Italian Red Wines
The complexity of Italy is remarkable: so many different grapes, most autochthonous (i.e. native to Italy) and many only grown regionally.
The two key quality red grapes are: Sangiovese, grown all over Tuscany and beyond, and best known for Chianti, and reds made at Montepulciano and Montalcino; and Nebbiolo, the top red of Piedmont, best known for the wines of Barolo and Barbaresco.
Beyond that there are splendid red grapes which can thrive in southern Italy’s heat, from Nero d’Avola and Negroamaro to Aglianico and Primitivo; and the lighter reds of Italy’s north, from Dolcetto to the west; and east of Milan Corvina and Rondinella, the grapes for Valpolicella and Amarone.
The success in the 1970s of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot grown on the Tuscan coast at Bolgheri persuaded many in Tuscany and further afield to plant these varieties, plus Syrah; but more recently growers seem to be pulling back from producing these so-called "Super Tuscans".
Italian wine production is marked by two strong and mutually supportive initiatives: the Slow Food movement, which started in Italy, and which celebrates small-scale, artisanal cellars; and a widespread adoption of organic cultivation. Several of our growers, including Di Filippo, Il Palagione and Fiorano farm organically.
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Il Traliccio, Sangiove Rubicone IGT, 2023
Light-bodied
Light, simple, juicy and cherry-accented. Certainly easy to drink on its own. A Sangiovese from...
OriginItaly
RegionAbruzzo
ColourRed
ABV11%
Bottle75cl
CodeILT423
GrapeSangiovese
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“Superiore” may be added if the wine is aged for a year prior to release, of which at least...
OriginItaly
RegionPiedmont
ColourRed
ABV14.5%
Bottle75cl
CodeBOA622
GrapeBarbera
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I Fabbri, Chianti Classico Riserva, 2019
Medium Bodied
"Mid ruby with orange tinges. Peppery, concentrated and a little brooding on the nose....
OriginItaly
RegionTuscany
ColourRed
ABV13.5%
Bottle75cl
CodeIFA319
GrapeSangiovese
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I Fabbri, Chianti Classico, Lamole, 2021
Medium Bodied
Susanna Grassi’s Chiantis are so graceful. Her vineyards, in the Lamole subzone of Greve, are...
OriginItaly
RegionTuscany
ColourRed
ABV13%
Bottle75cl
CodeIFA121
GrapeSangiovese
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Michele Biancardi, Uno Piu Uno, IGT Puglia, 2022
Medium Bodied
From halves of Nero di Troia and Primitivo. Because the grapes come from the very edge of their...
OriginItaly
RegionTuscany
ColourRed
ABV12.5%
Bottle75cl
CodeBIA122
GrapeNero di Troia & Primitivo
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Michele Biancardi, Primitivo Puro, IGT Puglia, 2022
Medium Bodied
As the name implies, 100% Primitivo. Such a seductive wine – flamboyant colour; a flagrant...
OriginItaly
RegionTuscany
ColourRed
ABV13.5%
Bottle75cl
CodeBIA322
GrapePrimitivo
"Why do I not drink more Nero di Troia? It's such a heart-felt wine! It's not...
OriginItaly
RegionTuscany
ColourRed
ABV13%
Bottle75cl
CodeBIA419
GrapeNero di Troia
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Taliano, Roche dra Bossora, Roero Riserva, 2018
Medium Bodied
Named after large ravines which score the Roero hills (Roero lying just across the river Tanaro...
OriginItaly
RegionPiedmont
ColourRed
ABV14.5%
Bottle75cl
CodeTAN218
GrapeNebbiolo
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Taliano, Barbaresco, Montersino, Ad Altiora, 2020
Medium Bodied
Ad Altiora implies aiming higher. This is from 100% Nebbiolo grown in the calcareous Bris...
OriginItaly
RegionPiedmont
ColourRed
ABV14.5%
Bottle75cl
CodeTAN520
GrapeNebbiolo
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Azienda Agricola Boasso, Barolo, Serralunga d'Alba 2020
Medium Bodied
From several sites owned by the Boasso family in the commune of Serralunga, in the south of the...
OriginItaly
RegionPiedmont
ColourRed
ABV14.5%
Bottle75cl
CodeBOA320
GrapeNebbiolo
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Boasso, Barolo, Lazzarito, 2020
Medium Bodied
A single vineyard Barolo, on a west-facing slope, very close to the village of Serralunga...
OriginItaly
RegionPiedmont
ColourRed
ABV14.5%
Bottle75cl
CodeBOA520
GrapeNebbiolo
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From several sites owned by the Boasso family in the commune of Serralunga, in the south of the...
OriginItaly
RegionPiedmont
ColourRed
ABV14.5%
Magnum150cl
CodeBOA920
GrapeNebbiolo
