Decanter

Bright silver-grey with a persistent, finesse-rich perlage. A wonderful nose of white flowers and light-coloured fruit. Full, broad and creamy elegance on the palate, supported by a delicate interplay of sweetness and acidity. A very expressive and sensual Prosecco Superiore from the top Cartizze vineyard. SUPERIORE.DE

For over 60 years, the Produttori del Barbaresco have stood for an uncompromising commitment to quality, supported by over 50 winegrowers who contribute their finest grapes from Barbaresco, Neive and Treiso to the cooperative. The Barbaresco 2022 is a prime example of collective precision and classic style: the Nebbiolo grapes come from selected municipal vineyards, some of which border the crus, on limestone and clay-rich soils. Vinification was carried out using traditional methods: extended maceration, ageing for 24 months in large Slavonian oak barrels, followed by a further period of rest in the bottle.

In 1996, Elisabetta Geppetti bought a slope near Pereta. She named it Poggio Valente – the valiant hill, the brave hill. A name that says it all. The site lies at 280 metres, facing south-west, on sandy soils over sandstone rocks with clay inlays – a soil that gives the Sangiovese precision and elegance rather than weight and vigour. Elisabetta wanted something different here: a single-varietal Sangiovese cru in the Burgundian style, a wine that speaks its vineyard and nothing else. In 2014, she made a consistent decision: Poggio Valente left the Morellino appellation and has since appeared as a Toscana IGT. Not a step backwards – quite the opposite. A statement. This wine is bigger than its designation of origin, and Elisabetta did not want the lack of international recognition of an appellation to limit its ambition.

When Brigitte and Bruno Widmer bought the abandoned Brancaia estate near Castellina in Chianti in 1981, nobody could have guessed that this would become one of the defining wineries of modern Tuscany. The very first vintage in 1983 took first place in a blind tasting – the beginning of a success story that daughter Barbara Widmer is continuing today as a qualified Oenologist. The entire winery has been certified organic since 2019, a consistent development of the philosophy that has always applied here: no compromises. The Riserva combines the best Sangiovese lots from both Chianti Classico estates – brancaia in Castellina and Poppi in Radda – supplemented by twenty per cent Merlot. The sites between 230 and 400 metres above sea level bring together different soil structures: Clay in Castellina, sandy loam with a stony skeleton in Radda.

1992 was the last vintage of Boscarelli's first Riserva era. This was followed by a break of almost two decades – this was not a period of inactivity, but a lot of work and research: replanting the historic vineyards, selecting clones, researching the climatic variations of the Cervognano terroir. It was not until 2010, when the young vines of the autochthonous new plantings first showed the complexity that had been awaited, that the Riserva returned. Just like in the 1970s and 80s: exclusively from indigenous grape varieties. Prugnolo Gentile and Colorino. Vines over 20 years old from the historic core of the Boscarelli vineyards in Cervognano – calcareous, alluvial sandy soils with silt, clay, minerals and a rich stone skeleton that varies depending on the location and altitude. 6,500 vines per hectare.

The name Deimassi comes from the large stone blocks that make up the terrace wall that supports the vineyard. These were dug out of the ground during the preparatory work for the planting in 2008. The large stones and the friable clay still mark this small parcel of land, originally intended for the production of Brunello di Montalcino, the results of which are now being marketed without the longer ageing period prescribed for Brunello.

When Franco Pola bottled the first bottle of his Barbaresco Bordini in 1970, he not only marked the beginning of a family history, but also set an example of the bond between people and the vineyard that has endured for generations. The vineyard bears the same name as the street on which the estate stands – Via Bordini 15 – and this geographical coincidence holds a deeper truth: Here, where the winery building looks directly out onto the south-east-facing slope, family and terroir are inextricably intertwined. On sandy limestone-clay soil, 280 metres above sea level, Nebbiolo vines aged between 50 and 60 years are rooted – one hectare of which is even over 70 years old and ungrafted, a living link to the time when Franco's father, Secondo, still ran the estate as a farm.

"Courageous, headstrong, rebellious" – is how Arianna Occhipinti describes the wine that most resembles her. Frappato, this quintessentially Sicilian grape variety of rural origins, is rooted here in calcareous sandy soils at the foot of the Monti Iblei. Forty-year-old vines near Vittoria, at an altitude of 280 metres, cultivated biodynamically. The winemaking process follows the rhythm of nature: spontaneous fermentation in concrete, thirty days" contact with the skins, then fourteen months" ageing in large Slavonian oak barrels. Bottled unfiltered, the wine retains its vibrant authenticity.

Pinot Grigio can be many things. With Dessimis, it is one thing above all else: itself. Gianfranco Gallo realised early on that this grape variety only reveals its full character if it is given the maceration time it deserves – and if the result is not pressed immediately. Dessimis is produced from two separate plots covering nine hectares in Mariano del Friuli, on shallow, gravelly soils with inclusions of iron and aluminium oxide, which give the soil its characteristic reddish hue and the wine its mineral structure. Extended contact with the skins – not an 'orange wine', but a deliberate extraction of colour, aroma and texture. This is followed by nine months' ageing on the lees in steel tanks, with no oak and no intervention. Further months are spent in the bottle.

Montalcino is a hill. To be more precise: a single large cone of limestone, marl, slate and sand that rises above the Val d'Orcia – exposed to the north, south-east and south-west, characterised by three completely different climates. Most of the producers in the appellation have access to one of these slopes. Val di Suga has all three. Vigna del Lago in the north-west, Poggio al Granchio in the south-east, Vigna Spuntali in the south-west. Three soils, three microclimates, three characters – and a single winery that unites them all under one roof. The basic Brunello is the result of this unique position: a cuvée from all three sites that does not aim for simplification, but for synthesis. Fermentation takes eight to twelve days at a controlled temperature, with maceration lasting a further two to three weeks. Maturation in traditional 50-hectolitre Slavonian oak barrels for 24 months, followed by six months in concrete and then the bottle. The 2021 vintage brought a late frost in April – the harvest was reduced, the quality concentrated. A dry summer without extreme heat, a long, even autumn. The Consorzio and a jury of eight Masters of Wine agreed on three words to characterise the vintage: fragrant, precise, vertical.

When Luciano and Luca Sandrone first laid eyes on the concave hillside of Valmaggiore in the 1990s, it was love at first sight. It was not just the history that captivated them – in the 19th century, the Nebbiolo grapes from this vineyard dictated the price for the entire region – but above all the unique combination of sandy soils and the microclimate of this natural amphitheatre. In Vezza d'Alba, on the left bank of the Tanaro in the Roero, lies this south-facing single vineyard with extremely steep slopes, where soft sandy soils lend the Nebbiolo that finesse and elegance for which the Roero region is famous.

The Colline Metallifere – the Metalliferous Hills – take their name from what people have been extracting from the ground here for thousands of years: copper, iron and silver. An ancient mining landscape, part of the UNESCO Geopark since 2024, set amongst volcanic and limestone soils that bear witness to three million years of geological history. 500 metres above sea level, in the Alta Maremma, Demeter biodynamic. Elisabetta Foradori – the woman who brought Teroldego back to life in Trentino – founded Ampeleia together with Giovanni Podini and Thomas Widmann, because they believed that this place, with Cabernet Franc, could express something it has never expressed elsewhere.

1172 – the year in which Volpaia is first mentioned in documents. A small, fortified borgo on a hill north of Radda in Chianti, built as a border fortress between Florence and Siena. Today it is a jewel of peace and beauty and one of the most historic wine villages in Tuscany. Here, where soldiers once stood guard, the Stianti-Mascheroni families now press their grapes within the medieval walls. The bottles mature in the vaults of old churches and almost every cellar contains a tank of organic wine. An entire village dedicated to viticulture. So complete that it becomes poetic again. The Riserva is made from 100% Sangiovese from vineyards between 400 and 600 metres above sea level. One of the highest wineries in the region. Up here, where the air is thin and the nights are cool, Sangiovese develops the elegance and minerality that makes Volpaia so distinctive. Sandstone, clay and sandy-loamy soils with a high proportion of skeleton. Manual harvest in the second half of September, temperature-controlled vinification, then 24 months in French and Slovenian oak barrels.

Elena Fucci's exceptional wine, Titolo, is built to last. It will continue to develop steadily for at least the next 20 years, which is why it is a real delight when fully matured, particularly in magnum format. Dark ruby red in colour, with aromas of ripe red fruits and a subtle woody spice on the nose. Blended with remarkable precision, the wine offers balanced intensity and a lovely degree of fruit purity, which speaks both for the Aglianico grape and for the extreme terroir from which it originates. Titolo impresses with its fine texture and elegantly integrated tannins. This is a masterful expression of Aglianico, just as we love it. SUPERIORE.DE

Massolino's Barbaresco is the quintessence of finely balanced terroir: Nebbiolo grapes from the Starderi, Albesani and Serraboella cru sites mature together to create a complex yet transparent wine. The 2022 vintage provided a balanced climate – warm days and cool nights – which harmoniously blends freshness, finesse and aromatic richness. The colour in the glass is a medium garnet red with bright reflections. The nose exudes a velvety elegance of red fruits, violets, delicate lavender, spicy notes, crushed rock and a hint of orange peel – pure, lively fragrance with contoured clarity. A medium body full of energy unfolds on the palate: silky tannins, lively acidity and polished, mineral tension are the carriers of a fruit-emphasised depth. The finish lingers for a long time – intensely floral, spicy and with vibrant freshness. SUPERIORE.DE

Pas Dosé – here, the dosage that is normally added is omitted; this dosage, applied after disgorging, determines not only the sugar content but also the style of the sparkling wine that has fermented in the bottle. Instead, the volume naturally lost during the years of bottle ageing is replaced by other wines from the estate, which do not, however, further affect the sugar content. The result is an extremely dry sparkling wine that is by no means lacking in body, character or finely nuanced flavours.

Monica Raspi remembers: "I took my first steps as a winemaker in the Omino vineyard. The grapes grown here produce the wine that is the absolute benchmark for my very personal interpretation of the Sangiovese grape."

Vigna Crivelli is one of the most renowned white wine vineyards in the South Tyrolean Unterland. Named after Count Crivelli, a leading member of an ancient noble family from Margreid, the Chardonnay thrives here on alluvial soils of fine sand with silt and clay deposits under ideal conditions. The unique microclimate of this single vineyard is characterised by strong downdrafts from the Fennberg and the daily southerly wind, the ‘Ora’, which ensures perfect aeration of the grapes. The marked day-night temperature fluctuations allow for a long ripening period with optimal aroma development. The vines are planted on low-growth rootstocks and trained using the Guyot system.

This Riserva is only made available each year in very small quantities to hand-picked specialist retailers and top restaurants. Brilliant ruby red colour. Fine raspberry and floral notes dominate the spicy nose. Very juicy on the palate, tannins and acidity are well integrated. Riecines Riserva has length and suppleness right through to the long fruity finish. The elegance and fine melting texture are impressive. Once again, this is Sangiovese at the top level that Riecine is known for! SUPERIORE.DE

Rosso del Conte was Sicily's first answer to the question of whether the island could produce wines of international standing and longevity. Conte Giuseppe posed this question in 1970 – and the answer has been contained in every bottle produced on the high hills of Tenuta Regaleali ever since. The grapes – Nero d'Avola, Perricone and a small proportion of other varieties grown on the estate – ripen at an altitude of 480 metres, facing south-southeast, on loamy-sandy, slightly calcareous soil, trained using the Alberello system. Hand-harvested, traditionally fermented in stainless steel at a controlled temperature, 20 days on the skins, 18 months in new French barriques.

Feudo di Mezzo is one of the most prestigious contrade on the northern slope of Mount Etna, a place where viticulture and volcanic rock have had a symbiotic relationship for centuries. At an altitude of around 600 metres, old Nerello Mascalese vines take root here in porous, ferrous ash, interspersed with lava boulders and basalt veins – a soil that gives the wine finesse, tension and depth. Alta Mora is Cusumano's ambitious project on Etna, and Feudo di Mezzo epitomises this vision: single-varietal, rigorously selected, with maximum focus on origin and character. The 2019 vintage on Mount Etna was characterised by elegance: a cool spring followed by a long, dry summer with cool nights. The grapes ripened slowly and harmoniously, with fine phenolic ripeness and a balanced acidity structure. After manual harvesting, fermentation took place with gentle maceration, followed by 12 months of maturation in French tonneaux and a long period of rest in the bottle.