2016 Italy

Family-run Monte del Frà translates as “Hill of Monks” and is located in the heart of the Bianco di Custoza DOC, just to the south of Lake Garda. It has over 205 hectares of vineyards, and is now run by Maria, Eligio and Claudio Bonomo. The Ca’ del Magro, their flagship white, is the jewel in the winery’s range, made from a single vineyard in the heart of Custoza.

The soil is poor and thin here, resulting in a wine of great concentration and terroir transparency. The grape varieties are vinified separately and rest on their lees for several months, gaining in both texture and complexity. In the glass, the wine is golden with an enveloping bouquet of grilled nuts and yellow peach characters. The white stone-fruit character is lifted by mineral notes. Drink now to 2025.

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The 2016 Picol Sauvignon Blanc by Lis Neris is a wine of great complexity and depth. While Friuli’s Isonzo might not be as well known as the Loire or Bordeaux for its Sauvignon Blanc, its calcareous gravelly soils and cool climate produce fine expressions that evolve for up to a decade. Aromas of nettle, lavender and exotic fruit entice, while the palate is broad and generous with notes of lemon curd and persistent minerality. Its savoury characters make it a versatile food wine – but it’s particularly good with rich fish dishes and creamy cheeses. Drink now to 2025.
Stefania Masin, Buying Assistant (November 2019)

Retromarcia means “to reverse” in Italian and refers to Monte Bernardi’s ethos of returning to the natural elegance of pure Sangiovese in the historic heart of Tuscany, Chianti Classico. The vinification and maturation in large old oak casks is reminiscent of a more traditional style, and the resulting wine is fresh, pure-fruited and very well balanced. Aromas of cherry, orange peel and mountain herbs lead to a palate of red plum, wild cherry and anise spice. A medium-bodied, organic wine, this can be enjoyed in its youth but can also be aged for greater complexity.
Matt Smith, Wine Buyer (spring 2019)

Monte Bernardi declassified their 2016 Chianti Classico Riserva because of a quirky ruling by the Conzorzio, which deemed the wine too light in colour and structure to be a “typical” Riserva. Pay no attention to this, as the wine is better than ever and every bit a top Chianti Riserva. It’s elegant with refreshing acidity, while bright cherry fruit leads on to notes of wild herb and fresh forest floor. This wine is all the more enjoyable and fine for its delicate extraction. This is age-worthy and serious in structure, with classic fine-grained tannins. Serve with slow-cooked lamb. Drink now to 2030.
Matt Smith, Buyer (autumn 2019)

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Barbaresco was 40 percent drier than Barolo during the 2014 vintage and the wines do show a different profile because of it. Roberto’s Rabajà vineyard is one of the great sites of Barbaresco; west-facing with deep, grey, marlclay soils. The nose is fine and compact; dried roses, truffle and bright fruit jump from the glass. Broad and mineral, it has a plump mid-palate fruit core and loads of juicy, fruity flavours, seasoned by flashes of minerality and floral top-notes. Charming and serious. Drink 2022-2040.
Davy Zyw, Wine Buyer

To hit the market in June, the 2016 Tignanello is a rock-solid wine and a stunning beauty. The wine offers an impeccable level of precision and laser-focus delivery of fruits, spices, tilled earth, espresso beans and Mediterranean herbs. This vintage follows the classic blending formula of 80% Sangiovese with about 13% Cabernet Sauvignon and 7% Cabernet Franc. The vines are now 15 to 20 years old. Compared to the 2015 vintage that ultimately appeared more chewy and succulent, this expression from the iconic 2016 vintage is more vibrant, nervous and jazzed. It shows more savory spice, saltiness and minerality, with a beautifully integrated quality of tannins. Some 320,000 bottles were produced. This wine is at the top of the list of some of the best Tignanello ever made, including the vintages 2007, 2009, 2010, 2013 and 2015.
Monica Larner - 31/05/2019

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Vague, blossomy cloud of a nose, pear drops. A gentle, soft wine that tastes of white flowers, and fruit-flavoured candy. Without strong character but easy to drink and it provides a useful canvas for a meal in which you want the food to play the leading role, and also surprisingly good with white asparagus. 
Tamlyn Currin, jancisrobinson.com. 19th May 2017. 

Lovely glossy crimson in colour, this exhibits a wholly Italianate sensibility attesting perhaps, to the supremacy of Bolgheri’s terroir for this style of wine. A dark, brooding, spicy core is overlain with bonfire embers, chocolate cherries and leaf-litter. Some tried thyme, rose petals and crushed raspberry eventually battle their way to the fore of a nose whose complexity truly belies this wine’s price point. At this stage it is richly textured with black plum and more herbal flavours on the palate while a touch of liquorice/aniseed at the end keeps you on your toes. It really is very complete and very difficult to fault, I struggle so see anybody being disappointed on drinking this in a year or so’s time. Drink 2019-2022.
Jared Ehret, Private Account Manger

This wine is showing exceptionally well in this classic vintage. The 2016 Guidalberto (Cabernet Sauvignon and a smaller percentage of Merlot) opens to a full and generous bouquet and a beautifully rich and velvety appearance. This edition of Tenuta San Guido's mid-level wine offers a bigger aromatic profile, more texture and more volume as well. Dark cherry and blackberry segue to spice, tar, leather and sweet fruit at the end. The mouthfeel is elegantly shaped, silky and nuanced. This may well be the best vintage of Guidalberto I have yet to tasteand you can get this wine at a great price too.
Monica Larner - 28/02/2018