estate, widely known for its crisp and refreshing white wines and complex reds. Antonio Argiolas, and his twin sons, Franco and Guiseppe, have worked ceaselessly to fulfil their commitment to become not only Sardo’s best producer, but one of Italy’s most highly regarded wineries. We are proud to be working directly with this exciting producer.

The Costamolino Vermentino is one of the best examples around: it is fresh, clean and ripe – expressing pear, peach, spice and a touch of grapefruit and zesty acidity on the palate. The Costera Cannonau has a full bouquet of sweet black cherry, pepper and licquorice typical of the Cannonau grape. It is warm and full bodied on the palate, with soft tannins and is an excellent match for beef, stews and rich cheeses.

Azienda Agricola COS, Sicily

Biodynamism is a ‘buzz’ word at present. Many producers, having seen the results of the organic approach are going that one step further. However COS have been biodynamic for over 20 years! They are regarded as Italy’s foremost producers and regularly attend tastings with other iconic biodynamic producers such as Domaine de la Romanee Conti! However, creating, and maintaining a reputation on an island that produces more wine than all of Australia is no easy task. Yet Giusto Occhipinti and Titta Celia have worked hard to earn their reputation as one of Sicily’s (and Italy’s) most innovative and progressive producers.

Current projects include a version of the Cerasuolo that is being aged in traditional ceramic urns buried in the ground. Winemaking is based strictly on non-interventionist principles – biodynamic principles in the vineyard with nature doing the rest. Nero d’Avola is being heralded as the grape to end New World domination with its big, rich style. The COS wines are truly at the pinnacle of this unique varietal and as many other producers rush to release weaker, lighter (and cheaper) wines, they will continue to be heralded as the best that Sicily has to offer.