Bibenda

The wine comes from a single, gently sloping vineyard above Rocchetta Tanaro, known as Bricco dell'Uccellone, a name derived from an elderly local woman who, always dressed in black and with a keen eye, kept a watchful eye on the vineyards. Here, old vines grow on barren, chalky soils that yield low harvests but produce highly concentrated harvest. With tireless dedication, the Bologna family carries on the legacy of Giacomo Bologna, who is rightly regarded as the father of modern Barbera d'Asti. Hand-harvested, followed by a long maceration and 12 months' ageing in French barriques.

Neris Edel-Rosso was born with the purchase of a very special vineyard. True to the winery's philosophy of only producing wines from the best terroirs around Montalcino, the small 7-hectare plot with over 45-year-old vines was acquired in 2018. This was preceded by over 40 years of friendship with the previous owners, with whom Giovanni Neri planted the vines and nurtured and cared for them over the past decades. Incidentally, the best grapes from this vineyard have been used for a small quantity of the eponymous Brunello di Montalcino since the 2018 vintage.

Nastagio (also known as Nastasio) is the name of an ancient farmhouse of the Fattoria di Sant'Angelo, which was already recorded in the maps of Grand Duke Leopold. Brunello Nastagio is released on the market five years after the harvest, as if it were a Riserva, and is the result of the many years of experience that Col d'Orcia has gained in the development and cultivation of the Sangiovese vineyard. It is also the result of the many research chapters that Col d'Orcia has been carrying out with the University of Florence for more than twenty years. The ageing in tonneaux (500 Liters) oak barrels and then in the traditional large "botti" represent an ideal combination between tradition and modernity, while maintaining the essential aspect of longevity.

The Contrada Porcaria lies significantly lower than Rampante, at an altitude of around 650 metres, where the northern slope of Mount Etna is more powerful and warmer. The soil is older, darker, denser – and Nerello Mascalese here produces wines of impressive substance, with darker fruit, grippier tannins and more immediate presence. Passopisciaro's vinification remains deliberately restrained: spontaneous fermentation, long maceration, ageing in large, used oak barrels for around 18 months.

Elena Fucci is celebrating the 25th anniversary of the winery in 2025 with this rare special edition Titolo from the 2021 vintage. 2021 was the last harvest that her grandfather was able to experience before his death. The grapes come from a vineyard plot that is over 80 years old. Unlike the famous Titolo Classico, it was refined for 24 months in a conical oak barrel and then matured for a further 12 months in the bottle.

Sciaranuova lies at an altitude of just under 850 metres on the northern slope of Mount Etna, one of the coolest and at the same time most fascinating vineyards in the region. The site is characterised by young, porous lava flows that force the roots deep down and at the same time ensure extreme drainage. In the coolness of this altitude, the Nerello Mascalese ripens more slowly, with fine phenolic maturity and a distinctive acid structure. Vinification follows the familiar principle: spontaneous fermentation, long maceration, ageing in large used barrels.

Laura Brunelli's Brunello is an outstanding reflection of the appellation every year. A floral bouquet, the purest expression of cherry and strawberry imaginable, hints of mint, sage and cedar dust - all are found in its stunning bouquet. The youthful density of the ripe primary fruit contrasts with salty minerality and lively acidity, leaving a cascading and crisp impression on the palate. SUPERIORE.DE

Deep ruby red colour. Bright, fresh and savoury aromas and flavours of blueberries, flint, coffee and fresh herbs. Long and clean with soft tannins and very good clarity on the bright finish. A beautiful, very refined wine, characterised by its early attractiveness, but also by its velvet-pawed concentration and complexity. SUPERIORE.DE

In 1981, Gianni Masciarelli founded his winery in San Martino sulla Marrucina. Today, his daughter Miriam Lee Masciarelli continues the vinification and ageing of the flagship wine with passion and expertise – a continuity that lends this wine its special dignity. The estate itself describes this Montepulciano as majestic: an original, never predictable interpretation of Abruzzo's great indigenous grape variety, born of continuous research and a spirit of experimentation, both in the vineyard and in the cellar, and from a long study of Abruzzo's viticultural techniques and terroir. This wine has played a key role in rightfully establishing Montepulciano on the world map of viticulture.

In the rolling hills of Mezzane di Sotto, where the Monti Garbi rise majestically above the eastern Valpolicella, lies the heart of Tenuta Sant'Antonio: Campo dei Gigli – the Field of Lilies. Here, on white, calcareous soils with sandy-clayey inclusions at an altitude of 300 metres, lie the oldest vines belonging to brothers Armando, Tiziano, Paolo and Massimo Castagnedi. A single vineyard from which a unique wine is produced. Since 1989, the Castagnedi family has embodied the revolution that changed Valpolicella forever: quality over quantity, whilst everyone else was still focusing on volume. Forty-year-old vines, trained using the traditional Veronese pergola system with just 3,300 vines per hectare, yield a cuvée comprising 70% Corvina and Corvinone, 20% Rondinella, and 5% each of Croatina and the rare Oseleta. The appassimento – the mystical drying period lasting at least three months – transforms the hand-picked grapes into a concentrated essence.

There are wines that seek their time. And there are wines to which time confides its secrets. Historical Vecchie Vigne is one of those rare gems that only reveal their true colours after more than five years of ageing – a tribute by the Bernetti family to Verdicchio and at the same time a radical statement: that even non-aromatic white grape varieties can be among the very best if they are given the time they deserve. In Montecarotto, where the hills of the Verdicchio Classico find their noblest expression, there is a small plot at 310 metres above sea level, isolated in the middle of the historic Vecchie Vigne. Vines over fifty years old are rooted here in brooding, fresh, loamy soils that provide Verdicchio with the minerality and substance that only old vines can give. Eastern exposure, perfect balance between growth and yield – these vines were planted in the early seventies and today produce grapes of a concentration and ripeness that are harvested by hand at the end of September, beginning of October, berry by berry intact.

Neris Edel-Rosso was born with the purchase of a very special vineyard. True to the winery's philosophy of only producing wines from the best terroirs around Montalcino, the small 7-hectare plot with over 45-year-old vines was acquired in 2018. This was preceded by over 40 years of friendship with the previous owners, with whom Giovanni Neri planted the vines and nurtured and cared for them over the past decades. Incidentally, the best grapes from this vineyard have been used for a small quantity of the eponymous Brunello di Montalcino since the 2018 vintage.

Pure Burgundian elegance and Tuscan flavour. A Sangiovese in Riserva quality that impresses with its long, continuous course of flavoursome fruit and carefully extracted tannins. Light ruby colour with garnet-red reflections. Clear nose with notes of pomegranate, raspberry and a hint of saffron. Fresh, juicy and superbly unadulterated on the finish and with great ageing Storage potential. SUPERIORE.DE

Santa Cecilia is Planeta's iconic Nero d'Avola – born in the barren, sun-scorched cultivated landscape of Noto, on white limestone soils that lend the variety depth, elegance and a hint of saltiness. In the glass, it is a deep ruby red with a purplish core. The bouquet opens with ripe black cherry, plum and mulberry, flanked by balsamic herbs, black tea, a hint of liquorice and a subtle note of graphite. On the palate, it is powerful yet never overpowering: dense, ripe fruit meets a firm tannic structure that is well-integrated and lends length. The acidity is precisely balanced, the finish long and carried by a salty nuance that reflects the terroir of Contrada Buonivini. An expressive, top-class Nero d'Avola with a distinct sense of place, character and a style of vinification that does not mask the variety but rather enhances it. For Planeta, it has been a benchmark for years and an expression of a new, confident Sicily. SUPERIORE.DE

There are wines whose history is also told through their label. It used to say "Joanni" here; today it says "Ioanni" – a subtle shift that reveals more than just a preference for a particular spelling. "Merlot" used to be proudly displayed on the label; today, it simply reads "Rosso Toscana IGT". The reasons may lie in the intricacies of wine legislation or in the family's strategic considerations – yet the wine itself remains what it has always been: a rarity, an experiment, a statement – a top-class Merlot! The small Bandita vineyard is situated in the south-eastern part of Montalcino, where the tuff and clay soils provide this international grape variety with the fertile ground it needs. Low yields, late harvest at optimal ripeness – the prerequisites for concentration and depth. Paolo Vagaggini, who has shaped Fuligni's oenological signature for decades, vinifies this Merlot with the same meticulous care that characterises the great Brunellos. Yet here he allows himself more time: the grapes mature for three years in French Allier tonneaux, followed by a further year in the bottle, before the wine leaves the estate.

Maximum was one of the first labels created by Giulio Ferrari at the beginning of the 20th century. A Blanc de Blancs with an unmistakable style that still stands for freshness and elegance today. This Trento DOC epitomises the perfect symbiosis between Chardonnay and the mountains of Trentino like no other Casa Ferrari sparkling wine. The grapes come exclusively from carefully selected Chardonnay vineyards on the slopes of the Trentino mountains between 300 and 700 metres above sea level. Facing south-east and south-west, the vines benefit from optimal sunshine and cool nights - ideal conditions for a Chardonnay with structure and finesse. The grapes are harvested by hand in the first half of September, when they have reached perfect aromatic ripeness. Gentle pressing is followed by Metodo Classico vinification with traditional bottle fermentation. The maximum matures on the fine lees for 24 months.

Santa Cecilia is Planeta's Nero d'Avola icon – born in the barren, sun-baked cultural landscape of Noto, on white limestone soils that give the variety depth, elegance and saltiness. A dense ruby red colour with a purple core in the glass. The bouquet opens with ripe black cherry, plum and mulberry, flanked by balsamic herbs, black tea, some liquorice and a fine graphite note. Powerful on the palate, but never overpowering: dense, ripe fruit meets a firm tannin structure that is well integrated and lends length. The acidity is precisely set, the finish is long and carried by a salty nuance that reflects the terroir of Contrada Buonivini. An expressive, high-class Nero d'Avola with a profile of origin, character and an ageing process that enhances rather than masks the variety. For Planeta, it has been a reference and expression of a new, confident Sicily for years. SUPERIORE.DE

Gulfi's top Pinò is a pure expression of Pinot Nero from Etna. When the Etna appellation began its rise about ten years ago, many producers pledged to grow the Burgundian grape variety on the charred slopes of this mighty volcano. However, significant plantings of Pinot Nero never materialised, as many winegrowers opted instead for the indigenous Nerello Mascalese grape variety. Gulfi remains faithful to Pinot Nero on Etna, with the grapes for Pinò coming from 800 metres above sea level on the northern slope of the volcano.

Raccaro's philosophy on white wine knows no compromise: stainless steel, and only stainless steel. No barrique ever comes into contact with these wines – a conscious decision that allows the grape variety itself to take centre stage, rather than being overpowered by oak aromas. Nowhere is this approach more evident than in the Vigna del Rolat, the single vineyard plot over fifty years old that gives the wine its name. The vineyard is situated in the Monte Quarin area, in the municipality of Cormòns, in the heart of the Collio Goriziano, at an altitude of 90 metres, facing north-south, on Ponca – the white clay and marl soil characteristic of the region. A light Bora wind, gentle sunshine and the right distance from the sea create a unique microclimate here for this indigenous variety. Guyot training, 5,000 vines per hectare, hand-harvested in the second ten-day period of September. The grapes are gently processed in a membrane press; the must is cold-settled, followed by temperature-controlled fermentation in stainless-steel tanks. After bottling, the wine rests briefly in the bottle – wood is not used at any stage.

In 1956, Nino Negri became the first winery in Valtellina to embark on an experiment: Nebbiolo grapes, naturally dried in the same way as for Amarone, were to produce a red wine of unprecedented concentration and power. Within a few years, this experiment had become a model for the entire region. In 1983, Casimiro Maule, Oenologist estate's Oenologist since 1971, refined this tradition into the modern Cinque Stelle – named after the highest rating that a vintage's grapes must achieve in order to be considered for this wine at all.

L'Alberello is a beautiful Rosso made primarily from Cabernet. The wine comes from a two-hectare plot planted entirely with long rows of Alberello vines planted at an altitude of 30 metres above sea level on predominantly clayey soils. Fermentation takes place in stainless steel and the wine matures for 18 months in barriques. Starts fresh and vehement with warm, dark fruit flavours, then opens up further with a bouquet of herbs, coffee and a pinch of pepper. Remarkably polished and juicy on the palate, everything is in balance, silky and very charismatic on the long finish. SUPERIORE.DE

In 2004, Grattamacco did something that nobody in Bolgheri thought necessary: converting two hectares of vineyards to the Alberello training system – the traditional, bushy training system that has been practised in Sicily and Sardinia for centuries, but which simply did not exist in Bolgheri. This was not a nostalgic look back, nor a romanticisation. It was a response to an increasingly pressing reality: heat and drought. The Alberello training system makes the vines more resilient. Their low, spreading growth shades the ground, reduces water evaporation and forces the roots to grow deeper. The vines were planted according to the so-called ‘settonce’ pattern – a hexagonal system in which each vine is exactly the same distance from all its surrounding neighbours. An arrangement that combines maximum space with minimal competition.