Doctor Wine

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

La Grola is the eponymous, historic vineyard where Corvina, the indigenous grape of Valpolicella, is believed to have originated. The replanting of the vineyard by Giovanni Allegrini triggered an agronomic revolution and laid the foundations for the success of this wine-growing region, which today stands for convincing, great red wines from north-east Italy. With the 2022 vintage, La Grola returns to its origins: declared Valpolicella Classico Superiore DOC for the first time, it marks a new phase for this iconic wine from Allegrini. The cuvée of Corvina, Corvinone and Rondinella comes from the limestone terraces of the La Grola hill, exposed to the south-east and consistently selectively harvested. After fermentation in stainless steel, the wine is matured in barriques, some new, some used.

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.

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.

The name alone conjures up images: La Luna e i Falò – "The moon and the fires". An allusion to Cesare Pavese's novel of the same name, a reflection of a deep-rooted love of one's homeland, melancholic and powerful at the same time. And so is this Barbera from the heart of the Nizza region – deep in the Monferrato – is not just a pleasant wine, but an expression of inner density and grown identity. The grapes come from old vineyards around Agliano Terme, with poor, calcareous soils and optimal south to south-west exposure. After a long maceration period, the wine is aged for 18 months in French barriques, followed by further maturation in the bottle. A Riserva with format, precision and the necessary breath.

In 1991, the personal and professional relationship between Gianni Masciarelli and his wife, Marina Cvetic, gave rise to the range that still bears their name today. The Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Riserva is their best-selling wine, available in 55 countries, and has played a key role in strengthening the reputation of this grape variety worldwide – today it is regarded as one of its most recognisable and distinctive expressions. The grapes come from four distinct vineyard sites around San Martino sulla Marrucina, at an altitude of 400 metres: Colle di Paolo, Fonte Filippo, Schiavone and Colle Rosina, on medium-textured clay soil, trained using the Guyot system, with vines aged between 15 and 30 years.

Pelago is a tribute to the harmonious combination of classic Marche flavours with international influences. The cuvée of Montepulciano, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot brings together the best of the region in a finely structured red wine. The grapes are harvested by hand and placed in stainless steel tanks for controlled fermentation before the wine matures for 14 months in Liters barriques and then develops for a further twelve months in the bottle.

In Montalcino, the name Ginestreto stands for something special: a Rosso di Montalcino that is more than just the "little brother" of Brunello. Fuligni has been producing this wine for years with a care that has long since earned him a reputation of his own. The Sangiovese Grosso comes partly from younger vines and partly from classified Brunello vineyards – a deliberate selection that gives the Ginestreto the balance between youthful freshness and structured depth that characterises it. The vinification follows the Fuligni philosophy: hand-picking, careful selection, separate vinification of the different parcels. Part of the wine matures for around six months in French Allier tonneaux, the rest in stainless steel – a combination that harmonises fruit and structure.

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

La Fabriseria comes across as an elegant, medium-bodied Amarone. Its intensity, tannin structure and density are hard to beat in this price range. Very juicy on the palate, full-bodied and soft, with notes of cherries, cardamom and cloves. And always with the elegant seriousness of the Tedeschi family's great flagship of the same name. SUPERIORE.DE

The world-famous Nussbaumer Gewürztraminer has been a true benchmark for years and is also a wine that impresses with its ageing potential. A bright yellow colour with greenish highlights. Perfectly typical of the variety – complex and deep, yet also lively and fresh with lovely nuances. The bouquet offers a wide range of aromas, from rose blossom to smoke and oriental spices. On the palate, it flows with silky smoothness, velvety and spicy, with a long finish – magnificent! SUPERIORE.DE

Sàgana – a melodious name that signifies far more than just a wine. It embodies the essence of Cusumano's work in the heart of Sicily, where the Nero d'Avola grape meets the barren expanse of the Monreale hills. The vines grow on limestone-rich clay soils in the single vineyard of Tenuta San Giacomo, whose high-altitude plots are characterised by hot days and cool nights. This microclimate lends the wine density, freshness and remarkable depth. 2020 was a year of balance in Sicily: a warm spring, a dry but not overheated summer, and ideal harvesting conditions in September. The grapes were harvested at full ripeness, rigorously selected and, following temperature-controlled maceration, aged in barriques for around twelve months. A further year of bottle ageing rounds off the structure and lends the wine its refined elegance.

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.

1943 – the year in which Angelo Maci was born in Salento. It is therefore no coincidence that this wine bears his name: The "Rosso del Fondatore" is the personal project of the founder of Due Palme, an assemblage that he oversees himself and that expresses his own standards for Puglia. Primitivo and Aglianico in equal parts – two temperaments that complement each other. The Primitivo brings dark fruit and warmth, the Aglianico structure, acidity and length. The grapes are harvested late, fermented in steel and then aged for nine months in new barriques – followed by further bottle ageing. The numbered bottles are not a marketing gimmick: they are an expression of a wine that is owed and given attention.

The estate describes it as a new "amphitheatre of wine", shaped by centuries of volcanic eruptions. At an altitude of 700 metres, facing north-east, there are bush vines of the Nerello Mascalese variety, averaging around seventy years old; many were planted before the phylloxera epidemic and remain on their own roots to this day. The soil varies between sand, ash and scree on lava flows, with extreme temperature fluctuations between day and night. The name Animardente derives from the volcano's interior, from its ceaseless activity, and from the embers and colour of the magma. Fermentation takes place in stainless steel at a controlled temperature, followed by ageing in large oak casks, and the wine is only released for sale after a long period of maturation.

Lagrein is South Tyrolean through and through. The grape variety grows almost exclusively in this region, with a genetic origin that stretches further back in history than most other Central European varieties: pre-Roman, documented in historical records and unmistakable in character. Its historical home is Gries, now a district of Bolzano, where its potential was recognised early on and which gave it its name. The Pfitscher family has its roots in Montan, a municipality in the South Tyrolean Unterland, known above all for the Mazon vineyards and Pinot Nero. The fact that a Lagrein of this calibre is also produced here demonstrates the breadth of the terroir. The Griesfeld is the most consistent expression of this: 15 months in small oak barrels, which lend the Lagrein character and refined spice without overpowering it.