0.5 liter

Ricasoli's Vin Santo is the sublime interpretation of one of the historic grape varieties of Chianti Classico, the Malvasia del Chianti, and at the same time a masterpiece of centuries-old Tuscan craftsmanship. Here, the 880-year-old winemaking tradition of the Ricasoli family merges with the mystical art of passito making to create a wine of rare nobility. The grapes come from vines over forty years old on well-drained alluvial soils at an altitude of 200 metres with southern exposure. At the beginning of October, at the end of the harvest, the Malvasia grapes are hand-picked together with small quantities of Trebbiano and Sangiovese grapes with an optimum sugar content and perfect flavour concentration. Only the best, loose-berried grapes with sparse berries are transported in 18-kilogramme crates to specially ventilated chambers at Castello di Brolio. This is where the magic of time begins: the grapes hang to dry for three months while the water content slowly dwindles and the flavours concentrate. The must from the gentle pressing then ferments for months - a process that takes years and requires the utmost patience. The young wine then matures for nine years in oak caratelli of various sizes, where it develops its characteristic amber colour and complex aromas.

A rarity with a fine sweetness and great depth: Verduzzo Friulano is considered a traditional speciality of Friuli and is a true expression of Paolo Meroi's philosophy - the smallest quantities, uncompromising selection and an ageing process that places balance above opulence. The vines grow on the typical Ponca soils of marl and sandstone, which provide freshness and structure. After selective harvest, the grapes are gently pressed and the must fermented in small oak barrels, followed by long ageing on the fine lees. In the glass, the wine is a rich amber colour with golden reflections.

This artisan grappa rarity from Felsina is made from the finest Sangiovese grape marc from the legendary Fontalloro. The fresh, carefully selected vinacce are distilled using traditional steam distillation in a discontinuous copper alambic (pot still) – a centuries-old art that allows the highest concentration while retaining elegance. After careful distillation, the grappa matures for years in oak barrels, using natural decantation without refrigeration or mechanical filtration. This patient ageing process respects the balances that develop during the long resting period in barrels – a sign of true mastery.

When the morning mist rises from the hills near Orvieto in late October and covers the vineyards of Castello della Sala like a silken veil, one of the most mysterious transformations in the world of wine begins. The grapes – sauvignon Blanc, Grechetto, Traminer, Sémillon and Riesling – are attacked by Botrytis Cinerea, the noble rot that has produced the world's greatest sweet wines for centuries. The fungus penetrates the grape skin with invisible precision, extracts the water from the pulp and concentrates sugars and flavours into an essence that would not be accessible to any cellar technology. In several patient passes, the harvesters pick only those berries that have reached the ideal degree of botrytisation – a process that requires connoisseurship and timing, as the right moment is fleeting. After gentle pressing, the must ferments for 18 days at a controlled cool 17 degrees before the still sweet wine is transferred to French barriques. Here it matures for months, absorbing delicate wood nuances while the aromas and structure harmonise, before ageing in stainless steel completes the work.

Giovanni Allegrini was a modest man who woke Valpolicella from its slumber in the 1960s and became the architect of its rebirth. His benchmark for the art of winemaking? The Recioto. According to Giovanni, those who mastered Recioto mastered everything. He died in 1983 without experiencing the full bloom of his life's work. Seven years later, in 1990, his children Franco, Walter and Marilisa dedicated this wine to him – the oldest in Valpolicella, whose origins date back to Roman times. Cassiodorus described the Appassimento as early as the 5th century.

Oro – golden name, golden essence. This passito is a real masterpiece, with its bright amber colour and copper reflections, visually announcing its precious concentration and depth. The grapes (100% Moscato Bianco) undergo a deliberate drying process: Harvested late and stored dry until December before undergoing fermentation – including malolactic fermentation and maturation for 24 months in new barriques. A complex process during which the wine matures to a balsamic, honey-saturated elegance.

Arianna Occhipinti: "The skins of the Frappato are thick and fragrant, which is why I thought of a grappa made from this grape. The rest is the careful work of Giovanni La Fauci, master distiller in Valdina, Messina."

Pirus – the Latin name of the pear. And when Nonino gives a fruit brandy this name, it says it all: it's about the essence of the fruit, not its disguise. Williams pears from South Tyrol and the Vinschgau Valley, harvested when perfectly ripe, form the basis. After being de-stemmed and cleaned, they are cut, mashed and fermented in stainless steel for around four weeks in the absence of air. Distillation takes place slowly in Benito's copper steam stills, with careful separation of the first and last run. Six to twelve months of resting in stainless steel rounds off the distillate without overpowering the fruit character.

One of Friuli's finest rarities: Paolo Meroi vinifies his Picolit only in tiny quantities and with uncompromising care. The grape variety is known for its natural trickling, which results in extremely low yields - one reason why Picolit has been highly prized at princely courts for centuries. The grapes come from the Ponca soils of the Colli Orientali, are selectively harvested by hand and carefully dried before fermenting in small oak barrels and maturing for a long time on the fine lees.