Doctor Wine | 95-100 points

The year was 1090, the year in which Leif Erikson discovered North America, the Chinese discovered gunpowder and Pope Urban II conquered Jerusalem. On that day, the notary Bellundo recorded a contract in the Siena state archives: two capons, three loaves of bread and six coins of good silver as an annual lease for a vineyard in the divine valley of Dievole. "Dio vuole" – god wants it. This is the etymological root of this name, which has symbolised the special connection between man and nature in this corner of Tuscany for over nine centuries.

Count Giuseppe Tasca d'Almerita created the first expression of the highest quality and longevity in Sicilian viticulture in 1970 with the Rosso del Conte – a wine that changed the oenological future of the island forever. The grapes come from the Vigna San Lucio, Regaleali's first large vineyard, born in 1959 at an altitude of 480 metres with a south-south-easterly exposure, where Nero d'Avola and Perricone have thrived in harmonious symbiosis for generations. The vines grow in the Alberello system, the oldest form of cultivation in the Mediterranean, on yellow-brown, loamy-sandy soils with calcareous inclusions. A philosophy of perfection that has developed over five decades through various ageing methods: from the original chestnut barrels to Slavonian oak and today's French barriques.

The project aims to highlight the link between the vines, the wines and their territorial origins. The Mastroberardino family wants to recreate the style of winemaking of the indigenous grape varieties of Irpinia (Greco, Fiano and Aglianico) that took place between the late 1950s and early 1970s for the Taurasi and between 1970 and 1980 for the two white wines from Irpinia. It is the unmistakable style (the stilèma) of a family that has interpreted the natural heritage of its territory over generations and that today impressively emphasises the genuine character of the terroir, which by no means can be expressed through high concentration and intensity alone.

Tasca became involved in Etna at an early stage and the latest result of these years of experience are four single-vineyard red wines from the Tascante estate: Contrada Rampante, Pianodario, Sciaranuova and Sciaranuova Vigna Vecchia (V.V.). The Sciaranuova parcel is located at an average altitude of 730 metres above sea level between the villages of Montelaguardia and Passopisciaro. It covers an area of approximately 4.9 hectares of vineyards. The soils are of volcanic origin and up to 40,000 years old.

Maneo – i stay, I wait. What sounds like a silent promise in Latin becomes a philosophy at Enrico Serafino: this Gavi only leaves the winery five years after the harvest. While other Cortese wines have long since been drunk, the Maneo matures quietly – first on its fine lees in stainless steel, then in the bottle until time has done its work. The grapes come from the best parcels in the heart of the appellation, where clay and limestone-rich soils with a low pH value give the Cortese the tension that distinguishes it from the pleasing everyday white. Vinification follows the credo of maximum care: hand-picking, sorting on a vibrating table, cooling with carbonic acid snow to prevent oxidation. The grapes are gently pressed and some of the grapes are left to macerate overnight at cool temperatures – a touch of extraction that gives the wine substance without jeopardising its elegance.

The roots of this story go deeper than any memory: the vines are over 80 years old and have been bearing silent witness in the warm alluvial soils of Gries for generations. Here, where thirty visionary winegrowers laid the foundations for a legend in 1908, the masterpiece that has long since become the undisputed icon of South Tyrolean winemaking is produced year after year: Taber Lagrein Riserva. It is a wine that epitomises time. Time in the old vines, which at an altitude of just 250 metres transform the extreme temperature fluctuations between hot days and cool nights into pure concentration. Time in the patient manual labour that selects only the finest grapes for this exceptional Riserva. And time for ageing, where after traditional wooden barrel fermentation, a whole year of ageing in French barriques awaits completion.

Renaissance – the name says it all. Markus Prackwieser leaves it to historians to decide whether Leonardo da Vinci, Botticelli or Michelangelo were wine lovers. But their universal genius inspires him: only in the very best years, when all the factors are in perfect harmony, does he create these artistic wines – masterpieces that shine with versatility and finesse. The Sauvignon Blanc Riserva Renaissance represents this philosophy in its purest form. The grapes grow on calcareous moraine soils over quartz porphyry at an altitude of 400 to 550 metres, where Mediterranean warmth prevails during the day and cool Dolomite winds provide crystalline freshness at night. After a short maceration and gentle pressing, the wine ferments completely in tonneau. Then comes the decisive step: twelve months of ageing in large oak barrels on the first lees, followed by a further ten months in steel tanks on the fine lees. This patient maturation gives the wine that extra mellowness and finesse that sets it apart from all others.

This impressive red comes from the single vineyard "Vitticciana", which was created by the "Godfather of Carmignano" Ugo Contini Bonacossi especially for a pure Sangiovese wine due to its perfect orientation. It is only produced in the best years, when it presents itself as a multi-layered wine with fine fruit and fine-grained tannins. After a few years of ageing in the bottle, it can easily hold its own with some of the best Brunello di Montalcino. SUPERIORE.DE

The Rizzardi family has been cultivating the hills of Pojega in the heart of Negrar since 1649. What began as a vineyard became, over generations, a place where landscape and wine become inseparable – the famous Giardino, the Teatro di Verzura, the villa itself. From the south-facing plots of this historic cru comes an Amarone Riserva that is only produced in vintages deemed worthy of the family. However, the fact that 2020 is one of them is anything but self-evident. Because 2020 was a testing year. Sunny spring, heavy summer rains, heat and coolness in constant alternation – valpolicella demanded experience and sensitivity. The old Corvinone vines in Pojega in particular, late-ripening and deeply rooted in the chalky clay, produced grapes of unusual concentration from the climatic contradiction. On its centenary, the Consorzio spoke of wines with "strong personality and remarkable balance" – at Villa Rizzardi, this hits the nail on the head.

The grapes for the rare Naturalis Historia come from a 50-year-old vineyard located 400 metres above sea level with deep, sandy soils of volcanic origin in Mirabella. Deep, sparkling dark red colour. Redcurrant, sweet spices and aromas of dark plums and red cherries on the nose. Perfectly structured on the palate with well-balanced pressure and a full body that is never broad, but fresh, supple and very agile, leading to a harmonious, long-lasting final. An outstanding Aglianico that is already delicious to drink now, but will also age wonderfully. SUPERIORE.DE

The dark, seductive Cabernet Franc Poggio de' Colli takes its time in the glass and slowly awakens with a blend of redcurrants, peppery roses, exotic curries and a slight hint of musk that lends it gravitas. Velvety soft yet refined. Aristocratic and cool on the palate, with a powerful wave of tart raspberry fruit that feeds the palate with savoury spices and mineral notes. Leaves a layer of fine tannins and a hint of berry concentration on the final, which tapers off savoury, long and perfectly balanced. A radiant wine that will only reveal its full beauty in a few years. SUPERIORE.DE

"Vintage Tunina" has been one of Italy's style-defining cuvées since the 1970s - a white monument that pushes boundaries. Silvio Jermann was one of the first people in Friuli to combine international grape varieties with local grapes and vinify them with Burgundian precision. The blend of Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Ribolla Gialla, Malvasia Istriana and Picolit comes from top-class vineyards near Farra d'Isonzo and Dolegna del Collio, on marl and sandstone soils with a perfect microclimate. The 2022 vintage was characterised by a warm, dry summer and occasional cool nights in August - a combination that ensured optimal ripeness, moderate yields and fine acidity levels.

The Popoli vineyard bears witness to the fact that the Valle Reale plateau has been a wine-growing area since time immemorial. Several rows of this vineyard stretch out in front of the ruins of a cave cellar dating back to 1300. This is where the Benedictine monks from the monastery of San Benedetto in Perillis produced and stored their wine. A small plot of around 1 hectare is dedicated to Trebbiano d'Abruzzo.

Acininobili Bianco Passito is a stunning interpretation of the indigenous Vespaiola grape, offering impressive depth, complexity and personality. It is a superb dessert wine made from grapes that were air-dried for up to 120 days after harvest and developed Botrytis cinerea during the careful appassimento process. Basically, the same Vespaiola grapes are used here that are used for Torcolato. At the end of the drying process, the grapes that have developed noble rot are hand-selected and passed into this precious wine. If the noble rot does not appear, this wine is not made.

More than two centuries ago, Elisa Bonaparte Baciocchi, Princess of Piombino, had something planted on the ferruginous hills above Suvereto that would change this landscape forever: Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon – grape varieties from the Bordelais. The Maremma, still rough and wild at the time, became the testing ground for a woman with a feel for terroir. Francesca Moretti, daughter of Bellavista founder Vittorio, deliberately picks up on this thread with Petra. The name says it all. Petra. Stone. Consistency. 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc, hand-picked from the Vigneto di Petra in San Lorenzo Alto. Limestone soils with the right balance of clay and skeleton, 10 to 15 per cent slope. Fermentation with natural yeasts in large oak vats, ageing for at least 15 months in French barriques – 25 per cent new – followed by at least 17 months in the bottle. The cellar, a structure by Mario Botta, works with gravity: no pumping, no stress.

For two decades, the white indigenous cuvée Biancosesto has represented 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 Fontalloro is a single-varietal Sangiovese that is matured for up to 20 months in new and two-year-old barriques.brilliant ruby colour with a light garnet rim, mineral, woody-fruity aroma of cherry, cedar, blueberry and hazelnut. With aeration, the flavours become increasingly complex and the terroir influence very clear. Compact and very present on the palate with fine-grained tannins and classic proportions. Very high ageing potential and one of the best Sangiovese in central Tuscany every year. SUPERIORE.DE

When Lamole di Lamole acquired this two-hectare cru in 2017, they didn't just take over vines – they took over a legacy. The Sangiovese vines, planted in 1994, grow here in the archaic form of the "Alberello Lamolese", the bush training that generations of winegrowers have wrested from the harsh altitude and which they never wanted to give up. This natural terrace lies between 540 and 580 metres, exposed to the south, buffeted by the wind and flooded with the purest light. The old dry stone walls made of ochre-coloured Macigno Toscano absorb the sun's heat during the day and give it back to the vines at night – a dialogue between stone and plant that has been going on for centuries. As early as 1800, the geographer Emanuele Repetti noted: "Buon vino di Lamole, lodata campagna" – good wine from Lamole, praised landscape. In 2018, the village was declared a "Patrimonio Storico d'Italia". The 2020 – only the third vintage from this vineyard – shows what Gran Selezione can mean. The grapes undergo optical selection, ferment in 50-hectolitre conical barrels with "macerazione differita", mature first in the same containers, then in 30-hectolitre oak barrels. The result? A wine that the winemakers themselves describe as lyrical and beguiling.

With "Capo Martino", Silvio Jermann not only pays tribute to the vineyard of the same name in the municipality of Dolegna del Collio, but also to his father Angelo – and thus to the origins of the family winery. It is a white wine of great cultural depth, a cuvée of indigenous varieties such as Ribolla Gialla, Malvasia Istriana, Picolit and Friulano, complemented by smaller proportions of other traditional varieties. The 2022 vintage was characterised by stable weather conditions with plenty of sunshine, which gave the grapes ripeness and expression – but without losing the typical freshness of the hills around Capo Martino. After the harvest, the grapes are destemmed, gently pressed and fermented spontaneously. Maturation takes place for around a year in large wooden barrels on the fine lees, with each component maturing separately before finally being blended into a cuvée. The result is a wine of quiet complexity and timeless elegance.

The annual production of this boutique winery on Etna is just 9,000 bottles. At an altitude of 950 metres above sea level, the one and a half hectares of vines are divided into eight tiny plots and have been gradually bought up by the well-known Oenologist. The area is planted with Nerello Mascalese bush vines, which have been spared the phylloxera phylloxera and make their way through the lava-covered terraces.

A fruity and graceful Barbaresco. The loamy soils give it a firm backbone and strong tannins.