BEN is short for the Italian forename Beniamino, which is often bestowed upon the youngest and most beloved son. And this is true of Nittardi’s BEN, a long-cherished dream and, since 2012, their first Maremma white wine. BEN is made from 100% Vermentino, a grape varietal indigenous to Tuscany and found along the entire Mediterranean coast. The ideal microclimate here in Southern Maremma, not far from the Tyrrhenian coast, gives BEN its refreshing taste and subtle hint of saline minerality.

This wine has a velvety texture and aromatic notes of violets, berries and cherries. This Chianti Classico is well rounded and beautifully balanced on the palate, with velvety tannins leading to a long, delicate finish.

Barco Reale is the youthful wine from the Carmignano area, made from Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon. Soft, full and fruity, it has lovely aromas of cherries and plums.

A more juicy and approachable sangiovese than its big brother, Brunello. The blackberry, red and black cherry fruit is ripe and fragrant while the acidity keeps the wine fresh and vibrant on the palate. The wine still has good structure in the mouth with firm and ripe tannins that hold up well against rich food dishes.

Aromas of dark berry, violet and scorched earth take shape on this. The bright palate offers juicy Marasca cherry, clove and star anise alongside polished tannins and fresh acidity.

Paolo De Marchi's excellent Chianti Classico is elegant and supple, full of perfumed fruit, with depth, structure and minerality.

Complex, elegant and intense. Notes of ripe cherry, chocolate and tobacco. Mildly spicy and floral.
This wine has great structure with smooth tannins and a long and juicy finish with great acidity.

A wonderful, age-worthy wine that combines plum fruit with dried herbs, chocolate, leather, cloves, and nutmeg. Wonderful integrated tannins and acidity give this wine real finesse and balance.
2015 was described as a "fairy tale" vintage.

Based in south-central Montalcino, Fosscolle has four hectares of vineyards, 2.5 of which are destined for Brunello. Their Brunello shows great balance, elegance and complexity which will continue to develop in the bottle.

Given the elevated concentration of the noble components, this vintage was characterised by wines of optimal potential. The bouquet is intense and yet delicate. A robust structure, good alcohol levels and optimal polyphenolic components and acidity have allowed for wines which are typical and ideal for long cellaring.
This is full-bodied with exceptional black fruit intensity. A big structure with supple tannins and a long, persistent finish.

James Suckling 100 points!
"Earthy aromas of bark, sand, truffles, graphite, rust, terracotta and sandalwood rise up from the deep with Burgundian poise; fruitier orange zest and preserved lemons glimmer in their wake, while riper incense and tar lurk in this dense forest of aromas. Physics itself gives way as the line between reduction and oxidation is blurred. There's such richness to the center palate, but the fruit there is vivacious and elegant, swaddled in robust but generous tannins that breach the outermost reaches of the mouth. The finish is hauntingly long, the after effects of the acidity unworldly. "

The wine veers towards the modern and international side of the Brunello style spectrum. Thanks to the high caliber of the vintage, style does not trump quality. The bouquet peels back to reveal black cherry, black currant, spice, cigar box and rosemary twig. Distant notes of chocolate and toasted almond play supporting roles. The wine offers extraordinary texture with firm tannins that are balanced out against the soft plushness of the fruit. This is a terrific Brunello.