Bibenda

As usual, the grapes come from a selection of old vines from the Mosconi, Gabutti and Ravera parcels, whose chalky and clayey soils lend the wines fine minerality and structure. The wines are matured separately by vineyard for around 12 months in used barriques before the cuvée is blended. Dense ruby red colour with a purple core – a glance into the glass already reveals the depth of this vintage. The bouquet reveals a multi-layered aroma of ripe cherry, plum and dark berries, accompanied by hints of violet, liquorice and a touch of dried herbs. Juicy and focussed on the palate, with lively acidity, ripe fruit and supple tannins. The 2023 appears a touch fresher and more youthful than its predecessor, but retains the balance of regional roots and the finely nuanced style for which Chiara Boschis is known. SUPERIORE.DE

With around two grams of residual sugar, this high-quality spumante from the Alta Langa, which was produced using the champagne method, is a particularly dry representative of its kind. The Chardonnay grapes come from clay and limestone terroir around 450 metres above sea level in the small municipality of Neviglie. Fresh and floral on the nose with beautiful citrus and subtle yeast notes. Fine perlage, harmonious on the palate with a fine creaminess and a multi-layered finish. SUPERIORE.DE

La Grola is the eponymous, historic vineyard where Corvina, the indigenous grape of Valpolicella, is believed to have originated. The replanting of the vineyard by Giovanni Allegrini triggered an agronomic revolution and laid the foundations for the success of this wine-growing region, which today stands for convincing, great red wines from north-east Italy. With the 2022 vintage, La Grola returns to its origins: declared Valpolicella Classico Superiore DOC for the first time, it marks a new phase for this iconic wine from Allegrini. The cuvée of Corvina, Corvinone and Rondinella comes from the limestone terraces of the La Grola hill, exposed to the south-east and consistently selectively harvested. After fermentation in stainless steel, the wine is matured in barriques, some new, some used.

Amarone Selezione Antonio Castagnedi delivers high quality at a fantastic price every year. If you've ever had the opportunity to stand in old, hand-fired brick drying sheds, three storeys high, filled with hot steam, leaves tied in bundles, stacked up and up and up, you'll know what this wine smells like. It is an extraordinary odour. It smells of steam-soaked red clay bricks, of tobacco leaves, green, yellow, gold, copper-coloured, brown and of earth, spices, dust and oven smoke. It is the smell of a good Amarone.

Don Antonio is not only a great and powerful wine, it is also a monument. Dedicated to the father of the Morgante family, this Nero d'Avola embodies the quintessence of the passion with which vines have been cultivated in the hills of Grotte for generations. The grapes come from old vines and the best altitudes of up to 500 metres, where day-night temperature fluctuations, limestone soils and the sea breeze favour a Mediterranean but wonderfully developed profile. After temperature-controlled fermentation, the wine is aged for twelve months in French barriques, followed by a further maturation phase in the bottle.

Cultus is Latin for "cultivation, care and veneration". The name says it all: this wine honours tradition by reinterpreting it. Where the house's classic Riserva relies on tried and tested structures, Cultus dares to take a longer breath. Forty days of maceration instead of the usual three weeks, Sangiovese supplemented by the historical companions Colorino, Canaiolo and Ciliegiolo – all from massalselection of the estate's oldest vines. The vineyards are located at an altitude of 250 to 330 metres, on clayey loam over limestone, organically farmed since 1995 and certified since 2003. The 2019 vintage brought ideal conditions: early budding in the warm spring, balancing rainfall into the summer, then perfect ripeness.

The Moscato Giallo is dry and matured for 5 months on the fine lees and has a golden yellow colour. It is an aromatic wine, with notes of citrus fruits, white peaches, lemon balm and elderberry, combined with a hint of nutmeg and sweet spices. The lively acidity and discreet mineral structure give this wine an excellent freshness and pleasant style. SUPERIORE.DE

The grapes for this high-calibre Valpolicella Classico Superiore come from the rather barren, calcareous and terraced vineyards of Tenuta Novare above the Ognisanti church. Wines of greater complexity, perfect structure and higher concentration are produced here than in most other vineyards in Valpolicella. Sparkling ruby-garnet colour. Fragrant nose with wonderful overtones of sour cherry, dried flowers and white pepper. Perfectly balanced on the palate with firm tannins and wonderful spice and depth of fruit thanks to the ageing in wood. A superior, winning wine from the heart of the Valpolicella region. SUPERIORE.DE

Chiarandà is Donnafugata's great white solitaire, a Sicilian Chardonnay with an unmistakable format and clear terroir profile. The grapes come from selected plots around Contessa Entellina, at an altitude of around 350 to 400 metres. The Mediterranean climate is characterised by hot days and cool nights, while the clay and limestone soils offer the best conditions for ripeness with structure. The grapes are harvested exclusively by hand, selectively and early in the morning. One part of the wine is matured in stainless steel tanks, the other in French oak, where malolactic fermentation also takes place. The assemblage is followed by extended bottle ageing of at least two years – careful ageing with a view to longevity.

Don Antonio is not only a great and powerful wine, it is also a monument. Dedicated to the father of the Morgante family, this Nero d'Avola embodies the quintessence of the passion with which vines have been cultivated in the hills of Grotte for generations. The grapes come from old vines and the best altitudes of up to 500 metres, where day-night temperature fluctuations, limestone soils and the sea breeze favour a Mediterranean but wonderfully developed profile. After temperature-controlled fermentation, the wine is aged for twelve months in French barriques, followed by a further maturation phase in the bottle.

Above Bolzano, where old gravel paths lead through sun-drenched vineyards, lies the legendary Huck am Bach farm, which gives its name to one of the most authentic red wines in South Tyrol. Between 250 and 500 metres above sea level, the Vernatsch and Lagrein vines that have been at the heart of the St. Magdalener tradition for generations thrive here on mineral-rich gravel soils. The harvest harvest produces grapes that mature in large oak barrels into a wine of enchanting elegance.

Behind Noà is Cusumano's vision of a Sicilian red wine of international calibre, rooted in the barren highlands of Presti e Pegni near Monreale. Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Nero d'Avola thrive on calcareous, stony soils at an altitude of around 300 metres – a place where the heat of the day and the coolness of the night allow a precise interplay of ripeness and freshness. In the glass, Noà is a dark ruby colour with violet hues. The bouquet reveals a complex composition of ripe blackcurrants, sour cherries, blackberries and dried plums, underpinned by notes of espresso, cedar wood, tobacco and dark cocoa. Powerful and structured on the palate with velvety tannins, a supple texture and the characteristic depth that comes from the volcanic terroir and the barrique-aged composition. The final is long, with hints of liquorice, herbs and mineral spice.

The elegant blend of Cabernet Franc, Syrah and Merlot surprises with its aroma full of purity and intensely aromatic fruit flavour. Elegance and finesse trump muscle in Turpino, a wine that is always light on its feet. Fermentation in wooden barrels and ageing in barriques lend the spicy, balsamic notes of the grape blend a softness, a fine frame and a beguilingly long finish on the palate. With its tangy acidity balancing the ripe fruit, Turpino manages to be generous and restrained at the same time, making it a great accompaniment to Mediterranean meat dishes. SUPERIORE.DE

Pelago is a tribute to the harmonious combination of classic Marche flavours with international influences. The cuvée of Montepulciano, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot brings together the best of the region in a finely structured red wine. The grapes are harvested by hand and placed in stainless steel tanks for controlled fermentation before the wine matures for 14 months in Liters barriques and then develops for a further twelve months in the bottle.

In Montalcino, the name Ginestreto stands for something special: a Rosso di Montalcino that is more than just the "little brother" of Brunello. Fuligni has been producing this wine for years with a care that has long since earned him a reputation of his own. The Sangiovese Grosso comes partly from younger vines and partly from classified Brunello vineyards – a deliberate selection that gives the Ginestreto the balance between youthful freshness and structured depth that characterises it. The vinification follows the Fuligni philosophy: hand-picking, careful selection, separate vinification of the different parcels. Part of the wine matures for around six months in French Allier tonneaux, the rest in stainless steel – a combination that harmonises fruit and structure.

La Fabriseria comes across as an elegant, medium-bodied Amarone. Its intensity, tannin structure and density are hard to beat in this price range. Very juicy on the palate, full-bodied and soft, with notes of cherries, cardamom and cloves. And always with the elegant seriousness of the Tedeschi family's great flagship of the same name. SUPERIORE.DE

Tramin gave Gewürztraminer its name – and the world has since associated it with lush rose flavours, lychee and a body that likes to be heavy. Martin Foradori-Hofstätter thinks differently. With Vigna Castel Rechtenthal, he shows what this variety can do when the location is right and the winemaker does not stand in its way. The vineyard plot is located on a gravelly hill above Rechtenthal Castle, at the foot of Monte Roen – the highest peak in Tramin at 2,116 metres. The soil is an alluvial cone of dolomite gravel: permeable, cool and mineralised. The Höllentalbach stream intensifies the already fresh downdraughts that blow down from the mountain and significantly lower the temperatures at night. No other Gewürztraminer Tramin grows under such conditions.