cult wines

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.

The small, 80-year-old vineyard of Pietrabona on the island of Giglio produces an Ansonica of outstanding quality, and so Bibi Graetz decided to vinify the grapes separately in small batches. The vines stand on a bed of rocks and granite sand less than 50 metres from the sea, resulting in a wine with a subtle aroma of ripe oranges, fine spice, flint and minerality. SUPERIORE.DE

From some of the oldest Sangiovese vineyards comes Colore every year, the maximum expression of Bibi Graetz' dream. The barren, sandy soils at high altitudes create the perfect terroir for a wine that can tell the true story of Tuscany and its inhabitants. The grapes for Colore were selected from vineyards in Lamole, Vincigliata and Siena. Each vineyard was harvested up to eight times in order to achieve the optimum ripening time for as many grapes as possible. Each parcel is matured separately in barriques for almost two years before the final blend is decided. Only the best Sangiovese barriques from each vintage become Colore. SUPERIORE.DE

Just 3,000 bottles of the exceptional 2016 vintage were released. The grapes for this exceptional Chianti Classico come from vines that grow in the south-west at an altitude of between 350 and 480 metres above sea level. The soil here is characterised by galestro and limestone. Rich, deep dark ruby colour with a velvety sheen. Multi-layered, concentrated aromas of plum, black cherry, spices and menthol. Complex on the palate with a multi-faceted flavour profile that only opens up gradually and only reveals its full spectrum to the patient. A paragon wine of great depth, class and irresistibility. SUPERIORE.DE

There are wines whose mere name gives you goose bumps. Ornellaia belongs to that rare category of growths that not only epitomise Italian iconography, but have also written global wine history. Ever since the legendary 1985 vintage, when Marchese Lodovico Antinori and visionary OenologistAndré Tchelistcheff realised the dream of a Mediterranean Bordeaux, this name has stood for uncompromising excellence. The 2022 vintage bears the motto "La Determinazione" – determination – and this characterisation could not be more apt for a vintage that demanded everything from both the vineyard team and the vines. The climatic conditions in 2022 presented a textbook challenge: The driest start to the vintage in the last four years, from February to June, coincided with the hottest period between May and September. Extremes that initially seemed to contradict each other. The prolonged drought slowed growth dramatically, leading to low yields and concentrated, small-berried grapes. But then came the saving rain in August and September – precisely timed to restore the balance that characterises great wines. The technical team, led at the time by Axel Heinz and Oenologist Olga Fusari, responded with rigorous selection: in the vineyard and twice again in the cellar. The result of this determination is a wine that combines the positive attributes of the sun with surprising freshness.

Suisassi is rich and expressive. The bouquet convinces with aromas of sage, rosemary, wild flowers, liquorice, violets and plums. Very full and round on the palate with memories of berries, chocolate and nuts. Elegant and intellectual, still needs time. SUPERIORE.DE

For us, the pure Cabernet Franc from Duemani is one of the best representatives of the grape variety and the western Tuscan coastal region. The bouquet has an extraordinary clarity of dark plum, coffee and wild roses. Rich and with a perfectly integrated woody note on the palate, its strength, structure and elegance are particularly fascinating. SUPERIORE.DE

Giacosa's Barolo Vigna Le Rocche is only vinified in the best vintages as a Riserva (red label) and has a magical attraction for Nebbiolo lovers all over the world.

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.

Two hands, one dream: when Elena Celli and Luca D'Attoma discovered the wild hills of Riparbella in 2000 – unploughed, stony, overgrown with maquis –they recognised the potential of this rugged terroir between 250 and 300 metres above sea level. Here, where the salty breeze of the Tyrrhenian Sea meets the Mediterranean wilderness, one of Italy's most extraordinary Cabernet Francs has been produced for over two decades. Luca D'Attoma, legendary Oenologist and creator of iconic wines such as Le Macchioles Messorio, focuses on radical purity: biodynamic cultivation according to Demeter guidelines, spontaneous fermentation in conical oak barrels, 20 months maturation in barriques with 80 per cent new wood.

A beautiful, very sensual, feminine wine that is only vinified in the best vintages. Exquisitely flavoured with dark fruit, elegant and fine on the palate with plenty of fruit and length. It was named after the nickname once given to the young wild Clerico by his father: Aeroplan Servaj - wild aeroplane. And the labelling of the six bottles is just as wild and creative, but see for yourself! SUPERIORE.DE

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

Sangiovese in purezza. Wonderfully spicy aroma, dark forest berries and cherries, some graphite and cedar wood. Silky elegance on the palate, juicy, dark berries, paired with an animating interplay of fruit and acidity that really lets the wine dance across the tongue. Percarlo has depth and length as well as potential for many years in the cellar. One of the great single-varietal Sangiovese wines of central Tuscany. SUPERIORE.DE

The fruit for this top-class Barolo, which is exceptional not only because of its six different labels, comes from the MGA Baudana in Serralunga d'Alba, whose vines were planted in 1994. Aeroplan Servaj (little aeroplane) is the affectionate nickname that Domenico Clerico's father gave his young, free-spirited son. Exciting bouquet of wild cherry, candied orange peel, ploughed earth and rusty nails. There is a subtle sweetness in the primary fruit, but the wine is mainly defined by its very refined, rich and savoury side. As it progresses into an impressive finish, it offers impeccable balance and straightforwardness. SUPERIORE.DE

1983 was the first year. Luca Martini di Cigala, at the time just about to take over an estate that was still selling its wine in bulk to Antinori and Ruffino, decided to do the opposite of what many of his contemporaries were doing: no international grape varieties, no modernisation of the label, no barriques full of vanilla. A single wine, from a single field of grapes, from a single grape variety. Sangiovese. San Giusto a Rentennano – percarlo made his debut with the 1983 vintage – and immediately began to rewrite the history of Chianti Classico. The philosophy of the wine is the philosophy of its maker: vineyard before cellar. The grapes for the Percarlo are not selected by parcel, but every bunch of grapes is checked, every vine, every site. The yield is one kilogramme per vine. This has been the approach since 2001, because Martini di Cigala recognised how inconsistent Sangiovese can be from vine to vine, even within the same parcel. The soils that are the inspiration for the Percarlo originate mainly from the Pliocene period – layers of sand and stones, two to five metres deep, on a bed of clay. Mineral, draining, with the ability to speak to the Sangiovese for years.

Barolo Ornato is a great wine every year. With its wild herbs, minerals and ferrous notes, it captures the true character of Serralunga. Its bouquet shows small berry fruits and cassis, framed by gravel, forest floor, blue flowers and candied orange peel. The wine also has a dusty, mineral note and is very intense both on the nose and on the palate. Ornato starts with finely integrated tannins and an acidity that sustains all these fruit flavours. A wine that is consistently vertical, straightforward and frontal. SUPERIORE.DE

Of all his wines, the flagship Tenuta di Trinoro offers the deepest insight into Andrea Franchetti's viticulture. Andrea changes the proprietary blend of Cabernet Franc and Merlot from limestone and clay soils every year depending on the quality and quantity of the harvest. The grapes are always the best of the vintage. Franchetti's own style is recognisable in each of his wines and with each vintage. The 2020 vintage was the first to be given an additional year of bottle ageing before being released for sale.

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 maturity. 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.

In the autumn of 1988, the owners of two Tuscan wineries sat together over a convivial dinner and began to compare their wines. What began as a friendly gesture led to a discovery: the blending of Capannelle's Sangiovese from Gaiole in Chianti with Avignonesi's Merlot from Montepulciano resulted in an extraordinary harmony. This is how the 50 & 50 – a legend that has endured for over three decades. The two grape varieties are vinified separately: The Merlot undergoes a 20-day maceration at a controlled temperature, while the Sangiovese macerates on the skins for ten days. Both then mature for 18 months each in French barriques before being blended into a perfect unit.

"This is our flagship wine, a Barolo recognised the world over, which we have always nourished and cared for with greatest respect. Nothing will change. This is why I will dedicate this special wine to my grandchildren Alessia and Stefano. From now on, it will carry their names." Luciano Sandrone on his intention to rename his world-famous Barolo Cannubi Boschis "Aleste" with the 2013 vintage. This Barolo is a masterpiece from Luciano Sandrone in every respect. Not only a historic product but also the only cru of the house from the renowned Cannubi area in Barolo. Rich ruby colour, balsamic bouquet, ripe and sweet. Great suppleness on the palate, lots of fruit, dense tannins, very persistent final with Burgundian elegance. SUPERIORE.DE

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.

In 1994, Rita Tua and Virgilio Bisti set aside two barrels of Merlot without realising that they were creating a cult wine that would catapult the winery onto the world stage. The name comes from a small stream that flows close to the vineyards, as inconspicuous as the beginnings of the project itself. Then in 2000 came the sensation: Robert Parker awarded one hundred points, the first ever for an Italian red wine. The Redigaffi became a legend, the epitome of Tuscan Merlot mastery, compared to Pétrus and Masseto – and yet independent, characterised by the metal-rich hills of the Maremma, by loam and clay, by its proximity to the sea ... The vines grow in the centre of the vineyard, where the clay content is highest – where Merlot finds its greatest density. Hand-selected in three passes, only fully ripe grapes. Vinification with long maceration, then eighteen to twenty months in new French barriques, followed by months in the bottle before the wine leaves the estate.