0.75 liter

When you say Talenti, you mean Brunello – but Riccardo Talenti, grandson of the legendary Pierluigi, can also be more light-footed. His Rosso Toscana combines 80 per cent Sangiovese with 20 per cent Petit Verdot from vineyards south of Montalcino on clay-limestone soils. The Sangiovese matures for several months in oak, while the Petit Verdot brings colour, fruit and velvety volume to the cuvée. The colour in the glass is a deep ruby red with violet reflections. Ripe cherry, plum and blackberry meet a hint of spice. Smooth and surprisingly full-bodied on the palate, with round tannins and a juicy freshness on the finish – an uncomplicated Tuscan that cannot deny the signature of a great Brunello house. SUPERIORE.DE

The name says it all: "Cretum" refers to the Crete Senesi, those moon-like clay hills that stretch south of Siena. Poggio Bonelli lies on their threshold – in the extreme south of the Chianti Classico, where the vineyards of Castelnuovo Berardenga merge into the barren beauty of the Crete. Soils from the Pliocene, over five million years old, characterise the wines here: clay-rich tuff interspersed with sand. Chardonnay and Viognier come together in this terroir.

Corvina, Corvinone, Rondinella and Cabernet Sauvignon from the hills between Illasi and Mezzane – the eastern heart of Valpolicella. The Castagnedi brothers leave the grapes to dry for twenty days after hand-picking, using the same appassimento technique that characterises their Amarone. Twelve months in French tonneaux give the wine structure without obscuring its fruit. Dense ruby red in colour, with a nose of sour cherry, wild berries and black pepper over a base of cocoa and liquorice. Velvety on the palate, full-bodied and with well-integrated tannins. A "small Amarone" at a great price. SUPERIORE.DE

Classic Vermentino from the Montecucco region: intensely floral, fruity bouquet with clear notes of hawthorn, green apple, grapefruit and white peach. Fresh and juicy on the palate, the elegant acidity opens up a beautiful fan, then salty notes in the well-proportioned final. SUPERIORE.DE

Here comes plenty of backbone and maturity: Montetinello comes from older vines on slopes near Monteprandone. Montepulciano and Sangiovese are vinified separately and matured for several months in large wooden barrels – a step that adds structure and complexity. Deep ruby red in the glass with a slight garnet hue. Dark cherry, wild berries, tobacco, laurel and a hint of cedar on the nose. Juicy on the palate, with ripe fruit, a noticeable, well-integrated tannin structure and a fine spicy finish. Balanced, warm and well-structured – a classic Rosso Piceno Superiore with sophistication and depth. SUPERIORE.DE

Four denominazioni in one municipality: in Treiso, the heartland of Barbaresco, this is no exaggeration. Giorgio Pelissero, third generation, followed the fourth call in 2008: Moscato. His vines stand in the Munfrina vineyard, Sottozona Ferrere, at 350 metres, south-west exposed, in soils with red sand veins – planted between 1981 and 1998, the cellar is characterised by speed: manual harvesting in small boxes, destemming, cold pressing – hours, not days, separate grapes and must. Foaming in pressurised tanks, bottling under pressure.

A wine of contrasts: Müller-Thurgau (70%) and Gewürztraminer (30%) – typically Nordic grape varieties – find a surprisingly ideal terroir on the slopes of the extinct volcano Monte Vulture. Founded in 1998, the Terre degli Svevi winery near Venosa, named after the Hohenstaufen dynasty and their king Manfred, utilises the volcanic soils and the strong day-night fluctuations to fully exploit the aromatic properties of these varieties. The grapes are harvested by hand at the beginning of September, left briefly on the skins and fermented at low temperatures in stainless steel. Two months of ageing on the lees round off the wine.

Intense dark ruby red colour. Nuanced aroma of red berries, pepper and liquorice. Noticeable but elegant tannins on the palate, beautifully enveloped by the wine's firm body. Excellent persistence with a mineral finish. SUPERIORE.DE

Munfrina – that's what they called the woman from Monferrato who once farmed this plot with a strict hand. Her Piedmontese nickname stuck to the location long after she herself had disappeared. Today, at 300 to 400 metres in the Sottozona Ferrere of Treiso, Dolcetto vines have been planted here in Guyot since 1980 – on soils that are actually famous for Nebbiolo and Barbaresco. This is precisely what makes this Dolcetto special: the chalky soils with their red sand veins give it a tannin structure that is sweet and smooth rather than angular. Giorgio Pelissero favours short maceration of just four to five days and pure stainless steel ageing for six months – all in the service of the fruit.

Felsina's rare white wine from the heart of Chianti Classico. pep, made from 70% Trebbiano, 15% Chardonnay and 15% Sauvignon Bianco, thrives in south-west facing vineyards at an altitude of 350 metres. After manual harvesting, the wine is fermented and matured exclusively in stainless steel tanks. Straw yellow in colour with greenish reflections. Shows floral and fruity aromas on the nose. Light and very refreshing on the palate with a natural salinity. An extremely versatile white wine for everyday enjoyment – perfect as an aperitif or with tasty fish dishes such as fritto misto or baked fish. SUPERIORE.DE

1943: General Charles Poletti, responsible for supplying the Allies in southern Italy, orders five bottles of Rosato – with an American accent. This is how Five Roses became the first bottled rosato in Italy. Over eighty years later, it is still here, still itself. Negroamaro and Malvasia Nera, hand-picked at the beginning of September, cold maceration at 10°C, gentle must extraction, fermentation in steel.

Sardinia's great red wine grape in an elegant interpretation: as a rosato, Cannonau shows a surprisingly delicate side, which the renowned Argiolas winery masterfully stages. The hand-picked grapes from the sun-drenched vineyards around Serdiana grow on clay and limestone soils, which give the wine its characteristic minerality. A short maceration period extracts just enough colour and structure for a delicate salmon pink with silver reflections. The nose combines juicy red berries – strawberry, raspberry – with floral notes and a hint of Mediterranean scrub. The palate is surprisingly full-bodied, with lively acidity and a subtly spicy finish typical of Cannonau. Perfect with grilled seafood, pasta with light sauces or Sardinian cream cheese. SUPERIORE.DE

Pale straw yellow in colour. Jasmine and lavender on the nose, a fine note of nutmeg and elderberry and a hint of apple and lemon. Precise, dry and fresh on the palate, with good acidity, flanked by citrus notes and the flavour of light peaches and green apple. This is how piquant and aromatic Sicily tastes, expressive and mineral-fresh! SUPERIORE.DE