Decanter

XVII – the Roman seventeen honours the century in which the Rizzardi family acquired its first vineyards in Negrar in 1678. Since then, the house has cultivated the best vineyards in the Classico zone – pojega, Calcarole, Rovereti – on calcareous clay soils in the hills above the plain. Corvina and Corvinone form the backbone of this cuvée, with Rondinella, Merlot and Croatina providing the accents. Bright purple red in the glass. Shadow cherry and black pepper on the nose, with a hint of cherry blossom and Mediterranean herbs. Round and juicy on the palate, with an invigorating freshness and an earthy, herbal finish. Proof that Valpolicella has depth and character even without Appassimento – and an ideal introduction to the world of Guerrieri Rizzardi. SUPERIORE.DE

In 1900, Cleto Chiarli travelled to Paris. In his luggage: bottles of his Lambrusco, fermented using the traditional method – fermentation in the bottle, no intervention, no dosage. The jury at the World Exhibition awarded him the "Mention Honorable". A century later, *Wine Spectator* selected the Fondatore for its Top 100 Wines of the World. The secret lies in the method. Whilst the market favours the Charmat method, Chiarli 1860 continues to use the *Metodo Ancestrale* for the Fondatore, with the second fermentation taking place in the bottle. This is followed by six months' ageing on the lees. No dosage. The result is a Lambrusco whose vintages can be traced back – and which reveals what this wine tasted like long before anyone had the idea of making it sweet.

Full-bodied yet refreshing – this is how Peter Zemmers’ Chardonnay from the finest vineyards around Kurtinig in South Tyrol’s Unterland region presents itself. The vines, grafted onto low-growth rootstocks and trained using the Guyot system, benefit from their favourable location in the valley floor, ideal sunlight and good air circulation around the grapes. The hand-picked grapes are left to macerate on their skins for a few hours in a cool place before pressing – a step that transfers the fruity aromas from the skins into the must and intensifies the bouquet. Following gentle pressing and natural sedimentation, fermentation takes place at a controlled temperature of 19 °C in stainless steel tanks.

"Vecchia Modena" has appeared on this label for over a century and misleads anyone who takes it literally. Chiarli is thus paying homage to the historic branding with which the house made its debut in Paris and Brussels around 1900 – it is not an indication of age. In the glass, it displays the opposite of age: a pale salmon-pink colour, as Sorbara produces very little pigment in the grape skins. This is accompanied by notes of redcurrant, wild strawberry, sour cherry and a hint of pomegranate. With 8.5 grams of acidity, the wine possesses a vibrancy one would hardly expect in a red wine; the effervescence remains fine and lingers for a long time. 100% Lambrusco di Sorbara from the Vigneto Sozzigalli vineyard, short maceration, slow 'prise de mousse' in a closed fermentation tank. Served chilled at eight degrees, it is the perfect counterpart to culatello, Parmigiano Reggiano and zampone – dry, juicy and pleasantly tart on the finish. SUPERIORE.DE

The Riserva version of the famous "Tralcetto" is a modern expression of Montepulciano from Abruzzo – powerful and dense, yet always distinct in style. The 2021 vintage was selectively harvested by hand and, following traditional maceration, aged for nine months in large wooden casks, which lends the wine structure and depth.

An integral part of Piedmont's wine culture and arguably one of Italy's most underrated wines with DOCG status: the distinctly sparkling Brachetto d'Acqui is a pale ruby red (with a cherry-red head). The bouquet is highly aromatic, with notes of nutmeg, rose and violets. The flavour is exceptionally elegant, reminiscent of strawberries; it is round and finely balanced between a mild sweetness and a fruity, very refreshing tartness. SUPERIORE.DE

A wine like an ecosystem: Misto Mare is no ordinary white wine, but a polyphonic ode to nature from the Alois Lageder winery. The blend combines grapes from over 14 white and red grape varieties grown in organically or biodynamically managed vineyards that are currently in the process of transitioning to organic certification. The grapes come from a wide range of altitudes across South Tyrol – a reflection of the region's diversity, captured in a single wine. The name draws on the region's geological past: around 200 million years ago, South Tyrol was covered by a primeval sea. Today, vines grow on what was once the seabed, their complexity evoking the former depths and the intricate balance of marine ecosystems.

Since the 16th century, the Allegrini family has been one of the driving forces behind Valpolicella. Then, at some point, the desire arose to produce a white wine from Lake Garda. The Tenuta Oasi Mantellina in Pozzolengo – on the southern shore of Lake Garda, in the province of Brescia – became their answer. The name reflects what this patch of land is: a natural oasis, rich in biodiversity, swept by the breezes of Lake Garda, set on clay-rich moraine soils that give the Turbiana its characteristic minerality. 96% Turbiana (Trebbiano di Lugana), 4% Cortese, hand-harvested in September, gentle pressing, stainless steel, four months on the fine lees, two months in bottle.

In the 1820s, wine merchants knew three Bardolino crus that existed in Switzerland's grand hotels alongside Burgundy and Beaujolais. In 1968, they were lost in the DOC regulations. They have been back since 2021 – and Montebaldo, the northernmost and highest subzone on the foothills of Monte Baldo, is perhaps the most exciting. Guerrieri Rizzardi's response to this rediscovery: 95 per cent Corvina – the highest percentage the winery has ever bottled –supplemented by a touch of Rondinella, vinified completely without wood. This is not a concession to light summer enjoyment. It is a statement about transparency: the grape speaks exclusively here, and the moraine soil of Cavaion gives it a resonance chamber.

Whilst Andreola's Rive wines each bring a single vineyard to the glass, the Dirupo tells a different story: that of the entire Denominazione. For this Brut, Stefano Pola draws on the privilege of a network of vineyards stretching across all 15 municipalities of the Valdobbiadene DOCG – from gentle slopes at 200 metres to the extremely steep slopes at 500 metres, on calcareous marl, sandstone, conglomerates and deep clay soils. No other wine from the estate reflects the territory so fully. The choice of grape varieties underlines this approach: 90% Glera, complemented by Bianchetta and Perera – two indigenous varieties of the hills that have long since disappeared from standard Prosecco and which, as quiet contributors here, enrich the aromatic depth.

In the 16th century, Ludovico Ariosto had the knights of the House of Mongrana ride through fantastical landscapes in Orlando Furioso – adventurous, freedom-loving, always ready to set off. The hippogriff, the winged hybrid creature that carries one beyond all boundaries, is the symbol of this epic. Querciabella has featured both on the label of its Maremma project: the name, the creature, the ethos. Since 1997, Querciabella has been cultivating vineyards in Banditella near Alberese – right on the Tuscan coast, where sea breezes, salty air and sandy soils shape the Mediterranean character of the wine. 100% Vermentino, 20,000 bottles, organically farmed. Fermentation in small concrete and steel tanks, carried out gently and precisely. The 2025 vintage saw a balanced spring and cool nights, which slowed ripening, preserved acidity and concentrated the aromas.

The Bertolino family has been producing this Nebbiolo for over 50 years – and old adverts from the early years show what has never changed: deep ruby red, delicate violet perfume, a wine that was intended from the outset as a storage wine. Not as a substitute for Barolo, but as an independent statement about a grape variety that appears in many guises in Piedmont. The grapes come from Castellinaldo in the Roero – the area west of the Tanaro, which is known for its particularly elegant Nebbioli. Here, on sandier, calcareous soils, the Nebbiolo develops a finesse and accessibility that distinguishes it from the more structured Barolo style. Hand-picked in crates, last week of October. Maceration in steel at a controlled temperature. Then 18 months in 25-hectolitre oak barrels, followed by further bottle ageing before release.

A Chianti Classico born of the fusion of centuries-old tradition and modern winemaking techniques: Organically farmed since the 1980s, the vineyards of Monti in Chianti and Vitignano (situated slightly below) – with their clay-loam and limestone soils – strive for character and balance. The vines (90% Sangiovese, complemented by a little Colorino, Canaiolo and Ciliegiolo) are planted at altitudes ranging from 250 m to 330 m above sea level.

The ‘120’ in the name refers to the number of days: exactly 120 days of ageing on the fine lees following the second fermentation in the autoclave. In the Charmat method, this is unusual – a level of patience more commonly associated with the Metodo Classico, but which has been deliberately applied to Prosecco here. The name La Rivetta refers to Villa Sandi’s most famous location: its own vineyard in Cartizze, the Grand Cru of Valdobbiadene. The 120 does not come from Cartizze – but from the surrounding hills of San Pietro di Barbozza, on morainic soils with calcareous sandstone and clay. 100% Glera, hand-harvested, maximum yield 120 Doppelzentner per hectare. Gentle whole-bunch pressing, controlled fermentation at 15–16 °C – followed by the aforementioned 120 days.

A brilliant ruby red characterises this Chianti Classico from Tenuta Perano near Gaiole, the Frescobaldi family's first estate in the appellation's historic heartland. The vines grow at an altitude of 500 metres in a natural, south-west-facing amphitheatre that exposes the grapes to the sun evenly. Following fermentation in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks with carefully managed pumping-over, the Sangiovese – blended with other grape varieties – matures for twelve months in barriques and stainless steel tanks.

Some wines are historical records. The 26° Primo is both: a wine and a historical record in one. The name commemorates the 26th year since the founding of Azienda Agricola Andreola: 2009, when Nazzareno Pola handed the estate over to his son Stefano and, at the same time, the appellation achieved DOCG status. A wine that serves as a baton passed between generations, between an ancient winemaking tradition and its modern aspirations. The grapes come from the estate's oldest core holding: around four hectares of steep slopes in Col San Martino, the village in the southernmost part of the hills between Vidor and Vittorio Veneto, where Andreola has had its roots since its foundation. The vineyards lie at altitudes of 300 to 500 metres, partly on limestone conglomerate soils and partly on limestone-rich marl, interspersed with centuries-old Glera vines and small proportions of indigenous varieties such as Bianchetta, Perera and Verdiso. The slopes are so steep that all work must be carried out by hand.

One of southern Italy's most distinctive white wines comes from the high-altitude vineyards around Tufo – in the Cutizzi Riserva, the Greco di Tufo reveals itself to be particularly elegant and brooding. The mineral-rich volcanic soils, the cool nights at an altitude of 500 to 600 metres above sea level and the selective harvest all contribute to the distinctive profile of this exceptional white wine. In the glass, it is a pale golden-yellow with silvery highlights. The bouquet reveals a dense yet focused bouquet: ripe yellow citrus, nectarine, green fennel and a hint of wet chalk. On the palate, it is crisp and structured, with a salty freshness and a creamy texture imparted by ageing on the fine lees. The finish features a subtle hint of almond and a delicate, almost austere mineral edge.

Refrontolo lies on the eastern edge of the Denominazione – quieter, warmer, and a shade cooler than the steep slopes of the core zone. The Col del Forno vineyard is a natural amphitheatre covering around four hectares at an altitude of 250 metres, nestled between woods and terraced slopes. Andreola acquired the plot in 2016 – and from the very start, the wine has been one of the most compelling in the entire Rive range. What distinguishes Refrontolo from Col San Martino is not quality, but character. The clay-marl soils, featuring karst formations dating from before the last Ice Age, reliably retain moisture – ensuring a stable water supply for the vines even in dry years. Temperatures are slightly higher than in the western part of the appellation, meaning ripening begins earlier. The result is not wines of intense floral character, but Glera with a rich, ripe fruitiness: hawthorn, wisteria, apple, peach and yellow citrus fruits – a warmer, more complex spectrum of aromas.

In May, when the iris – known as "giaggiolo" in Tuscan – bathes the vineyards of Lamole in a violet glow, the soul of this wine is revealed. The name Maggiolo was born from the fusion of 'flower' and 'month': a Chianti Classico that captures the sunny generosity of the high-altitude vineyards, situated between 420 and 655 metres, in liquid form. Unlike the purist Duelame, the Maggiolo relies on a blend of 80% Sangiovese with 10% each of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Following visual selection of the grapes, they are fermented separately in stainless steel. The Sangiovese matures for 18 months in large oak casks, whilst the international varieties are aged in barriques; a marriage of structure and suppleness.

Elisabetta Geppetti has dedicated this Rosato to a woman who came before her: Rosa Mati – the first in the family to believe in the Maremma when others were still turning a blind eye. A woman who invested when this wild coastal landscape in south-western Tuscany was not yet a wine-growing region in the modern sense. That belief was the beginning of everything that Le Pupille is today. And the wine that bears her name is Elisabetta Geppetti's most personal creation – unchanged in its conviction since the first vintage in 2002: 100% Syrah, as a rosé. This is not an obvious choice. In the Maremma, Syrah is primarily known as a powerful red wine. Turning it into a rosé – transparent, fresh, elegant – requires precision.

Pèppoli is an entertaining, very relaxed red wine with a firm fan base. A sparkling, intense ruby colour with a slight garnet hue. The Pèppoli expresses its strong personality through its bouquet of ripe fruit with light mineral accents. The juicy flavour with lively tannins spreads gently yet powerfully across the palate and lingers for a long time. Very easy to drink, very classic and, incidentally, excellent value! SUPERIORE.DE