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Tenuta Luce is a joint venture between two of the leading figures in the wine world, Vittorio Frescobaldi and Robert Mondavi, that started in the early 1990s. The union was built out of their shared goal to offer the world a truly impassioned, unique wine from Montalcino – while encompassing both of their personal traditions. Following due course, twenty years ago, thanks to their sons and winemakers, Lamberto and Tim, their thrilling blend of Sangiovese and Merlot, Luce was born. The estate comprises of 192-hectares, with 77 devoted to vineyards. These plots producing their flagship, Luce, and more recently their second wine, Lucente. Five hectares of the vineyard are registered as Brunello di Montalcino DOCG and these are devoted to the creation of their territorial expressive Luce Brunello.

The estate was founded in the late 17th Century. This period was known as the Grand Siècle, or "great century", in reference to Louis XIV's 1661 accession to the French throne. In 1987 the estate was bought by AXA Millésimes, whose aim is to enable great wines from vineyards with a glorious past to achieve their full potential. An architectural competition was launched in collaboration with the Paris Pompidou Centre to provide the estate with new operational buildings. The comprehensive reconstruction of the fermenting room and cellar, and renovation of the château, began in 1988.
Quinta do Noval The name of Quinta do Noval first appeared in land registries in 1715. The history of Quinta do Noval is marked by the action of visionaries: António José da Silva, a port shipper from Porto, acquired Quinta do Noval in 1894, after its devastation by phylloxera. He restored the property by replanting the vines. Since 1993, Quinta do Noval is part of the international viticultural group of AXA Millésimes. A new bottling line and warehouse was completed in 1997 in Alijo, near Pinhão. This project made Quinta do Noval the first of the traditional Port shippers to centralise all its activities in the Douro Valley .

The ColleMassari Domaine comprises today four estates: from 1998 Castello di Colle Massari, Grattamacco since 2002, the Poggio di Sotto Estate since 2011 and San Giorgio since 2017. Grattamacco was founded at the end of the 70’s in the DOC area of Bolgheri where the growing of Cabernet Sauvignon in this particular region gained great popularity.The first vintage produced was 1982 as a result of blending Cabernet Sauvignon with Merlot and Sangiovese. Poggio di Sotto, established at the end of the 80’s and situated in the territory of Montalcino, first DOCG in Italy, and home of the famous Brunello.The first vintage produced was the 1991 harvest and within a short time the winery distinguished itself for its wines of great elegance and complexity. Castello ColleMassari was founded in 1998 and is part of the Montecucco DOC area in Upper Maremma, a territory which is ideal for the growing of Sangiovese, and situated between the DOCG areas of Brunello di Montalcino and Morellino di Scansano.The first vintage produced was 2000.

Its families were never short of praise for it. Over the decades, this devotion has managed to overcome all that is accidental or fleeting, as if passion perfected Nature’s opus. Château Ducru-Beaucaillou owes its name to its “beautiful pebbles” (“beaux Cailloux”, in French) that geologists refer to less romanti- cally as Gunzian gravel. These quartz pebbles were deposited by the ancient Garonne at the beginning of the early Quaternary period, some two million years ago. It suffices to take a walk through the vineyards to make rich lithological finds. Lydian jasper from the Pyrenees, flint, quartz, agatoids... These Gunzian gravels make for soils that are poor in plant nutrients. But it is their very agrological paucity that guarantees the qualitative excellence of the wines. A choice of nature. The other privilege enjoyed by Ducru-Beau- caillou is its proximity to the vast Gironde River estuary (some 635 km2). The four daily tides that stir up this massive body of water mitigate the rigors of winter, moderate the summer heatwaves, and deflect the devastating trajectory of hailstorms. No less than 50 manual interventions contribute to the crafting of Ducru-Beaucaillou “grand vin”. This united, multicultural team shares a common philosophy: to push the demands of their profession to the limits. Great wine is an accumulation of care and attention to detail. The viticulture is wilfully elitist and respectful, from the technical winegrowing process to the reconstitution of the soils, from the traditional Médoc-style pruning to the meticulous green harvesting and the staggered replanting of each vineyard blocks. Selection of the grapes is ever more stringent, vinification is adapted to the specific identity of each plot. All of these efforts contribute to the extraordinary purity of the blends that subsequently undergo slow aging in 100% new French oak barrels for 18 months. Not to mention the unending listening, questioning, reflecting. The result is in the glass. The allure is immediate. A soft, fruity attack on the palate, a voluptuousness underscored by perfectly integrated, silky tannins that culminate in an exceptionally lengthy finish. The aromas dance, flatter the nose, seduce the soul and penetrate the memory. A muse that arrives on tiptoe and leave a lasting, infinite souvenir.

When it comes to high-level people on the wine scene, brothers Julien and Laetitia Barrot can’t miss the list. The roots of the Domaine Barroche date back to the year 1703, but only once the Barrot brothers took over the management in 2002 the company started to grow rapidly. A relatively short time to establish itself among the best in the world; A family-run business that boasts a winemaking tradition with few equals within an important area of France such as Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Domaine La Barroche is now considered one of Châteauneuf-du- Pape’s flagship businesses. Despite numerous flattering ratings, the wines remained at a very fair price level. Their flagship wine “Pure”, which is often recognize for its quality, also falls in the mid-price range for these wines. Due to the limited surface area and the very low yield of the old vines, the wines are in great demand and therefore rare. The vines grow on arid and stony soils, and some are 120 years old. The oldest Grenache vineyard, from which the grapes for “Pure” come, produces only 13 hectolitres per hectare. The reputation of the winery was built in just a few years, being today recognized by the press and international critics as one of the absolute excellences of Châteauneuf. Eleven hectares of vines, all sapling, most of them made up of centuries-old plants on sandy and gravelly soils, beaten by the notorious and very strong Mistral Wind of the region. Wines of great elegance, structure and minerality, with formidable aging potential. The production is carried out following the most traditional methods, applying maniacal attention both in the vineyard (selecting the grapes on the belt already in the vineyard) and in the cellar (vinifying by vine in separate barrels and carrying out the assembly only after long refinements and studies). Organic viticulture, mass selection and refilling of the barrels following evaporation, according to the traditional recipe. The power of La Barroche products represents a benchmark of elegance to produce this special appellation.

Chateau de la Tour is closely related to the history of Burgundy. The Labet-Dechelette keeps ancient traditions, passed on from father to son since generations. François Labet leads Domaine Pierre Labet and Château de La Tour, a wonderful estate managed nowadays by Edouard, the latest generation of the Labet Family. The Estate always had a high qualitative policy and, in the 90’s, they introduced organic techniques and low yields. They worked on their own selection of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay varieties, without using clones. Since 1890, Château de la Tour has been dominating the famous Clos de Vougeot. A precious and unique vineyard of Cote de Nuits, founded during the 12th century by the monks of Citeaux abbey. 50 hectares split into 80 owners like Musigny, Romanee and Chambertin. The Château is the biggest owner of Clos de Vougeot and is the only estate that can produce within the Clos, like the monks did in the past.

Tenuta Di Trinoro Vintage 2018 After the sweltering summer of 2017, they welcomed the cooler, more even temperatures of 2018 in the valley. As they neared the end of August, they were looking at larger than usual clusters, not too sweet for the period, and unusually soft in their early fruit. Because of these cooler temperatures, the vineyards were able to ripen the fruit and tannins earlier; all of that is usually kept back because of heat in August. The skins, thin as they were, were incredibly forward in color – they stained the fingers! Usually, that happens in mid-October. A strange wind and drop in temperature arrived in the valley between the merlot and the harvest of the rest of the grapes – they had huge clusters for the first time in their history, but the fruit began to lose its swelling, and the berries began to get softer. With this situation, they couldn’t yet pick the grapes — they’re too flat yet full of sweetness — so they misted the fields to give the grapes the final push, followed by a real rain. Then the sun a bit far in the season, low, orange, saving again until this very last new moon. Everything again became profound and ripe, and they picked. Mysterious for now, fascinating. This vintage will be an original one. Passopisciaro Vintage 2018 2018 was one of the rainiest and most tropical vintages they’ve seen on Etna, especially at the end of the summer. This year, they had to increase the number of times they passed through the vineyards to remove leaves mindfully, avoiding any burning but allowing air to pass through the canopy to mitigate the effects of this wet and humid climate. They countered effects of disease with natural products like clay and propolis as well. The Cesanese stood up well to the vintage’s difficult nature, although they picked it slightly earlier than usual. It gives more pronounced aromas of orange blossom this vintage, while maintaining its typical acidity. The Petit Verdot was picked 10 days later, with the second quarter of the waxing moon, allowing them to bring in perfectly healthy grapes with a classical structure alongside the Mediterranean richness that growing here on Etna brings to this Bordeaux variety. Franchetti 2018 will be a long-lived wine, a quiet wine in its youth that will crescendo with years in bottle.

From artist to cult winemaker, Bibi Graetz has become one of Italy's most inspired self-taught winemakers. Known for his production of native Tuscan varietals, Bibi Graetz began making wine in the late 1990s. Mainly Sangiovese, but also Colorino and Canaiolo are used for the reds, while native varieties of Ansonica and Vermentino are used for the whites, most of them coming from old vineyards around the Chianti Classico area, including Maremma, Giglio Island and Montalcino. Another fascinating characteristic of its wines is that all their labels have been designed by Graetz himself, ultimately inspired by the Tuscan sun. "

In 1722, Thomas Barton left his native Ireland to settle in Bordeaux, founding few years later a wine merchant company - that still bears the name Barton today. In 1821, his grandson, Hugh Barton, purchased Château Langoa, an elegant residence built in 1758. Seduced by the architecture and its 20 hectares of vines planted in the Saint-Julien appellation, Hugh re-named the estate Château Langoa Barton. His passion and pride in his wine were only to grow when he saw Langoa awarded the rank of “Third Classified Growth” in the historic 1855 classification. 6 generations later, the Barton story continues with Anthony’s daughter, Lilian, and her two children, now writing the chapter of the 10th generation. In 1826, Hugh Barton, purchased 50 hectares of vines located in the Saint Julien appellation. In the historic 1855 classification the Château Léoville Barton was to be awarded the rank of “Second Classified Growth”. The property was managed by the various generations over the years until Anthony Barton raised Château Léoville Barton to the level of international recognition it enjoys today. In August 2011, The Barton Sartorius family acquired an historical wine producing estate and its Château that was re-baptized Château Mauvesin Barton. With the Barton family’s centuries of experience and unique expertise behind them, each of the four family members plays a specific role, perpetuating tradition and sharing their passion: Lilian Barton Sartorius takes on the management of the Château, Michel Sartorius takes care of the wine distribution, Mélanie Barton Sartorius becomes technical manager and Damien Barton Sartorius brings his expertise to the commercialisation of the wine.

The Catena Zapata family’s mission is to make profound and unforgettable wines; wines that reflect the special character of each vine within the family’s historic vineyards. Constantly pushing the viticultural envelope, Nicolás and Laura Catena have identified Mendoza’s best microclimates, selected the highest quality Malbec vines and pioneered viticulture in un- discovered regions - the Adrianna Vineyard at almost 5,000 feet elevation in the Andean foothills. Their vision has been to uncover those magical places in each of the family’s vineyards which offer the purest expression of the land. Farming these special lots manually, hand-tending each of the vines, has led to the identification of individual plants which consistently produce the most exceptional fruit. These Zapata Vines have been physically marked with a red sash, ensuring the most demanding attention to detail in their care. Harvested separately in multiple passes through the vineyard, the Zapata Vines form the foundation of the Catena Zapata wines. The inaugural 1997 vintage of this Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec blend set a new standard of quality for wines from South America when it won a series of blind tastings against other prestigious cuvées from around the world. With its inaugural 1997 vintage, Nicolás Catena Zapata became the first luxury cuvée from Argentina to be exported around the world. The wine recreates the “Original Bordeaux Blend” of the 18th and 19th Centuries when Malbec dominated over Merlot and was in equal standing to Cabernet Sauvignon in the Médoc. Prephylloxeric Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon massale selections of ungrafted vines give rise to this wine, opening a window to the past from the mountain vineyards of Mendoza, Argentina. Four generations of the Catena family have farmed the vineyards of Mendoza, ever since Italian founder Nicola Catena planted his first Malbec vines in 1902. Robert Parker’s 2005 book about the 100 “Greatest World Wine Estates” featured only one winery from South America: Catena Zapata. Parker wrote: “Argentina’s greatest visionary is Nicolás Catena Zapata, and his crusade for high-altitude vineyards and con- servative viticultural practices has resulted in one after another breakthrough wines that have pushed Argentina to the forefront of the modern winemaking revolution.” Joined by his daughter Dr. Laura Catena in 1995, the father-daughter team’s vision is to elevate Argentine wine for another 100 years. In 2018 Catena Zapata joined La Place with two wines: Nicolás Catena Zapata, the winery’s top Cabernet Sauvignon blend, and Adrianna Vineyard Mundus Bacillus Terrae, the winery’s top Malbec cru.