0.75 liter

Nero di Troia was long the well-kept secret of northern Apulia – used in cuvées, rarely in its pure form. Torrevento changed this in 1993: the Vigna Pedale was the first single-varietal Nero di Troia in the world. Since then, it has been the flagship of the winery – and has left the Gambero Rosso with no choice but to award it the highest rating eight times in a row up to the current 2019 vintage.

The country dance (controdanza) is a typical dance in which man and woman face each other and unite in graceful movements - depending on their gender, the dancers interpret the music in their own way. This wine is exactly the same: Nero d'Aola and Merlot - opposites attract and, with the right sensitivity, can harmonise and contrast wonderfully.

A white wine with history and a mineral signature. Lacryma Christi Bianco comes from old vines on the fertile ash soils around Mount Vesuvius. Pale straw yellow in the glass with greenish reflections. The nose reveals white flowers, yellow apple, a hint of lemon and delicate herbal flavours. Fresh, clear and delicately salty on the palate, with lively acidity and a finely tart, cool mineral finish. The single-varietal Coda di Volpe was matured in stainless steel tanks to preserve its freshness and varietal character. A true southern Italian with a cool head and volcanic character – ideal with seafood, pasta alle vongole or fried antipasti. SUPERIORE.DE

The name is steeped in history: Falanghina, derived from the wooden phalanges – the stakes that have supported the vines since ancient times. A grape variety that has been cultivated in Campania since Roman times and which Mastroberardino, a ten-generation-old traditional house from Atripalda, has saved from oblivion through consistency and conviction. The grapes grow on the Apice estate in Sannio, 350 metres above sea level, exposed to the south-east, in volcanic clay soils with a mineral-rich skeleton. Hand-picked at the end of September, vinification in stainless steel tanks at a controlled temperature – cool, clean, designed for freshness and flavour.

A great, fresh and fruity Moscato from a specialist: fresh, fine nuances of yellow fruit, sage and white flowers. Delicate and fine perlage, wonderful drinking flow. Lively and electric, with freshly cut peach, candied lemon peel, fresh mint and wild flowers all swirling out of the glass. The palate is sweet, but not sticky, with plenty of stone fruit. The balance of this wine is masterful, with a tangy acidity that keeps the wine lively at all times and makes each glass as refreshing as the first. SUPERIORE.DE

A wine with a legendary name and volcanic character: according to legend, God wept when he saw Lucifer steal a corner of the sky. And where his tears touched the earth, the vine Lacryma Christi grew. Mastroberardino vinifies this historical origin as a single-varietal Coda di Volpe from the mineral-rich slopes of Mount Vesuvius. Clear, bright straw yellow in colour. Ripe pear, honeydew melon and candied citrus fruit on the nose, complemented by fine notes of incense, herbs and exotic spices. Harmonious on the palate, juicy and carried by salty minerality, with a fine mellowness and floral freshness on the finish. An authentic white wine with an ancient soul and fascinating energy – between myth and terroir. SUPERIORE.DE

After a break of thirty years, Federico Carletti has ventured a renaissance in recent years: Ambrae marks Poliziano's return to white grape varieties. This elegant cuvée made from ninety per cent Chardonnay and ten per cent Roussanne thrives on the clay-rich slopes around Montepulciano – a name that, like the winery itself, pays homage to the great Renaissance humanist Angelo Ambrogini. This composition matures exclusively in stainless steel without the influence of wood, allowing the mineral depth of the Pliocene soils to express itself unfiltered.

A light straw yellow colour with a greenish tinge in the glass, "Grivò" visually signals freshness and lightness. The nose has a straightforward, delicately fruity aroma of Williams pear, green apple, white peach skin and a hint of bread. Juicy and lean on the palate with a clear texture, fine acidity and a subtle flinty finish. Maturation in stainless steel tanks preserves the purity of the variety and emphasises the typical Friulian straightforwardness. An uncomplicated, but by no means banal Pinot Grigio with a signature style – charming, accessible and stylish at the same time. A crowd favourite with provenance, a perfect companion for light meals and convivial evenings. SUPERIORE.DE

The Tramin winery, founded in 1898 and today one of the most renowned cooperatives in South Tyrol with over 300 members, vinifies this Chardonnay from vineyards between 240 and 500 metres above sea level in the municipalities of Ora, Tramin and Egna. The calcareous, loamy, gravelly soils and the marked day-night temperature fluctuations of the Alpine region give the grapes their characteristic intensity of flavour.

"Il Preliminare" - "The Preliminary Remarks". The names of Gerardo Giuratrabocchetti's wines are reminiscent of his father's world as a notary.

Sabazio, a ruby red Rosso di Montepulciano, smells of sweet aromas of black cherries mixed with notes of undergrowth. Medium-bodied on the palate with lively acidity, good freshness and a beautiful structure and harmony. Clear, clean enjoyment. SUPERIORE.DE

The autochthonous Lagrein grape grows in the middle hills between 250 and 400 metres, where clay meets calcareous inclusions, to produce one of the most characterful rosés in South Tyrol. The traditional Tramin winery, founded in 1898 by the visionary priest Christian Schrott, preserves a centuries-old South Tyrolean tradition with its Lagrein Kretzer. Pink to light ruby red in colour, the wine shimmers in the glass and develops a delicate, pleasantly fruity bouquet. The extreme interplay between sunny, Mediterranean-influenced days and cold down winds from the mountains gives it that lively freshness that is stimulating and invigorating on the palate. A classic South Tyrolean rosé with an authentic character. SUPERIORE.DE

This traditional cuvée is already inspiring in its youth. Made from outstanding grapes, you can taste the ripe fruit and richness of the three classic vineyards. Deep ruby-garnet colour with violet reflections. Full-bodied bouquet of dusty violets and roses, which fades into spiced confectionery and crushed cherries. The palate reveals fresh cherries, mixed herbs and undergrowth - all well balanced - giving the wine a lightness and at the same time a complexity that keeps you coming back for more. SUPERIORE.DE

Terraced vineyards at an altitude of 600 metres surround the traditional Liebrain farm in the Isarco Valley, where Silvaner has found its home for over two centuries. Weathered porphyry soils and extreme day-night temperature fluctuations give this crystal-clear white wine its purist character. The late harvest between the end of September and the beginning of October allows for optimal ripeness while maintaining the typical freshness.

A wine like a little declaration of love to Sardinia: Maluentu is made from the rare Nieddera grape variety, which is only cultivated around Oristano in the west of the island. The vines grow on sandy alluvial soil near the coast, ventilated by the steady mistral. The ageing process is deliberately purist: exclusively in stainless steel and then a few months in the bottle – in favour of freshness and authenticity.

Delicate straw yellow colour with a silvery sheen and lively perlage. The nose opens with fresh apricot, white flowers and a hint of lemon zest, accompanied by mild herbal notes and fine yeast spice. On the palate, the Spumante creates a fine interplay of animating freshness and delicate creaminess, carried by lively acidity and youthful fruit. The combination of the autochthonous Verdicchio and Passerina grape varieties lends minerality and balance, while the Charmat method ensures a certain directness and a lovely drinking flow. An aromatic spumante – perfect as a light aperitif or a stylish accompaniment to summer dishes. SUPERIORE.DE

Since 1897, Nino Negri has been the house that represents Valtellina to the outside world – and the Quadrio is one of its most reliable ambassadors. The name refers to the 15th century Castello Quadrio di Chiuro, the ancestral seat of the winery, named after Stefano Quadrio, once governor of Valtellina. Today, cellar master Danilo Drocco, a Nebbiolo purist from Alba, manages the winemaking process with a Piedmontese view of the Alps – and brings precisely this tension to the wine. Quadrio is a cuvée made from 90% Chiavennasca – the local name for Nebbiolo – and 10% Merlot, whose terraced fruit gently balances out the alpine austerity. The grapes come from south to south-east exposed steep slopes at 350–500 metres, on sandy limestone soils behind dry stone walls, harvested by hand as they have always been. Maceration in steel for ten days, followed by 18 months in large Slavonian and French oak barrels.

A wine that tells in every facet where it comes from – that is Contado Riserva. Made from 100% Aglianico from organically farmed slopes of the Ramitello vineyard in Molise (Contrada Camarda), it shows the potential of this robust grape variety and the special region. The soil is calcareous with clay and sand, giving the wine mineral depth and vigour. The late harvest is followed by a long maceration period, after which the wine matures for a total of around three years: partly in barriques and tonneaux, partly in stainless steel tanks, and finally with extended bottle ageing. This careful ageing philosophy gives the wine complexity, elegance and a fine power of integration in every vintage.

The vines are planted where the Piedmont slopes gently at Canelli and the Barbera grape can develop its depth. The name is reminiscent of Cesare Pavese, the great son of these hills – and his most famous work "La Luna e i Falò". Like the novel, this wine also carries a quiet melancholy, paired with expression, maturity and identity. Matured in barriques and large casks for around a year, this is a Barbera full of character and at the same time modern.

A hint of morning freshness: Al Qasar ("The Castle") is the lighter side of Zibibbo, dry, elegant and designed for subtlety. Yellow in colour with a delicate golden shimmer in the glass. The nose opens with charming aromas of orange blossom, peach skin and a hint of elderflower. On the palate, it is clear and fragrant, with lively acidity, a creamy fruit centre and a floral finish that ends in svelteharmony. Al Qasar is an uncomplicated, yet characterful Zibibbo – ideal as an aperitif, with light antipasti or a fine fritto di mare. Elegant, dry and extremely charming. SUPERIORE.DE

Grandmother Rosa would be proud: the brothers Giuseppe and Pierino Bisci dedicated this pale pink-coloured wine to the matriarch of their family – a loving tribute to the generation that laid the foundations for Bisci's success. While the winery has been world-famous for its legendary Verdicchio wines since 1972, "A Nonna Rosa" shows a rarely seen facet of Marche: elegant rosé vinification from Sangiovese and Merlot from those two hectares that are not planted with the main grape variety. In the hills between Macerata and Ancona, at an altitude of 320 to 370 metres, the red grapes thrive on calcareous clay soils – the former sea basin that also characterises Verdicchio's minerality.