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Livio Felluga's Friulano is very fresh and tropical, with nuances of sour melon, young mango and white smoke forming its attractive bouquet. It impresses with a lively acidity that balances the silky texture and ripe fruit, and with a spicy herbal note that gives it unexpected depth. Perfumed and fresh to the final, leaving a pleasant mouthfeel, with hints of bitter almond but also a gentle streak of residual tension. Very nice. SUPERIORE.DE

The Nerello Mascalese vines for this exceptional rosato grow on the northern slopes of Mount Etna at an altitude of over 600 metres – barren, stony soils of pure lava rock characterise the microclimate and give the wine its clear contours. The wine is matured purely in stainless steel to emphasise freshness, purity and terroir expression. Delicate pink in the glass with a copper-coloured shimmer. The bouquet is elegant and restrained: wild strawberry, pink grapefruit, a hint of blood orange and some fennel green. Lively on the palate, with juicy fruit, animating acidity and mineral tension. The cool finish is dry, precise and surprisingly long. An Etna Rosato with Alpine freshness and Mediterranean soul – ideal for warm evenings, grilled fish or a classic insalata di mare. SUPERIORE.DE

Silvia Milocco Nonino, Antonio's wife and from the third generation of the distillery family, lost her husband in the war. The only wealth she had for the economic survival of her family was the pomace. She set to work with determination and learnt distilling in the early 1940s. Before she became Italy's very first female master distiller, she worked as a cook in the family pub. Her botanical knowledge was a great advantage when creating her first liqueur. She wanted to express her Friulian homeland with her products: pure, authentic and unadulterated. She therefore created an aperitif from botanicals, which she called "Aperitivo Bianco".

"ColMatìss" is truly no ordinary Sauvignon: it comes from one of the most renowned single vineyards in Tunella in the municipality of Ipplis and owes its name to the barren, limestone-rich marl soil, known as "ponca" in Friuli. The yields are deliberately kept low, the harvest selectively and the wine is matured carefully. Brilliant straw yellow in the glass with a greenish tinge. The bouquet is deep and complex, with fine notes of elderflower, salted lemon, ripe gooseberry, a hint of white pepper and wet stone – a Sauvignon with mineral depth and an expressive profile.

Carricante from Planeta's Etna vineyard is an exceptional wine full of freshness, energy and minerality. This noble grape variety thrives in exclusive conditions, on volcanic soils and at altitudes of 870 metres. A wonderfully complex pleasure that is only ever released for sale two years after the harvest. The eruption of 1614 is legendary in the history of Etna, as it lasted ten years, making it the longest recorded eruption of the active volcano to date. A very impressive and fitting name for Planeta's Etna series of equally impressive wines. SUPERIORE.DE

Solicchiata, northern slope of Mount Etna, 800 metres. The Faro family has dug deep into the volcano here since 2005 – literally, because the sandy soils of weathered lava rock allow roots to travel far. 100% Nerello Mascalese, Alberello, vines between 50 and 65 years old. Hand-picked, two weeks of maceration, three months in fine-grained oak barrels. Not a wood wine – a volcanic wine. Brilliant ruby red colour in the glass. The nose opens dark and complex: boysenberry, crushed black cherry, wild flowers, ash, a hint of rosemary and thyme, pink pepper. Silky and medium-bodied on the palate – juicy acidity, fine tannins, a persistent mineral flavour. The finish is long and tense, with a tart cherry flavour that lingers. Not an easy entry-level wine, but a beautiful red with substance and good potential. SUPERIORE.DE

Riecine's Chianti Classico can be described without exaggeration as an archetype of the Gaiole terroir: Bright in the glass with wild fruits, blackberries and white pepper. These slightly wilder flavours are very specific to Gaiole in Chianti, particularly this corner of the sub-zone near the village after which it was named. This cool location produces a sharp and elegant Sangiovese with tension and crispness, savoury tannins, the return of small black fruits and a respectable finish. Riecine has been producing one of the most subtle Chianti Classico wines for years - a marvellous wine. SUPERIORE.DE

A wine that bears its creator in its name: "Birba" – little cheeky bastard – is what they called Sergio Rossi, the visionary founder of La Gerla. What began as an experiment became a homage: a Brunello that follows all the rules except those of the wooden barrel. Instead of maturing in the large Slavonian vats like its noble siblings, the Birba spends up to fourteen months in French barriques from Allier and the Vosges, a third of which are new – a third of them new. The thirty-year-old vines on the slopes of Canalicchio, between 270 and 320 metres above sea level, produce tiny yields of just 50 quintals per hectare. Fifteen days of maceration extract substance and depth before the wood leaves its spicy signature.

Brolio Riserva is the flagship of Italy's most traditional winery – a wine that bears the signature of the Ricasoli family year after year and at the same time captures the extraordinary diversity of the Brolio terroir. The 100% Sangiovese grapes come from the five characteristic soil types of the estate between 280 and 480 metres above sea level – a terroir mosaic of sandstone, Galestro, Alberese, marine and fluvial deposits that lend the wine exceptional complexity. After controlled fermentation in stainless steel tanks with 12 to 16 days of maceration, the wine matures for 18 months in first and second passage tonneaux before resting for a further three months in the bottle. Intense ruby red in colour with garnet reflections, the bouquet combines ripe black cherry, spicy notes and an elegant hint of vanilla. A generous fullness unfolds on the palate, supported by silky tannins and lively freshness – a harmonious, multi-layered Chianti Classico that perfectly balances tradition and international elegance. SUPERIORE.DE

What distinguishes a Riserva from an Annata? Time. Time to select the best Sangiovese grapes from the estate's twelve plots. Time for a 25-day vinification process that is conducted with the utmost respect for tradition. And time for at least 21 months in French oak barrels, followed by further bottle ageing before the wine leaves the estate.

This visionary wine comes from the legendary Conca d'Oro in Panzano and epitomises Giampaolo Motta's radical break with the traditions of Chianti Classico. The Neapolitan, who lost his heart to the Tuscan soil, took the courageous step of declassifying in 2002 – out of a burning desire for absolute oenological freedom. The cuvée combines Sangiovese, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon to create a Burgundian-Bordelaise dialogue that captures the mineral power of the Galestro and Alberese soils on a south-westerly slope. The wine is carefully vinified in French barriques for ten months "sur lie" with regular bâtonnage, giving the wine a wonderfully silky structure.

Donnafugata's impressive declaration of love to Etna, currently the hottest wine hotspot, began with the Sul Vulcano line. Carricante is one of the most exciting grape varieties in southern Italy, capable of complexity and terroir-driven expression in the right soils. The vines for Donnafugata's only white wine from Etna grow on volcanic soils rich in minerals at an altitude of 700-750 metres. The wine is fermented in steel tanks before maturing partly in concrete tanks and partly in second and third choice barriques for 10 months and then a further nine months in the bottle.

The name means "motherland" – and the Tedeschi family has indeed found a special spot of land with the 84-hectare vineyard between Tregnago and Mezzane di Sotto, which they acquired in 2006. Extensive soil mapping identified real crus here, including the Impervio vineyard – named after its impassable steep slope at an altitude of 400 metres. White and yellow limestone marl of moraine origin characterise the terroir and give the wine its characteristic freshness. Corvina (40%), Corvinone (30%) and Rondinella (30%) are harvested overripe in mid to late October and fermented as whole bunches – a conscious decision for structure and depth of flavour. After 20 days of maceration, the wine matures for 18 months in Slavonian oak and a further six months in the bottle.

The eruption of 1614 is legendary in the history of Etna, as it lasted ten years, making it the longest recorded eruption of the active volcano to date. A very impressive and fitting name for Planeta's Etna series of equally impressive wines. It could hardly be more autochthonous: this excellent wine from the Nerello Mascalese grape comes from the hotspot on the east coast of Sicily, from the slopes of Mount Etna. Bright cherry red in colour, a fine aroma of raspberry and blood orange, gripping, taut acidity, silky tannins and a lively elegance with beautiful minerality. Great, long and unique! SUPERIORE.DE

In Bolgheri, less than four kilometres from the Mediterranean, lies the "El Dorado" of Italian viticulture that the legendary Oenologist André Tchelistcheff once visionarily recognised. Here, on the volcanic soils between the old cypress avenue and the Tuscan coast, Le Volte is the accessible calling card of a winery whose name stands for uncompromising quality worldwide. The 2023 vintage presented itself as an almost ideal interplay of Mediterranean conditions: Sunny days, cool nights and precisely dosed rainfall formed grapes of perfect physiological ripeness with a lively freshness. The cuvée of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot is vinified separately in small steel tanks in order to preserve its individual characteristics. After malolactic fermentation, the wine matures for ten months, partly in used Ornellaia barriques and partly in concrete tanks – a deliberate balance between structure and fruit expression.

Brilliant ruby red with a light-coloured rim. Very precise bouquet of blackberry, raspberry and spices. The palate is light and lively, with an elegant and deep fruit component accompanied by a delicate bitter note and fine spice. A very elegant and juicy Pinot Nero with good Storage potential. SUPERIORE.DE

The grapes come exclusively from the single vineyard San Pietro, and since the 2018 vintage, part of the wine has been aged in amphorae. Berries, liquorice and deep red fruit on the nose. Finely woven and very precise structure, a bright, open personality and class on the palate. Sheer elegance and Clerico enjoyment without waiting for further ageing. SUPERIORE.DE

The name reveals the location, the location reveals the wine. Banditella – a vineyard on the southern slope of the Sant'Angelo hill, 250 to 300 metres above the Orcia Valley, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2004. Col d'Orcia planted Sangiovese clones here in 1998, which were selected over ten years of research in collaboration with the University of Florence – not just any clones, but those that most accurately express the terroir of Montalcino. Biodynamically farmed, limestone soils with little clay, full southern sun: the conditions could hardly be better. The 2022 vintage demanded decisiveness: temperature fluctuations and late summer rains called for an early, forward-looking harvest at the beginning of September. The grapes were placed in shallow, wide steel tanks – a design that favours gentle extraction – where they macerated at 25°C, accompanied by daily pumping over and délestage. Twelve months in Allier barriques and tonneaux followed before the wine was bottled.

On the Costa degli Etruschi, where the Maestrale blows in from the Tyrrhenian Sea and the waves crash just ten kilometres away, Massimo Piccin has been realising his dream of the perfect Bordeaux blend since 1999. Under his visionary hand and the advice of the renowned OenologistCarlo Ferrini, the modest farm in Castagneto Carducci has grown into a 40-hectare vineyard that is now one of Bolgheri's most respected addresses. Volpolo embodies the pure essence of this exceptional location between the municipalities of Castagneto Carducci and Bibbona; the name is a tribute to the ancient Tuscan grape variety Volpola and at the same time an expression of the deep roots in the Bolgheri terroir. This organically certified cuvée of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot thrives on the estate's 27 different soil types – a mosaic of sand, clay, limestone and sea pebbles, which owes its mineral richness to the former marshlands. The proximity to the sea provides the vines with the constant ventilation and intense light that allow Bordeaux varieties to mature to unimagined complexity.

In 1970, Siro Pacenti planted his first vines on the Pelagrilli slope north of Montalcino – on sandy-loamy soils, rich in minerals and favoured by the cooling westerly winds of the hills. Since 1988, his son Giancarlo has managed the estate with a precision that he learnt in Bordeaux and has applied to the Sangiovese Grosso of Montalcino ever since: harvest to the exact parcel, gentle extraction, ageing in small French barriques – not for flavour, but for purity. The Rosso comes from vines between 15 and 25 years old, twelve months in the barrel, unfiltered in the bottle – with the express recommendation to decant.

Verdeluce – green light – is the name of this wine that the Famiglia Cotarella dedicates to the hills around Orvieto, the area on the border between Lazio and Umbria that has always been synonymous with quality white wines. Riccardo and Renzo Cotarella, two of Italy's most influential Oenologist, founded Falesco in 1979 with the aim of revitalising forgotten grape varieties. Today, cousins Dominga, Marta and Enrica continue the legacy – with a modern style and an international outlook, without losing their roots in the territory.

Bucine, Valdarno di Sopra – where the Arno meanders through gentle hills between Arezzo and Florence, Fattoria Petrolo lies between 250 and 500 metres above sea level. In 1988, Lucia Bazzocchi Sanjust wanted a wine that told the true identity of this terroir: the "Château" of Petrolo, a tribute to the centuries-old Tuscan tradition of combining French varieties with Sangiovese. As early as 1834, Giorgio Perrin, agronomist of Swiss origin and owner of Petrolo, reported in the "Giornale Agrario Toscano" that it was customary in Chianti to blend "uve francese" with Sangiovese, not to change the quality, but because the terroir won out over the grape varieties.