Bibenda

Tor di Lupo, the Wolf's Gate – a name that commands respect. Andrian's flagship wine was one of South Tyrol's very first premium Lagrein wines. A true veteran of South Tyrolean quality winegrowing, one might say. Since its early days, the winery has been producing this Riserva from grapes grown in Gries near Bolzano, the traditional home of Lagrein. 

The great Barolo Ciabot Mentin Ginestra from the historic Clerico vineyard. Bright garnet red colour. Open-hearted bouquet of ripe fruit and spices, the elegant tannins are accompanied by a pleasant freshness in the complex flavour, deep and long on the finish. SUPERIORE.DE

In 1977, a 34-year-old manager from Bergamo came to the Tuscan coast. Pier Mario Meletti Cavallari had had enough of balance sheets and meetings – the wine journalist Luigi Veronelli had persuaded him that his place was among the vines, not in offices. What he found: a piece of land without electricity, without running water, overgrown and forgotten. Only the name reminded him of a distant past: Grattamacco – the slag heaps of the Etruscans, who smelted iron here two and a half thousand years ago. Five years later, in 1982, Meletti Cavallari bottled his first wine – as a simple Vino da Tavola, three years before Ornellaia even existed.

Classic Super Tuscan made from Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot matured in French oak. In its very dense violet-red colour, clear fruity notes and a highly enticing hint of candied lemons inspire. The flavour is very harmonious, rich and powerful, the tannins perfectly integrated, the spicy final beautifully persistent. SUPERIORE.DE

Count Giuseppe Tasca d'Almerita created the first expression of the highest quality and longevity in Sicilian viticulture in 1970 with the Rosso del Conte – a wine that changed the oenological future of the island forever. The grapes come from the Vigna San Lucio, Regaleali's first large vineyard, born in 1959 at an altitude of 480 metres with a south-south-easterly exposure, where Nero d'Avola and Perricone have thrived in harmonious symbiosis for generations. The vines grow in the Alberello system, the oldest form of cultivation in the Mediterranean, on yellow-brown, loamy-sandy soils with calcareous inclusions. A philosophy of perfection that has developed over five decades through various ageing methods: from the original chestnut barrels to Slavonian oak and today's French barriques.

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.

Vittorio Frescobaldi and Robert Mondavi shake hands in 1993. Two worlds, one idea: to create a wine that combines the best of Montalcino – the structure and elegance of Sangiovese – with the rounded depth of Merlot. A combination that had never before been seen in this region. Luce became the first Super Tuscan made from a Sangiovese-Merlot blend from Montalcino. Thirty years later, the 2022 vintage is released as 30° Vendemmia – the thirtieth harvest of a wine that pioneered a new era. The estate is situated in the south-west of Montalcino, in the heart of the Val d'Orcia, which was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2004. The estate covers 249 hectares, 88 of which are planted, at altitudes ranging from 280 to 418 metres, with a south to south-west aspect. The soil follows its own logic: slate and sandstone at higher altitudes, perfect for Sangiovese; clay layers deeper down, which give Merlot the power and suppleness it needs.

The loose, sandy soils of Cannubi always ensure a special concentration of flavour, and this is particularly evident in this classic vintage. A clean bouquet of small red berries, violets and dried rose petals. A fine mineral note, a pinch of salt and plenty of fruit and a clearly contoured tannin structure on the multi-layered palate. A beautifully straightforward wine, powerful and elegant. SUPERIORE.DE

Deep, shiny red colour. A beguiling blend of dark cherries, plums, mocha, liquorice, leather and cloves on the nose. Very compact and powerful fruit on the palate, characterised by deep intensity, dense layers and a velvety texture. Very focussed, balanced and certainly needs a few more years to develop fully. Outstanding elegance and length. In short: an absolute beauty! SUPERIORE.DE

Mazzei's top wine Siepi is not only an outstanding Tuscan wine every year, but also a 6-hectare vineyard in the middle of dense oak forests with an ideal altitude and a unique climate. The sunshine is optimal throughout the day and a constant breeze from the west prevents excessive heat and creates a mild, Mediterranean climate. The oak forests also provide an ideal protective barrier against extreme weather conditions. Rocky soils of marl, limestone and clay from the Pliocene period ensure a special balance of elements in this geological complex.

Bright ruby red with a light rim. Equally bright and very complex bouquet of wild berries, strawberries, dried fruits, tar and balsamic herbs. On the palate, a very attractive, supple texture, again a beautiful red berry fruit in the drink, plus traces of blackcurrant, blueberry and liquorice. In the long, squeaky clean finish, traces of well-integrated light wood and a very appealing silkiness. SUPERIORE.DE

Monteverro's Chardonnay is an exciting and multi-faceted expression of Tuscan white wine culture and combines Burgundian finesse with the radiance of the Maremma. The grapes come from carefully tended plots on limestone and clay near Capalbio, where the coastal microclimate with warm days and cool nights offers the Chardonnay an ideal ripening window. The vinification was carried out with Burgundian standards: slow fermentation in French barriques – partly new, partly used –regular bâtonnage and a fine lees ageing period of around ten months.

The 2019 Brunello vintage from Altesino stands proudly among its peers. The bouquet has a pronounced floral character with delightful notes of pressed rose petals and dried violets. The fruit tones are elegant and harmonious, ranging from light red cherries to redcurrants. Firm and well-structured on the palate, the multi-layered fruit is accentuated by a refined fennel and liquorice note. Long and stately in the final, great! SUPERIORE.DE

Since the 2011 vintage, the Riserva Marchese Antinori has been produced entirely from grapes grown at Tenuta Tignanello. This has led to a reduction in production volume and a further leap in quality. A sparkling ruby colour; the bouquet reveals dark wild cherries, graphite, violets and spices. Smooth and round on the palate, yet very juicy; the French oak adds extra volume and body. SUPERIORE.DE

Cerequio is considered one of the grand cru sites of Barolo and has been an integral part of the Michele Chiarlo icons for decades. The steep slopes between La Morra and Barolo face south-east and south-west, with calcareous marl and fine veins of sand that give the Nebbiolo here an unmistakable combination of depth, finesse and flavour. The vines, some of which are over 30 years old, produce wines of remarkable complexity in mature vintages. The 2019 vintage was characterised by a balanced vegetation cycle: a cool spring, followed by warm, sunny summer months and moderate temperatures in September, which allowed for slow, complete ripening. After gentle fermentation in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks, the wine matured for two years in large French oak barrels before being further refined in the bottle.

Romano Dal Forno started out in 1983 with a proposition that he has proven every vintage since: a Valpolicella can compete with the greatest wines in the world. He learnt this from Giuseppe Quintarelli. He internalised it in the Val d'Illasi, where his vines grow on alluvial gravel and clay, at up to 450 metres, with a planting density that makes every yield a rarity. Valpolicella Superiore does not begin fermentation – it begins with six weeks of appassimento. Corvina, Corvinone, Croatina, Oseleta and Rondinella dry slowly in the air of the lodoletta, losing water and gaining soul. Then: controlled fermentation in steel tanks, 36 months in new French and American oak barriques, years of ageing in the bottle.

Mazzei's top wine Siepi is not only an outstanding Tuscan wine every year, but also a 6-hectare vineyard in the middle of dense oak forests with an ideal altitude and a unique climate. The sunshine is optimal throughout the day and a constant breeze from the west prevents excessive heat and creates a mild, Mediterranean climate. The oak forests also provide an ideal protective barrier against extreme weather conditions. Rocky soils of marl, limestone and clay from the Pliocene period ensure a special balance of elements in this geological complex.

La Poja from the vineyard of the same name is a great terroir wine in which Allegrini does not dry the grapes. Made from the indigenous Corvina grape variety, this red wine opens with inviting aromas of ripe black-skinned berries, cedar wood and spices. The elegantly structured, full-bodied palate offers spiced blackberries, liquorice and black pepper alongside fine-grained tannins. Dynamic, precise and very elegant in all its components, it offers maximum enjoyment and promises a terrific development. SUPERIORE.DE

The Ciabot Mentin vineyard is located in the Ginestra area and represents the uppermost part of the hill, whose fruit is planted at 410 metres above sea level. This vineyard was planted in 1978. Like the other Clerico Baroli, it matures both in barriques (eight months) and in the bottle (one year). Ciabot Mentin opens with fleshy, floral aromas of lilac and dried lavender that give way to wild berries, cherries and candied orange peel. There is virtually none of the tar or asphalt-like tones often found in Nebbiolo here. Instead, the wine reveals bright primary fruits and a delicate, ethereal complexity. It is gentle, refined, silky and very long. SUPERIORE.DE

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.

In 1988, the Boscarelli family acquired the Vigna del Nocio – four hectares in the eastern part of the estate, named after the walnut trees that once lined its edges. A small vineyard, but one with an intrinsic complexity that transcends any simple description: The soils are of alluvial origin, but of completely different textures depending on the location – sandy zones alternate with loamy ones in close succession. The same grape variety, the same plot of land, and yet several characters that only reveal themselves to the attentive eye. The family has not simplified this complexity – they have mapped it.

Bright, powerful ruby colour, aromas of cherry, redcurrant, cocoa and tar. Juicy, spicy and bright, with firm acidity and taut tannins that give it definition and lift to the flavours. Very fresh and precise, persistent and smooth. It has outstanding potential. If you taste the decades-old wines from Mastroberardino (dating back to 1928), it becomes clear: these wines are monumental, immortal or at least for eternity. SUPERIORE.DE