Doctor Wine

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

In the warm alluvial soils of Gries, where thirty visionary winegrowers laid the foundations for an extraordinary Lagrein tradition in 1908, one of the greatest wines in South Tyrol is still produced today. The Grieser Prestige embodies more than a century of accumulated experience with this indigenous grape variety, which forms the heart of Bolzano's wine culture like no other. Only the choicest grapes from the best vineyards with drastically reduced yields find their way into this Riserva – a selection that begins in the vineyard and is based on the highest quality standards.

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.

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.

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.

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

At some point in the history of Nals Margreid, the Gambero Rosso even declared Sirmian to be the best white wine in Italy. We are not surprised. Above Nals, in the Sirmian district, the slopes lie between 500 and 700 metres above sea level. South-east facing, alpine climate: mild summers, cool autumns, a long growing season that ends in mid-October with the harvest. The soil is a geological archive: Permeable glacial moraine of limestone, gneiss, mica, slate and marble, deposited millions of years ago by glaciers in the Western Alps, resting on porphyry, the volcanic bedrock of the bedrock.

In 1986, Hans Terzer dared to take the step of vinifying a Chardonnay modelled on Burgundy, which was to set international standards. The grapes for this wine, which has been the flagship of the Sanct Valentin line ever since, come from the best single vineyards in the municipality of Eppan, situated between 450 and 550 metres above sea level on calcareous gravel soils. Warm September days, cool nights – the microclimate of the South Tyrolean mountain vineyards gives the Chardonnay the aromatic depth and structure that allow it to mature from year to year. Each parcel is vinified separately. Fermentation begins in barriques, where malolactic fermentation also takes place, followed by eleven months on the fine lees – followed by a further eight months of ageing in steel tanks to perfect the balance between fruit, wood and minerality.

Collepiano (gentle hills) is what Marco Caprai calls the vineyards where his vision took shape at the end of the 1980s: to restore the Sagrantino, this ancient Umbrian vine with the highest tannin content in the wine world, to its lost greatness. Not as a sweet passito behind monastery walls, but as a dry red wine of international calibre. What followed was a revolution: collaboration with the University of Milan, clone selection, high-density plantings – and, in 1996, the legendary "25 Anni", the Sagrantino that Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones chose for their wedding. Collepiano comes from pure Sagrantino from the Val di Maggio vineyards. After the harvest, the must underwent temperature-controlled fermentation, followed by gentle extraction over ten to fourteen days. The cuvée matured for twenty-two months in French barriques and a further six months in the bottle – time that gave this tannin-rich wine structure and soul.

Sauvignon Sanct Valentin is probably the best-known white wine from the St. Michael-Eppan winery. It has been vinified from carefully selected single vineyards at the foot of the Mendelstock since 1989. Yellow-green in colour, dense bouquet of yellow fruit, gooseberry, elderflower and ripe redcurrant, smooth on the palate with elegant, floral fullness and crisp acidity. A great and very savoury top wine and probably the most award-winning white from the internationally highly respected winegrowers' cooperative. SUPERIORE.DE

Bright ruby red colour. Warm, balsamic bouquet of black cherry, some plum and blackcurrant syrup, then firm, complex and spicy on the palate, the fruit beautifully present and with a wonderfully long finish with notes of leather and sweet tobacco. The well-structured tannins perfectly round off the overall picture of a serious red with personality and character. The 20/24-month ageing in French oak barrels (25-35 hl), followed by a further year in the bottle, enriches the aromatic complexity of the wine with a clear focus on balance and elegance. SUPERIORE.DE

Brilliant, rich yellow with silver-green reflections. The bouquet has pronounced smoky, mineral notes, full flavours of mango, citrus fruit, sage and asparagus. It shows its true class on the palate: wonderfully complex structure, lots of naturally sweet flavour, refreshing acidity and a juiciness, strength and length that can only be achieved through long contact with the lees and simultaneous agitation. Very convincing, downright captivating! SUPERIORE.DE

There are wines that reinvent a region. Nero is one such wine – born from a vision of the Zecca brothers in the early 1980s, when they began experimenting with Cabernet Sauvignon at Tenuta Cantalupi near Salice Salentino. What initially seemed like a gamble turned out to be the most successful wine story in Apulia: the first Nero vintage in 1998 hit like a bomb and won the Tre Bicchieri of the Gambero Rosso for six consecutive years – an achievement that no other Apulian wine has ever equalled. The history of Conti Zecca dates back to 1580, when Francesco Antonio Zecca came from Naples to the fertile lands of Leverano, in the heart of Salento. For centuries, the Zeccas cultivated their vineyards with Negroamaro, Primitivo and Aglianico and became key figures in the European wine trade – relations between the Bourbon kingdom and France, England, Sweden and Denmark passed through their estate. In 1884, Pope Leo XIII awarded the family the title of Count in recognition of their services to the development of the territory. In 1935, Count Alcibiade Zecca founded the modern winery in Leverano and began to vinify his own wines. However, it was his heirs who took the decisive step of combining the indigenous Negroamaro with the international Cabernet Sauvignon.

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

Dunico – unique in the dunes. The name already reveals what distinguishes this wine from all other Primitivo: It comes from vineyards right on the coast, where sandy soils turn into dunes and the vines still grow on their original rootstock, ungrafted, ungrafted, like before the phylloxera catastrophe. It is an absolute rarity today, as most of these coastal vineyards fell victim to the "holiday home building frenzy". What remains are a few plots with ancient bush vines and extremely low yields, which produce a Primitivo of exceptional intensity and concentration. Sandy soil protects against phylloxera – and gives the wine a unique minerality and elegance that is rarely found in Primitivo. The grapes are harvest at the end of August, earlier than all other crus, as the grapes ripen more quickly here due to the proximity to the sea and the warmth of the sand.

Poggio Lombrone is a selection of Sangiovese vines that are over fifty years old. The 2018 vintage is stunningly beautiful and absolutely classic with a bouquet that opens with crushed black cherries, cooling sweet herbal notes and dusty cedar. After some time in the glass, flavours of plums, cranberries and undergrowth unfold. Velvety and rich on the palate, harmonious, with ripe wild berries pouring over a core of savoury acids balanced by a hint of sour citrus. All framed by fine tannins that slowly rise towards the end. In the delightful final, rosy flowers, ferruginous mineral notes and savoury spices, great! SUPERIORE.DE

Brilliant golden yellow colour. Complex notes of light peach, fresh pineapple and poached apricot on the nose. Rich and creamy on the palate with accents of smoke and toasted almonds. The finish is long-lasting, mineral and herb-accentuated. This very focussed and complex white paints a beautiful portrait of the refined side of the Trebbiano di Lugana grape, which is becoming increasingly popular. SUPERIORE.DE

There are grape varieties that have to wait decades for a visionary to recognise their true potential. Trebbiano d'Abruzzo was one such forgotten variety until Gianni Masciarelli started a revolution in 1981 that changed the face of Abruzzo viticulture forever. He was the first producer in the region to introduce the Guyot training system and French barriques, driven by a philosophy he called "innovazione continua" – continuous innovation in the service of tradition. Today, the vineyards surrounding the historic Castello di Semivicoli combine the fruits of this vision with the poetry of a place that has itself experienced a rebirth. Here, between Gran Sasso and Majella at an altitude of 380 metres, two very special Trebbiano vineyards take root: one with vines over forty years old that still embody the original vigour of the variety, and a younger one that Gianni planted at the end of the 1990s using the modern Guyot system – a symbiosis of grown wisdom and innovative spirit.

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.

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