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SHOP COLLECTION NOW ⮥Bella Italia and La Dolce Vita! Welcome to the Greg Martellotto's pick for the Top 15 Italian red wines to buy today. Greg is one of only 400 Italian Wine Ambassadors in the world and certified by Vinitaly Academy. He has been traveling to Italy for more than three decades and knows where the best juice is coming from. In addition to his family heritage in Puglia, he has lived in Florence and typically spends 3-6 weeks per year in Oenotria. These wines all raised his eyebrows and they will certainly make an impression on you. Consider these wines among the best from each of their respective regions and certainly at the top of the quality and value chain.
Alla Salute!
2009 Feudi di San Gregorio Taurasi Riserva Piano di Montevergine
Excavations at Pompeii have found menus for tavernas that had earthenware that stored and sold wine. This Aglianico comes from nearby Taurasi and finding it was a discovery of its own. Feudi di San Gregorio, along with Mastroberardino, established the modern style of Campania wines. From 2000, these Aglianicos, Fianos, Grecos and other wines took the world by storm. This 2009 was a special find because the vintage coincides with Bighammerwines.com founding. This Riserva is the top wine from Feudi and it has aged with the class and elegance of Don Ciccio.If you want to understand the majesty of Aglianico and how it ages supremely well, buy this.
2020 Mazzarosa Vere Novo Montepulciano d'Abruzzo DOC
Montepulciano is one of our favorite wines to sell. Mazzarossa heralds a new guard in the region that is seeking to find finesse and balance over power and fruit.Hands down, this is the most elegant Montepulciano I've ever tasted. Don't just take my word for it, this got a 97 pt rating at the Decanter World Wine awards too.
2018 Nativ 'Eremo San Quirico' Aglianico Irpinia Campi Taurasini
After helping to put Campania and Feudi di San Gregorio on the map of quality wines, Mario Ercolino started Nativ focusing on native grapes from southern Italy. This is his award-winning, top Aglianico with an amazing label designed by his wife.If you know and love the food and wine from the region, you have to try this.
2019 Colle Nero Tra Di Noi Brunello Di Montalcino DOCG
This wine is an exclusive partnership with Terre Nere. With vineyards located next to Poggio di Sotto ($300/btl),this wine looks like one of the best values in Montalcino. Again, don't just take my word for it. James Suckling 95pts
2021 Guerrieri Montepulciano Blend 'Guerriero della Terra'
Year after year, Guerrieri is leading the way in Marche. This family winery produces amazing gourmet foods and wines. This is their top wine and it's no surprise that this wine has been a consistent Tre Bicchieri winner and awarded 99pts several years in a row by Luca Maroni.If you love big fruit and a touch of oak, drink this. If you're still wasting money on wines like Caymus, and we hope you aren't, drink this instead.
2019 Talosa Vino Nobile Di Montepulciano Riserva DOCG
Vino Nobile has a wonderful history supplying wines to the Vatican. Unfortunately, it sits 30 minutes away from Montalcino and in its significant shadow. I'll probably by singing this song from stunning hilltop town of Montepulciano until I die. But, if you know and love Brunello, you must try the top Sangiovese from this nearby town.Talosa is one of the top producers in the region and this reserva would easily cost >$100 if it had a Brunello label on it.
2019 Bibbiani Montereggi Rosso Toscano Cabernet Sauvignon
People who know and love Cabernet from Tuscany (think Sassicaia) already know that Tuscan Cab can be divine. Here's an example at a quarter of the price of that famous Bolgheri.This is the most elegant Italian Cabernet I've ever had. This winery is owned by an American businessman and he has dramatically improved the quality and upgraded the property over the last decade.
2021 Luciano Arduini Amarone della Valpolicella Classico DOCG
I wish we could import more of this wine. Sadly, there's just not enough to go around. We're lucky to import two pallets per year. Some Amarone can be too alcoholic or too sweet for me. This one consistently finds a balance and we love supporting small family producers like Arduini.Once you find this wine, it will be as cozy as your favorite blanket.
2022 Sannino Gragnano della Peninsula Sorrentino Herculaneum
This is one of the best quality and value wines in the store and I had to include it because it's a revelation. Almost everyone knows and loves pizza from Napoli. This wine is from an ancient town near Sorrento called Herculaneum - the site of the second most important ruins after Pompeii. This is a purple wine made to drink with pizza. You can chill it for 30 minutes prior to service and I promise, it will bring a smile to your face. The wine has residual sugar in it (but not a sweet wine) and it's lightly fizzy.This is adult candy.
2019 Isola e Olena Cepparello
Grace. Power. Elegance. This wine is the woman in the red dress in the Matrix. Cepparello set the bar for Sangiovese IGT in Tuscany and this was the last vintage from the famed founder before he sold the winery.If you already know and love Chianti and Sangiovese, you owe it to yourself to taste this reference point wine.
2020 Generazione Alessandro Croceferro Etna Rosso
Wines from Etna have been on fire for more than a decade. If you want to know and appreciate the smells of what volcanic soils can imbue in a wine, try this. It's medium bodied and might remind you more of a Pinot Noir than other Sicilian reds.This is a joy to drink and share and once tasted, it will remain in your mind for a long time. Yes, it's that memorable.
2021 La Ca Nova Montestefano Barbaresco DOCG
This is my favorite Nebbiolo in the store at present and it's not Barolo. If it's available at the time you read this, buy it. I can't speak highly enough about this producer and unfortunately, the secret is out thanks for Antonio Galloni. He calls this the most underrated producer in Piedmont and gave this wine 98pts. La Ca Nova used to sell their grapes to Gaja who in turn sold his wine for $300+. This wine should be >$100.
2021 Ornellaia Bolgheri Superiore Toscana
From what may be one of the vintages of the century in Tuscany, I don't have to tell you about this wine. I just have to let you know that this wine is delicious now and will improve over the next 20 years.
2021 Masseto Toscana IGT
This is the Petrus of Italy and now the most expensive wine. 100% Merlot. Extremely limited.
2017 Pasetti Harimann Montepulciano D'Abruzzo DOP
Pasetti is our #1 family producer in Abruzzo and this is their top Montepulciano. The wine sees some oak and when you taste it, you'll be surprised it's almost 8 years old.Don't miss these wines.
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