0.75 liter

The trilogy is complete: after Core Rosso (since 2011) and Core Bianco (since 2015), Silvia Imparato is finalising her homage to Campania's great grape varieties with the first Core Rosato 2025. Core – neapolitan for heart, for love – also comes from the volcanic vineyards of the Sannio near Benevento, where tuff, volcanic ash and limestone give the Aglianico a unique minerality. Short skin contact, then vinified like a white wine under the direction of Riccardo Cotarella.

Ruby red in colour with a violet hue. Ripe cherry, blackberry and violet on the nose, with a hint of herbal spice. Juicy, fresh and precise on the palate, carried by fine tannins and lively, pure-toned fruit. The pure stainless steel maturation reinforces the varietal character. Winemaker Chiara Boschis is considered a pioneer of organic winegrowing in Piedmont – her tireless, quality-driven work and likeable personality characterise each of her wines. SUPERIORE.DE

The concept is as simple as it is ingenious: Christoph Künzli wanted to create a Nebbiolo that is fresh and easy to drink, whose beguiling sweetness and richness is convincing right up to the last sip and which nevertheless represents the Alto Piemonte in a typical and unmistakable way. The convincing result is fresh, with a rich bouquet of berries and flowers, crisp and velvety in the mouth. Be sure to enjoy it a little cooler and you will be surprised how quickly the bottle is empty! SUPERIORE.DE

What makes Alberto Passeri's Rosso di Montalcino so special? He is a stranger to compromise. The grapes come from the same plots as the great Brunello, from the historic vineyards of Canalicchio in the cooler north and the warmer slopes of Castelnuovo dell'Abate in the south. This dual origin is the secret: the elegance and finesse of the north merges with the strength and maturity of the south. Where other producers bottle their Rosso after just a few months, La Gerla allows it to mature for a full two years: six months in steel tanks, twelve months in large Slavonian barrels and a further six months in the bottle. This patience pays off.

Markus Prackwieser's Sauvignon vines grow on calcareous moraines with solid quartz porphyry at the foot of the Schlern massif, approx. 400-480 metres above sea level. Sparkling, light straw yellow colour. Very intense, appealing nose of tomato leaves, sage, a little thyme and white asparagus. Salty and freshly vibrant on the palate, densely woven, showing distinctly fragrant components, fine gooseberry, juicy and full of tension. SUPERIORE.DE

Owner Leonardo Pinzolo cultivates 52 hectares of biodynamically certified vineyards on his family farms in Popoli and Capestrano. The soils here differ from those in the rest of Abruzzo. Combined with the higher altitude of the vineyards and the proximity to the Gran Sasso mountains, these wines have a decidedly cooler expression than is usually found in Abruzzo. In the winery, fermentations are spontaneous and without temperature control. With the exception of a few single-vineyard wines, most of the wines are matured in stainless steel.

In the wide plain around Bolgheri – between the hills of the Alta Maremma and the nearby Tyrrhenian coast – the Vermentino thrives on ideal terrain. The vines benefit from the interplay of sea breeze and warmth, sandy, well-drained soils and careful harvest at optimum ripeness. Guado al Tasso vinifies a precise, clearly contoured white wine with a Mediterranean soul and remarkable tension.

100% Carricante from one of the youngest and most promising cru sites on the northern Etna slope: Contrada Taccione is located around 700 metres above sea level in Castiglione di Sicilia, characterised by volcanic sand, basalt rock and millennia-old ash. It is a landscape in motion, shaped by lava, wind and time. It is precisely this tension between barrenness and energy that Planeta translates here into a wine that seems to be made for quiet tones.

Three vineyards, one wine – the name says it all. From the Ginestra and Bricco San Pietro crus in Monforte d'Alba, Clerico composes its Barbera as an orchestra: Ginestra provides freshness, Mosconi the silky fullness, San Pietro structure and depth. After 10 to 14 days of maceration, the wine matures for 16 months in equal parts barrique and large barrels – a balance that Domenico Clerico himself had initiated before he passed away in 2017. Today, Oscar Arrivabene continues to run the cellar in his spirit.

Syrah and Petit Verdot form the basis for an exciting cuvée with which the Chia family once again demonstrates its great talent for Tuscan wines. Deep dark garnet red colour. An unexpected cornucopia of dark, smoky fruit on the nose, with spicy herbs, complex and deep. Impressive texture and elegance on the palate, with spicy notes of raspberry, a salty vein and invigorating acidity. SUPERIORE.DE

The Ponca stretches from the north-east of Udine to the south of Istria in Croatia. The part closest to the winery, which formed in the northernmost bays of the lagoon, lies on the current border between Italy and Slovenia. More precisely, it is divided between two countries, three provincial governments and four protected designations of origin from the Collio, the Colli Orientali del Friuli, the Brda and the Vipava. Initially, with the help of a few Slovenian friends and colleagues, they only experimented with Merlot grapes, but now the grapes are vinified in their own cellar. SUPERIORE.DE

The vines for Pinot Grigio Punggl thrive on soils with a high clay content south of Margreid. Bright straw yellow in colour with a brilliant core. Spicy, fruity aromas with notes of nuts, honey and fresh flowers lend it elegance and charm. Full-bodied and mineral flavour with a juicy structure and long finish. SUPERIORE.DE

A Nero d'Avola with juice and vigour: Nerojbleo comes from the high altitudes of the Iblei mountains around Chiaramonte Gulfi. The vines are rooted there in calcareous clay soils at an altitude of around 450 metres. The temperate microclimate and careful organic cultivation characterise a wine with structure, freshness and a distinct identity. The wine is matured for around 12 months in used barriques and tonneaux. Dark ruby colour with a purple core in the glass. Black cherry, ripe plum, liquorice and a hint of Mediterranean scrub on the nose. On the palate, the Nerojbleo is juicy and harmonious, with well-integrated acidity, fine-grained tannins and supple fruit. The subtle hint of wood adds depth without masking the varietal character. A multi-layered and complex Nero d'Avola with both power and elegance – ideal with grilled meat, savoury pasta dishes or mature cheese. SUPERIORE.DE

The Counts Bracci left their name and coat of arms to this estate: an armoured arm raising a sword. La Braccesca – the word alludes to braccia, the arm. When the Marchesi Antinori took over the estate in 1990, they brought it into the present without alienating it from its history. The first Vino Nobile from this estate was released in the same year – since then, La Braccesca has been one of the reliable addresses in the appellation. The Nobile di Montepulciano is made from Prugnolo Gentile – the local Sangiovese clone of Montepulciano – complemented by a small proportion of Merlot, which rounds off the wine without dominating it.