A personal cellar: some of the bottles I have opened

Enough talk, I want to search the wines

A passion, not a job

My relationship with wine started simply enough: I liked drinking it and I liked going to see where it was made. On every trip I tried to fit a winery into the route, a visit, a conversation with the person making the wine.

A few of those visits are cut into memory: lunch at (and with) Ca' Viola, when I still didn't quite know who he was but had the feeling of having crossed something important; at Luigi Spertino, right in the middle of a handover between generations; oenological epiphanies at Elio Grasso, the kind that keep coming back to you years later.

At some point – sigh, right across the COVID years – I decided this curiosity needed some order, and I signed up for the course run by the Associazione Italiana Sommelier, Torino branch. I started lightly and ended up with a sommelier certificate in hand. I have never thought of myself as one, though: that label belongs to whoever is willing to carry it professionally. I'd rather stay on the enthusiast's side: a winelover who has studied a little more than usual and takes notes on what he tries.

Meanwhile there are still lunches and dinners with friends who share the same passion, more serious evenings of guided tasting and, of course, visits to wineries, which you cannot do without if you want to know a wine. That is where a wine stops being a label and shows itself for what it is: the story of people giving their lives to a place.

What this list is, and what it isn't

What follows is only a personal notebook, somewhere to keep the memory of bottles I have drunk. It stands for my own experience and my own curiosity about wine, and it is entirely subjective. It isn't even every wine I have tried — the hundreds of labels tasted during the AIS course aren't here — only the ones I bought and opened myself, mostly at home.

It is not a guide, not a ranking, and certainly not a complete list of every wine worth knowing.

Each bottle is one row: denomination, commercial name where there is one, vintage, producer and where the winery is. Different vintages of the same wine get their own row, because each vintage stands on its own (bar rare cases such as some sans année traditional-method sparklers, deliberately made the same each time).

The wines are grouped by type: reds, whites, sparkling together with other unusual bottles, and finally "The Real Cellar" — a few genuinely special bottles that deserve their own category, either because they are wines for ageing or because their quality is very high in itself, which is not to say they are the best.

The order, top to bottom, runs from the bottles drunk most recently to those opened longest ago. Given what wine is, there is no direct match between when I drank a wine and its vintage.

I have a record of what I paid for each wine, but there would be no point listing it: the figure moves over time and depends on too many things (on which I always end up citing the Cinerino by Marziano Abbona).

How my ratings work

This being a personal list, the ratings are personal too, and stand for nothing beyond my own satisfaction in buying and drinking these wines: how much I liked it or was moved by it, how far I'd go to find it and buy it again, what it costs against what it gives, and so on.

Scores run from one to five glasses. Where there is no score (a dash) it only means that at the time I drank it I didn't note one down.

If you'd like to swap recommendations and opinions on wine, or suggest changes to this page, write to me at

Wines with objective technical faults, corked for instance, so bottles to pour away. As far as I'm concerned that is unacceptable, because it follows from wrong choices in the cellar rather than from chance. It happens with famous producers too.
Technically sound wines that go no further than the oenological exercise of "making wine out of grapes". The table plonk of my list. I wouldn't buy them or drink them again.
Decent, enjoyable wines that carry the identity of the grape or the place, but that never said much to me. Some of them are very pleasant at first and then wear thin. Usually these are the wines scored between 65 and 75 out of 100 in the AIS system, though I also give three glasses to excellent wines I consider over-priced.
Wines I liked a great deal, that moved me, made me think, and that never seem to be enough. I'd happily buy them again even after drinking them many times. They may well be wines that give a lot for what they cost. In the AIS system these are usually the wines between 75 and 90 out of 100.
Memorable wines, not to be missed, whose qualities stay cut into memory years later. They may be expensive, though not necessarily: sometimes I give five glasses to a four-glass wine that gives extraordinary value. In the AIS system these would be the wines above 90 out of 100.

My list of 422 wines

Colli Tortonesi DOC Barbera Boccanera 2025

Boveri Luigi

Costa Vescovato (AL)

Gavi Spumante DOCG Pas dosé Millesimato 2017 La Mesma	Novi Ligure (AL) See map	Metodo classico
Tensei Fūro S.A. Kumazawa Shuzō	Kanagawa (Giappone) See map	Sake
Blanc de noir extra brut 2020 Marchesi Alfieri	San Martino Alfieri See map	Metodo classico
Premier Cru Brut Carte Des Etoiles S.A. Frederic Levin	nd See map	Champagne
Alta Langa DOGC Extra Brut 2020 Ettore Germano	Serralunga d’Alba (CN) See map	Metodo classico
Siris Brut Trento DOC S.A. Gaierhof	Roverè della Luna (TN) See map	Metodo classico
Crémant de Bourgogne Extrabrut Millesimato 2015 Victorine de Chastenay	Beaune (FR) See map	Champagne
Caluso Passito DOCG 2018 Produttori Erbaluce di Caluso	Caluso See map	Passito
Soldati Pas Dosè S.A. La Scolca	Gavi (AL) See map	Metodo classico
Moscato Passito La Bella Estate 2019 Vite Colte	Barolo (CN) See map	Passito
Comitissa Metodo Classico Pas Dosé Riserva 2020 Lorenz Martini	Cornaiano (BZ) See map	Metodo classico
Roero Arneis Metodo Classico DOCG Brut 2015 Lorenzo Negro	Monteu Roero CN See map	Metodo classico
Champagne AOC Brut Réserve Exclusive S.A. Nicolas Feuillatte	Reims (FR) See map	Champagne
Cremant de Savoie Brut Grande Reserve S.A. Domaine Vendange	Savoia See map	Cremant
Cremant de Bourgogne Cuvée Prestige Brut S.A. Olivier Chanzy	Meursault (FR) See map	Cremant
Millésime Grand Cru 2016 Camille Savès	Montagne di Reims See map	Champagne
Carte Blanche Bouzy Grand Cru S.A. Camille Savès	Montagne di Reims See map	Champagne
Spumante Brut Nature blanc de noir 2018 Luigi Spertino	Mombercelli (AT) See map	Metodo classico
120+1® Spumante Metodo Classico Pas Dosè S.A. Montalbera	Castagnole Monferrato (AT) See map	Metodo classico
Inganno 572 Brut Metodo Classico Riesling VSQ S.A. Calatroni	Montecalvo Versiggia (PV) See map	Metodo classico
Metodo Classico Blanc de noirs extra brut 2016 Marchesi Alfieri	San Martino Alfieri See map	Metodo classico
Nebolè Metodo Classico Extra Brut S.A. Travaglini	Gattinara See map	Metodo classico
Nè Metodo Martinotti Brut rosato S.A. Favaro	Piverone (TO) See map	Metodo Martinotti
Meunier Perpétuelle Extra Brut 92/17 S.A. Famille Delouvin	Reims (FR) See map	Champagne
R de Ruinart Champagne Brut S.A. Ruinart	Reims (FR) See map	Champagne
Champagne Brut Grand Reserve S.A. Dehours et Fils	Mareuil-le-Port Cerseuil (FR) See map	Champagne
Alta Langa DOCG Extra Brut 2015 Marziano Abbona	Dogliani (CN) See map	Metodo classico
For England Pas Dosé Alta Langa DOCG Blanc de Noir 2015 Contratto	Canelli (AT) See map	Metodo classico
Capbèart Banyuls AOP 2013 Paul Herpe et Fils	Roussillon (FR) See map	Vino fortificato
Moscato Asti Casa di Bianca 2021 Gianni Doglia	Castagnole delle Lanze (AT) See map	Moscato
Alta Langa DOCG Extra Brut 2016 Ettore Germano	Serralunga D'alba (CN) See map	Metodo classico
Intens Rosat Brut Nature Corpinnat 2014 Recaredo	Sant Sadurní d'Anoia (ES) See map	Metodo classico

Riesling Langhe DOC 2020 Oddero	La Morra CN See map	bianco
Barolo DOCG Coste di Rose 2016 GD Vajra	La Morra CN See map	rosso
Barolo DOCG Mosconi 2016 Pio Cesare	Alba CN See map	rosso
Barolo DOCG Sottocastello di Novello 2016 Ca' Viola	Dogliani CN See map	rosso
Barolo DOCG Cannubi 2016 Poderi Luigi Einaudi	Dogliani CN See map	rosso
Saint Estèphe 2016 Ch. Haut-Beauséjour	Bordeaux (FR) See map	rosso

A personal cellar: some of the bottles I have opened

A passion, not a job

What this list is, and what it isn't

How my ratings work

My list of 422 wines

Colli Tortonesi DOC Barbera Boccanera 2025

Colli Tortonesi DOC Croatina Sensazioni 2023

Rodotiglia Barbera d'Asti Superiore DOCG 2022

Ròche d'Ampesèj Roero Riserva 2020

Langhe Nebbiolo DOC 2023

Grignolino DOC 2024

La Mandorla Barbera Asti Superiore DOCG 2023

Emilio Grignolino DOC 2023

Monferace Grignolino del Monferrato Casalese DOC 2019

Augusta Barbera d'Asti Superiore DOCG 2019

Côte de Provence AOP Nuit Intense 2023

Barbera del Monferrato DOC Rivi di Belangero 2024

Grignolino d'Asti DOC 2024

Barbera d'Asti DOCG La Tota 2023

Barbera d'Asti Superiore DOCG Alfiera 2022

Dolcetto d’Alba 2023

Nizza DOCG Riserva La Court 2020

Nizza DOCG Cipressi 2022

Langhe Nebbiolo DOC Il Principe 2022

Nebbiolo delle Langhe 1986

Gattinara Riserva 1964

Albugnano DOC Superiore 2019

Roero DOCG Prachiosso 2021

Barolo DOC Riserva Cavour 1961

Nebbiolo del Roero 1979

Dolcetto d'Alba 1969

Becuet Valsusa DOC 2023

Gattinara DOCG Riserva 2016

Tasmorcan Barbera Asti DOCG 2023

Firmin Bordeaux ABC 2021

Papà Celso Dogliani DOC 2022

Chapitre Côtes du Rhône AOP 2020

Grignolino d'Asti DOC 2023

Barbera d'Alba FIVE 2021

Pinot noir 2018

Sardegna Rosso DOC Mandrolisai Mari 2020

Barbaresco Quarantadue 42 2018

Barbaresco Quarantadue 42 2019

Barolo Trentaquattro 34 2018

Barbera d'Asti DOCG 2021

Ruchè di Castagnole Monferrato DOCG 2020

Bordeaux Appelation Bordeaux Contròleè 2019

Carema DOC 2019

Nizza Tre Roveri 2020

Barbera d'Asti Superiore "La luna e i falò" 2020

Barbera d'Alba Superiore Vigna Gallina 2016

Barbaresco Gallina 2016

Eccentrico 2018

Adèo Bolgheri Rosso DOC 2020

Gigò Granaccia DOC Colline Savonesi 2021

Bansigu Colline Savonesi Rosso IGT 2021

Petit Verdot 2018

Monleale Barbera Quadro 2018

Roero DOCG Prachiosso 2017

Barolo DOCG Vignarionda 2016

Pinot Nero Vigna Zis DOC 2016

Pinot Nero Riserva Mazzon DOC 2019

Negru de Purcari 2019

Select Lagrein Gries Alto Adige Riserva DOC 2018

Roero DOCG Riserva San Francesco 2017

Saint-Emilion AOP 2019

Le Coz Mondeuse AOP 2020

Ciuchin Cisterna d'Asti DOC Superiore 2020

Burdigai Colline Savonesi Rosato Igt 2021

Bramaterra DOC 2012

La Mandorla Barbera Asti Superiore DOCG 2018

Cuveé Emiliane Grignan-Les-Adhemar AOP 2014

Tsar Pierre Le Grand Appelation Cahors Contrôlée 2017

Les Chambres Chassagne Montrachet 2020

Cirò Rosso Classico Superiore Scala 2019

Tintilia del Molise DOC 2015

Langhe Nebbiolo DOC 2019

Le Grand Adret IGP Coteaux du Verdon 2018

Gattinara DOCG Riserva 2016

Capalòt Barolo 2016