0.75 liter

Volpaia – the foxhole. High above Radda in Chianti, at 450 to 650 metres above sea level, the vineyards of Castello di Volpaia are located on the highest slopes of the appellation. The medieval borgo, first mentioned in a document in 1172, has belonged to the Mascheroni-Stianti family since 1966, who consistently farm organically here. The altitude shapes the character: sandstone soils, cool nights and long ripening periods give the Sangiovese (supplemented by 10% Merlot) a freshness and elegance that would be hard to achieve in warmer locations. Fermented with indigenous yeasts, matured for twelve months in large oak barrels.

Arneis, the once almost forgotten "Barolo bianco", is experiencing a triumphant renaissance at Vietti and this example celebrates it at the highest level. Produced in Santo Stefano Roero from vines around 30 years old on limestone marl, processed cooler and bottled with care – all characterised by fresh clarity and lively elegance. The Arneis is fermented spontaneously in stainless steel without malolactic fermentation or wood in order to bring out its flowery freshness on the fine lees.

Profound and yet accessible: Cygnus presents itself as an artfully composed liaison between Sicilian passion and international elegance. The cuvée – made from around 60% Nero d'Avola, supplemented by approx. 40% Cabernet Sauvignon – tells the story of two characters: the spirited autochthonous grape variety and the structurally clear, international grape. The name refers to a charming anecdote from the family: in 1881, Richard Wagner devoted himself to swan motifs during a garden stay at Villa Tasca in Palermo, while he was completing the third act of his opera Parsifal – a historical event that appropriately honours Cygnus.

This rare Riserva comes from the historic vineyards of the Garofoli family in Montecarotto – a selection of the purest Verdicchio grapes from the classic hills of the Castelli di Jesi. The family has been cultivating the noble Verdicchio grape on these medium loamy soils with sandy and calcareous inclusions for five generations. The lowest yields per hectare and the latest possible hand-picking guarantee the highest concentration for this top wine.

A red wine full of character from the southern shore of Lake Garda, made from Marzemino, Sangiovese and a hint of Cabernet Sauvignon. The vines grow on clayey and calcareous moraine soil, which gives the wine structure and minerality. Deep ruby red colour with a purple core in the glass. The bouquet opens with ripe wild berries, sour cherry and plum, as well as notes of violet, black pepper and a hint of liquorice. Powerful yet supple on the palate, with juicy fruit, well-integrated tannins and fine spice. A fresh, supporting acidity provides balance and flow. An expressive red wine with a regional accent that shines with both strong meat dishes and mature cheese. SUPERIORE.DE

Dense bouquet with aromas of blackberry and some smoke. Rich flavour with beautiful fruit fullness and well-dosed tannins. Very harmonious and lingers for a long time. Truly no ordinary Rosso from the vineyards around Sant'Antimo. SUPERIORE.DE

Anyone familiar with the nine vineyard reserves of the Produttori del Barbaresco will know that this co-operative's entry is no concession. Langhe Nebbiolo is made from young vines that are spread across the entire appellation – the same soils, the same families, the same care. What sets it apart from its big brothers is not intention, but time. After two years of prolonged drought, the 2024 vintage began with a refreshingly wet winter that replenished the water reserves in the soil. Spring came early and mild; bud break began around 20 March. What followed was an even, well-tempered growing season – ideal for a Nebbiolo that can be drunk earlier but still has something to say. Vinification in concrete vats at 28 degrees, 20 days of maceration with pumping over twice a day, followed by five months in large oak barrels – this is not a compromise, but a concept.

Sodale presents Merlot in its clearest and most charming form: This single-varietal representative grows on calcareous hillsides around Montefiascone – where fresh evening air promotes sophistication and elegance. The 2022 vintage is characterised by optimally ripe harvest, while the cool nights have allowed the vines to retain balance and a fine acid structure. Brilliant ruby red in the glass with a light violet rim. The bouquet seduces with aromas of blackcurrant, ripe plum, dark cherry and a hint of floral violet notes, accompanied by delicate hints of herbs. Juicy and harmonious on the palate with velvety tannins, lingering fruit sweetness and a lively texture. The subtle acidity lends freshness and encourages drinking, while the elegant, spicy finish whets the appetite for more. Not an opulent statement, but a stylish Merlot with balance, flow and character. Authentic, charming and typically Cotarella. SUPERIORE.DE

There are wineries that you don't find through advertising, but through word of mouth from people who know exactly what they are talking about. Sesta di Sopra is one of them. Ettore Spina was a banker in Turin for more than forty years before he bought an abandoned farmstead south of Montalcino in the 1980s and replanted it – not out of calculation, but out of conviction. Today, he and his family cultivate 2.5 hectares of Sangiovese at an altitude of 350 metres near Castelnuovo dell'Abate: calcareous marl, biodynamic cultivation, hand-picking and an annual production that fits into a single large barrel. Ian d'Agata has no hesitation in calling this vineyard one of the best Montalcinos in the world.

In school philosophy, A quo denotes the starting point of an argument – the place from which everything else begins. Fabio Chiarelotto has dedicated a wine to this Latin thought. And what he meant was: Montepeloso begins here. The Swiss national with a Tuscan mother bought the estate in Suvereto, near Bolgheri – one of the hottest wine-growing regions in Tuscany. What others drown in heat, he wanted to translate into elegance. He replanted, pruned, worked biodynamically and bet that it was possible to make wines that glow instead of sweat on these limestone-rich, fossilised clay and silex soils. 2024 shows that he was right. The blend of Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malvasia Nera and other varieties is fermented in steel, then matured for twelve months in used barriques – no wood to cover the fruit, just one that polishes delicately. Bottled unfiltered.

Timorasso – once almost forgotten, today one of the most exciting white wines in Piedmont. Piccolo Derthona is Walter Massa's introduction to this fascinating grape variety, but there is no question of a simple base. The wine comes from the hillside vineyards around Monleale, where clay and limestone on ancient sea beds create a microclimate that favours cool fruit and mineral tension. The wine is traditionally matured in stainless steel, with long maturation on the fine lees – for structure, clarity and character.

In 1872, Bettino Ricasoli wrote down his famous formula – the blueprint of what Chianti Classico should be: Sangiovese as the heart, structure as the backbone, terroir as the argument. The fact that his descendants have named this wine after him is not nostalgia. It is a commitment. Brolio Bettino is a single-varietal Sangiovese – and that is intentional. No blending, no corrective. The grapes grow on five geological formations: Sandstone, Galestro, Alberese, marine sediments and old river terraces – a terroir mosaic that combines depth and complexity in one glass. Fermentation in small stainless steel tanks, 18 months of ageing in large barrels: classic, without compromise. The 2022 vintage was capricious – mild winter, dry spring, a hailstorm in July, but it ended on a mild note.

Rami is an attractive and at the same time very individual blend of Grecanico and Inzolia. Bright golden yellow in colour with a slight, typical cloudiness of an orange wine and an initially restrained, reductive bouquet, with some aeration then sweetly scented with apricots, dried flowers and orange peel. This intellectual white needs time and a certain amount of experience with natural wines - with the necessary amount of oxygen, it is highly appetising and elegant on the palate. SUPERIORE.DE

The name comes from the Middle Ages: the "grosso agontano" was one of the most important silver coins in Italy, minted by the Maritime Republic of Ancona in the 13th century. A coin for trade routes, for trust, for value. Garofoli did not choose this name by chance – it sets the standard for their most important red wine. It only appears in the best years. Then, when the harvest in the Piancarda vineyard – within the Monte Conero nature reserve, on calcareous clay soil – the quality that justifies the DOCG classification. 100% Montepulciano, hand-picked, 10 to 15 days of maceration for maximum depth of colour and tannin structure, followed by malolactic fermentation. Maturation: 18 months in barriques, then more than 12 months in the bottle.

Pinot Grigio has been at home in the Isonzo for 140 years now; with the necessary sensitivity, it develops a great deal of elegance and structure and can almost be called autochthonous here. It is not surprising that Alvaro Pecorari has taken this grape variety to his heart. A finesse-rich white with a floral bouquet and a fine peach note. On the palate, multi-layered and quite complex, the 8-month yeast storage gives it depth, length and a good ageing potential. SUPERIORE.DE

White postcard from the Langhe: gentle hills, morning breezes – and Arneis in its purest form. Arveja comes from selected, higher-lying parcels around Alba; the harvest is cool and selective, and the ageing is deliberately focussed on freshness and clarity. Pale straw yellow in the glass with a greenish tinge. Open bouquet of white flowers, green apple skin, juicy pear with a hint of citrus zest, underneath a fine, stony-mineral tone. Straightforward, juicy on the palate, with lively acidity and a delicate creaminess in the flow. The fruit remains cool and precise, with a small almondy accent for a Piedmontese wink. The final is long and salty-fresh. An uncomplicated, elegant Arneis with a confident drinking pleasure – perfect as an aperitif, with antipasti, vitello tonnato or simply with a good piece of grilled trout. SUPERIORE.DE

The French grape variety has felt at home in the southern Eisack Valley since the end of the 19th century. At the Ebnerhof, Sauvignon grows on barren, stone-rich gravel and marl soil – it is precisely this sparseness that makes the difference. The Unterthiner family works with consistent yield regulation, manual defoliation and thinning out in order to obtain concentrated grape material. In the cellar, they rely on temperature-controlled fermentation in stainless steel tanks to preserve the freshness typical of the variety.

Salcheto's garnet-red sparkling Vino Nobile delights us with a classic blend of dusty black cherries, cedar shavings, worn leather and sour citrus notes. On the palate, there is plenty of present fruit, a soft texture and a cool note, with savoury red fruits and cedar spice accompanied by lively acidity. Fine, sweet mellowness on the long finish. An authentic and pleasantly elegant organic wine from the heart of the Montepulciano region that is ready to drink when young. SUPERIORE.DE

Nerello Mascalese is known as the protagonist of the elegant Etna red wines – but as a rosato, this noble grape variety has a fascination all of its own. Benanti vinifies it as a single variety from the south-eastern slope of the volcano, where the vines are rooted in mineral-rich volcanic sands at an altitude of 500 to 700 metres. The grapes are harvested by hand at the beginning of October from vines on trellises that are on average 25 years old. After twelve hours of cold maceration, the grapes are gently pressed; only 65% of the must is transferred to the stainless steel tank. Ten days of fermentation at a controlled temperature with the winery's own Etna yeast, followed by maturation on the fine lees and two to three months of rest in the bottle.

A classic journey into the longing world of the South Tyrolean mountains: bright lemon yellow with golden yellow accents. Pinot Blanc Anna Turmhof, with flavours of pear, peach and floral notes, is an unusually soft and beautiful wine, rich and concentrated, with class and refinement. Its fresh acidity is a lively accompaniment to the very captivating and complex finish. SUPERIORE.DE

Bright, sparkling silver-grey with a persistent perlage. The nose is fragrant with white roses, juicy pears and white peach. Juicy on the palate, radiant and with a great fruity sweetness, it opens up with presence and balance, pleasantly dosed in all its facets. SUPERIORE.DE

In 1985, estate manager Giuseppe Bianchini inherited this estate in Castelnuovo dell'Abate from the childless Countess Elda Ciacci Piccolomini. His dream: to make great Brunello. Today, his children Paolo and Lucia run the estate with 55 hectares of vines and a view of Sant'Antimo Abbey. Their Rosso di Montalcino comes from the "Fonte" vineyard. 100% Sangiovese, matured in Slavonian oak. Bright ruby red in colour, raspberry and wild strawberry on the nose, medium-bodied on the palate with fine tannins and lively acidity. The elegance of the house, without having to wait and a Rosso that makes Piccolomini's greatness tangible even when young. SUPERIORE.DE

The Pratto is a provocation – in the best sense of the word. When Ca' dei Frati became one of the founding members of the DOC Lugana in 1969 and made history with its elegant Turbiana wines, nobody would have thought that the winery would one day deliberately produce outside the strict rules of origin. But that is exactly what Pratto is: a deliberate departure from conventional systems without losing respect for the terroir. The Dal Cero family composes a cuvée from Trebbiano di Lugana (Turbiana), Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc – three grape varieties that benefit from the Mediterranean climate of Lake Garda and the nutrient-rich, glacial clay soils.