Category Archives: Italian wines

1982-2022: 40 VINTAGES OF BRICCO DELL’UCCELLONE BRAIDA

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There are wines that you fall in love with the very first time you taste them. That you never forget. That go down in history. Wines that actually succeed, somehow, in shaping history. And this is the case of Braida’s Bricco dell’Uccellone, first harvested in 1982, exactly 40 years ago.

At a time when Barbera was regarded as a grape-variety of little prestige, trailblazer Giacomo Bologna reinterpreted the potential of this grape with a view to modernity and internationality. Giacomo knew how to think big: his recipe was based on the selection of crus, much lower yields than usual and the ageing of the wine in French oak barriques to give it elegance and structure. These were the tools that were key to reclaiming dignity and lending new emphasis to one of Piedmont’s most important grape varieties, launching a revolutionary phase for Barbera that was soon emulated by many other winemakers.

Three years after the first harvest, when this bottle, labelled as “table wine” at the time, was released onto the market, its success was overwhelming. The acknowledgements of Bricco dell’Uccellone began to pour in immediately, so much so that the English journalist Jancis Robinson, in her Oxford Companion to Wine, under the heading Barbera wrote: “The man who first put Barbera on a pedestal, proving that it was a serious wine, was Giacomo Bologna of the Braida winery, whose Bricco dell’Uccellone was the first Barbera to be sold internationally”.


To seal this journey, Braida’s Bricco dell’Uccellone Braida received the “Wein Legende” award at Bensberg Castle in 2019. It was the first wine from Piedmont to be listed in the hall of fame of the world’s most important wines and the third Italian wine, along with Ornellaia and Sassicaia.

The first 2022 bunch of this Barbera was been cut on the 12th of September.
A new challenge, according to Giuseppe Bologna: “Since taking over full responsibility for production at the winery in 1994, I have seen some strange vintages… This one is certainly unparalleled, a historic vintage but without any applicable historical references: a whole range of brand-new emotions”.

We’ll discover its value in the glass in three years’ time.

Meanwhile, the overview of all the vintages on the market so far (up to 2019) is impressive.

Some trivia?

  • L’Uccellone was the nickname of a woman who lived on the hill where the vineyards are located. Her nose resembled a bird’s beak, and she always wore black: this earned her the nickname in the village. Hence the name Bricco dell’Uccellone.
  • The label of Bricco dell’Uccellone has remained unchanged since the first vintage, 1982. Together with the label of La Monella, it was the first work of Giacomo Bersanetti and Chiara Veronelli, who designed it even before founding their agency.
  • Bricco proudly bore the indication “Barbera di Rocchetta Tanaro” on the label, from 1982 to 1994, then the production regulations changed the indication to Barbera d’Asti DOC.
  • The 1985 bottle has a darker capsule than the others.
  • The bottle of the 1993 vintage is different from all the others, slightly taller, due to a production blockage in France.
  • The first bottle to bear the Braida serigraphy, to prevent the risk of counterfeiting, was that of the 2004 vintage.
  • The only vintage not produced was the 2002, due to adverse weather conditions.
  • The first vintage to carry the DOCG Barbera d’Asti was the 2008.
  • Several pets and some horses have been named Bricco dell’Uccellone.
  • A collection of photos, stories and anecdotes about this wine was compiled in 2015, to mark the 30th anniversary of the launch of Bricco dell’Uccellone on the market.

Le Serre Nuove dell’Ornellaia 2020

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The elegance, amiability and complexity of Bolgheri DOC Rosso make a lasting impression

The 2020 vintage of Le Serre Nuove dell’Ornellaia Bolgheri DOC Rosso has been released to the market on 1 September. The wine originally debuted with the 1997 vintage, when Ornellaia’s second vin became the most immediate expression of the estate’s hallmark style. The wine is produced with the same passion and attention to detail as Ornellaia. Every vintage is a blend of elegant amiability and Bolgheri-style complexity that is capable of evolving in the bottle for many years to come.

Axel Heinz, Estate Director of Ornellaia, describes 2020 as an extraordinary vintage of huge potential: “2020 will go down in history for many obvious reasons, but in terms of winemaking it will also be remembered for its energy, which resulted in the creation of opulent and full-bodied wines of huge potential. Over time, it will be regarded as one of Bolgheri’s greatest vintages such as 2006, 2010 and 2016.”

After a mild and rainy winter, the spring started slowly, protecting the buds from frost. A wet June was followed by a long spell of drought until the end of August. The dry conditions nurtured a slow and even veraison. The changes in temperature between day and night ensured that the grapes could develop all their aromatic potential and the right levels of acidity.

Like every year, each varietal and parcel was vinified separately in order to guarantee the utmost respect of the different traits of the grape with minimal human intervention. The wine was blended in barriques one year later and set aside to harmonize and form an array of flavours and colours.

Olga Fusari, the winemaker at Ornellaia, explains: “Le Serre Nuove dell’Ornellaia 2020, with its deep ruby red hue and purple highlights, fearlessly reveals a clear and generous aromatic expression, marked by ripe red fruit aromas. The wine is soft, rounded and beguiling in the glass, in addition to being full-bodied, showing great balance between the structure, fullness and elegance.” This is a wine that displays attention to detail, character and terroir.

Masseto is ready to reveal its new vintage 2019

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The new vintage, 2019, to be released to market on 1 October, an expression of energy brimming with nuances of colour.

“Opening a bottle of Masseto is the equivalent of unleashing a liquid kaleidoscope,” says Estate Director Axel Heinz. “It’s the perfect balance between nature and climate, where humans play a fundamental role, like the conductor of an orchestra, gradually revealing the signature notes of a magical place, of a vineyard that still has many secrets to disclose.”

Masseto is an intact, harsh and complex place. The land is difficult to work and the sometimes extreme conditions make the result even more sublime as it can never be taken for granted. Axel Heinz defines it as “a place where nature makes the most important decisions.” Utmost care and simplicity: this is the concept that underpins the philosophy of the Masseto estate. On the score, the notes, shaped by the sea with its light breeze, are respectfully composed with aromatic and flavour accents, as the bunches are guided towards a slow and expert polyphenol maturity.

2019 was a vintage of unpredictable weather conditions, whose evolution has revealed a truly classical expression. Slow vine growth with cold spring temperatures, which delayed budbreak, made way for a hot summer that restored the equilibrium. The perfect balance between sun and rainfall, due to the maritime influence, contributed to the beginning of the harvest in early September, with the gradual gathering of the various parcels that constitute Masseto. Every parcel expresses itself uniquely, resulting in a complex mosaic, with the blue clay forming the core.

“In Masseto 2019, the young colour is reminiscent of an intense and harmonious wine of exceptional aromas and flavours, rich in red fruit scents and viola nuances,” explains Gaia Cinnirella, Estate Winemaker. “The dimension of the fruit is striking in the mouth, entwining with dreamy, velvety and elegant tannins, plus a refreshing and vibrant finish, where power and simplicity enchant the palate and tell the story of this unique place.”

Ornellaia: the 2022 harvest is underway

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Predictions would indicate smaller quantities, yet potential top quality if the weather stays fair

The 2022 harvest is now underway at Ornellaia. On 25 August, the first red grapes started to be gathered as confirmation of the precociousness already observed for the white grapes, whose harvest began on 9 August.

“After the first few days of harvesting Sauvignon Blanc, carried out at night to preserve the utmost integrity and aromas of the fruit, the long awaited mid-August storms began. The plentiful rainfall slightly slowed the ripening, providing us with an opportunity to finish gathering the Sauvignon and Viognier with peace of mind. Merlot and Vermentino were the next varieties to be harvested. The precociousness is a logical consequence of an abnormal season,” observes Axel Heinz, Estate Director.

Heat and drought proved hugely challenging for the 2022 vintage. Key elements for correctly interpreting the harvest have been the agronomical decisions implemented to manage the soil and the vine canopy. Nevertheless, all the elements remain in place for a quality vintage: veraison in superb circumstances, limited natural grape production and potentially concentrated grapes.

“From this moment on and over the next few days, it will be extremely important to pinpoint with even more precision the harvest date for each variety and each vineyard parcel. Right now, our first impressions give the idea of a harvest that is unlikely to be abundant, but – if the weather stays fine – the vintage has high-profile potential. Making predictions is always very delicate and complicated, however. We are all too aware that realistic and concrete opinions can only be shaped after the grapes have arrived in the cellar,” concludes Heinz.

Tenuta di Trinoro and Passopisciaro In the name of continuity

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“Man realises his true self through what he creates” – so said Andrea Franchetti.

The wine producer’s passing on 5 December last year has left a void in the international world of wine, but his legacy – Tenuta di Trinoro and Passopisciaro – will continue to flourish. For more than 30 years, Franchetti painstakingly and uncompromisingly assembled a professional and close-knit team that helped to bring a shared vision of excellence to fruition. Together, they created exciting wines that are a direct expression of their terroirs – in Tuscany they speak about Cabernet Franc, on Mount Etna about Contrade and Nerello Mascalese.

At Tenuta di Trinoro in Val d’Orcia, Andrea Franchetti had been carefully passing on his passion and experience to his recruits over decades, including young oenologist Lorenzo Fornaini and estate director Calogero Portannese. The latest vintage, the Tenuta di Trinoro 2019, achieved an incredibly rare 100/100 score from Wine Advocate, which would have been impossible without perfect teamwork.

On the slopes of Sicily’s Mount Etna, Franchetti was the father-founder of the contrade concept of local districts. At Passopisciaro he was assisted from the very beginning by current estate director and winemaker Vincenzo Lo Mauro. Vincenzo shared Andrea’s vision regarding the contrade and, in knowing every detail and nuance of the ancient vineyards, he was in the ideal position to formulate the winery’s five different annual contrade expressions.

Andrea Franchetti will be greatly missed; but as his son and successor Benjamin affirms “The wines developed by my father have taken on a life of their own, an identity that transcends their creator. Our job now, in Tuscany and Sicily, is to continue the work he started, and to carry on translating these terroirs into the finest of wines.”

Tenuta di Trinoro and Passopisciaro are two separate entities, as singular as they can be complementary. Their wines are fruits of different terroirs and extreme climatic conditions unified by one common thread – each single wine transmits the emotion of two great wine regions that were discovered and beloved by their visionary creator. It is this emotion and quality that is prized by collectors across the globe who, year after year, compete en primeur for the rare few bottles available on the market.

Tenuta di Trinoro: The estate, located near Sarteano at the beginning of the Val d’Orcia in the southeast of Tuscany, has 16 plots of vines for a total of approximately 24 hectares, all at an altitude between 450 and 650 meters. The flagship wine “Tenuta di Trinoro” is the blend of the best grapes of Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot. The estate also produces “I Campi” three pure Cabernet Franc expressions, an all-Merlot “Palazzi” and “Le Cupole”, a younger and more accessible wine, as well as “Bianco di Trinoro”, a white wine from predominantly Semillon grapes.

Passopisciaro: Situated on the north flank of Etna, the estate relies on 26 hectares of vineyards mostly planted with Nerello Mascalese, the vines often un-grafted and between 80-100 year old. In addition, the estate cultivates some rows of Petit Verdot, Cesanese d’Affile and Chardonnay. “Franchetti Cuvée“ is a blend of Petit Verdot and Cesanese d’Affile, the 5 Passopisciaro crus express the different contrade, Passorosso and Passobianco are the “democratic” voices of Andrea Franchetti’s Mount Etna.

Marco Lucentini

IL VIGORE – Ornellaia 2019

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The vigour of the vines interpreted through the visual brilliance 

of artists Nathalie Djurberg and Hans Berg

Ornellaia is delighted to reveal Il Vigore (‘Vigour’), the latest Vendemmia d’Artista dedicated to Ornellaia 2019 and thus described by Estate Director Axel Heinz: “Il Vigore is the strength of the healthy growth of the vines. It is the active vigour of mind and body. It is the character of a wine that captivates the senses and projects the flavour into a natural landscape of energy, power, strength and vitality. The flavours, aromatic nuances and the body of the wine transport it into a spiritual dimension, where the power of nature is central to the experience.”

The 2019 vintage provided the inspiration, characterized by highly variable conditions interspersed with cold, wet spells and long periods of heat and drought. After a changeable spring and an almost perfect summer, the lower temperatures at the end of September resulted in wines of great finesse and aromatic abundance. This is a powerful, mysterious and intriguing wine, whose first sip does not reveal all its facets, but envelops the palate, curious to grasp its myriad nuances.

The Vendemmia d’Artista project took root from this inspiration to celebrate the unique character of every season on a yearly basis. Some of these exquisite labels will be sold during the Sotheby’s online auction scheduled from 5th to 19th October 2022 before being delivered to lucky collectors. Since 2019, profits have been donated to The Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation to support the innovative Mind’s Eye program. 

Jamie Ritchie, Worldwide Head of Sotheby’s Wine, explains: Ornellaia’s Vendemmia d’Artista is a pioneering project, which involves the ensemble of wine and art to support charitable work. This October will be our 14th collaboration with the estate on this exceptional project. When we started this venture, we had no idea that it would lead to a multitude of charitable projects in the wine world. Our clients around the world always await with trepidation the opportunity to take part in the auction and to purchase unique bottles, knowing that they are supporting a noble cause that facilitates access to art for the blind and low-vision persons. The combination between the extraordinary wines from the estate and the visual brilliance of the participating artists has proven to be an irresistible pairing, which will be illustrated this year for the 2019 vintage, “Il Vigore”, with the designs of Nathalie Djurberg and Hans Berg.

The chosen artists based their work on the theme of metamorphosis, the cycles of nature and its transformation, as well as the relationship between humans and the Earth. These concepts are expressed in a project that evolves from the design developed for the 750 ml and 3-litre labels to sculptures for the large 6-litre and 9-litre formats.

The finger, depicted on the 750ml label, which leaves a print on the Earth, is a fine representation of the wine, which sparks curiosity and a desire to reveal itself gradually before leaving a tangible impression in a lingering tasting experience. In the glass, connoisseurs discover the energy that nature gives to plants and humans, but in particular to the region that expresses itself as lifeblood: the lifeblood of Il Vigore.

The estate’s winemaker Olga Fusari describes Ornellaia 2019 as a wine “having a deep ruby red colour, with a rich bouquet of intriguing spiced and balsamic notes, including black pepper, sage and herbal aromas. The wine is full bodied and vibrant in the mouth, filling the palate with its dense and elegant tannins, and ends with an enduring and wonderfully refreshing finish”. 

The amounts collected through the Vendemmia d’Artista project enables the programme’s expansion to all museums in the Guggenheim constellation (New York, Venice, Bilbao). “Ornellaia’s generosity has provided for the expansion of Mind’s Eye, connecting participants across the globe through virtual programs,” said Richard Armstrong, Director of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and Foundation. “Our learnings over the past three years have enabled the Guggenheim to increase accessibility to both place and to works of art through multisensory exploration.  We are grateful for the ongoing support of Ornellaia.”

Giovanni Geddes da Filicaja, CEO of Ornellaia estate, is also delighted to state that: “Since the introduction of Vendemmia d’Artista in 2009, we have donated more than 2 million dollars to art charity. It’s immensely rewarding to see the project grow internationally and to know that the work we are doing gives the possibility for the blind and low-vision people to discover contemporary art by using the senses.”

 The Masseto estate presents the latest vintage of its second wine, Massetino 2019

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A harmonious take on the graceful force of the fruit Massetino 2019, now in its third vintage, born from the selection made for Masseto, with which it shares an underlying identity. Released to market on tiptoes in 2019, this second wine immediately revealed itself as the utmost interpretation of the terroir with a well-defined identity.

Vaunting a harmonious character while remaining profound and powerful, like the land where it comes from, Massetino is a Merlot blend that incorporates a small percentage of Cabernet Franc. “Massetino comes from the careful selection of the estate’s vineyards, which is carried out during the blending stage,”explains Estate Director Axel Heinz. “Our consideration was that the selection of wines that did not end up becoming Masseto could have their own life. A new wine is always a new challenge.”

Massetino 2019 displays the typical traits of a vintage with variable weather conditions, which saw cold, wet spells alternate with long, hot and dry stages. The vine growth was delayed, but it was followed by a hot, sunny summer with next to no rainfall. The precipitation at the end of the summer enabled the Merlot to be harvested at the beginning of September and Cabernet Franc in early October, with a seasonal finish that provided the right conditions for ripening.

The cellar philosophy is to reduce intervention to a bare minimum. The exceptional concentration of the grapes requires no sophisticated winemaking mechanisms; just simple measures. In Massetino, delicate infusion is discerned instead of aggressive extraction. In so doing, the wine displays richness without being heavy. In the cellar, everything has been researched for this very reason: from moving the grapes without using pumps, but by gravity alone, to using vats designed to elicit delicate extraction.

Every parcel of the vineyard is vinified separately with a spontaneous fermentation. The malolactic fermentation takes place in 50% new barriques for 12 months. Lastly, the base wines are blended before being aged for another 3 months in barriques.

“Massetino 2019 appears dark and youthful, with perfectly ripe black fruit aromas underlined by notes of new seasoned oak and liquorice. The wine is rich and bodied on the palate, with a refined velvety structure balanced by a frame of refreshing acidity and bold tannins,” describes Axel Heinz, Estate Director.

Masseto 2018: the sublime fragility of the soil and humankind’s intuition

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The estate presents Masseto 2018

The elegant and silky texture of a one-of-a-kind wine

It is said that the expectation of a pleasure represents a pleasure in itself, but the peak is the instant in which it is finally reached, when desire is transformed into reality. Finally, after years of refinement, Masseto 2018 is released on the market, with a deep olfactory intensity that flows in the silky texture of this wine.

Humankind, the soil, and the vineyard: these are the three determining elements for the success of this  wine that has established itself as among the most respected in Italy and in the world.

Masseto was born from the intuition of taking a chance on difficult land and seeing its great potential. Estate Director, Axel Heinz, describes it as “an unspoiled, harsh and austere place, that’s not at all easy to work. The conditions are extreme, yet this vineyard never fails to amaze us. It’s truly a magical place where nature makes the most important decisions”.

The will is to interpret the spirit of nature and then let it express itself without limits, because everything revolves around the extraordinary – and at the same time demanding – vineyard. The expert hands of those who love every single plant and know its soul in depth are the ones that lead it. All of this obtains a wine without any coercing, accompanied by actions in the cellar that are as limited as possible in order to obtain its maximum expression.

Masseto 2018 is a wine that perfectly reflects terroir and vintage.

After a season of drought in 2017, winter 2018 seemed to indicate a return to normal, but one of the wettest springs in Masseto’s history, with higher than average temperatures, led to rapid vegetative growth with the risk of diseases. Only the timing of the team made it possible to keep firm control of the vines through the thinning of the shoots and the correct positioning of the foliar apparatus. Thanks to the skillful interplay between shadow and light obtained, both leaves and grapes remained healthy.

The 2018 harvest was the first to find its home entirely in the new cellar dug deep into the blue clay soil on which the vineyard stands, between walls that represent a physical and symbolic tribute to the history of the estate and to the intuition of those who believed in it. The double sorting table enabled the selection of only the most perfect grapes. Fermentation took place in concrete tanks, with the malolactic fermentation beginning in new oak barrels in separate batches for the first 12 months, then blended and left to rest in barrels for a further year.

Masseto 2018 amazes with an infinite salinity that fills each sip. Likewise, there is no sign of excess in the expression of a perfect balance between fullness and harmony that reveals the profound belonging to a terroir with an unmistakable identity.

A symphony of aromatic notes tinged with berries is woven into a refined texture. “Perfectly ripe cherries, plums and spiced new oak. The palate is broad and rich, revealing a refined and silky body derived from the 2018 vintage“, elaborates Axel Heinz, who calls it “a particularly elegant version that combines richness and finesse”.

Soon a new address in Bordeaux for Masseto, Ornellaia, Tenuta Luce and CastelGiocondo

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Masseto, Ornellaia, Tenuta Luce and CastelGiocondo are opening a representative office in the city of Bordeaux, aimed at strengthening their worldwide sales network, starting with the French stronghold of fine wines. 

The prestigious Tuscan estates are set to open a representative office in 2022

The first wine estates in Italy to make such an investment.

Masseto, in 2009, was the first Italian wine to be distributed through La Place de Bordeaux. Ornellaia followed suit in 2015. In the wake of their success, in 2019 Tenuta Luce and in 2021 CastelGiocondo Brunello also embraced the international distribution of La Place de Bordeaux. Since 2009, this choice has resulted in ever increasing results. The Négociants boast a centuries-long history of the sale of fine wines at an international level.

“Making top-tier wines is not enough,” explains Giovanni Geddes da Filicaja, CEO of Frescobaldi group. “Knowing how to communicate this quality and choosing the perfect distribution is essential. By considering these years with La Place de Bordeaux as the first step and examining potential sales growth, it now seems logical for us to open a representative office in Bordeaux. Our goal is to strengthen our position by developing a deeper and more integrated relationship with the Négociants, no longer working from a distance, but in close contact with our partners.”

This stimulating challenge has been entrusted to Patrick Lachapèle who will take on the role of Director of the representative office, returning to France after 16 years in Asia where he worked as Asia-Pacific Export Manager for Baron Philippe de Rothschild and then as Director Asia-Pacific, Middle East, Africa and South America for Ornellaia and Tenuta Luce. Patrick will work alongside the commercial directors of the four estates, which will remain individually managed.

The new office will be operational in the first quarter of 2022.

***

Masseto wines are available to all markets through La Place de Bordeaux with the exception of Italy, United States and Canada where Masseto retains direct distribution. Ornellaia wines are available as well through La Place de Bordeaux with the exception of Europe, United States and Canada.

In the case of Tenuta Luce, La Place de Bordeaux holds the distribution in Asia (with the exception of Japan), Africa and Middle East meanwhile CastelGiocondo is available with the Négociants in China only.

THE 2021 HARVEST at MASSETO

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A fruitful conclusion to a vintage of extremes

The extraordinary reaction of the vines to climate change and the resilience of great terroir

Every harvest marks a new chapter that elicits new expertise in knowing how to best interpret the vines and their extraordinary ability to react to nature.

The 2021 vintage was rather difficult, with extreme conditions throughout the year as evidence of the climate change that now characterizes the seasonal development.

At Masseto, strength lies in the ability of the vines to react, helped by what Estate Director Axel Heinz calls the “resilience of a great terroir”: “the characteristics of the vines enabled the climatic extremes to be cushioned and channelled, creating conditions that were limiting yet without an excessive stress for the plants. Fine wines derive from these beginnings.”

The hallmark traits of Masseto – soil and microclimate – proved fundamental in these critical conditions. The blue clay, unique to Masseto, was crucial, capable of accumulating water reserves in the depths of the soil and only releasing the amount of water needed to avoid the excessive stress of the vines and overcome the summer dryness. Themicroclimate, with sea breezes and mild temperatures, provided shelter from the spring frost, while in the summer it ensured the ventilation required to withstand the heat.

The best way to understand this complex vintage is the relationship between men and terroir. The synergy between the soil type and the area, in addition to the constant vineyard management and attention to detail, enabled the year’s potential pitfalls to be turned into extraordinary strengths.

The harvest, which went without rain from start to finish, began on 30 August, with the youngest vines and higher, more precocious parcels in Masseto Alto. The Merlot was harvested on five different occasions until mid-September, while the Cabernet Franc was gathered between 15 and 28 September.

Initial impressions would point to a very stylish vintage. As soon as the wines (which are currently showing great potential) have been racked, which is about to finish, they will be moved into barriques for a lengthy period of ageing. The road ahead is long, but Axel Heinz explains his initial impressions: “The dry season concentrated the grapes, which yielded intense wines with great potential. The colours are particularly intense, like the aromas characterised by fully ripened black fruit. In the mouth we find the unmistakable balance between richness and firmness that distinguishes Masseto. The wines develop a rich and concentrated palate, with dense and velvety tannins, as the result of careful and soft extraction, underpinned by striking acidity that is reminiscent of some of the best vintages such as 2006, 2010 and 2016.”

All of these expectations will take two years to reach their conclusion, when the wine will have finished ageing and become ready for bottling. The established practice at Masseto means that cellar intervention is limited to a bare minimum so that the wines find their natural balance between fullness and harmony, which displays their sense of belonging to a terroir with an unmistakable identity. Masseto, as Axel Heinz describes it, is “truly a magical place where nature makes the most important decisions”.

News about the 2021 vintage

2021 brought news to the winery with the arrival of Gaia Cinnirella, who beginning with this harvest became the winemaker at Masseto under the supervision of Axel Heinz. Gaia, formerly Assistant Technical Director and Vineyard Manager at Biondi Santi from 2018 to 2021, is enthusiastic about contributing to the oenological development and stability of a winery like Masseto: “After work placements at leading wineries like Allegrini and Tenuta San Guido, I was able to hone my passion first at Istine and then at Biondi Santi. Now I’m proud to be part of this incredible team and I’m excited to contribute towards making uniquely characterful wines. It’s a dream for those, like me, who love their work and see every experience as an opportunity to grow. The extremely stimulating and ever evolving environment will be a challenge for me, while always looking to the future in the way that a wine like Masseto requires.”

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