Doctor Wine

It all began with friendship and a love of experimentation: in the mid-1980s, when a group of wine lovers led by photographer Silvia Imparato started their first experiments on the family vineyard in the Campania hinterland. One of these friends was Riccardo Cotarella, now one of Italy's most famous Oenologist. In 1991, the first bottle of a wine was produced that would soon go down in history as the "Sassicaia of the South" – a title that Robert Parker awarded it in 1995 and which still resonates today. The winery is located in the Monti Picentini Regional Park near San Cipriano Picentino, just a few kilometres from Salerno. The five hectares of vineyards lie at an altitude of 100 metres in the shadow of a medieval castle, surrounded by oak, chestnut and citrus groves. The medium-textured soil with a high proportion of skeleton, the south-west exposure and the protection of the Picentini mountains create a microclimate in which Mediterranean mildness meets cool nights.

Vintage Tunina is predominantly made from Sauvignon and Chardonnay. There are also small amounts of Ribolla Gialla, Malvasia Istriana and Picolit. Bright golden yellow in colour, the intense, very elegant bouquet shows notes of honey and meadow flowers. Dry, soft, very fruity flavour with excellent persistence, fine spiciness and full body. SUPERIORE.DE

Emanuele Pangrazi is probably Lazio's most ambitious winemaker at the moment. With his extreme planting density and radical yield restriction, he is following a path that is trend-setting for Lazio. After he had fundamentally analysed his terroir and also the climatic conditions, it was clear to him in 2006 that he would plant mainly French grape varieties here according to the principle of the great wines of the Rhone. In addition to his famous Cuvée Habemus (Etichetta Bianca) and the San Giovenale Rosso (assemblage from two vintages of Habemus), he also vinifies four single-varietal Habemus wines, but these are absolutely small.

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."

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.

2018 was another challenging year for classic, natural winemaking. And yet Terra di Lavoro is more classic than ever in this vintage: Dark ruby with violet reflections. Compact, initially closed nose, then the wine opens up with dark tones of blueberry, eucalyptus and liquorice root. Likewise on the palate, restrained at first and only gradually do the seemingly endless layers open up to reveal plenty of fruity notes, a sweet and sour charge of red berries and a beguilingly vinous taste experience. There is no doubt about it, this is the wildly romantic interpretation of a Terra di Lavoro that could not be more authentic and we are very curious to see how it will develop in the coming years/decades. Because so much time simply has to be. SUPERIORE.DE

The Grand Cru Sopra il Pozzo is Graci's personal homage to a tiny section of land within the Contrada Arcurìa – a higher part, stony, barren, cool, at around 750 metres above sea level. The soil: decomposed lava basalt, ash, pumice. Low in nutrients, but full of energy. Old Nerello Mascalese vines are rooted here in bush form in harmony with the centuries-old cultural landscape of the northern slope of Mount Etna. The 2019 vintage was balanced and significantly cooler than its predecessors, characterised by a long vegetation cycle with late harvest. The result: an Etna Rosso with precise fruit, lively acidity and clear linearity – less volume, more depth. Vinification is classic: spontaneous fermentation with maceration for approx. 30 days, followed by ageing for 24 months in large neutral barrels.

While Tenuta Sette Ponti takes its name from the seven bridges over the Arno, Sette is named after the up to seven different vineyards that provide the fruit for this 100% Merlot wine: these are the Cypress, Salvareccio I, Salvareccio II, Poggio Sinistro, Sorbaccio, Nocetta I and Nocetta II vineyards. Aromatic and earthy, fragrant notes of cherry and cool blue fruit introduce a ripe and fresh palate that is light on its feet, vertical and balanced. The mid-palate has a stony element, while the red and blue fruits are supported by a network of tannins and good acidity. SUPERIORE.DE

Only 3,000 bottles of this wine from the highest vineyard in Montalcino are bottled. The choice of the vineyard, which is situated over 600 metres above sea level, is also due to climate change, where winegrowers are increasingly looking for cooler sites for the Sangiovese - and the result is once again a Brunello in a class of its own: leather, tobacco, small red berries and a surprisingly fresh, clearly mineral note on the nose. Although the wine appears very graceful and bright, it is powerful and long. Its grippy tannins and finely knit acidity emphasise our impression that this wine still has a long life ahead of it. SUPERIORE.DE

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 top-quality Vigneto Erchi Riserva comes from the small vineyard of the same name, which has belonged to Fattoria Selvapiana since 1998. The owners spent a long time searching for a vineyard whose terroir impressively demonstrates the complexity of Sangiovese in the Rufina region, making this wine a high-calibre addition to the famous Selvapiana collection.

The single-varietal Duemani is for us one of the best representatives of the West Tuscan coastal region. The bouquet of exceptional clarity of dark plum, coffee and wild roses. Rich and with perfectly integrated wood notes on the palate, its structure and elegance are particularly fascinating. SUPERIORE.DE

For us, the pure Cabernet Franc from Duemani is one of the best representatives of the grape variety and the western Tuscan coastal region. The bouquet has an extraordinary clarity of dark plum, coffee and wild roses. Rich and with a perfectly integrated woody note on the palate, its strength, structure and elegance are particularly fascinating. SUPERIORE.DE

As a result of extensive soil research, Francesco Ricasoli was able to identify three micro-vineyards, which will be vinified separately from the 2015 vintage onwards. The range of Chianti Classico Gran Selezione now includes, in addition to the famous Castello di Brolio, three cru sites (Colledilà, Roncicone and Ceniprimo), all of which are 100% planted with Sangiovese. They differ in structure and taste in close correspondence with their terroir and impressively demonstrate the complexity of the Chanti Classico region.

Suisassi is rich and expressive. The bouquet convinces with aromas of sage, rosemary, wild flowers, liquorice, violets and plums. Very full and round on the palate with memories of berries, chocolate and nuts. Elegant and intellectual, still needs time. SUPERIORE.DE

As a result of extensive soil research, Francesco Ricasoli was able to identify three microlocations, which will be vinified separately from the 2015 vintage onwards. The range of Chianti Classico Gran Selezione now includes, in addition to the famous Castello di Brolio, three cru sites (Colledilà, Roncicone and Ceniprimo), all of which are 100% planted with Sangiovese. They differ in structure and taste in close correspondence with their terroir and impressively demonstrate the complexity of the Chanti Classico region.

As a result of extensive soil research, Francesco Ricasoli was able to identify three microlocations, which will be vinified separately from the 2015 vintage onwards. The range of Chianti Classico Gran Selezione now includes, in addition to the famous Castello di Brolio, three cru sites (Colledilà, Roncicone and Ceniprimo), all of which are 100% planted with Sangiovese. They differ in structure and taste in close correspondence with their terroir and impressively demonstrate the complexity of the Chanti Classico region.

Emanuele Pangrazi is probably Lazio's most ambitious winemaker at the moment. With his extreme planting density and radical yield restriction, he is following a path that is trend-setting for Lazio. After he had fundamentally analysed his terroir and also the climatic conditions, it was clear to him in 2006 that he would plant mainly French grape varieties here according to the principle of the great wines of the Rhone. In addition to his famous Cuvée Habemus (Etichetta Bianca) and the San Giovenale Rosso (assemblage from two vintages of Habemus), he also vinifies four single-varietal Habemus wines, but these are absolutely small.

One hundred and forty months. Almost twelve years in complete darkness, resting on the lees, in the historic vaulted cellars of Canale d'Alba, where wines have been maturing to perfection since 1878. No other Italian sparkling wine takes so much time. No other demands so much patience – and rewards it so overwhelmingly. Zero140 is the culmination of a journey that Enrico Serafino began in 1991 as a founding member of the Alta Langa project. In 2004, they dared to do the unthinkable with the first "Zero": a Pas Dosé from Piedmont, without any added dosage, without any concession to favour. In 2014, Gambero Rosso named this uncompromising purist the best Italian sparkling wine of the year. But the 140 goes much further – it triples the ageing time and makes time itself the protagonist.

For some years now, Riccardo Cotarella's Montiano has been characterised by great freshness and dark, concentrated fruit. In contrast to the vintages of the early 1990s, the wine has become much livelier and more dynamic. And the 2021 vintage brings a new nuance to this characterful Merlot: riper, denser and finer at the same time. The climatic conditions – an early summer temperature rise followed by cooler evening hours – allowed for slow, even ripening with perfect concentration levels. As always, the Montefiascone region delivers mineral-structured fruit and precise floral components.

The grapes for the estate's classic Barolo come from the vineyards/communes of Ornato, La Serra, Briccolina in Serralunga d'Alba, Gustava and Garretti in Grinzane Cavour, Roncaglie in La Morra, Ravera in Novello and, from the 2015 vintage, also from Mosconi in Monforte d'Alba. It is more of a traditional, classic Barolo with an exciting bouquet of deep, dark fruit and a pretty potpourri of rose petals, spices, smoke and tar. It is full-bodied and firm on the palate, opening up with plenty of dense tannins, very powerful, with pressure and a full bite on the finish, designed for a long life. SUPERIORE.DE

Briccolina is a cru of great complexity that takes its name from its location on the top of the hill. Enrico Serafino's Barolo Riserva is a full-bodied, austere and powerful Barolo that is the result of a sustainable cultivation process. Very complex on the palate, initially rather closed, it then opens up with multi-layered fruit, roasted herbs and a fine menthol note on the finish. It has a rather exotic flavour at first, which makes it particularly exciting and almost incomparable with the other wines from the famous appellation. You have to take your time, but the reward comes with the next sip ... SUPERIORE.DE