0.75 liter

Cerretto is a fruit-driven wine of virile, explosive power that shows, among other things, how different the wines of Serralunga can be. Black cherry, plum, sage, menthol and liquorice hit the palate in a firm, tannic Barolo that will require some patience, but already presents itself with remarkable freshness, purity and nuance. Cerretta is the embodiment of the richness and structure of Serralunga. SUPERIORE.DE

"For the Barolo DOCG Parussi, we left the confines of Serralunga and opted for a vineyard in Castiglione Falletto. Thanks to the characteristics of Nebbiolo, which is perfectly capable of capturing the differences in microclimate and soil composition and translating them into sensations, the result amazed us. Structured, important, austere. Made with Nebbiolo grapes from our vineyard in the MGA Parussi in Castiglione Falletto." Franco Massolino

For three years, the team at Tenuta San Giorgio got to know their vineyards. Not as an end in itself – but because they needed to know which plots had what it takes to produce a Riserva. The Brunello Disciplinare is clear on this point: the Riserva must be the exceptional, not the standard. It was not until 2018, after three years of careful observation and selection, that the answer was clear enough to take the first step: the first vintage of Ugolforte Riserva was put into the barrels. Climatically, 2018 was not an easy year in Montalcino. But in oenology, it is often the case that the most challenging vintages produce the most elegant wines. Selection of the best grapes from the best plots, fermentation in oak vats and concrete tanks with long maceration periods, 30 months in 30-hectolitre Slavonian oak barrels, bottled in November 2021, released in January 2024. A Brunello that was shaped over six years before leaving the estate.

In the seventies, Giovanni Massolino bought Parafada – a coup that he dared to pull off at a time when the economic situation was anything but rosy. But Giovanni was the kind of person who favours vision over caution. The site, whose name comes from the hamlet of the same name, lies 320 metres above sea level in that famous amphitheatre between Lazzarito and Gabutti, perfectly exposed to the south. A ridge location that offers natural protection from wind and storms – as if nature itself had understood that something special should grow here.

Merlot Dominin 2019 is explosive from the first sip. The rich bouquet is complex with raspberries, flowers, liquorice and herbs. The palate is extremely complex with overripe and opulent fruits. A wine with sheer exuberant elements, but nevertheless very coherent in its entirety. Everything is in the right place here and it is clearly the flagship wine of the boutique winery and on par with the great red wines of Miani. SUPERIORE.DE

Pinot Noir at high alpine altitudes – a risk that few take and even fewer master. Markus Prackwieser is one of those rare winemakers who breathe South Tyrolean mountain flavour into the Burgundian temperament of this capricious grape variety. His Renaissance Pinot Nero Riserva is more than just a wine – it is the interaction of soil, microclimate and winegrower, manifested in liquid form. And as with all Renaissance wines, it is only in special years, when the terroir reveals its greatest personality, that this wine is allowed to impress with its very own identity after long ageing in barriques. The grapes come from the highest plots of the Gump Hof, where Pinot Noir grows at 500 to 550 metres on calcareous moraines over quartz porphyry. The vinification follows Burgundian principles with alpine consistency: one week of cold maceration, followed by two weeks of fermentation and maceration in stainless steel tanks – forty per cent whole-cluster fermentation, the sophisticated technique that produces floral notes, spice and silky tannins. This is followed by eighteen months in barriques, half in new barrels, with malolactic fermentation. After blending, the wines mature for a further five months in large wooden barrels before at least one year of bottle ageing completes their development.

When Giovanni Massolino founded his winery in Serralunga d'Alba in 1896, he was the first to bring electric light to the village. A pioneer. His grandson Giuseppe, co-founder of the legendary Barolo consortium, continued this tradition – and then came the third generation, Giovanni, Camilla and Renato: they wrote a new chapter in 1985 by bottling Margheria separately for the first time. Today, the brothers Franco and Roberto continue the legacy. Both Oenologistwho understand that great wines are not made, but born. Margheria is located on the western edge of Serralunga's famous ridge, just a stone's throw away from the mythical Vigna Rionda – and yet it is its exact opposite. Where Vigna Rionda promises strength and eternity with its calcareous marl, the Margheria site at 280 metres above sea level plays with a higher admixture of sand in the limestone soil. The result: elegance meets structure, floral notes meet mineral depth. Serralunga shows its accessible side here without sacrificing its typical longevity.

Basically, Calcarole is not a vineyard. It is a limestone rock. A terraced massif above the Villa di Rovereti in Negrar, exposed to the south-west, rising to 230 metres – the warmest single vineyard in Valpolicella Classica and at the same time the origin of the most elegant Amarone produced by Guerrieri Rizzardi. The secret lies in this contradiction. Six parcels, planted between 1986 and 2000, are predominantly planted with Corvina, supplemented by Barbera and Sangiovese – varieties that hardly thrive in Valpolicella, but on the hot limestone of Calcarole contribute precisely the freshness that counterbalances the solar concentration. It was this vineyard that produced the first Amarone ever to be honoured as Gambero Rosso's "Vino Rosso dell'Anno" in 2009. Since then, Calcarole has received the Tre Bicchieri in nine out of eleven vintages.

Serradenari is the highest Barolo vineyard, majestically situated above La Morra at around 520 metres. The limestone-rich marl sea, interspersed with tuff and clay subsoil, provides an expressiveness that is both peculiarly clear and exciting at the same time. Giulia Negri works this parcel with an almost Burgundian focus: close to nature, spontaneous fermentation and careful ageing – 30 months in generous tonneaux, leaving the structure intact with minimal intervention. The 2021 vintage, sophisticated and elegant, fascinates with its cool, precise fruit – fresh and vibrant, matured over cool nights, this Nebbiolo is clear yet deep.

A debut is followed by confirmation. The second vintage of Ugolforte Riserva shows that 2018 was no fluke – and, at the same time, that every vintage speaks its own language. Whereas the 2018 was fresh and vertical, the 2019 is deeper, spicier and more full-bodied. A different character, the same origin. Castelnuovo dell’Abate, south-east of Montalcino, 250 to 400 metres. Views over the Val d’Orcia. The complex soils – clay, tuff, galestro, red soils – and the temperate Mediterranean climate, cooled by a constant breeze. Organically farmed since the estate’s first certified organic vintage. Hand-harvested with careful selection in the vineyard, fermentation in oak vats and concrete tanks with long maceration periods, followed by 30 months in 30-hectolitre Slavonian oak barrels. The same philosophy: minimal intervention, maximum expression of the terroir.

Dark, translucent ruby red in the glass, elegant even at first glance. An inviting aroma of red and black fruit flavours, almost a mix of wild berries and sour cherries. And then again that spiciness so typical of Tenuta di Valgiano, herbaceous and mineral, fresh and yet Mediterranean, simply incomparable. Full-bodied on the palate, very juicy, extract-sweet fruit, again accompanied by this mineral flavour. Juicy, deep, with a silky, elegant tannin structure and a wonderfully balanced interplay of fruit and acidity. A wine with finesse and piquancy, length and ageing potential for a good fifteen to twenty years. This wine should be decanted and left to breathe in the carafe for at least one to two hours before drinking. SUPERIORE.DE

Livio's vines. Roberto Voerzio named this Barolo after his father, the man who worked on this land in La Morra before him, who planted and tended the vines that have now become one of the most important wineries in the entire Barolo zone. It is the least spectacular gesture of the house – and at the same time one of the strongest. The wine brings together several parcels in La Morra – not a single MGA, not a single vineyard, but a distillation of the local terroir from the hand of a man who knows this region better than almost anyone else. In La Morra – the commune that stands for the softest, most floral, silkiest Nebbioli of the entire appellation – this approach results in a logic reminiscent of Burgundy: the place as character, not the parcel as trademark. The vineyard philosophy is the same as for every Voerzio wine: natural manure from Alpine cows, no herbicides, no chemical intervention, harvest quantities that remain below one kilogramme per vine. Natural yeasts, no filtration, no additives. Less than one bottle per vine.

Just 2,100 bottles of this 1.5 ha single vineyard Cabernet Franc "Campo di Magnacosta" (a former riverbed with mainly clay, gravel and crushed stone soil) reach the specialised trade and the menus of the best restaurants worldwide. The vines were planted in the mid-1990s and come from Pomerol. In terms of aromatic intensity, Magnacosta is probably the most sensually elegant representative of the house's three great site cabernets. It has great straightness, but somewhat less power and intensity. It subtly combines black fruit aromas with spicy notes, tar and antique leather. It is already silky and elegant and will certainly gain in finesse over the years. SUPERIORE.DE

Love is madness. And madness, says Francesco Illy, always creates something magical. This sentence is not only behind the name of this wine – it explains the entire Podere Le Ripi project: a nature photographer buys a wild piece of Tuscany near Castelnuovo dell'Abate in 1997, plants it according to biodynamic principles, surrounds himself with a young, hungry team – and created one of the most unconventional Brunello producers in the denomination. "Amore e Magia" comes from the eastern side of Montalcino, where Monte Amiata protects the vineyards like a silent guardian from harsh weather and sends cool downdraughts through the vines at night. The soil here is ancient and salty – oceanic clay and limestone from a time when these hills were still the bottom of the sea. You can taste it. A vibrant, iodised minerality that carries the wine from the inside out. Fermentation with wild yeasts in open vats, 50 days of mash contact – no intervention, just consistency. Then three years in large oak barrels, followed by cement. No new wood to cover up. No compromise that smoothes.

The legendary Baudana cru vineyard rises like a silent sentinel above Serralunga d'Alba. Its steep slopes, characterised by compact, calcareous marl with veins of clay, have been Nebbiolo territory for centuries – a terroir that produces density, structure and exceptional longevity. 2021 was characterised by an extremely harmonious ripening process, marked by clear temperature differences between day and night. The grapes were carefully harvest by hand to select only perfectly ripe grapes. After gentle destemming and a long, traditional maceration, the wine matured for around 32 months in large Slavonian oak barrels, which emphasise its natural depth without masking the precision of the fruit.

Chiara's Barolo from the Mosconi single vineyard of the same name is powerful, muscular and full of opulence. Rich, bright ruby red colour. Rich aromas of eucalyptus, wild rosemary, plum and black cherry. Deep and powerful on the palate with beautiful spicy accents, dense tannins and a very juicy structure. For us, this Barolo belongs in the top class of the appellation, it always carries its great weight with maximum elegance and is highly authentic, completely in the style of Chiara Boschis, who has once again delivered something really great here. Please leave it in the cellar for a few more years! SUPERIORE.DE

Serradenari means "holds the money" – a medieval nickname for those who fled to the cool heights after the plague and carried their savings under their arm. The history of the village is inscribed in its name. Giulia Negri built the family vineyard on this cru, at 480 metres, exposed to the south-west, in a natural amphitheatre that envelops the grapes on all sides. The soil is Messiniano – sandy-loamy clay with a strong limestone marl layer and sub-acidic pH. An acidic soil makes minerals more readily available, the vines more vigorous, the grapes smaller and thicker-skinned. More extract, finer tannin, more structure. Spontaneous fermentation, 45 days of maceration – the longest maceration of the three parcels. Then around 30 months in 25-hectolitre Austrian oak barrels.

The 4.5-hectare Convento (di Capestrano) vineyard is the youngest cru within the vineyards of the municipality of Capestrano. It extends over the higher part of the land where vines and vegetables were once grown and which belonged to the old convent of St Francis, which has stood on a hill overlooking the small village of Capestrano since the mid XV century. The microclimate, which is so different from that of the plateau, has two important consequences: A harvest that takes place on average two to three weeks earlier, depending on the year, and the result is a Montepulciano d'Abruzzo that stands out from the crus of other farms in terms of its vigour and concentration.

The grapes for Le Ripi's top Brunello come from a 4-hectare vineyard near Castelnuovo dell'Abate on the eastern side of Montalcino, not far from the Lupi e Sirene vineyard.

Livo Felluga's second top cuvée Abbazia di Rosazzo is closely linked to the abbey of the same name, a centuries-old centre of Friulian wine culture. The blend of Friulano, Pinot Bianco, Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Ribolla Gialla comes from steep vineyards with marl and sandstone soils. The climate between the Julian Alps and the Adriatic Sea ensures warm days, cool nights and a long growing season – ideal conditions for aromatic precision and elegant acidity. The 2019 vintage brought a balanced ripeness with cool minerality and fine structure. After being harvested by hand, the wine was matured on the fine lees, partly in stainless steel and partly in wood, giving it depth and complexity.

In 2011, Giampaolo Motta created a manifesto of love for both his daughter Carla and that unruly Tuscan diva called Sangiovese. After two attempts that proved unsatisfactory, the breakthrough came in 2011: the birth of a wine that comes exclusively from plot number 6 – a unique terroir of grey slate and sand that rests like a mysterious treasure in the golden Conca d'Oro of Panzano. What Bordeaux romantic Motta and his famous Oenologist Stéphane Derenoncourt have achieved here is a completely new interpretation of a single-varietal Sangiovese wine. "This wine is made by the soil, not the vineyard," philosophises Motta – a subtle but crucial distinction between terroir and mere geography.

Barolo Via Nuova is a blend of fruit from different vineyards in several villages of the appellation. Packed with cherry and raspberry flavours, it is both supple and firmly structured. Shows notes of earth, minerals, eucalyptus and aniseed that give it volume and structure, while the muscular tannins still have the upper hand on the finish at first. Deep and rich as it progresses, but never heavy. We find a hint of oak sweetness, but this only adds to the exotic beauty of the wine. Via Nuova 2021 is a wine of exceptional harmony, purity and finesse with an eternally long finish. SUPERIORE.DE

In the heart of the Valdarno Superiore, where the ancient Via dei Setteponti inspired Leonardo da Vinci's immortal landscape studies, lies the Tenuta Sette Ponti – named after the seven bridges that have connected Arezzo and Florence since Etruscan times. Here, on 300 hectares between history and modernity, Dr Antonio Moretti Cuseri realised a visionary idea in 1999: to create a Tuscan Bordeaux style that combines international elegance with the soul of Tuscany. Oreno – named after the small river that crosses the tenuta in the clay-rich zone where the Merlot vines take deepest root – was born out of a passion for Bordeaux finesse. Moretti Cuseri, fascinated by his travels to Bordeaux, had existing vineyards grafted with Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. While Merlot thrives in the clay soils, Cabernet vines find their home in gravelled terraces that offer perfect drainage and natural temperature regulation. The Petit Verdot completes the cuvée with spicy notes and intense flavours.

Five years of patience for a moment in a glass. When Donnafugata and Dolce&Gabbana decided to crown their Sicilian congeniality with a sparkling wine in 2019, they knew that a Metodo Classico of this calibre needed time. The grapes – exclusively Nerello Mascalese from the slopes of Mount Etna – were harvested in the autumn, when nobody could have guessed how long the journey would take. 36 months on the lees, another two years of waiting. Release in spring 2025.