TASSINAIA

Castello del Terriccio can be found overlooking the sea in the province of Pisa, 30 kilometres from the city itself, in the very northernmost part of the Tuscan Maremma. This estate makes two of my favourite wines in Italy, Lupicaia and Tassinaia, under the guidance of master-winemaker Carlo Ferrini. Terriccio is one of three ‘Super-Tuscan’ specialists to make my 100 Most Iconic Wine Estates book, along with Sassicaia and Ornellaia. While you will undoubtedly have heard of these two rock star properties, Castello del Terriccio flies stealthily under the radar. This means prices are incredibly competitive, but I can assure you that the wines lack nothing in nobility, extraordinary complexity and impeccable balance of exuberant fruit and intriguing, Tuscan, savoury nuance. 2007 is the finest vintage of this Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Sangiovese blend I have tasted. It is a touch youthful, as you would expect given its class, but you must strike now because stocks are limited. This is already a cult wine in my book and wine collectors are slowly waking up to its undeniable breeding. Pound for pound this is the greatest Super-Tuscan of all in my opinion. I gave it a massive 19+/20 in my notes. Rating: 19+/20 Matthew Jukes www.matthewjukes.com (Jan 2014)

Forgive the cliché, but if ever a wine was an iron fist in a velvet glove this is is it. Cabernet and Merlot supply the iron – pure, intense black fruit with fine tannins; a little Sangiovese supplies the spicy velvet. You can drink it now, but you could wait another ten years. Rating: 93 The Wine Gang - www.thewinegang.com (Jan 2014)

A blend of Cabernet, Merlot and a little Sangiovese, there’s a whiff of pencil shavings, a hint of coffee and some lovely ripe fruit. It’s drinking nicely now but I’d decant to let the tannins soften; a wine so grown-up that it can end long-running family feuds.Henry Jeffreys, The Lady (Dec 2013)