Bibenda

Deep dark, almost impenetrable red colour. A whole range of ripe wild berries on the nose, delicately accompanied by nuances of tobacco, leather, cedar and lavender. The palate is also full of fruit, powerful, yet silky and elegant. Traces of dark chocolate on the endlessly long final. SUPERIORE.DE

This is more than just a sparkling wine. It is the vinified legacy of a visionary. In 1902, Giulio Ferrari dreamt of Italian sparkling wines that could rival the French greats in his small cellar in Via Belenzani. In 1980, the Lunelli family dedicated the house's most precious label to him – the Giulio Ferrari Riserva del Fondatore. 100% Chardonnay. No compromise, no cuvée, just the purest essence of the white king grape variety of Trentino. The grapes come exclusively from the highest sites of the Lunelli family vineyards, where the mountains frame Trento and where drastic day-night temperature fluctuations guarantee the acidity that makes world-class sparkling wines possible in the first place. So subtle and nuanced that there is really no doubt that "Giulio" is the most elegant label in the Italian sparkling wine world.

Dark ruby colour with a light rim. Dark red fruit, cedar wood and crushed rock with a fine grilled flavour on the nose. A well-balanced wine to which the cooler sites and the light sea breeze give both profile and contour. SUPERIORE.DE

Coming from one of the most historic vineyards in Neive, Albesani is a Barbaresco with a classic character and great precision. The south-western slope with calcareous and clayey soils gives the Nebbiolo here a powerful structure without masking its delicate flavour. Thanks to balanced temperatures and a long growing season, the 2021 vintage produced grapes with optimal phenolic ripeness.

Le Serre Nuove is much more than a "second wine" – it is Ornellaia's proud ambassador and often the best indicator of what to expect from the legendary flagship. Made from the same grape varieties, under the same skies and with the same philosophy, it has the remarkable ability to predict the personality of the great Ornellaia. The 2022 vintage presents itself as a masterful composition of 54% Merlot, 26% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Cabernet Franc and 6% Petit Verdot. This classic Bordeaux blend comes predominantly from the estate's younger vineyards and is treated with the same meticulous care as its big brother. Each parcel is vinified separately before the final assemblage takes place after twelve months.

Fragrant bouquet of light-coloured flowers, peach and tropical fruit, slight hints of honey and minerals. Smooth on the palate, very balanced, complex and with an invigorating mineral freshness. A very rare, remarkable Tuscan Chardonnay, aged for 11 months on the lees in barriques. Chardonnay Collezione Privata is a real achievement, above all for its natural ability to showcase the purity of the grape variety and the importance of texture in equal measure. SUPERIORE.DE

The name was no coincidence. "Habemus" – we have it. The phrase that falls from the balcony of St Peter's Basilica when the cardinals have reached an agreement. Emanuele Pangrazi chose it deliberately: Viterbo, the capital of Tuscia, was itself a papal residence in the 13th century when Rome was too dangerous – when Rome was too dangerous. The same city, the same history, only the wine was different back then. Pangrazi set out to change that in 2006. The vineyards are located at 300 to 400 metres in Blera, on heavy, stony clay soils with southern exposure. No artificial fertilisers, no chemicals – only spring water and plant-based products. All vines are trained as Alberello, the bushy single vine training of the Mediterranean region, with 11,000 plants per hectare. The yield remains at 25 quintals – two small, loose grapes per vine, with thick skins and little pulp. Concentration as a natural principle.

The wine icon, rare every year and very highly rated, presents itself in a shiny, rich ruby. On the nose, crisp berry fruit, ripe dark cherries, sweet plums and delicate notes of cinnamon. In the mouth it is full-bodied and firm, very juicy, unfolds a finely woven tannin and glides in a wide arc into a powerful, long final. A great wine full of tension and elegance. SUPERIORE.DE

1172 – the year in which Volpaia is first mentioned in documents. A small, fortified borgo on a hill north of Radda in Chianti, built as a border fortress between Florence and Siena. Today it is a jewel of peace and beauty and one of the most historic wine villages in Tuscany. Here, where soldiers once stood guard, the Stianti-Mascheroni families now press their grapes within the medieval walls. The bottles mature in the vaults of old churches and almost every cellar contains a tank of organic wine. An entire village dedicated to viticulture. So complete that it becomes poetic again. The Riserva is made from 100% Sangiovese from vineyards between 400 and 600 metres above sea level. One of the highest wineries in the region. Up here, where the air is thin and the nights are cool, Sangiovese develops the elegance and minerality that makes Volpaia so distinctive. Sandstone, clay and sandy-loamy soils with a high proportion of skeleton. Manual harvest in the second half of September, temperature-controlled vinification, then 24 months in French and Slovenian oak barrels.

In 1991, Turriga was one of the first bottled wines ever to be exported from the island. Turriga has a 100% Sardinian soul - the famous blend of four red autochthonous grape varieties was once created by the famous OenologistGiacomo Tachis and is continued today by his "heir" Mariano Murru, technical director and Oenologist at Argiolas. The DNA of this exceptional wine sounds as simple as it is perfect: its sophisticated blend of grape varieties gives it its unique structure, roundness, fullness, fruit and a perfectly balanced portion of tannins.

When Paolo Panerai realised his vision of a great Tuscan red wine made exclusively from indigenous grape varieties at the end of the 1970s, hardly anyone suspected that this wine would make history. As early as 1988, the Wine Spectator catapulted it into the international wine elite with sixth place in its first Top 100 – a triumph for a Supertuscan that deliberately eschewed Cabernet and Merlot in favour of the genetic purity of Tuscan vines. The name itself tells of the terroir: "Sodi" is what Tuscan winegrowers call those hard, stony soils that were too heavy for teams of oxen and had to be laboriously worked by hand. Here, on calcareous Galestro soils between 350 and 400 metres above sea level, around the medieval church of San Niccolò, the vines fight for every drop of water – 85 per cent Sangioveto, the original, small-berried form of Sangiovese, and 15 per cent Malvasia Nera, an almost forgotten grape variety – an almost forgotten grape variety that was abandoned in many places due to its low yields – result in a cuvée of unnerving power and unmistakable race. The 2021 vintage perfectly embodies this philosophy: After 18 to 25 days of maceration in steel tanks, the wine matures for up to 30 months in barriques, two thirds of which in new wood, before resting for a further twelve months in the bottle.

Rose petals, mint, cinnamon, dark sweet cherries and smoke lift from the glass in a translucent, wiry Brunello that builds on energy, power and opulence. Here, length and fruit are in the foreground and, together with a clearly defined tannin structure, Leopoldo Franceschi's team has produced a wine here in a very classic vintage that will really reveal itself over the next few years. As always, it is one of our favourites, and its still outstanding value is also great fun! 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

Poggio Lombrone is a selection of Sangiovese vines that are over fifty years old. The 2018 vintage is stunningly beautiful and absolutely classic with a bouquet that opens with crushed black cherries, cooling sweet herbal notes and dusty cedar. After some time in the glass, flavours of plums, cranberries and undergrowth unfold. Velvety and rich on the palate, harmonious, with ripe wild berries pouring over a core of savoury acids balanced by a hint of sour citrus. All framed by fine tannins that slowly rise towards the end. In the delightful final, rosy flowers, ferruginous mineral notes and savoury spices, great! SUPERIORE.DE

Schiena d'Asino is a small vineyard from which this fabulous Brunello is produced exclusively in excellent years. Schiena captivates with its richness and overall intensity and is endowed with a lot of energy and varietal purity. Sage, rosemary and a host of Mediterranean herbs open up first, followed by graphite, smoke, incense, dark spices and black stone fruits. Wild, intensely mineral notes underpin the fruit and capture the essence of the great site. For an exceptional wine, this Brunello remains remarkably light on its feet, yet it is an introspective, brooding wine that will need at least a few years to show all it has to offer. SUPERIORE.DE

This is a special Riserva from Michele Chiarlo that is late to the market. The Barolo Riserva Cerequio is a great wine, with particularly taut tannins and a concentrated richness that permeates its substantial textile fibre. The flavours of dark fruits such as blackberries and dried cherries are accompanied by spices, leather, tar and ashes from the bonfire. The wine shows the concentration and density of long oak ageing with tannins that definitely need more ageing before this exceptional wine will fully convince its connoisseurs! SUPERIORE.DE

"For the Barolo DOCG Parussi, we left the confines of Serralunga and opted for a vineyard in Castiglione Falletto. Thanks to the characteristics of Nebbiolo, which is perfectly capable of capturing the differences in microclimate and soil composition and translating them into sensations, the result amazed us. Structured, important, austere. Made with Nebbiolo grapes from our vineyard in the MGA Parussi in Castiglione Falletto." Franco Massolino

"The Barolo DOCG Margheria comes from the calcareous soil with a slightly higher proportion of sand than in our other sub-areas, which has a strong influence on its character. It was produced for the first time in 1985 and has great ageing potential. The grapes come from our vineyard in the MGA Margheria in Serralunga d'Alba." Franco Massolino

"The Barolo DOCG Parafada is perfect for long ageing and surprising development. Elegant, refined, austere. Vinified in vats, matured in large barrels. Made with Nebbiolo grapes from our vineyard in the MGA Parafada in Serralunga d'Alba." Franco Massolino

Just 3,500 bottles from the oldest vines of the Salco vineyard are only sold in the best vintages. In the glass, we are delighted by an extremely elegant Sangiovese with a very harmonious texture and very classic, earthy and spicy notes. SUPERIORE.DE

The supremely potent Rocche di Castiglione is often referred to as the first "official" cru in the history of Langa (along with Bussia di Prunotto, both of which were released with the 1961 vintage). It confirms itself once again as the great classic of the house with the 2018 edition. Dark fruits, pressed lilac, blood orange, powdered liquorice, balsamic herbs, spices, iron ore and aniseed fit together perfectly like pieces of a puzzle. Then lush and racy on the palate, with silky tannins and a great depth and resonance that will continue to develop with time. SUPERIORE.DE

In the gentle hills of Serdiana, where the Mediterranean sun meets ancient soils, a quiet revolution took place in the 1980s. Antonio Argiolas, patriarch of a family that has been connected to the Sardinian soil for generations, dared to do the unthinkable: he brought the legendary Giacomo Tachis, the creator of Sassicaia, to the island to realise the dream of a great Sardinian wine together. Turriga was born – not just as a wine, but as a manifesto for an entire region. The name itself tells a story: Turriga comes from the Sardinian dialect and refers to the characteristic watchtowers that have guarded the island's coastline for centuries. Like these stone sentinels overlooking the sea, this wine watches over the reputation of Sardinian oenology. This cuvée from various red Sardinian grape varieties comes from the best vineyards of Tenuta Turriga – a composition that combines Tachis' genius for blending with the authentic soul of Sardinia.