Falstaff

Saia is the pride and joy of Feudo Maccari – a Nero d'Avola from old bush vines rooted in the barren, chalky soils around Noto. The name refers to the ancient Arab irrigation channels of Sicily – a symbol of lifelines in a sun-scorched landscape. This wine is also an expression of origin, patience and resilience: a Nero d'Avola that could hardly be more purist and powerful. The vines are on average 35 to 45 years old and are trained in Alberello, which reduces yields but maximises concentration and depth. After selective manual harvesting, fermentation takes place at a controlled temperature in steel, after which the wine matures for twelve months in French barriques. This careful vinification preserves the balance between structure, maturity and freshness.

Felsina's single-varietal Sangiovese wines have been produced on the south-eastern edge of the Chianti Classico since 1967. The vineyards face south-west on ventilated slopes between 320 and 420 metres above sea level on geologically heterogeneous soils of quartz-rich sandstone, calcareous Alberese and clay. After hand-picking in the first three weeks of October, temperature-controlled fermentation takes place between 28-30°C with intensive maceration in stainless steel tanks for 12-15 days. Ageing lasts twelve months, mainly in traditional Slavonian oak barrels of medium size, supplemented by a small proportion of used barriques.

Soave Classico Wild from the Ponsara UGA is sunny and straw yellow in colour. The complex nose ranges from a strong floral note of broom and hawthorn to fresh, fragrant fruit reminiscent of Granny Smith apples. On the palate, there is a vibrant freshness that is very balanced and perfectly balanced by a lingering, intense finish. SUPERIORE.DE

2021 was a year with an ideal vegetation balance in Abruzzo: cool springs, a sunny but not overheated summer and healthy, late-picked grapes. This organic Riserva is traditionally vinified and matures for around 18 months in large wooden barrels and barriques. Deep ruby colour with a light purple hue in the glass. Juicy black cherry, blackcurrant, dried herbs, liquorice and a hint of dark chocolate on the nose. On the palate, it is denser and more structured than the previous vintage - with fine tannins, fresh acidity and a long, spicy finish. A Riserva with a clear line and great inner balance. SUPERIORE.DE

Volpaia – the foxhole. High above Radda in Chianti, at 450 to 650 metres above sea level, the vineyards of Castello di Volpaia are located on the highest slopes of the appellation. The medieval borgo, first mentioned in a document in 1172, has belonged to the Mascheroni-Stianti family since 1966, who consistently farm organically here. The altitude shapes the character: sandstone soils, cool nights and long ripening periods give the Sangiovese (supplemented by 10% Merlot) a freshness and elegance that would be hard to achieve in warmer locations. Fermented with indigenous yeasts, matured for twelve months in large oak barrels.

In school philosophy, A quo denotes the starting point of an argument – the place from which everything else begins. Fabio Chiarelotto has dedicated a wine to this Latin thought. And what he meant was: Montepeloso begins here. The Swiss national with a Tuscan mother bought the estate in Suvereto, near Bolgheri – one of the hottest wine-growing regions in Tuscany. What others drown in heat, he wanted to translate into elegance. He replanted, pruned, worked biodynamically and bet that it was possible to make wines that glow instead of sweat on these limestone-rich, fossilised clay and silex soils. 2024 shows that he was right. The blend of Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malvasia Nera and other varieties is fermented in steel, then matured for twelve months in used barriques – no wood to cover the fruit, just one that polishes delicately. Bottled unfiltered.

White postcard from the Langhe: gentle hills, morning breezes – and Arneis in its purest form. Arveja comes from selected, higher-lying parcels around Alba; the harvest is cool and selective, and the ageing is deliberately focussed on freshness and clarity. Pale straw yellow in the glass with a greenish tinge. Open bouquet of white flowers, green apple skin, juicy pear with a hint of citrus zest, underneath a fine, stony-mineral tone. Straightforward, juicy on the palate, with lively acidity and a delicate creaminess in the flow. The fruit remains cool and precise, with a small almondy accent for a Piedmontese wink. The final is long and salty-fresh. An uncomplicated, elegant Arneis with a confident drinking pleasure – perfect as an aperitif, with antipasti, vitello tonnato or simply with a good piece of grilled trout. SUPERIORE.DE

Since the 2017 vintage, the word ‘Prosecco’ has no longer appeared on any bottle of Col Vetoraz. A deliberate decision – and a political one. According to the winery, the word is being misused, with the real risk of trivialising and erasing the centuries-old history and distinct character of the hills of Valdobbiadene and Conegliano. Since then, only “Valdobbiadene DOCG” – the sole, true territorial identity. The winery is situated at an altitude of just under 400 metres, at the highest point of the famous Cartizze hill in Santo Stefano di Valdobbiadene. The Miotto family has had roots here since 1838; Francesco Miotto, together with agronomist Paolo De Bortoli and Oenologist Loris Dall’Acqua, founded the current Col Vetoraz in 1993.

Nerello Mascalese is known as the protagonist of the elegant Etna red wines – but as a rosato, this noble grape variety has a fascination all of its own. Benanti vinifies it as a single variety from the south-eastern slope of the volcano, where the vines are rooted in mineral-rich volcanic sands at an altitude of 500 to 700 metres. The grapes are harvested by hand at the beginning of October from vines on trellises that are on average 25 years old. After twelve hours of cold maceration, the grapes are gently pressed; only 65% of the must is transferred to the stainless steel tank. Ten days of fermentation at a controlled temperature with the winery's own Etna yeast, followed by maturation on the fine lees and two to three months of rest in the bottle.

Bright, sparkling silver-grey with a persistent perlage. The nose is fragrant with white roses, juicy pears and white peach. Juicy on the palate, radiant and with a great fruity sweetness, it opens up with presence and balance, pleasantly dosed in all its facets. SUPERIORE.DE

The Pratto is a provocation – in the best sense of the word. When Ca' dei Frati became one of the founding members of the DOC Lugana in 1969 and made history with its elegant Turbiana wines, nobody would have thought that the winery would one day deliberately produce outside the strict rules of origin. But that is exactly what Pratto is: a deliberate departure from conventional systems without losing respect for the terroir. The Dal Cero family composes a cuvée from Trebbiano di Lugana (Turbiana), Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc – three grape varieties that benefit from the Mediterranean climate of Lake Garda and the nutrient-rich, glacial clay soils.

The Venosta Valley is the driest valley in the Alps – less than 500 millimetres of rainfall per year, intense sunshine, dramatic temperature fluctuations between day and night. Not an obvious place for great wine. And yet: Franz Pratzner has believed in it since 1989 – when he gradually transformed the family orchard above Hochnaturns Castle into a vineyard. Today, Falkenstein is considered one of the most independent addresses in South Tyrol. The Pinot Blanc grows on dry, primary porphyry soil on steep south-facing slopes between 550 and 900 metres above sea level – barren, mineral, uncompromising. Hand-picked in mid to late September. Then the house speciality: fermentation in large acacia wood barrels, ten months on the coarse lees. No steel neutrality, no barrique pressure – acacia gives the wine a fine, creamy texture without taking away its freshness. Then aged in the bottle for around twelve months.

It took seven years and 35 purchase agreements to bring together the scattered parcels of Montebruna. When they succeeded, the joy was so great that the Bolognas invited artists, poets and musicians to give voice and verse to this vineyard. "Una terra che parla" – a land that speaks – they called the project. And indeed, anyone who drinks Montebruna hears Rocchetta Tanaro speak. The vines are rooted in Braida's heartland, 100% Barbera from their own vineyards. Two weeks of maceration in temperature-controlled steel, then a year of ageing in large oak barrels – classic, without barrique dominance.

From one of the region's most famous winegrowers, this sparkling wine from a single vineyard shows the serious side of Valdobbiadene. A single vineyard from the year 2000, located directly in front of the winery and therefore close to the village. San Floriano opens with delicate scents of white spring flowers and white stone fruit. The elegant, unobtrusive palate draws all the attention to itself and offers creamy white peach, ripe green apple and a hint of citrus - and all this together with an extremely refined perlage. Delicious! SUPERIORE.DE

Lagrein is the great autochthonous red wine variety of South Tyrol – and at Tiefenbrunner it finds ideal conditions. The grapes come from the slopes of Entiklar and Margreider Leiten, at an altitude of 220 to 350 metres, where limestone gravel soils from moraine deposits provide mineral depth. Some of the vines were planted back in 1967 – experience you can taste. Maceration in stainless steel is followed by malolactic fermentation, after which the wine matures for eight months in large and small wooden barrels. The result: a Lagrein that combines power with elegance.

Markus Prackwieser's Sauvignon vines grow on calcareous moraines with solid quartz porphyry at the foot of the Schlern massif, approx. 400-480 metres above sea level. Sparkling, light straw yellow colour. Very intense, appealing nose of tomato leaves, sage, a little thyme and white asparagus. Salty and freshly vibrant on the palate, densely woven, showing distinctly fragrant components, fine gooseberry, juicy and full of tension. SUPERIORE.DE

What makes Alberto Passeri's Rosso di Montalcino so special? He is a stranger to compromise. The grapes come from the same plots as the great Brunello, from the historic vineyards of Canalicchio in the cooler north and the warmer slopes of Castelnuovo dell'Abate in the south. This dual origin is the secret: the elegance and finesse of the north merges with the strength and maturity of the south. Where other producers bottle their Rosso after just a few months, La Gerla allows it to mature for a full two years: six months in steel tanks, twelve months in large Slavonian barrels and a further six months in the bottle. This patience pays off.

Three vineyards, one wine – the name says it all. From the Ginestra and Bricco San Pietro crus in Monforte d'Alba, Clerico composes its Barbera as an orchestra: Ginestra provides freshness, Mosconi the silky fullness, San Pietro structure and depth. After 10 to 14 days of maceration, the wine matures for 16 months in equal parts barrique and large barrels – a balance that Domenico Clerico himself had initiated before he passed away in 2017. Today, Oscar Arrivabene continues to run the cellar in his spirit.

Syrah and Petit Verdot form the basis for an exciting cuvée with which the Chia family once again demonstrates its great talent for Tuscan wines. Deep dark garnet red colour. An unexpected cornucopia of dark, smoky fruit on the nose, with spicy herbs, complex and deep. Impressive texture and elegance on the palate, with spicy notes of raspberry, a salty vein and invigorating acidity. SUPERIORE.DE