Doctor Wine | 95-100 points

Nero di Troia was long the well-kept secret of northern Apulia – used in cuvées, rarely in its pure form. Torrevento changed this in 1993: the Vigna Pedale was the first single-varietal Nero di Troia in the world. Since then, it has been the flagship of the winery – and has left the Gambero Rosso with no choice but to award it the highest rating eight times in a row up to the current 2019 vintage.

A bestseller and classic with a reputation: "Duca Sanfelice" is a flagship for the indigenous Gaglioppo grape variety and demonstrates the expressive wines that can be produced from the sun-kissed hills around Cirò. The Riserva comes from old vines on clayey and calcareous soils, vinified in steel tanks and then matured in stainless steel for 24 months. Deep ruby red in colour. Dark cherry, dried plums, herbs, some liquorice and a hint of tobacco on the nose – spicy and Mediterranean flavours. Dry on the palate, with ripe fruit, pithy tannins and balanced acidity. The finish is long, powerful and carried by earthy warmth and fine spice.

The Negroamaro grapes for the extremely delicate Calafuria come from vineyards that stretch along the Adriatic coast in Salento. The region boasts a long tradition of producing rosé wines from Negroamaro, a grape variety that best expresses its potential near the sea. Pale pink in colour, the bouquet has fruity citrus notes of grapefruit and orange blossom with hints of jasmine. Pleasantly fresh on the palate with excellent aromatic persistence and a delicate flavour. SUPERIORE.DE

At the Ebnerhof farm in Atzwang, the Unterthiner family works on sandy marl at an altitude of 500 to 550 metres. The eastern slopes benefit from warm winds from the Bolzano valley basin, while cool downdraughts provide freshness at night – ideal conditions for a Pinot Blanc with substance. After temperature-controlled fermentation in stainless steel tanks, the wine matures on the fine lees, part of it in acacia wood barrels, which gives it additional depth.

A volcanic masterpiece from Sicily's latest wine revolution: since 2023, Etna winegrowers have been allowed to state their specific contrada on the label for the first time – a historic innovation that honours the region's centuries-old understanding of terroir. Planeta's flagship wine from the Contrada Feudo di Mezzo epitomises this new era with impressive clarity. The Planeta family, Sicilian wine pioneers since 1694, reached the northern slopes of Etna in 2008 and immediately recognised the extraordinary potential of the volcanic soils. In Feudo di Mezzo, at an altitude of 610 metres, wines of unique expressiveness are produced on black lava sands and mineral-rich sediments. The winery was built in 2012 on a lava flow dating back to 1566. A symbol of the connection between modern vinification and geological history.

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.

The Serpara is elegant, intense and long-lasting every year. Its grapes come from a single vineyard and the wine matures in a combination of new and used French Allier oak barrels. In the glass, it exudes aromas of blackberries, tobacco, sage, thyme and a hint of smoked meat. It has a soft, almost creamy texture and juicy acids that keep the balance, while ripe black fruits and minerals move effortlessly across the palate. The bold tannins make their presence felt on the final, but are more of an accent that frames the experience well, while hints of dark chocolate and balsamic spices slowly fade away. SUPERIORE.DE

"ColMatìss" is truly no ordinary Sauvignon: it comes from one of the most renowned single vineyards in Tunella in the municipality of Ipplis and owes its name to the barren, limestone-rich marl soil, known as "ponca" in Friuli. The yields are deliberately kept low, the harvest selectively and the wine is matured carefully. Brilliant straw yellow in the glass with a greenish tinge. The bouquet is deep and complex, with fine notes of elderflower, salted lemon, ripe gooseberry, a hint of white pepper and wet stone – a Sauvignon with mineral depth and an expressive profile.

"This wine comes from my family's historic vineyard. It is a wine that is the result of long reflection, study and experimentation, where nothing has been left to chance: Monte Grande is to be my great Soave wine." Graziano Prà

For two decades, the white indigenous cuvée Biancosesto has stood for one of the most original and stylistically distinctive interpretations of the Friulian white wine tradition – a poetic blend of Friulano and Ribolla Gialla from old vineyards around the historic settlement of Sesto al Reghena. The calcareous marl soils (Ponca) and the cool microclimate of the Colli Orientali provide this classic white wine with complexity and finesse every year.

The Vigna del Rolat vineyard – barely two hectares in size – lies on the south-eastern slopes of Monte Quarin. There, where the view extends over the gentle waves of the Collio as far as Slovenia. Here, on the fossilised marl soils of the Ponca, Friulano has been growing for generations. The grape variety that defines the Collio like no other. Dario Raccaro is not a man of big words. His family has been cultivating these slopes since 1928, and nothing has changed in his philosophy over the decades: The vineyard speaks, the winemaker translates. The Vigna del Rolat is considered by connoisseurs to be one of the most important single vineyards in the Collio, and the Friulano produced from it has the class that recently led Daniele Cernilli from Doctor Wine to name it the best white wine in Italy. It is a wine that lingers.

Zanna comes from old vineyards in the best locations around Controguerra. Temperature-controlled fermentation is followed by around two years of ageing in large oak barrels and barriques. Deep ruby red colour in the glass. Black cherry, dried plums, liquorice, leather, tobacco and spices on the nose. Dense on the palate, with ripe fruit, grippy tannins and a long, slightly balsamic finish. A Riserva with a classic style and great development potential. SUPERIORE.DE

Don Luigi Riserva is the distinctive flagship of Di Majo Norante – named after the patriarch of the winery and an expression of deep respect for origin, tradition and passion. Only the ripest Montepulciano grapes are selected from the Contrada Camarda near Ramitello, around 100 - 150 metres above sea level on soils rich in limestone and clay. The wine is produced after a long maceration period and then matures for 12–18 months in French barriques, followed by several months of rest in the bottle – a process that produces both concentration and this impressive harmony.

The Pecorari family's passion for single-varietal wines is best represented by the Pinot Grigio Gris, which is matured for 11 months on the fine lees with bâtonnage. This Pinot Grigio fermented in oak offers an exciting and complex bouquet of white peach, citrus, flint, crushed oyster shells, white rose petals and notes of acacia honey. The well-proportioned acidity, the fresh flavour and the wonderful depth and tension make it easy to see that the Pinot Grigio at Lis Neris occupies an absolutely special position every year. SUPERIORE.DE"Firm, somewhat nutty, planty to herbaceous and hints of mushroomy aromas of yellow fruit with slightly smoky and vanilla wood notes and nuances reminiscent of mussel shells. Polished, firm fruit with melting and some light wood notes, fine acidity, has a grip of ripe tannin, good substance and persistence, certain depth, salty minerality, tobacco, butter and hints of crab meat in the background, very good, animating finish with bite." Wein-Plus"Bright straw yellow colour. Fine reduction on the nose, subtle flint, precious wood and stone fruit. Full-bodied and radiant on the palate, with great juiciness and salinity, powerful, savoury, lingers for a long time, great Pinot Grigio!" Falstaff"It is fresh and mineral with notes of white peaches, flowers and stones. Crisp and juicy with a medium body and a polished, mineral backbone. Tasty finish." James Suckling"The 2021 Pinot Grigio Gris tantalises the senses with an opulent blend of vanilla pods, sweet spices and whole butter complementing ripe apples and pears. It is pleasantly round and silky in flavour, with a core of juicy acidity that balances it out and ripe fruit that plays around it. The balance on the inside is fantastic. The 2021 rejuvenates with a saline mineral note and sour citrus, leaving a youthful inner tension. The oak will need to be integrated a little over the coming years, but I expect that with a little patience an absolutely stunning interpretation will develop." Vinous

The Donna Lisa vineyard is located in the heart of Salice Salentino. The Negroamaro vines are planted in the Pugliese Alberello – the old bush vine training style, which forces each vine to stand on its own. Around 7,000 vines per hectare, on average fifty years old. Those who have been standing in the Salento soil for so long have learnt to make a lot out of a little. Hand-picked at the end of September, maceration at a controlled temperature for at least 13 days, malolactic fermentation, then transferred to French barriques in spring – maturation for around 18 months, followed by at least six months in the bottle.

There are grape varieties that wait in the shade for centuries until their time has come. The Bovale Sardo – called "Muristellu" in the Sardinian dialect – was one such forgotten variety, which was once brought to Sardinia by the Iberians around 1300 and for centuries only served as a blending partner to lend colour and strength to other wines. But sometimes it only takes the courage of a visionary to realise that a treasure lies dormant in a neglected grape. Today, Korem is one of Cantina Argiolas' most important wines and a true pride of Sardinian oenology – a liquid testament to the fact that greatness is often hidden where you least expect it. In the vineyards of Tenuta Sa Tanca, where the Sardinian sun beats down on chalky-clay soils between 250 and 300 metres above sea level, the ancient Bovale vines have found their true destiny. Here, where some vines are still trained using the traditional Alberello system – the Sardinian training system that allows the vines to grow like small trees –produces grapes of exceptional concentration. The Argiolas family even allows them to overripen slightly in order to maximise the aroma density and sugar content before hand-picking begins in the early hours of the morning, when the coolness of the night still preserves the precious aromas.

From the white earth of Noto, between stone walls, olive trees and orange blossom, rises Doppiozeta, a wine that doesn't illustrate south-eastern Sicily, but condenses it. It is one of the two flagships of the Mazzei family's Zisola project - a deep, finely constructed red that gives Nero d'Avola a voice that is rarely heard: concentrated, serious, supple. The vines grow on calcareous soil on a gentle slope just a few kilometres from the sea. Nero d'Avola is clearly in the foreground here, complemented by Syrah and Cabernet Franc - a precisely placed tension between fruit, flavour and structure. The grapes are harvested by hand with the utmost care, fermented in conical stainless steel tanks, after which the wine matures for around 16 months in French oak, with a small proportion in new wood.

Cellole Gran Selezione impresses with its usual elegance and sophistication. Its masterfully balanced flavour profile of wild berry and blackberry with cassis, blueberry and candied rose is fantastic. On closer inspection, the wine reveals orange peel, rosemary and iron ore. It is a silky and elegant wine with some firm tannin, lots of bright fruit and a hint of crisp acidity. Undoubtedly a great wine with great potential! SUPERIORE.DE

Proud single-vineyard Sicilian in a small edition made from 100% Carricante. Fine bouquet of citrus fruits and apricots. Wonderfully juicy fruit on the palate paired with good structure, balanced acidity, fine minerality and appealing length. SUPERIORE.DE

As always, the Cerviolo is excellent: concentrated, with the aroma of red cherry, sweet tobacco, walnut and wild mushroom. Silky and multi-layered on the palate, with balsamic and spicy notes, dense and soft, with absolutely harmonious tannins. A marvellous wine! SUPERIORE.DE

Stylistically balanced, very finesse-rich Chianti Classico Gran Selezione from a small single vineyard (vineyard no. 7) in the Castelnuovo-Berardenga area, where the temperatures are always somewhat higher than in the rest of Chianti Classico. Dark, bright ruby colour. Elegant bouquet of pure Sangiovese of red berries with a very delicate hint of tobacco. Salty on the palate, shows a lot of pressure, very clear, compact fruit, builds up racy with tightly woven tannins; very intense and long finish. SUPERIORE.DE

The grapes for this high-calibre Valpolicella Classico Superiore come from the rather barren, calcareous and terraced vineyards of Tenuta Novare above the Ognisanti church. Wines of greater complexity, perfect structure and higher concentration are produced here than in most other vineyards in Valpolicella. Sparkling ruby-garnet colour. Fragrant nose with wonderful overtones of sour cherry, dried flowers and white pepper. Perfectly balanced on the palate with firm tannins and wonderful spice and depth of fruit thanks to the ageing in wood. A superior, winning wine from the heart of the Valpolicella region. SUPERIORE.DE

Don Antonio is not only a great and powerful wine, it is also a monument. Dedicated to the father of the Morgante family, this Nero d'Avola embodies the quintessence of the passion with which vines have been cultivated in the hills of Grotte for generations. The grapes come from old vines and the best altitudes of up to 500 metres, where day-night temperature fluctuations, limestone soils and the sea breeze favour a Mediterranean but wonderfully developed profile. After temperature-controlled fermentation, the wine is aged for twelve months in French barriques, followed by a further maturation phase in the bottle.

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