Bibenda

The extremely popular and elegant Amarone classic from Zenato comes from Sant'Ambrogio, the heart of the Valpolicella Classico, where the family has had its home since 1960. Corvina dominates the cuvée with eighty per cent, complemented by Rondinella, Oseleta and Croatina – all from the slopes of the Costalunga parcel. After the hand harvest in October, the ritual of appassimento begins: the grapes rest for four months in shallow crates, losing water and concentrating sugar and flavours. Pressing does not take place until January, followed by slow fermentation with skin contact. The wine then matures for thirty-six months in large Slavonian oak barrels before being released after further maturation in the bottle.

Terre Brune: A monument to the art of Sardinian viticulture, borne by the year 2020, which wonderfully captured the essence of the island in its balance between heat and night-time equalisation. For Terre Brune, this meant a late harvest accompanied by cool nights. The result: maturity in harmony with freshness, expressive and enriching. Incidentally, the 2020 vintage was a gift of ripeness everywhere in southern Sardinia. Warm spells were balanced out by Atlantic breezes and the grapes remained healthy and aromatic. The late harvest ensured a rich, but never overripe concentration – ideal conditions for a wine with lively acidity and body in harmony.

Terlano I (pronounced Primo) Grande Cuvée is the name of the white flagship of Cantina Terlano. In recent years, the winery has made a name for itself worldwide with its long-lasting, mineral white wines. Even years later, the wines still present themselves with top freshness and great complexity. With this long history of white wines, since the 2011 vintage there is now a wine in which the essence of Terlan is expressed in an even more focussed way. Terlaner I Grande Cuvée combines the Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay and Sauvignon grape varieties from the Winkl, Kreuth and Vorberg vineyards to create a masterpiece which, due to its limited and exclusive nature, will only be available from hand-picked retailers and in selected top restaurants.

Three years after the Annata, Romano and his sons launch a small edition of the same vintage in large formats. The 2015 Valpolicella Superiore Monte Lodoletta is a particularly elegant, pretty and typical expression of the Dal Forno style. Black cherries dipped in rum, plum sauce, brown spices and a hint of cocoa rise from the glass. Silky and polished, it seamlessly washes over the palate with ripe red and blackcurrants, while leaving minerals and a fine layer of tannins behind. Spicy acids add tension as the wine tapers off in a structured way, with notes of mocha and mentholated herbs that linger. SUPERIORE.DE

2016 was not an easy year in Valpolicella – and Romano Dal Forno still delivered. That sounds obvious, but it's not: in years like 1992, 2005, 2007 or 2014, there was simply no Amarone. That is the currency in which trust is bought here. Dal Forno Romano has its own clock ticking for the release of the large bottles: they come onto the market three years after the 0.75 litre bottle. What this means for 2016 is obvious. After six weeks of appassimento, 36 months in new barriques and long maturation in the large format, this Valpolicella has reached a level of maturity that only the large glass can appreciate.

Ornato 2021 comes from the single vineyard of the same name in Serralunga d'Alba, exposed to the south – a cru with a distinctive altitude and calcareous soils that captures the depth and power of the Barolo region like no other. The 2021 vintage was characterised by a cool spring, a stable summer without extreme heat and a long, dry autumn. These conditions allowed the Nebbiolo to ripen slowly and evenly, giving the grapes aromatic complexity with full phenolic ripeness. The wine was fermented traditionally after a long maceration period and then matured for around 30 months in French oak – partly in tonneau and partly in barrique.

This vintage has become the flagship of the region – precise, powerful and at the same time polished. The aromatic depth contrasts with the lively freshness that makes the wine so contemporary. Terre Brune 2019 has a deep ruby red colour in the glass. The nose reveals nuanced aromas: blueberry, a mix of ripe black berries, accompanied by cinnamon, tobacco, liquorice and delicately smoky herbs – an olfactory complexity that arouses curiosity. Opulent on the palate, with dense fruit but never loud, carried by noble, ripe tannins. The finish is long, spicy and characterised by minerals – a confident expression of southern elegance and immense potential. SUPERIORE.DE

In the upper areas of the historic Contrada Rovittello – at an altitude of around 700 metres, on volcanic rock with a high basalt content – the old Nerello Mascalese vines of Il Musmeci take root. Some of them are even over 100 years old, their roots penetrating deep into the barren, mineral-rich soil. The north-eastern flank of Mount Etna provides a cool microclimate with a strong contrast between day and night – decisive for the aromatic precision. The name Il Musmeci is a tribute to the former owner of the parcel, Cav. Santi Musmeci, whose respect for terroir and tradition became the legacy of this wine.

The "Fracia" vineyard has belonged to Nino Negri since it was founded in 1897. It lies at the confluence of several alpine valleys and the vegetation in this area is almost Mediterranean with lavender and rosemary. The result is a wine that is flavoursome and flowery with a characteristic, spicy aroma.

The fifth vineyard. The origin of this name is so simple – and so direct is Carlo Ferrini's philosophy behind it. La Quinta is not the little sister of Brunello, but its self-confident counterpart: the same address in Sant'Angelo in Colle at 400 metres, the same Sangiovese from skeleton-rich soils with a south-easterly orientation, the same care in the cellar and ageing. Only the time horizon is different. 2020 brought Montalcino warm, balanced conditions with a good night-day temperature amplitude – a vintage that favoured depth and drinkability in equal measure. 7 days of fermentation, 13 days of maceration in steel, then 12 months in a combination of 700-litre Liters, 2,500-litre Liters barrels and cocciopesto amphorae, rounded off in cement tanks. The baked clay amphora provides the breathable openness that keeps the wine alive without oxidising it.

At the beginning of the 20th century, Caterina Zardini lost her husband. What remained were ten children, a hundred hectares of land in the heart of Valpolicella Classica and a winery that her husband Carlo Campagnola had built up with passion – he had won the prize for the best Recioto in the region in 1907. Caterina could have handed over the estate. But she didn't. She took over the work and continued to run the winery with all her children, laying the foundations for five generations of a wine family that is still rooted in Marano di Valpolicella today. This Amarone bears her name, a tribute.

In the history of the Campolungo vineyard, thousands of years of Tuscan viticultural culture merge with visionary dedication to perfection. These historic terraces between 420 and 580 metres above sea level were already recognised as exceptional by the Romans and have been considered one of the cradles of fine Chianti since the 19th century. The 2018 tells the story of a special climatic favour: after a hot, dry summer, the extreme altitude of Lamole preserved the crystalline freshness that makes Campolungo one of the most exceptional single vineyards in Tuscany. Pure Sangiovese from hand-picked grapes of exceptional aromatic intensity. After careful hand-picking and visual selection of the best grapes, a two-week fermentation with skin contact takes place in traditional wooden vats. Thirty months of ageing in oak barrels, supplemented by a small proportion in French barriques, create a wine of multi-layered complexity and elegance.

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.

Three words: power, intensity and concentration. With a very manageable production of less than 2,000 bottles, here is a full-throttle Tuscan wine that constantly exudes generous black fruits, spices and sweet tobacco. There is also black cherry and plum, which lend the wine soft contours and sweetness. On the palate, it is firm, well-structured and delights with a mouthfulness that is unrivalled. Take a good piece of red meat, marinate it in rosemary and olive oil before putting it on the charcoal grill and then embark on this monumental adventure. SUPERIORE.DE

Granato has been an exceptional Teroldego for years: It convinces in the bouquet with its rich balsamic scent of sour cherries and red currants. Extract-rich and intense, powerful and extremely precise on the palate. A great wine that reflects the long-standing consistency and competence of this winemaker. SUPERIORE.DE

Giovanni Manetti was just twenty when he and Oenologist Franco Bernabei pressed their first vintage in 1981: a pure Sangiovese, at a time when the rules of Chianti Classico still stipulated a proportion of white wine. What began as an act of rebellion became a legend. Flaccianello della Pieve, one of the first monovarietal super Tuscans, which proved that Sangiovese can achieve world class without blending. The name comes from the original vineyard, but since 2001 Flaccianello has been a selection of the best grapes from three plots on the estate, especially those at the highest altitudes at 480 metres, where Pietraforte soils dominate. This conglomerate of sandstone varieties gives the wine the freshness and structure that sets it apart from the rest.

Medium-light ruby red colour. Very open and graceful nose of red fruits, violets, tobacco, rose petals and some thyme. Full and juicy on the palate, with a beautiful finish and subtle extract sweetness, expansively harmonious with a pleasant freshness and hints of pomegranate, pepper and sour cherry. Long-lasting with great depth, well-dosed tannins and fresh acidity - made for a long life in all its facets, but already very accessible today. SUPERIORE.DE

Luce is the iconic wine of the estate of the same name and symbolises the harmonious balance between the elegant structure of Sangiovese and the richness of Merlot. The wine marries the tradition and terroir of the Montalcino region with a personal interpretation of this extraordinary land.

Rare, exceptional Merlot from the west of Tuscany: deep ruby red with violet reflections. The bouquet is multi-layered with hints of wild berries and blackberries, ripe cherries, but also liquorice and tobacco notes. Very structured and lively on the palate. The silky tannins emphasise the delicate minerality right through to the almost endless finish. SUPERIORE.DE

Just 2,100 bottles of this 1.5 ha single vineyard Cabernet Franc "Campo di Magnacosta" (a former riverbed with mainly clay, gravel and crushed stone soil) reach the specialised trade and the menus of the best restaurants worldwide. The vines were planted in the mid-1990s and come from Pomerol. In terms of aromatic intensity, Magnacosta is probably the most sensually elegant representative of the house's three great site cabernets. It has great straightness, but somewhat less power and intensity. It subtly combines black fruit aromas with spicy notes, tar and antique leather. It is already silky and elegant and will certainly gain in finesse over the years. SUPERIORE.DE

Ornellaia Bolgheri Superiore 2021 is a wine of extreme precision. It offers well-proportioned power and depth with profound layers of black fruit, coffee and liquorice. It captivates with its lustre and polished texture, which merges into great richness, concentration and structure. Enveloping as it progresses with sweet dark fruits and dark spices that linger for a long time. Ornellaia 2021 is a wonderful, if not perfect, example of the impressive potential of this great Tuscan vintage! SUPERIORE.DE

Le Potazzines Riserva from the dream vintage 2019 is an absolute eye-catcher, vibrantly fruity yet refined. It is a prime example of purity. Ripe black cherry, exotic spices, liquorice, rose petals, cedar wood and sage can all be detected in the glass. This is one of the most harmonious wines of the vintage, with a deep, silky texture and an abundance of red fruit complemented by a hint of clove, crisp minerals and a core of vibrant acidity. Then dramatically long and powerful but still fresh on the final, ending with a cascade of spices, flowers over a complex web of graphite-like tannins. One of the most perfect wines of the vintage in Riserva quality! SUPERIORE.DE