3-Glass Wines Gambero Rosso 2025

A bestseller and classic with a reputation: "Duca Sanfelice" is a flagship for the indigenous Gaglioppo grape variety and demonstrates the expressive wines that can be produced from the sun-kissed hills around Cirò. The Riserva comes from old vines on clayey and calcareous soils, vinified in steel tanks and then matured in stainless steel for 24 months. Deep ruby red in colour. Dark cherry, dried plums, herbs, some liquorice and a hint of tobacco on the nose – spicy and Mediterranean flavours. Dry on the palate, with ripe fruit, pithy tannins and balanced acidity. The finish is long, powerful and carried by earthy warmth and fine spice.

Giravolta – a name with a history. This was the name of the racehorse that once galloped across the Pozzopalo stud farm and always turned round abruptly in front of the old tuff quarry. This "U-turn" gave the wine its name, but it is the terra bianca, the white earth, that characterises it. While the basic Primitivo comes from the Terra Rossa, the Giravolta grows on calcareous, white soil, created by the breaking up of limestone. The tuffy, stony composition ensures rapid water drainage, but the porous stones also store moisture for the roots.

For over three decades, this Salice Salentino Riserva has been the undisputed flagship of Cantine Due Palme – and a wine that proves year after year that greatness and a co-operative structure need not be a contradiction in terms. The Tre Bicchieri of the Gambero Rosso? For Selvarossa, this has long been a subscription. No other Apulian red wine has won this top award so consistently, and at a price-pleasure ratio that even cuvées four times more expensive regularly fail to achieve. The story of Selvarossa begins shortly after the turn of the millennium, when Angelo Maci – fourth generation of an old winemaking family and founder of Due Palme – realised his vision of uncompromising quality production. What began in 1989 with fifteen members now unites over a thousand winegrowers who together cultivate 2,500 hectares of vineyards in the provinces of Brindisi, Lecce and Taranto. The name Selvarossa – "red forest" – refers to the characteristic red-coloured, clayey soils around Cellino San Marco, rich in minerals, graphite and iron oxides, which give the terroir its unmistakable character.

Here is one of the most beautiful interpretations of the white Carricante grape variety, matured for six months on the fine lees. Alta Mora Bianco comes from vineyards on the northern slopes of Mount Etna, where Carricante vines thrive at an altitude of 600 to 900 metres – directly on volcanic rock that is rich in minerals and ash. The cool altitude, combined with intense sunlight and strong day-night fluctuations, characterises this wine with an unmistakable freshness, structure and salty tension. The wine is vinified purely in stainless steel in order to bring the purity of the grape variety and the terroir unadulterated into the glass.

"Il Repertorio" - "The Register". The names of Gerardo Giuratrabocchetti's wines are reminiscent of his father's world as a notary.

Saia is the pride and joy of Feudo Maccari – a Nero d'Avola from old bush vines rooted in the barren, chalky soils around Noto. The name refers to the ancient Arab irrigation channels of Sicily – a symbol of lifelines in a sun-scorched landscape. This wine is also an expression of origin, patience and resilience: a Nero d'Avola that could hardly be more purist and powerful. The vines are on average 35 to 45 years old and are trained in Alberello, which reduces yields but maximises concentration and depth. After selective manual harvesting, fermentation takes place at a controlled temperature in steel, after which the wine matures for twelve months in French barriques. This careful vinification preserves the balance between structure, maturity and freshness.

The vines are planted where the Piedmont slopes gently at Canelli and the Barbera grape can develop its depth. The name is reminiscent of Cesare Pavese, the great son of these hills – and his most famous work "La Luna e i Falò". Like the novel, this wine also carries a quiet melancholy, paired with expression, maturity and identity. Matured in barriques and large casks for around a year, this is a Barbera full of character and modern at the same time.

A declaration of love for Tuscany is how the Ferragamos describe their most pure expression. The Vigna Polissena lies on slate soils with perfect drainage, a terroir made for Sangiovese. James Suckling once compared the wines produced here to the best Brunellos. The must rests on the skins for twenty-two days before being transferred to Allier barriques – a third of which are new. For eighteen months, the wood moulds the structure without masking the character. A further six months in steel give the wine time to find its feet.

In the dizzying heights of Lamole, one of the highest appellations in Chianti Classico, the Sangiovese grapes for this exceptional Riserva grow at 470 to 655 metres. The historic terraces of local Macigno del Chianti – the characteristic sandstone that stores the sun's heat during the day and releases it again at night – create a unique microclimate for this organically certified wine. Lareale combines grapes from two of Lamole's best vineyards: "Il Prato" and "Le Masse". 95 per cent Sangiovese, supplemented by five per cent Canaiolo Nero, produce a Chianti Classico of remarkable elegance and oysteriness after optical berry selection and two weeks of maceration. Maturation in oak barrels for over two years gives the wine additional complexity and structure.

There are grape varieties that have to wait decades for a visionary to recognise their true potential. Trebbiano d'Abruzzo was one such forgotten variety until Gianni Masciarelli started a revolution in 1981 that changed the face of Abruzzo viticulture forever. He was the first producer in the region to introduce the Guyot training system and French barriques, driven by a philosophy he called "innovazione continua" – continuous innovation in the service of tradition. Today, the vineyards surrounding the historic Castello di Semivicoli combine the fruits of this vision with the poetry of a place that has itself experienced a rebirth. Here, between Gran Sasso and Majella at an altitude of 380 metres, two very special Trebbiano vineyards take root: one with vines over forty years old that still embody the original vigour of the variety, and a younger one that Gianni planted at the end of the 1990s using the modern Guyot system – a symbiosis of grown wisdom and innovative spirit.

In the annals of Sardinian wine history, Angialis marks a turning point – the moment when Antonio Argiolas realised that the island could not only produce great dry wines, but also sweet wines of exceptional complexity. The name Angialis, derived from the mystical angelic figures of Sardinian folklore, refers to the almost supernatural quality of this wine, which is made from late harvested grapes of the autochthonous Nasco and Malvasia di Sardegna grape varieties. The vineyards of Serdiana offer ideal conditions for this delicate vinification: the warm autumn days and cool nights promote the natural concentration of the grapes, while the proximity to the sea provides the necessary humidity that favours the controlled development of botrytis. The grapes ripen here until November, developing the unique balance between sweetness and acidity that characterises Sardinian sweet wines. Vinification is carried out with the utmost care: hand-picked grapes are gently pressed and the must ferments slowly at controlled temperatures. The wine then matures for over two years in small oak barrels, where it develops its characteristic golden colour and complex aromatic structure. This long maturation gives Angialis the depth and elegance that distinguishes it from simple dessert wines.

Elena Fucci's exceptional Titolo wine is built for the long haul. It will continue its steady development for at least the next 20 years, which is why it is particularly enjoyable when aged in magnum format. Dark ruby red in colour, the bouquet has aromas of ripe red fruit and a fine woody spice. The wine is assembled with enormous precision, offering a balanced intensity and a beautiful degree of fruit purity that speaks both in favour of the Aglianico grape and the extreme region that produces it. Titolo impresses with its fine texture and elegantly integrated tannins. This is the kind of masterful Aglianico performance we love. SUPERIORE.DE

Sangioveto, which consists of 100% organic Sangiovese, is grown in cool locations at an altitude of 260 to 370 metres with a south-westerly exposure. In the past, Sangiovese was called "Sangioveto" or "San Zoveto". It represents a refined expression from this particular part of the appellation and a very faithful interpretation of the Tuscan grape.

Terre Brune: A monument to the art of Sardinian viticulture, borne by the year 2020, which wonderfully captured the essence of the island in its balance between heat and night-time equalisation. For Terre Brune, this meant a late harvest accompanied by cool nights. The result: maturity in harmony with freshness, expressive and enriching. Incidentally, the 2020 vintage was a gift of ripeness everywhere in southern Sardinia. Warm spells were balanced out by Atlantic breezes and the grapes remained healthy and aromatic. The late harvest ensured a rich, but never overripe concentration – ideal conditions for a wine with lively acidity and body in harmony.

1997 saw the birth of Bradisismo, named after the geological event that led to the formation of the Colli Berici. It is a successful symbiosis of the intense, concentrated flavour of ripe Cabernet cherries and the lively, spicy notes of Carménère. With its bouquet of small dark berries, spices, pepper and chocolate, it is a wonderfully inexpensive alternative to the great Bordeaux blends or Supertuscans. On the palate, it has a velvety texture, with a mix of dark fruits, cherries, floral notes and fine tannins that glide seamlessly over the palate. Deep, long finish and very good ageing potential. SUPERIORE.DE

50 years of Grande Annata! The eye is greeted by a very fine perlage of unusual persistence with well-distributed strings of pearls that form a dense head. The nose has a beguilingly delicate aroma of white smoke, peach peel and a hint of savoury spice. Elegant and structured on the palate - it initially soothes the senses with its silky perlage, only to immediately tantalise them with a mixture of lively acidity and minerals. The finish is clean and elegant; lively notes of melon, green apple, ginger and crushed oyster shells ensure that this Metodo Classico Rosé brut will be remembered for a long time to come ... SUPERIORE.DE

Matan Pinot Nero Riserva is one of the two red flagships of the family winery, the grapes come from the most valuable Pinot Noir vineyards in Montan. Deep ruby red in colour. The multi-layered and complex bouquet has aromas of dried cherries, lavender, orange zest, porcini mushrooms, cedar wood and cloves. Medium to full-bodied on the palate with supple, grainy tannins and fresh acidity. Concentrated, flavoursome and deliciously spiced, with a beguiling juiciness and plenty of potential. One of the great Pinot Noirs of South Tyrol! SUPERIORE.DE

Amarone Case Vecie takes its name from the vineyard of the same name in the municipality of Grezzana in Valpantena. An exceptional plot of land where the grapes ripen slowly and consistently even in the most difficult years thanks to the altitude and exposure. The late harvest makes it possible to store the grapes in a cooler season and to carry out a slow and long drying process that develops the characteristic flavours. A wine that emphasises the natural characteristics of the high mountain climate: a true Amarone "delle vigne alte".

The roots of this story go deeper than any memory: the vines are over 80 years old and have been bearing silent witness in the warm alluvial soils of Gries for generations. Here, where thirty visionary winegrowers laid the foundations for a legend in 1908, the masterpiece that has long since become the undisputed icon of South Tyrolean winemaking is produced year after year: Taber Lagrein Riserva. It is a wine that epitomises time. Time in the old vines, which at an altitude of just 250 metres transform the extreme temperature fluctuations between hot days and cool nights into pure concentration. Time in the patient manual labour that selects only the finest grapes for this exceptional Riserva. And time for ageing, where after traditional wooden barrel fermentation, a whole year of ageing in French barriques awaits completion.

The dark, seductive Cabernet Franc Poggio de' Colli takes its time in the glass and slowly awakens with a blend of redcurrants, peppery roses, exotic curries and a slight hint of musk that lends it gravitas. Velvety soft yet refined. Aristocratic and cool on the palate, with a powerful wave of tart raspberry fruit that feeds the palate with savoury spices and mineral notes. Leaves a layer of fine tannins and a hint of berry concentration on the final, which tapers off savoury, long and perfectly balanced. A radiant wine that will only reveal its full beauty in a few years. SUPERIORE.DE

With "Capo Martino", Silvio Jermann not only pays tribute to the vineyard of the same name in the municipality of Dolegna del Collio, but also to his father Angelo – and thus to the origins of the family winery. It is a white wine of great cultural depth, a cuvée of indigenous varieties such as Ribolla Gialla, Malvasia Istriana, Picolit and Friulano, complemented by smaller proportions of other traditional varieties. The 2022 vintage was characterised by stable weather conditions with plenty of sunshine, which gave the grapes ripeness and expression – but without losing the typical freshness of the hills around Capo Martino. After the harvest, the grapes are destemmed, gently pressed and fermented spontaneously. Maturation takes place for around a year in large wooden barrels on the fine lees, with each component maturing separately before finally being blended into a cuvée. The result is a wine of quiet complexity and timeless elegance.

Since summer 2023, Chianti Classico producers have been allowed to include the eleven additional geographical indications (UGA = unità geografiche aggiuntive) introduced in 2021 on the labels of the top Gran Selezione category. For Chianti Classico winegrowers, it is a logical step to produce wines that reflect the area in which they were produced as authentically as possible. And customers can thus deepen their knowledge of the relationship between the wines and their region of origin - a real added value.