Bibenda

A wine that communicates its authenticity with unaffected elegance: Antigua is a harmonious liaison of 85% Monica and 15% Carignano – grapes that ripen on limestone and clay-rich soils in the lowlands of Sulcis. The warm, dry climate gives them depth and aromatic substance, while the cool sea breeze adds finesse and freshness. After the harvest, a traditional maceration with pump-ups takes place and the wine then matures in cement tanks to preserve its originality.

A Nero d'Avola with style and everyday suitability, vinified from vines in the province of Caltanissetta (on Lago di Disueri), where clay and limestone soils and large temperature differences between day and night ensure aromatic depth. Rich ruby red colour with a purple rim in the glass. Aromas of ripe cherries, blueberries, dried herbs and a hint of liquorice. Soft and fruity on the palate, with gentle tannins, lively freshness and good drinkability. The ageing in stainless steel maintains clarity and varietal typicity. A very typical and cleanly vinified Nero d'Avola with a Mediterranean character – ideal with pasta, braised vegetables or grilled meat. SUPERIORE.DE

According to Aristotle, the ancient clones of the Greco vine originate from Tessaglia. The most famous of these is the "Aminea Gemina Maior", from which this wine is made. Straw yellow in colour with a greenish tinge, it promises freshness and lightness. A fruity bouquet unfolds on the nose: peach, apricot, citrus fruit and a delicate hint of white flowers – all elegant and inviting. Dry, smooth and balanced on the palate: harmonious fruit, fine acidity and a mineral finish that makes you want to savour the next sip. Maturation in stainless steel tanks preserves the varietal style and aromatic clarity. 100% Greco, organically grown in Molise – a rare and charming grape variety with an expressive character. Note: There is also serious Greco outside Campania. SUPERIORE.DE

This Montepulciano from the hills of Abruzzo has a classic style and is aged in large oak barrels. Deep ruby red colour with a purple rim. Dark cherries, stewed plums, dried herbs, a hint of leather and fine spice on the nose. Round on the palate, with ripe fruit, polished tannins, well-integrated acidity and a harmonious, spicy finish. A wine full of character and at the same time accessible with a beautiful regional expression – down-to-earth, honest and wonderfully compatible. SUPERIORE.DE

Pure Montepulciano from the San Lorenzo vineyard: garnet red in colour with almost black reflections. Sweet autumnal spices, mint and cedar wood on the nose before revealing its core of medicinal cherry. Silky and smooth on the palate, it delights with its ripe red and blue fruits, while the tannins slowly build up towards the end. In the long and lightly structured final, notes of tangerine mingle with blueberry peel and chalky minerals. San Lorenzo is incredibly pretty and has a beautiful harmony and balance. SUPERIORE.DE

Here comes plenty of backbone and maturity: Montetinello comes from older vines on slopes near Monteprandone. Montepulciano and Sangiovese are vinified separately and matured for several months in large wooden barrels – a step that adds structure and complexity. Deep ruby red in the glass with a slight garnet hue. Dark cherry, wild berries, tobacco, laurel and a hint of cedar on the nose. Juicy on the palate, with ripe fruit, a noticeable, well-integrated tannin structure and a fine spicy finish. Balanced, warm and well-structured – a classic Rosso Piceno Superiore with sophistication and depth. SUPERIORE.DE

Salice Salentino is one of the oldest denominazioni in Apulia, recognised in 1976, and is still synonymous with the power of Negroamaro today. The Conti Zecca family, based in Leverano since 1580, cultivate the Tenuta Cantalupi here with its calcareous, iron oxide-rich soils. For the Riserva, 80% Negroamaro and 20% Malvasia Nera are matured in wooden barrels. Deep ruby red in the glass with the first garnet reflections. The bouquet opens with red berries, cloves and a hint of forest floor. Soft and harmonious on the palate, with a dense body, well-integrated tannins and a warm, lingering final. Classic Salice Salentino in its most mature form – structured, but never heavy. SUPERIORE.DE

A Nero d'Avola with southern warmth and fine depth: Gazzerotta presents itself with a clear presence and elegant expression. The wine comes from sunny vineyards around Mazara del Vallo, characterised by clayey and chalky soil, which gives it a juicy fruit and earthy minerality. Intense ruby red in colour. The aromas intertwine ripe berries, cherry and plum with a seductive spicy note, tamed by floral traces of violets and a hint of honey. Soft, warm and round on the palate. Balanced tannins, juicy fruit and a lingering spicy finish round off the profile. Medium-bodied and well-balanced, ideal with pasta al forno or spicy ragouts. SUPERIORE.DE

Arnaldo Caprai bottled his first wine in 1973 – a Montefalco Rosso made from Sangiovese, Sagrantino and Merlot. This Rosso was the beginning, the foundation stone for everything that was to follow: the rebirth of Sagrantino, the conquest of international wine critics, the transformation of a forgotten Umbrian village into a Mecca of wine tourism. Half a century later, this wine still carries the DNA of that vision – earthy, authentic, accessible. The extremely popular cuvée made from seventy per cent Sangiovese, fifteen per cent Sagrantino and fifteen per cent Merlot grows on the hills of Montefalco on limestone-clay soils.

With 100% Carignano in the glass, Cardanera is a true wine of character – pure, honest and with Sardinian soul. The grapes ripen in the stony, sandy soils of south-west Sardinia under the warm sun and salty sea breeze. After careful hand-picking, the wine is fermented spontaneously and matures for a few months in cement tanks – a combination that preserves depth of flavour and freshness at the same time.

A wine with style and substance: Pregio del Conte combines Montepulciano and other local grape varieties from organic cultivation in the estate's best locations. The wine is matured partly in large wooden barrels and partly in barriques – a step that gives the wine depth and structure. Dense ruby red colour with a violet core in the glass. Blackcurrant, cherry, pipe tobacco, herbal spice and a hint of dark chocolate on the nose. Powerful but well-balanced on the palate: ripe tannins, dark fruit, finely dosed wood spice and an elegant length. Pregio del Conte is concentrated and harmonious, with a classic ageing profile and modern appeal – a wine with inner tension and beautiful versatility. SUPERIORE.DE

The name sounds familiar, but Araja opens a new chapter in Sardinian red wine culture: a fruity, focussed expression of Sulcis. The cuvée consists of 85% Carignano and 15% Sangiovese (!) and is produced on the red, sandy soils around the coastal area of Porto Pino. Here, the salty sea air characterises the grapes, while the chalky terraces provide structure. After careful fermentation, the wine matures in temperature-controlled stainless steel to preserve its expressiveness.

The name Rifugio – refuge – tells of underground hiding places where the inhabitants of Salento once protected themselves from danger. Today, an entire area near Veglie bears this name, where particularly high-quality Primitivo grapes thrive on alluvial, clayey soils with limestone deposits. The traditional Conti Zecca winery, owned by the noble family since the 16th century and one of the icons of Apulia with 320 hectares of vineyards, vinifies this single-varietal Primitivo using tried and tested methods: manual harvesting with selection at the sorting table, gentle destemming and pressing, twelve-day maceration at 25 degrees, alcoholic and malolactic fermentation in stainless steel tanks. Maturation takes place over twelve months in large oak barrels of 30 hectolitres and in resin-sealed concrete tanks, followed by a short period of maturation in the bottle.

What began in 2004 as an anniversary wine for the 50th harvest of Salice Salentino – leone de Castris has been producing this Apulian classic since 1954 – has become a firm tradition due to its resounding success. Since then, a new edition of the "50° Vendemmia" has been released every year. A Riserva that shows how Negroamaro and Malvasia Nera find their powerful yet elegant expression on the red soils of Salento. After selective harvest, the blend of 90% Negroamaro and 10% Malvasia Nera di Lecce undergoes an 8 to 12-day maceration at a controlled temperature of 20 to 22 degrees before the wine matures for twelve months in 30-hectolitre oak barrels. A further six months of bottle ageing round off the process.

The country dance (controdanza) is a typical dance in which man and woman face each other and unite in graceful movements - depending on their gender, the dancers interpret the music in their own way. This wine is exactly the same: Nero d'Aola and Merlot - opposites attract and, with the right sensitivity, can harmonise and contrast wonderfully.

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

This powerful blend of Nero d'Avola and Syrah comes from Tenuta Presti e Pegni in Monreale and impressively demonstrates the versatility of Sicilian winemaking. The vineyards thrive at an altitude of 250 metres in the hills behind Palermo, where loamy soils and the Mediterranean microclimate create ideal conditions for international grape varieties. Just ten kilometres from the coast, the vines benefit from the cooling sea breeze, which moderates the heat of the day and ensures balanced ripening. The name Benuara is derived from a small flower that grows near Syracuse – a poetic reference to the southernmost regions of Sicily.

Steep slopes, barren limestone, untamed nature – the Monti Garbi above Mezzane di Sotto are not pleasing wine country. When the Castagnedi brothers opened up these rugged heights in 1989, people in eastern Valpolicella were still focussing on quantity. They focussed on character. The grapes are harvested by hand and gently pressed. In October, the young wine undergoes its second birth: re-fermentation on the pomace of the estate's own Amarone – ripasso in the original sense. Malolactic fermentation and ageing in Liters tonneaux lend depth without heaviness. Ruby red in colour, juicy and enveloping, infused with a spicy freshness that owes its signature to the chalky white skeletal soils. Great value! SUPERIORE.DE

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.

This still Muscat, which was conceived as the "little brother" of Torcolato and Acininobili, is a masterpiece and proves once again that Fausto Maculan is one of the world's best producers of dessert wines. Dindarello enchants with a marvellous blend of peach sorbet, kiwi and fresh mint. These aromas accompany the wonderfully full flavour right through to the finish. Its perfect balance between sweetness and acidity will ennoble any meal. SUPERIORE.DE