Giodo

VINTAGE 2022

James Suckling – 97
The aromas of ash and lava are so intense with cherries and graphite. Medium-bodied with a tight, compacted palate, chewy yet fine tannins and a lively finish. You can taste the high altitude and century-old vines. Drink or hold.

Wine Advocate – 95
From Tuscan winemaker Carlo Ferrini, who shares deep love for Sicily, the Alberelli di Giodo 2022 Nerello Mascalese (a production of 9,000 bottles all with a red wax capsule) is one of the best made wines from the volcano on the market today. Carlo Ferrini’s signature touch adds an extra layer of dark fruit concentration and sweet spice. Indeed, the wine ages in 500- and 700-liter barrels for 18 months. Fruit comes from a 1.9-hectare site with 50- to 80-year-old plants at 560 to 850 meters in elevation on the north side of Etna. The tannins are expertly managed, and although you feel that firm structure, there is enough dark fruit to smooth it all out, giving the wine depth and power.

VINTAGE 2021

James Suckling – 96
Aromas of plum, iron and pumice with some flowers. It’s medium-bodied with powdered, fine tannins. It’s layered and elegant yet so structured. Very long and focused. Wild finish with a lava-like undertone to it all. Just above the contrada of Rapante. Drinkable but better in two or three years.

Wine Advocate – 96
Closed with a red wax capsule, the Alberelli di Giodo 2021 Nerello Mascalese does a great job of transmitting energy, finesse and elegance. This is an exceptional expression of Etna’s protagonist grape. It effortlessly shows small berry aromas of cassis and wild berry along with some dried herb, mountain flower, orange peel and crushed stone. Carlo Ferrini has hit this nail squarely on the head.

VINTAGE 2023

James Suckling – 95
The purity of fruit and transparency are really captivating, with aromas of dried apples, limes, green mangoes and crushed stones. Medium-bodied with flavors of sliced apples and pears. Minerally undertone. Long and flavorful. Drink now.

Wine Advocate – 94
With its distinctive baby-blue wax capsule, the Alberelli di Giodo 2023 Carricante is another highlight in my tasting of white wines from Etna. I love the clarity and brightness of aromas achieved here. They include, citrus, white peach and lots of delicate salty mineral shadings that add to a sense of lasting structure and depth. The wine gives the appearance of simplicity, but it is anything but. It offers continued complexity and layers of interest as it warms in the glass. Fruit is harvested from 50- to 80-year-old vines at a high 750 to 850 meters in elevation. Winemaking is in stainless steel only. This is a 4,000-bottle release.

VINTAGE 2022

James Suckling – 94
This is pure carricante with honeysuckle, lemons, and light grapefruit with a salty sense to the aromas. The same character comes through on the palate with a medium to full body, creamy texture and pretty finish. Lemongrass and mineral highlight the subtle fruit flavors and acidity. Tangy. Clean and clear nature to this. Drink now.

VINTAGE 2022

James Suckling – 94
Lively red fruits of strawberries, red cherries, and violets followed by a mix of spices and fresh herbs. Medium-bodied, with fine and sophisticated tannins with delightful acidity. Elegant and artful wine with beautiful purity and complexity. Already fascinating now but it will go further as it ages. Try after 2027.

Wine Advocate – 94+
This wine is a bit of a provocation because, although it could technically qualify as a Rosso di Montalcino, it aims much higher and wears its IGT Toscana appellation very proudly as a result. The Giodo 2022 La Quinta is all Sangiovese from eight-year-old vines planted in front of Carlo Ferrini’s stone-clad winery. If anything, Ferrini tells me that his inspiration for this bottle is Chianti Classico more than Montalcino. The wine shows terrific volume (with aging in amphorae and oak) and lots of bright primary fruit with cherry, fresh cranberry, incense and spice. This area withstood the summer heat of 2022 because it is located on the eastern side of the appellation and is surrounded by cooling forests. There is so much pretty fruit in this wine, and you get the freshness of Sangiovese along with elegant, powdery tannins.

VINTAGE 2021

James Suckling – 93
Lovely sweet berries and plums with some cherries. Pine tree and other forest characters. Medium to full body. Round tannins and fresh acidity. Tangy and vivid. 100% sangiovese. Delicious now but will age beautifully.

Wine Advocate – 93
With Sangiovese picked from the estate’s younger vines, the Giodo 2021 La Quinta is punchy and bright with cherry confit, raspberry syrup and tart aromas of blood orange or nectarine. The wine is easy-drinking in spirit with open fruit and a reassuringly transparent personality. The finish is lean and fresh. This is a production of 13,000 bottles.

VINTAGE 2021

James Suckling – 97
A new wine that is a cask selection. It’s certainly different from the normal bottling, with aromas of red cherries, cedar, hibiscus and crushed stones. The palate shows round tannins and a juicy and savory finish. A second wine of this estate. From organically grown grapes. Best after 2028.

VINTAGE 2024

James Suckling – 94
The first vintage ever of Rosso for the Giodo estate. A super-fresh, vibrant and fragrant wine with strawberries, red currants, violets, blood oranges and cinnamon on the nose. Medium-bodied, it shows freshness, soft and silky tannins and a smoky, savory finish. Drink now.

VINTAGE 2021

James Suckling – 99
The purity of fruit and elegance are so beautiful, perfumed and ethereal. It’s medium-bodied with ultra-fine tannins and gorgeous black cherries, blackberries and brambleberries with a hint of cedar. Vibrant finish. From organically grown grapes. Better in 2028 and beyond.

VINTAGE 2020

James Suckling – 97
A more elegant than powerful Brunello here. Intensity and depth to this wine, with a fresh profile of strawberries, red cherries and peonies. A cinnamon note adds a touch of grace. The attack is graceful as well, with velvety tannins, medium to full body, persistent and refreshing acidity and a long, very flavorful finish. Elegant sample. Drinkable now, but it will last for decades with ease.

Wine Advocate – 96
From vintner Carlo Ferrini, the Giodo 2020 Brunello di Montalcino is a balanced, medium-plus intensity wine that delivers excellent focus and sharpness. You get the generosity and softness of the vintage with Mediterranean tones of lavender and rosemary that frame a pretty core of cherry and blackcurrant. You also get a savory note of something that reminds me of fragrant tea leaf. The tannins are expertly managed, and the wine’s texture builds steadily in the mouth. It shows superb phenolic ripeness with no sharp edges. The finish is fleshed out, contemporary and generous. Production is 16,000 bottles.

Wine Enthusiast – 96
Aromas of sweet chili, wild cherry, wild strawberry and mandarin blossom radiate from the glass, and the palate is cohesive, as more cherries and strawberries star above balancing undertones of orange slices, terra cotta and potting soil. A bright, lively, buoyant Brunello you can really have fun with, without giving up any depth or expressivity.

Wine Spectator – 93
Mint and wild herbs highlight the plum and cherry fruit in this intense, almost racy red. Its tannins are assertive yet interwoven with the fruit and glycerol texture, leaving a long, expansive finish. Best from 2027 through 2042. 1,030 cases made, 190 cases imported.

VINTAGE 2019

James Suckling – 99
Aromas of cedar, earth, tree bark, fruit tea, black tea and cherries. Then it turns to fresh and dried flowers. Medium to full body as it grows on the palate with superb fine tannins that run the length of the wine. It’s structured and powerful with great length. The acid, tannin balance is incredible. Very clear and transparent. What a wine. Drinkable but better in three or four years.

Wine Advocate – 98+
When I tasted this wine with its maker, the celebrated enologist Carlo Ferrini, he told me that he put every last drop of love into the 2019 vintage. He believes it is the best wine he has made thus far at his relatively new Giodo project that started in 2009. Indeed, I would rank the 2019 Brunello di Montalcino as high as or even better than the best vintages made at this boutique estate. In my mind, they are 2010, 2016 and now 2019. This wine comes from a three-hectare plot with 19-year-old vines that are cared for obsessively. This amphitheater-shaped parcel called La Poderina is nestled deep within the forest on a steep slope that overlooks Monte Amiata in the distance. The soils are white in color with lots of rocks. This is a wine of depth and dimension, with vibrant energy, elegant balsamic notes and sweetly ripened fruit. The medium fruit weight is balanced against the wine’s acidity and fine tannins. It ends with floral notes of violet and iris.

Wine Enthusiast – 96
The herbal nose sparkles with light, playful aromas of sarsaparilla, spearmint, licorice, black cherry and mandarin blossom, before the palate erupts into a bubbling root beer float of medicinal root flavors, with a Luxardo cherry on top, as acid fizzes like carbonation. Just a sheer delight to drink.

Wine Spectator – 95
An effusive red, with vivid cherry and raspberry fruit that’s pure and tangy, courtesy of the vibrant acidity, while mineral and herb accents add depth as this builds on the finish. This is structured too, with well-integrated tannins that sneak up on the firm, long-lasting aftertaste. Best from 2026 through 2042.