3-Glass Wines Gambero Rosso

Coste di Rose is a gently curving, east-facing single vineyard above Barolo, famous for its unusually sandy soils from the Sant'Agata formation. Inclusions of limestone and marl are found between the layers of light-coloured, fine sand – a terroir that moulds Nebbiolo here into one of the most fragrant, finesse-rich Barolo styles in the region. The vines are planted at an altitude of around 240 to 270 metres, which, in combination with the airy location, ensures slow maturation and a particularly elegant tannin structure. The top 2021 vintage brought ideal ripening conditions: sunny days, cool nights and a flawless September led to fully ripe grapes with clear fruit and a fine balance of acidity. The grapes were harvested exclusively by hand, parcel by parcel and strictly selectively. After a gentle, long fermentation, the wine was matured organically for around 36 months in large Slavonian oak barrels to preserve its floral elegance and silky texture.

Outstanding terroir, terrific grape quality and technical mastery in the cellar have made this one of the most highly prized wines! Beguiling aromas of candied cherry fruit with notes of spice and tobacco. Dense on the palate, very concentrated with fabulous fruit sweetness, subtle acidity and fresh tannins. A hedonistic and at the same time very contemporary dream of finesse and elegance that lingers with long and incredibly deep flavours. SUPERIORE.DE

Dievoles Chianti Classico Petrignano is the result of the endeavour to highlight the identity characteristics of particularly suitable vineyards, leading to ever more precise expressions of Sangiovese. Petrignano is the name of a characteristic area with a soil rich in minerals and stones. At an altitude of around 330 metres, rocks protrude from the ground that are typical of the geological formation of Monte Morello. The abundance of stones, the depth of the roots and the low growth of the vines result in an expressive and lush wine from this characteristic and authentic cru site.

The grapes for this fine white wine from the north side of Mount Etna come from the 3-hectare Contrada Muganazzi in the municipality of Passopisciaro. The skeleton-rich and pH-neutral soils are rich in iron and nitrogen and offer ideal conditions for fresh, acidic and mineral white wines. The wine is aged in equal parts in wood and stainless steel for 12 months on the fine lees. Muganazzi is neither a lean wine, nor is it too full-bodied. It is somewhere in between, with thick layers of peach, apricot and lots of fresh citrus fruit. The mineral notes such as gravel, flint and volcanic ash are very evident. An elegant, powerful Carricante with great drinking flow that clearly shows the signature of the sensitive Alberto Graci. SUPERIORE.DE

Fantastic wine from terrific2019, which embodies the style of the winery just as convincingly as its high-altitude terroir. Fruity aromas of wild cherry, baking spices and savoury herbs characterise its hauntingbouquet. Elegance and fullness in the perfectly contoured flavour, which gives all the components the necessary freedom. One of the best Poggio Antico in a long time: deep, long and multi-faceted - a real beauty! SUPERIORE.DE

Initially youthfully reserved, it needs to be "coaxed" to reveal its aromas of dried black cherries, mocha and cloves, underscored by a hint of fresh mint. Impressive on the palate with a blend of sweet spices, lush ripe wild berries and a silky texture balanced by lively acidity and a pleasantly bitter hint of dark chocolate towards the finish. Finishes classically dry with dramatic length and potency, leaving a layer of fine-grained tannins that saturate and promise many years of positive development. Allegrini has hit the bull's eye with this wine. SUPERIORE.DE

Deep, dark Riserva with a powerful berry bouquet and intense spicy notes and hints of damp forest floor. Taut on the palate, crisp fruit, solid tannins, good length. Lots of energy, nice spice and great potential! SUPERIORE.DE

2019 was a gift to Nebbiolo in the Barbaresco DOCG - and Vanotu has accepted it. This Barbaresco from the historic Basarin cru vineyard in Neive bears the signature of a great vintage with quiet naturalness: nothing is overdrawn, nothing loud - everything is in its place with quiet precision. The vines stand on sparse limestone marl, interspersed with sandy veins, with optimal south-west exposure. This site produces wines with depth and tension, but also airiness - a play of power and transparency that is exemplified in Vanotu 2019. The wine was matured for 20 months in French barriques, sensitively dosed, only to frame the wine, not to mould it.

The Sottimano winery has five vineyard sites, with the Pajorè site near Treiso having the poorest soils of all. These wines are therefore more elegant and ripe. The current 2018 vintage is a super-classic, explosive wine, with tremendous depth and character. Although it has a lot of breadth and texture, it remains light on its feet. Lavender, mint, liquorice and purple berry fruit are beguiling and wonderfully vibrant in the glass. Pajorè is a spicy, elegant and sweet Nebbiolo that is fine yet covers the mouth well - and we are always impressed by its lovely salty mouthfeel. SUPERIORE.DE

Stylistically balanced, very finesse-rich Chianti Classico Gran Selezione from a small single vineyard (vineyard no. 7) in the Castelnuovo-Berardenga area, where the temperatures are always somewhat higher than in the rest of Chianti Classico. Dark, bright ruby colour. Elegant bouquet of pure Sangiovese of red berries with a very delicate hint of tobacco. Salty on the palate, shows a lot of pressure, very clear, compact fruit, builds up racy with tightly woven tannins; very intense and long finish. SUPERIORE.DE

The 2022 marks a significant transition: it is the last vintage that Paolo de Marchi characterised before Emanuele Reolon took over as technical director. But the signature remains unmistakable. Since the 1980s, de Marchi was one of the first in Chianti Classico to plant high-density vineyards with low-yielding Sangiovese clones on poor Galestro soils at an altitude of 400 metres – a revolution in quality. The cuvée of 90% Sangiovese, supplemented by 10% Canaiolo, ferments for twelve days in stainless steel using the characteristic délestage method, which de Marchi has been refining since 1996. Seven months of ageing in barriques of different sizes give the wine complexity without dominance.

Unmistakable interpretation of the Chianti Classico: sparkling ruby colour with a pronounced garnet hue. Very inviting aroma of cherries and delicate meadow herbs, with a nutty touch. Medium-bodied on the palate, again wonderfully juicy fruit, cool, mineral style, very finely structured and balanced, with lively animo, lingers quite long and makes you want the next glass. The perfect accompaniment to Italian dishes. SUPERIORE.DE

Only 2,000 numbered bottles of the 2018 debut vintage of the "Vigna del Bersagliere" Morellino di Scansano Riserva were filled. The grapes for the new top Sangiovese from Podere 414 come from a small, organically cultivated vineyard of just 1.3 hectares above the winery. It is aged for 36 months in 500 Liters and then refined for 24 months in the bottle. Bright ruby red in colour. Primary aromas of ripe, dark fruit with spicy notes in the glass. Firmly structured on the palate, again dark fruit, plus plums and earthy tones. It is still young and somewhat angular in the glass, but its exceptional style and good acidity/tannin structure already suggest very good ageing potential. SUPERIORE.DE

A Negroamaro with a grand gesture and deep expression: Gianfranco Fino's Jo comes from over 50-year-old Alberello vines, rooted in calcareous and clayey soils not far from the Ionian coast. The 2022 vintage was characterised by heat and drought, but the deep roots of the old vines ensured balance and ripeness. The meticulously selected grapes are fermented spontaneously and matured in French barriques – with the aim of achieving maximum origin and texture.

Vanotu is the great single-vineyard Barbaresco of the house – a wine with origin at its core and concentration in its expression. The grapes come from the historic Basarin vineyard in Neive, a cru parcel with south-west exposure and steep limestone marl soils, which not only give the Nebbiolo depth, but also structure and vertical tension. The name "Vanotu" is a dedication to Giovanni (Vanotu) Pelissero, grandfather of the current winemaker – a family foundation to which this wine owes its independence. The wine is matured with sensitivity: around 20 months in barriques, some of which are new, precisely matched to the character of the vintage. No dominant wood notes, but a framework that gives the grape variety space and direction.

Named after the man who turned his film-loving father's dream into one of the most respected addresses in Tuscany, this wine represents the essence of a twenty-year project: the complete replanting of the Sangiovese vineyards on Le Macìe with the aim of capturing the soul of the terroir in its purest form. Originating from the exquisite "Le Terrazze" vineyard, where Miocene calcareous marl soils at an altitude of 265 to 360 metres create the ideal conditions, a Gran Selezione of exceptional complexity is created here from 100% Sangiovese. The hand-picked grapes undergo ten days of alcoholic fermentation, followed by 15 days of maceration, before the wine is aged for 18 months in French Troncais barriques and a further 20 months in the bottle.

Sergio Manetti, a steel entrepreneur from Florence, bottled his first wine in 1971 – a Chianti Classico from the two hectares of vines he had planted around his holiday home. A wine for friends and business partners, nothing more. He sent a few bottles to Verona for the big Vinitaly wine fair, more out of curiosity than ambition. The response was overwhelming. A hobby became a passion, a passion became a vocation. Until 1981, this wine bore the name "Chianti Classico Montevertine Riserva". Then came the break. Sergio Manetti refused to blend white Trebbiano into his Sangiovese, as prescribed by the Chianti Classico regulations. The decision cost him the DOCG – and made him a legend. From 1982, the wine was simply called "Montevertine", without any additions or compromises. A name that became the programme: Sangiovese in its purest, most traditional form, just as the old Chianti farmers would have made it before bureaucracy and commercialism wrote the rules. The wine comes mainly from a two and a half hectare plot facing south-southeast, planted in 1982 – in the year of the great rupture.

Venice, 1967: Charles de Gaulle and his wife Yvonne are guests at the Hotel Gritti, invited to the Biennale. A red wine is served at the state dinner, which the president considers to be a great Bordeaux – and publicly praises. When the sommelier reveals that it is a Venegazzù from Montello, just fifty kilometres away, the surprise is perfect. Conte Piero Loredan, descendant of the Venetian Doge Leonardo Loredan, then commissioned the artist Tono Zancanaro to design two labels: Dionysus with the dedication "des roses pour Madame" for the president's wife, the goddess of wine with "...et pour Monsieur la Bombe" for de Gaulle himself. The Capo di Stato was born – a wine for heads of state. To this day, bottles are sent to the Élysée Palace every time a new French president is elected.

There are moments in the history of Italian viticulture that shine like beacons through time. 1962 was one such moment when Fabrizio Bianchi, driven by a vision and surrounded by the scepticism of his contemporaries, made a decision that would change Chianti Classico forever. He dared to vinify the grapes from a single vineyard separately: Il Poggio. What began as an experiment became a revolution – the first cru of Chianti Classico was born. Il Poggio – "the hill" – lies in the heart of Monsanto like a natural amphitheatre, surrounded by wild cypresses, juniper bushes and strawberry trees. Here, on the characteristic Galestro soils between 280 and 320 metres above sea level, the Sangiovese vines have driven their roots deep into the slate-like rock over the decades. These soils – a gift of geological history – give the wine the mineral depth and structural complexity that have made Il Poggio a living legend.

The "25 Anni" from Caprai has been THE ambassador for Umbria's top wines for many years. It captivates with a beguiling bouquet that combines black fruits with citrus fruits, exotic spices, a hint of oregano, menthol and a hint of cocoa. The texture is more like pure silk, delicately lapping the palate, leaving a satisfying mix of intense dark fruits, minerals and fine-grained tannin. There is so much depth and concentration to work with that even when it finishes youthfully structured and dry, it lingers for well over a minute with notes of redcurrant, sage and dark chocolate. This exceptional Sagrantino is undisputedly not only Caprai's top wine, but also one of Italy's most characterful wines, which, with a little more ageing, will give incredible pleasure and should therefore definitely be aerated for 3-4 hours when young. SUPERIORE.DE

The world-famous Caiarossa is an extremely exciting blend of the Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Sangiovese and Grenache varieties, with the rich, dark fruit flavours of the Cabernet grapes taking centre stage. On the nose, a beautiful first wave of dark fruits that never appear too ripe, which greatly benefits the elegance of the wine. The palate is very balanced and focussed with blackberries, cassis and slight hints of salty or rusty minerals. Caiarossa displays a good degree of elegance, not least due to its fine and taut tannins, and despite its density and complexity never comes across as opulent or even overloaded. SUPERIORE.DE

Capitel Monte Olmi 2018 takes things to another level. It coats the glass with a deep purple glow and exudes a dark and seductive bouquet of redcurrants, sultanas, black liquorice and a hint of spiced citrus. The brooding, velvety texture is complemented by juicy acids and tart red fruits that drench everything they touch, leaving a complex layer of savoury spices, minerals and fine tannins. This wine is structured, long and full of character, but with a balance that will carry it for many years in the cellar. SUPERIORE.DE

1993 – marco Caprai stood in his vineyards and looked back on a quarter of a century that his father Arnaldo had begun in 1971 with a dream: to create a world wine from a forgotten Umbrian vine. Ten years of research lay behind him: collaboration with the University of Milan, clone selection, the risk of vinifying the Sagrantino dry instead of sweet. For the 25th anniversary, he wanted to make a statement: the ultimate Sagrantino, the essence of everything he and his father had learnt. The 25 Anni was born – and the wine world held its breath. What followed is legend. In 2000, Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones chose this wine for their wedding. Luigi Veronelli proclaimed Sagrantino as one of Italy's greatest red wines. Montefalco was transformed from a sleepy village into a Mecca for wine tourism. And the 25 Anni remained – year after year, vintage after vintage – the flagship of this Umbrian revolution. It comes from the best vineyards in the Val di Maggio, a meticulous clone selection of pure Sagrantino from vines rooted with six to eight thousand plants per hectare.

At an altitude of 750 metres, where the boundaries of the Etna DOC end in the cold north-west of the volcano, lies a hidden geological secret that only three of the hundreds of contrade on Etna can lay claim to. In its sandy soils, San Lorenzo bears the pure legacy of the Ellittico volcano – the ancient eruption centre whose explosive activity 60,000 years ago created a terroir purity that is now one of Sicily's rarest treasures. Giuseppe Russo is aware of this peculiarity when he cultivates the precious white vines that have been sinking their roots into these elliptical volcanic sands for eighty years among the centuries-old Nerello vines of his red Contrada wines. Here, where Etna sends its coldest winds over the vineyards and time is measured in geological epochs, white wines are produced with a minerality that only this unique combination of ancient lava and extreme altitude can produce.