cult wines

So much verve and purity, integration and harmony can be found in the Masseto 2021. Black raspberry, mulberry, a hint of toasted brioche. A beautiful natural sweetness, plus a delicacy and subtlety that is simply beautiful and tantalising. Black biros ink and more and more cedar wood with gentle aeration. Creamy. Essences of petals - with a little more lilac, lily and hyacinth than rose. Then graphite again. A wonderful texture on the finish, as soft and caressing as a million layers (milles feuilles plus!) of silk, but actually with a deeper and richer texture - so more cashmere perhaps than silk. Lively, flowing, dynamic and incredibly juicy. Radiant in its incredible dynamism and energy. Very special and above all endless on the finish. Wow! SUPERIORE.DE

Tenuta Tignanello is located in the heart of Chianti Classico on the gentle hills between the valleys of the Greve and Pesa rivers and comprises 319 hectares of land, of which around 130 are planted with vines. The estate's vineyards include two jewels: Tignanello and Solaia, which are located on the same hill, on calcareous and schistose marl soils of marine origin from the Pliocene, and which benefit from warm days and fresh nights during the growing season. Two wines are produced from these vineyards, which many years ago had the potential to become the starting point of the Italian wine renaissance. Nothing has changed to this day.

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.

An impressive and unforgettable Merlot from the sun-drenched vineyards of the Bolgheri zone near the Mediterranean Sea. It has received lavish praise in the trade press from all over the world. The bouquet combines dark, very ripe fruit and tobacco. Velvety tannins, an ingratiatingly alcoholic character and tremendous persistence are part of its soft taste. SUPERIORE.DE

Some wines already bear their character in their name. Alteni di Brassica: it sounds like old stone walls, like the cool wind that blows through the hills of the Barbaresco region, like wild herbs that grow in the gardens between the vines. And indeed, this Sauvignon Blanc from Angelo Gaja tells exactly that: not of the exoticism of the grape variety, but of the landscape from which it comes.

Barolo Brunate is a powerful and vertical wine, endowed with enormous explosive energy and intensity. Crushed flowers, mint, spices and dried flowers open up in the glass, but it is the energy of the wine that really lifts it into the stratosphere. In the glass, the 2019 is dark, almost sombre, and full of the sepia-coloured nuances that are so typical of this great Barolo vineyard. 2019 is an outstanding vintage for Brunate and the first with organic certification. SUPERIORE.DE

High above the Umbrian hills, where the shadows of Monte Nibbio cast their shadow over the ancient walls of the Castello della Sala, a bird of prey circles over a dream that has been decades in the making. Nibbio – the red kite – gave this mountain its name, and today the most ambitious white wine in the entire Antinori empire bears the same name as the majestic bird of prey that has watched over this spectacular landscape for centuries. It is the story of a man and his vision: Renzo Cotarella, winemaker and CEO of Antinori, was born here in Umbria and for decades cherished a dream that bordered on obsession. While the world celebrated Antinori's Tuscan red wine legends, Renzo saw something else – a terroir on Monte Nibbio that could produce the best white wine in Italy. A bold claim for a region that stands in the shadow of famous Tuscany, but Renzo had to prove it. Not only to himself, but also to Piero Antinori, who remained sceptical for years until he finally capitulated and even gave Nibbio his personal signature as the only wine of the entire Antinori dynasty.

Masseto 2020 combines all the special features of the vintage. Its colour and aromas show optimal concentration both visually and olfactorily and are characterised by a constant liveliness in the glass that does not diminish over time. On the palate, the power of this wine is expressed with a beautiful length and balsamic notes. Its solid tannin structure reveals the ageing potential typical of Masseto. SUPERIORE.DE

After many years of identifying the best Merlot, Cabernet and Petit Verdot parcels within the boundaries of their Bolgheri vineyard with the help of the famous OenologistMichel Rolland, the Antinori family discovered in the early 2000s that there was an even more special microclimate and terroir in the middle of this microclimate, the results of which surpassed those of the larger area. Everyone involved immediately realised that this unique character had to be vinified and highlighted separately - this was the birth of today's cult wine Lodovico.

When the world-famous Oenologist Carlo Ferrini makes his own wine, you can't help but be excited. Here, he has succeeded in creating an interpretation of Sangiovese that brings all his experience from decades of working with this grape variety to the fore as if through a burning glass. The moderate use of wood through ageing in 700-litre tonneaux expresses the clarity and personality of the grape and the unique terroir (there are just 1.5 hectares of the best Brunello sites) in an archetypal way.

Gambero Rosso named the Giodo Brunello 2020 "The best red wine in Italy in 2026", and the reasoning reads like a silent tribute: "The sum of his experience with Sangiovese, his first love." His daughter Bianca Ferrini added what is behind the wine: "It is the first vintage in the new cellar, the first chapter together with my father."

San Walfredo – a Merlot that breathes history. Named after the Antinori family saint, this Bolgheri Superiore not only stands for excellence, but also for a conscious pause in the flow of modernity. The grapes come from a single plot, from an old, gravel-rich strip of alluvial soil near the sea. The combination of intense sunshine, good aeration and broodingsoils produces grapes of rare concentration and balance. The 2019 vintage got off to a cool start with late budding and an ideal growing season. September brought warm days and cool nights – perfect conditions for a balance of ripeness and freshness. The grapes were harvested exclusively by hand, plot by plot. Fermentation took place in conical stainless steel tanks, with a long maceration period, followed by 18 months of maturation in new French barriques and subsequent rest in the bottle.

"Transparent ruby red with a crimson rim. Spicy notes of cloves, allspice, mace and pepper mingle with cherries, laurel and raspberry jelly, currant leaves and floral top notes of orange blossom complete the delight. On the palate, Crichët Pajé presents itself with great calm in a steady flow. Nothing is cheeky or exuberant here, but shines with distinguished elegance - an equilibrium in perfect balance. The aromatically exuberant nose is disciplined on the palate by the long, calm flow of the focussed, cool acidity, on whose shores fully ripe and fine-grained tannins entwine. Silky with an almost aristocratic nobility, its enormous complexity is revealed in the second sip, when the flavours begin to unfold in the epic finish like a massive Win-Zip file. A wine for today, for tomorrow and for many, many years to come. Undisputed world class." Sebastian Bordthäuser (Sommelier und Wein-Journalist)

Siepi has always been more than just a vineyard – it was a vision waiting to be realised. Owned by the Mazzei family since 1435, this mystical place lies amidst dense oak forests near Castellina in Chianti, ten hectares of pure magic on Alberese soils that were already appreciated by the ancient Romans. Paradoxically, the story of Siepi 2023 begins with one of the most challenging vintages in recent history. A mild winter with sparse rainfall and a rainy spring that pushed the Mazzei winegrowers to their limits. And yet, or perhaps precisely because of this, a wine was produced that epitomises the company's philosophy in an impressive way: "Great vineyards shine in difficult vintages."

After many years of identifying the best Merlot, Cabernet and Petit Verdot parcels within the boundaries of their Bolgheri vineyard, the Antinori family and then Lodovico Antinori, with the help of the famous OenologistMichel Rolland, discovered in the early 2000s that there was an even more special microclimate and terroir in the middle of this microclimate and terroir, the results of which surpassed those of the larger area. Everyone involved immediately realised that this unique character had to be vinified and highlighted separately - this was the birth of today's cult wine Lodovico and the Tenuta del Nicchio, which is now run by Lodovico and his daughter Sophia. SUPERIORE.DE

After many years of identifying the best Merlot, Cabernet and Petit Verdot parcels within the boundaries of their Bolgheri vineyard, the Antinori family and then Lodovico Antinori, with the help of the famous OenologistMichel Rolland, discovered in the early 2000s that there was an even more special microclimate and terroir in the middle of this microclimate and terroir, the results of which surpassed those of the larger area. Everyone involved immediately realised that this unique character had to be vinified and highlighted separately - this was the birth of today's cult wine Lodovico and later the Tenuta del Nicchio, which is now run by Lodovico and his daughter Sophia. SUPERIORE.DE

Deep, full red with a fine sheen. The La Morra edition from Vietti's famous Barolo family convinces with an impressive aroma of red berries, cherries, wild herbs, mint, minerals and rose petals, rounded off with a hint of blood orange. The palate is opulent, full, with fine sweetness and structure, and the multi-layered, long final is accompanied by downright aristocratic tannin. A typical Vietti cru with a lot of class. SUPERIORE.DE

There are wines that become living memories. There are grape varieties that only discover their true calling when they are far from home. And there is sibling love that survives death and becomes immortal in liquid form. Dedicato a Walter is all of this at the same time – above all a 100% Cabernet Franc of such moving purity that it is one of the rarest and most precious treasures not only of Bolgheri, but of Italy as a whole. Walter Allegrini died far too young in 2003, just two years after he had begun to realise the Tuscan dream together with his sister Marilisa. But his spirit lives on in those three magical hectares of the Via Bolgherese vineyard, the most prestigious area of Bolgheri, reverentially known as the "Soprastrada". This extraordinary plantation with south-west exposure at only 56 metres above sea level benefits from Bolgheri's unique microclimate, where salty sea breezes meet the intense exposure of the Tuscan coast. The Cabernet Franc – the noble grape variety that traditionally ensures elegance and finesse in Bordeaux blends – finds the ideal conditions here to develop completely independently and in its purest form.

Lodovico Antinori has always been the creative force behind Tenuta di Biserno in Bibbona. In 2018, however, he started a new project called Tenuta del Nicchio with his daughter Sophia Antinori. The winery has 12 hectares of vineyards near Bolgheri and two hectares near the village of Castagneto Carducci. Il Nicchio (debut vintage 2021) is by no means just Lodovico's "second wine". It is inspired by the magnificent St. Emilion Cheval Cheval Blanc and is mainly made from Cabernet Franc. This grape variety thrives on the complex soils of the region, which consist of silt and alluvial sand with a high clay content. Just a hint of estate Merlot is added to create a wine with a character all of its own.

At the end of the 1980s, Luca Sanjust planted the first Merlot clones in the clay-rich soils of Feriale, unaware that he would create a legend. The name Galatrona – once the dominion of the Tuscan dynasty, whose medieval watchtower towers over the ten-hectare vineyard – was to become synonymous with Italian Merlot perfection. "Le Pin of Tuscany", as Wine Spectator calls it, but at a fraction of the price of this mythical Pomerol. The 50,000 vines on southeast-facing terraces combine Bordeaux genetics with Tuscan soul. Clay stores the moisture that Merlot needs in the hot summers, while slate, marl and sandstone provide the mineral complexity.

Brunello di Montalcino by Poggio di Sotto is an explosive wine, full and dark. Black cherries, menthol, spices and freshly tanned leather are just some of the diverse aromas. The palate is dense, enveloping and fantastically flowing. Accentuated acidity, perfectly integrating the tannins, finishes on notes of ripe stone fruit, leather and mushrooms. An absolutely fascinating, sublime wine (for the advanced) at the highest level. SUPERIORE.DE

"Sassicaia really was our house wine back then," says Priscilla Incisa della Rocchetta, daughter of the president of San Guido, Marquis Nicolò Incisa della Rocchetta. "It was more of a wine experiment that was only tested within the family and among friends, until we went on the market for the first time with the 1968 vintage. Today, this wine is all about elegance and balance. We like this style, which is not so much about the body. Sassicaia is a good representative of what we want to convey as a style."

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

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.