Bibenda

Deeply rooted in the Molise terroir since time immemorial, the Tintilia grape variety was long threatened with disappearance – until dedicated winegrowers revived it as an autochthonous treasure. This red wine in Riserva quality today represents the prestige of this once almost forgotten grape variety: 100% Tintilia, finely selected and with very low yields at high altitudes, where calcareous clay soils and fresh mountain air characterise its distinctive profile.

62 years after the cooperative was founded in 1962 – this explains the name of this Riserva, which surpasses the Sessantanni in both ageing time and quality standards. The grapes come from the cooperative's oldest plots, bush vines trained in the Alberello style on the characteristic red clay soils of Salento. Hand-harvesting is followed by extended maceration for maximum extraction. This is followed by 18 months' ageing in small oak barrels – six months longer than for the Sessantanni – followed by further bottle ageing before release.

In Montepulciano, they have called it that for centuries – the "noble plum". Prugnolo Gentile, an old Sangiovese biotype that does not develop this finesse anywhere else. When the Rivetti family came to Tuscany from Piedmont, they recognised immediately that this grape variety deserves to be called a pure variety. Thirty-year-old vines are rooted at an altitude of 250 metres in sandy soils whose marine sediments tell of the former ocean. What ends up in the glass surprises even connoisseurs: the tannin structure is reminiscent of Nebbiolo – a bridge between the two worlds of the Rivettis. 24 months in French oak give the wine time to explore this relationship. Plum and violets on the nose, then that silky delicacy on the palate that explains the name. Not a loud wine, but one that whispers – and therefore makes itself heard. Only 6,000 bottles, each one a document of Tuscan vineyard history. SUPERIORE.DE

Cortona is only thirty kilometres from Montepulciano – and yet it is a different world. Here, on the high plateau with its dense Pliocene clays and iron oxide soils, around 300 metres above sea level, Merlot grows as if it had never been at home anywhere else. Federico Carletti recognised the potential early on – and In Violas was created in 2006. This was catalysed by his friendship with the Aliotti Tommasi family, owners of the same land. A Merlot that Carletti himself calls "con un'anima toscana". With a Tuscan soul. 100% Merlot, certified organic, 5,600 vines per hectare. Hand-picked, careful selection in the vineyard and in the cellar, fermentation and maceration in conical vats for 18 to 22 days, ageing in large oak barrels.

Sessantanni – sixty years old. The age of the gnarled bush vines, which are rooted in traditional Alberello training on the iron oxide-rich terra rossa soils of San Marzano and Sava. This form of training, in which the vines grow low and without wire frames, is labour-intensive, but protects the grapes from the scorching Apulian sun and naturally limits yields – around 3,000 kilograms per hectare. With Sessantanni, Cantine San Marzano has created a label that has significantly shaped the international perception of Apulian wines. The fully ripe grapes are harvested by hand at the end of September. 80 per cent of the must is left to macerate for 18 days, the remaining 20 per cent for 25 days for maximum extraction. Vinification with indigenous yeasts, twelve months of ageing in French and American oak barrels.

The cork oaks still grow on the hills of Gavorrano today – silent, gnarled, enduring. They gave this wine its name. "Le Sughere": the cork oaks. A tribute to the landscape that supports and characterises this estate, long before a Renzo Piano wine cellar was dug into the rock here. The wine itself is the second label of Rocca di Frassinello – and what Oenologist Alessandro Cellai could call the heart of the estate: not the grand gesture, not the introduction, but the substance. Sangioveto, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot – the same triad as in the entire estate, the same philosophy of the link between Tuscany and Bordeaux. But this is where the wood comes in for the first time. Twelve months in partly new barriques, then nine months in the bottle: patience as a method.

Anyone who knows Amarone knows it from the history of Recioto. According to tradition, Italy's most famous red wine was created by chance: a Recioto that was fermented too long in the barrel – until none of the sweetness remained. What began as a mistake became a legend. But the Recioto itself, the older of the two, was almost forgotten. Wrongly so. In Valpolicella Classico, the upper, wide-open wings of the grape panicles are called "Recie" – ears. It is these wings that hang the highest, are most exposed to the sun and ripen the most. They are carefully selected for the Recioto and harvested by hand – at the end of September, when the season has reached its peak in the hills of Marano di Valpolicella on calcareous Eocene soils between 200 and 350 metres.

A wine that made history. When the first vintage of La Selvanella Riserva was presented in 1969, it was a revolution in Chianti Classico – the very first cru from a single vineyard in the entire region. Today, over 50 years later, this Sangiovese classic is still regarded as a benchmark for the elegance and purity of the Radda terroirs. The 50 hectares of the La Selvanella vineyard sit at an altitude of 350 to 550 metres above Radda in Chianti in one of the most privileged positions in the entire region. Wines of exceptional structure and lively acidity are produced here. The perfect south-west exposure and the temperate continental climate create ideal conditions for the capricious Sangiovese to develop its full aromatic complexity.

In 1987, there were still 0.5 hectares of Timorasso in the whole of Piedmont. The grape variety, once widespread in the hills south-east of Turin, had almost disappeared due to phylloxera, structural change and lack of interest. Walter Massa rescued it – and brought it back into the dialogue. Giorgio Rivetti from La Spinetta, whose eye for exceptional terroirs has made his company great, recognised the potential and planted in Montemarzino, Montegioco and Monleale. Derthona – the ancient Roman name for Tortona, the capital of these hills – became the name of the wine. 100% Timorasso, south-west and south-east facing vineyards, organic cultivation. Destemming, gentle pressing, fermentation in temperature-controlled small stainless steel tanks. Then seven months on the fine lees – no malolactic fermentation, the acidity remains naturally lively. Four months in the bottle before release.

Castello della Sala, located not far from Orvieto at an altitude of 500 metres, produces excellent wines without exception, as the inexpensive "entry-level wine" San Giovanni della Sala proves. The wine is produced in the vineyards of the ancient castle of Castello della Sala from the combination of the indigenous grape varieties Grechetto and Procanico with Pinot Bianco and Viognier and interprets the Orvieto Classico in a new style. Its freshness, richness and balance are remarkable, with notes of yellow flowers, green apple, sage and ginger. On the palate, an incredibly silky texture and juicy acidity guide this juicy white wine into a beautiful, mineral finish. SUPERIORE.DE

In 1991, Luca and Valeria Orsini gave up their work in Milan to produce wine in Tuscany. Their winery comprises 10 hectares of south-east facing vineyards in Panzano and the wines have been certified organic since 2000. This outstanding Annata opens discreetly on the nose with subtle scents of cherry blossom, heather and roses. On the palate, it is decidedly red-fruited with redcurrants and raspberries, embraced by finely structured, powdery and persistent tannins. It has a lovely energy and above all lets the true charm of Sangiovese shine through. A real high-flyer in terms of authenticity every year! SUPERIORE.DE

Gravello is the great red classic of the Librandi house – and has been a pioneering wine for the region since the 1980s. The cuvée of Gaglioppo and Cabernet Sauvignon is a symbol of modern Calabria: powerful, structured and of international calibre, without denying its origins. The 2022 vintage was characterised by a warm, dry summer with cool nights, resulting in ripe, healthy grapes with dense fruit and good freshness. The wine is aged for twelve months in French barriques, giving it depth and elegance.

"A quei tempi era sempre festa" – back then there was always a party. Thus begins Cesare Pavese's novel "La bella estate", written in 1940 and awarded the Premio Strega in 1950, a tale about those fleeting summers of youth when anything seems possible. It is no coincidence that Vite Colte named its Moscato Passito after this work: the Barolo cooperative has dedicated several of its wines to Piedmontese Liters– "La Luna e i Falò", also a Pavese title, adorns their award-winning Barbera d'Asti. It is a nod to their homeland, to the landscape of hills and mist that Pavese described so unmistakably.

Delicate, elegant Nerello Mascalese with fine aromas of red fruits and raspberries, enveloped in a pleasant citrus freshness. As the wine progresses, it develops a smoky note associated with the strong lava rock component that characterises the volcanic soil of Etna. Lively, harmonious and full of flavour on the palate – a resolutely versatile wine that goes perfectly with a variety of fish dishes, shellfish and white meat. SUPERIORE.DE

Riserva does not simply mean more time in Gracciano. It means different soil. The Maramai and Podere Rovisci crus provide the grape material for this wine – and Rovisci is the core of the whole: heavy clay content, brooding, water-retaining, with a ripening dynamic that elicits the densest, most concentrated side of the Prugnolo Gentile. Vines, some of which have been planted since 1970. 300 to 350 metres, south to south-east exposure, 30 hectolitres per hectare – consistently limited yields. Only in the best vintages does the della Seta Ferrari Corbelli Greco family decide to bottle a Riserva. 2021 was such a year. Prugnolo Gentile 90%, Merlot 10%. Fermentation with indigenous yeasts, 20 to 25 days of maceration in steel. Then aged for 24 months: the first twelve in French tonneaux of 3.5 and 5 hectolitres, the second twelve in large Slavonian oak barrels. Subsequent maturation in the bottle for at least six months.

"Place of the snakes". The name Serpara sounds menacing, but is actually a tribute: snakes seek warmth, sunshine and mild temperatures, even in the coldest months. And this is exactly what describes the single vineyard Serpara in the municipality of Maschito – a vineyard with a sunny exposure that never really knows winter, even in winter. At 550 metres above sea level, on a volcanic hillside, lie 6 hectares, half of which are planted with Aglianico vines over 40 years old. The black imperial eagle of the Swabians adorns the label – a legacy of the imperial claim that once shaped this land.