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Elegant, delicate Chianti Classico and one of the best of its appellation every year: light red colour, aromas of strawberry and elderberry, fresh fruit on the palate, beautifully juicy and balanced, enormously supple in the finish. Possesses polish, elegance and, despite its visually high price, a very good value. SUPERIORE.DE

The grapes come from family-owned plots in Serralunga d'Alba, La Morra, Grinzane Cavour, Monforte and Mosconi. Each vineyard is harvested separately by hand and fermented in stainless steel; long maceration times with gentle remontages ensure a fine, complete extraction. For ageing, the winery predominantly uses large Slavonian oak barrels (botti), supplemented by a smaller proportion of French oak, which adds lustre to the texture without masking the origin. Thanks to a stable summer and cool nights in autumn, 2020 produced ripe, healthy harvestwith a clear acidity line and precise aromas.

The Vigna del Sorbo vineyard is located directly in front of the winery. The south-west facing vineyard with Galestro soils covers 8 hectares at an altitude of 450 metres. The Riserva was first produced in 1985 and has been labelled Gran Selezione since the 2010 vintage.

Here comes the most opulent and friendly Barbaresco of Sottimano's overall highly impressive line-up of single vineyards. Bright garnet red with a copper rim. Lavish scent of black fruits, orange peel, rounded off with a fine nutty note. Fine-grained tannin even at a young age coats the firm structure and reinforces the easily recognisable highly individual character. SUPERIORE.DE

The youngest Nerello vines here are rooted in old volcanic soil: Pietradolce Rosso comes from plots in Solicchiata on the northern slopes of Mount Etna, around 600 metres above sea level. The terroir, a mixture of ash, basalt and sand, gives the wine a precise structure and striking minerality. Clear ruby red in colour with light reflections. Fragrant on the nose and typical of young Nerello Mascalese: Sour cherry, redcurrant, some blood orange and a hint of violet. Lean, fresh and taut on the palate with lively acidity and grippy tannins that blend harmoniously with the juicy fruit. The finish is straightforward, spicy and characterised by a fine mineral salinity. An authentic Etna Rosso with a clear signature – accessible and direct, but anything but arbitrary. SUPERIORE.DE

Castello di Volpaia made wine history in 1983: In the midst of the Supertuscan revolution, when visionary winegrowers rebelled against the restrictive DOC regulations, Balifico was born – named after the villa of the same name in the heart of the fortified village. What began as Vino da Tavola became the manifesto of a new era that combined international grape varieties with Tuscan soils to create an extraordinary synthesis. The grapes for this exceptional wine thrive at the highest altitudes in Tuscany, at over 600 metres above sea level, where the air is already cool like the Alps and the vines are bathed in sunlight all day long. Sangiovese vines, old Tuscan clones of exceptional purity, are rooted in the same sandstone soils that have been producing great wines since 1172 – while Cabernet Sauvignon, with its international nobility, interprets the mountainous personality of this unique terroir in a new way.

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

Montegrossi's delicious Vin Santo del Chianti Classico matures for seven years in traditional Caratelli barrels made from oak, cherry and mulberry wood. It shows a marvellous concentration with thick glycerine that slowly runs down the rim of the glass with thick streaks of amber colour. The flavours are of astonishing intensity with explosive notes of candied fruit, brown sugar, maple syrup, caramel, toffee, butterscotch and dried apricots. With its pleasant and very balanced sweetness, it is a wonderful accompaniment to desserts, foie gras or soft cheeses. SUPERIORE.DE

As always, the grapes come from our own vineyards in Treiso and San Rocco Seno d'Elvio. Each parcel is harvested separately by hand, fermented in stainless steel and left on the skins for around four weeks; gentle remontages ensure a fine extraction. Malolactic fermentation takes place without haste. For ageing, the Boffa family primarily chooses large Slavonian barrels, supplemented by a smaller proportion of French oak – used as a textural tool, not as a flavour enhancer. 2021 was a top year in Piedmont. It was characterised by a long, cool ripening process with clear day-night amplitudes, the harvest was late and selective with excellent results.

Mazon is not silent. If you listen carefully, you can hear something different in every vintage – sometimes warmth, sometimes coolness, sometimes the Alpine downdraughts that sweep across the plateau in the evening and sharpen the flavours of the grapes. The 2020 is a vintage that listens and responds: fresh, transparent, with a precision in the fruit that only emerges in calm conditions. The Barthenau estate, built 150 years ago by Ludwig Barth von Barthenau, has belonged to the Foradori-Hofstätter family for decades. The single vineyard Vigna San Urbano – south Tyrol's first officially classified single-vineyard wine, declared a "Vigna" by Paolo Foradori in 1987 – lies at the heart of this estate. Clay-limestone over the Werfen formation, vines over 65 years old, a site that gives the Pinot Nero what it needs: mineral subsoil, cool nights and the time it deserves. Harvested entirely by hand, completely destemmed. Fermentation in concrete vats, ten days of skin contact with remontage. Then twelve months in barrique, eight months in large cask, eight months in bottle – always in the cellars of Barthenau, where the temperature remains constant and the wine finds its own peace.

The estate's top wine, named after the owner, is the result of many years of work in the vineyard and dates back to the year 2000, when the winery began to replant many of its own plots with Sangiovese. To this day, Sergio Zingarelli pursues the goal of interpreting his existing terroir as authentically as possible. The result is the highest classification Gran Selezione, which is confirmed every year by the consortium and is only awarded to the best wines in the appellation.Rich ruby colour. Concentrated nose of herbs, black cherry, chocolate, earthy notes and oak spice. Juicy and soft fruit on the palate, refined tannins, glides dynamically and spicy into a respectable finish. SUPERIORE.DE

The name says it all – and rarely has a wine deserved its name so consistently. Quartz: a mineral that was formed in fire, has survived for millions of years and is still visible today in Terlan's soils as a fine speckle in the volcanic porphyry rock. 55 to 60 per cent quartz content, slightly acidic pH value, skeleton-rich sandy-loamy structure without carbonate – a soil that allows water to pass through, rations nutrients and puts the vine under controlled stress. This micro-stress is not a deficiency. It is intentional. It forces the plant to produce terroir-specific polyphenols, which give the wine the savoury tension for which Terlan is internationally renowned.

A Barolo from a great vintage: the 2021 wine year brought a long growing season with clear day-night amplitudes and precise harvest: fully ripe phenolics, bright acidity, impeccable health. The grapes come from family-owned plots in Serralunga d'Alba, La Morra, Grinzane Cavour, Monforte and Mosconi. Each vineyard is fermented separately in stainless steel; prolonged maceration with gentle extraction, followed by unhurried malolactic fermentation. For the ageing process, the winery primarily uses large Slavonian oak barrels (botti), discreetly supplemented by French oak.

The 2022 marks a significant transition: it is the last vintage that Paolo de Marchi characterised before Emanuele Reolon took over as technical director. But the signature remains unmistakable. Since the 1980s, de Marchi was one of the first in Chianti Classico to plant high-density vineyards with low-yielding Sangiovese clones on poor Galestro soils at an altitude of 400 metres – a revolution in quality. The cuvée of 90% Sangiovese, supplemented by 10% Canaiolo, ferments for twelve days in stainless steel using the characteristic délestage method, which de Marchi has been refining since 1996. Seven months of ageing in barriques of different sizes give the wine complexity without dominance.

This Nebbiolo comes from one of the best vineyards in the Roero and is vinified by Luciano Sandrone with the same care as a Barolo. Brilliant ruby-garnet colour. Wonderful aroma of light red fruit, mainly raspberry and cherry. Earthy on the palate with a lovely strawberry touch and an incredible amount of elegance. The fine-grained tannin is wonderfully integrated and, together with a subtle minerality, gives this Nebbiolo a race, depth and finesse that is unrivalled. SUPERIORE.DE

Cerretta is one of the most prestigious crus of Serralunga d'Alba – a site that Giovanni Rosso has always cultivated with particular dedication. Here, at an altitude of around 350 metres, barren, chalky marl soils meet south and south-east exposure. The result is Barolo with impressive depth, carried by a striking minerality that is recognisable even at a young age. The 2020 vintage brought harmonious ripeness and perfect phenolic development. After being harvested by hand, the grapes were gently pressed and fermented in concrete tanks for around 25 days. The wine was then matured for a good two years in large oak barrels, which emphasise the character of the vineyard without over-moulding it.

In 1985, Giovanni Manetti made a momentous and ingenious decision: the best plots of the Vigna del Sorbo, those south-west-facing slopes in front of the winery at 450 metres above sea level, were to be given their own voice. Here, where slate and the characteristic Galestro slopes above the clay characterise the geological signature of the Conca d'Oro, the estate's oldest Sangiovese vines have been rooted since 1963. What began as a Riserva with ten per cent Cabernet Sauvignon has become a monument to the art of pure Sangiovese over the years.

Le Serre Nuove is much more than a "second wine" – it is Ornellaia's proud ambassador and often the best indicator of what to expect from the legendary flagship. Made from the same grape varieties, under the same skies and with the same philosophy, it has the remarkable ability to predict the personality of the great Ornellaia. The 2022 vintage presents itself as a masterful composition of 54% Merlot, 26% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Cabernet Franc and 6% Petit Verdot. This classic Bordeaux blend comes predominantly from the estate's younger vineyards and is treated with the same meticulous care as its big brother. Each parcel is vinified separately before the final assemblage takes place after twelve months.

Intense ruby red Vino Nobile Riserva with a spicy bouquet of aromas of dried fruit, cinnamon, cloves and liquorice. Smooth on the palate with a variety of nuances, beautiful fullness, structure and intensity, supple tannins. Very elegant pleasure at an excellent price. SUPERIORE.DE

When Luciano and Luca Sandrone first set eyes on the concave hill of Valmaggiore in the 1990s, it was love at first sight. It wasn't just history that moved them – in the 19th century, the Nebbiolo grapes from this vineyard dictated the price for the entire area – but above all the unique combination of sandy soils and the microclimate of this natural amphitheatre. In Vezza d'Alba, on the left bank of the Tanaro in the Roero, lies this south-facing single vineyard with extremely steep slopes, where soft sandy soils give the Nebbiolo the finesse and elegance for which the Roero region is famous.

Unmistakable interpretation of the Chianti Classico: sparkling ruby colour with a pronounced garnet hue. Very inviting aroma of cherries and delicate meadow herbs, with a nutty touch. Medium-bodied on the palate, again wonderfully juicy fruit, cool, mineral style, very finely structured and balanced, with lively animo, lingers quite long and makes you want the next glass. The perfect accompaniment to Italian dishes. SUPERIORE.DE

The Nero d'Avola grapes for the very rare Sultana come from a steeply sloping, bush-shaped vineyard facing north-west. The soil here is white with a limestone matrix, rich in minerals and drainage capacity. The pronounced slope and very poor soil reinforce the pedoclimatic characteristics in which the Nero d'Avola plants find a natural habitat. It is an extreme terroir, a combination of environmental and human factors, that distinguishes the Sultana vineyard from other vineyards. The light reflected by the white soils enhances the characteristics and ultimately the quality of the grapes from the vineyard. SUPERIORE.DE

Prètto. A word from the Tuscan dialect – true, sincere, schietto. Carlo Ferrini could not have chosen a more fitting name for a wine that is exactly that: no gesture, no staging, but Sangiovese in its most direct form. The Prètto is a joint effort – born from the dialogue between father and daughter, between three decades of experience and a young generation that sees Montalcino with new eyes. Bianca Ferrini, born in 1990, has given the Giodo project a very special voice with this wine. Four hectares of Sangiovese in Sant'Angelo in Colle, south-west Montalcino, at 360 metres in south-eastern exposure. Medium-heavy, skeleton-rich soil, 6,600 plants per hectare – a density that creates stress and forces concentration. Hand-picked, 20 days of maceration in steel and cement, délestage halfway through fermentation. Then around 30 months of ageing in 500, 700 and 2,500 Literswooden barrels – medium to large containers that give the wine structure without wood characterisation. Then six months in cement, followed by a further 12 months in the bottle. 12,000 bottles were produced.

A Negroamaro with a grand gesture and deep expression: Gianfranco Fino's Jo comes from over 50-year-old Alberello vines, rooted in calcareous and clayey soils not far from the Ionian coast. The 2022 vintage was characterised by heat and drought, but the deep roots of the old vines ensured balance and ripeness. The meticulously selected grapes are fermented spontaneously and matured in French barriques – with the aim of achieving maximum origin and texture.