The Week's Wine club: The best Italian wines from our October partner, Liberty Wines
Each of the six wine merchants we have selected for The Week Wine Club have offerings from all over the globe, but inevitably there’s a particular country or region that is their true speciality. Liberty Wines is arguably the most successful provider of premium restaurant wines in the UK, and while they tick all the vinous boxes, their selection of Italian wines is truly exceptional. David Gleave MW has done more than anyone else in this country to promote a greater understanding of Italian wine. Liberty Wines is the leading UK importer and wholesaler of premium Italian wine, and this is the first time they have allowed the public direct access to their amazing list. Unlike most Wine Clubs, which mainly promote wines at the budget end of the spectrum, we prefer to offer exceptional wines that best express their terroir, or place of origin, at prices below market rates. You can order either a mixed case, an all-red or all-white case, or a full case of each wine. As usual, transport costs are included to any UK mainland address.Visit The Week Wines to view all cases.
Cento Cavalli, Sicily, Grillo, 2015 (13%) This unoaked, full-bodied wine is made by Alana McGettigan and Matt Thomson, the famous New Zealand “flying wine-makers” responsible for several of Sicily’s leading wines. It has a pleasant acidity that adds to its freshness, with a minerally backbone to give it real grip. Grown on the hills outside Trapani, west of Palermo, Grillo is probably Sicily’s best native white grape. Although it is the key component of Marsala, in this instance it is renowned for its aroma and delicacy rather than sweetness. The Week Wines price: £101.90, usually £134.88. Click here to order
Capezzana, Carmignano, Barco Reale, Tuscany, 2014 (13.5%) This delicious red, like most of the greatest ones from Tuscany, is predominantly Sangiovese, the core of Chianti Classico and Brunello di Montalcino, with about 10% Cabernet Sauvignon or Cabernet Franc. Not as structured as these more renowned wines, it nonetheless has a delightful freshness, yet it will keep for a few more years. Only a short distance from Florence, all 200 acres of the Capezzana estate in this tiny appellation are grown organically by the Contini Bonacossi family, who also produce a sublime extra virgin olive oil. The Week Wines price: £152.90, usually £194.88. Click here to order
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Fontodi, Tuscany, Chianti Classico, 2013 (14%) One of my all-time favourite Chianti Classicos, I first discovered this while eating at Dario Cecchini’s famous Antica Macelleria Cecchini restaurant in Panzano, on the opposite hillside to Fontodi. The 2013 vintage has the typical sour red cherry notes of Sangiovese, with a solid tannic structure but also great clarity and ageing potential. Made following biodynamic principles, Fontodi is renowned for its elegance. If you want a real (albeit expensive) treat, try their flagship Flaccianello, which is also 100% Sangiovese. The Week Wines price: £234.50, usually £290.88. Click here to order
Villa Bucci, Castelli di Jesi, Verdicchio Classico Superiore, 2015 (13.5%) This little-known wine is gorgeous, with a smoky, nutty flavour. The Buccis have been growing grapes in the Marche since the 1700s, and they are happy to keep their low-yielding older vines to add to the intensity of the crop. It’s advisable to decant, to get the full impact. Superb with strongtasting fish, such as red mullet. The Week Wines price: £173.30, usually £218.88. Click here to order
Massolino, Langhe Nebbiolo, 2014 (13.5%) Franco Massolino is one of the great producers of Piedmont wines, which most people consider the leading Italian region, led by Barolo and Barbaresco. This Langhe Nebbiolo is in fact declassified Barolo, from their 60-acre estate in Serralunga d’Alba, which is also the source of Italy’s greatest white truffles. This is a relative bargain compared with their grander Barolos. It’s essential to decant it before drinking. The Week Wines price: £239.88, usually £302.88. Click here to order
Allegrini, Veneto, Valpolicella 2015 (13.5%) If, like most people, you have been led to imagine that this is a light, Beaujolais Nouveau style of quaffing wine, prepare to revise your opinion. This is easily the most exciting and satisfying Valpolicella I have ever tasted – intense red cherry fruit with lifted perfumes that make it a joy to drink, with or without food. The Allegrini family also make a famous Amarone, as well as La Poja, their flagship wine, which is considered the finest “super Veronese”. The Week Wines price: £142.70, usually £182.88. Click here to order
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