0.75 liter

Gauggiole comes from a single vineyard in the north-east of the Castiglion del Bosco estate and is matured exclusively in concrete vats. Bright, lively red colour. Fresh red berries with delicate herbal notes on the nose. Well-structured in the mouth with cool flavours of red fruits such as cherry, floral nuances of violets and peppery notes on the finish. Well-balanced on the palate, with fine tannins and good ageing potential. SUPERIORE.DE

It is the original wine from Ca' del Bosco: first vinified in 1972 as Pinot di Franciacorta Bianco, long before the Spumanti made the winery world-famous. Over the years, it has changed its name several times – from Franciacorta Bianco to Terre di Franciacorta to Curtefranca Bianco. Since the 2017 vintage, it has been called Corte del Lupo: the farmyard and the wolf, faithful guardians of the estate, adorn the new label as the essence of the terroir. The cuvée of 80% Chardonnay and 20% Pinot Bianco comes from thirteen certified organic vineyards in Erbusco, Cazzago San Martino and Passirano – vines from 25 to 30 years old. Every single grape undergoes the legendary "spa for grapes": washing, hydromassage and gentle drying before being pressed. A quarter ferments in small oak barrels, the rest in stainless steel, followed by six months on the lees.

The Chardonnay grapes for Lis Neris' Metodo Classico come from the historic Jurosa vineyard. After the first fermentation in 500-litre barrels, it matures for at least three years in the bottle on the fine lees and develops the nobility and elegance that immediately excited us. On the nose, notes of yeast, light stone fruit, limestone and minerals. In the mouth it is creamy and elegant, blessed with depth and at the same time great freshness, which one would wish for from many a French counterpart. Dom Jurosa is precise, cool and pleasantly dry in its overall appearance, which also makes it an excellent food companion. SUPERIORE.DE

Here comes a Barbera that is in no hurry – it takes the time that character and depth require. 2020 was an exceptional year in the Nice DOCG region: late budding, a gentle, warm growing season and a sparkling, golden autumn. The result? Wines with precise fruit, deep texture and an elegance that begins to dance in the glass. In the light, a dense ruby red with garnet-coloured reflections, deep and inviting. The nose is both charming and dense: ripe cherry and plum jump out, complemented by violets, liquorice, delicate spicy notes and a fine, smoky undercurrent, as if the Barbera were whispering its origins. On the palate, it unfolds with velvety softness and structure at the same time. Fine-grained tannins envelop the supple fruit, the lively acidity provides tension and balance, while a spicy mineral vein gives length and banishes perplexity on the finish. No woodiness that screams – just fine, chalky elegance that holds everything together. A Barbera Riserva that shows character, powerful, brooding and with serene charm – perfect for the palate seeking pleasure with personality. SUPERIORE.DE

Poggio Lombrone is a selection of Sangiovese vines that are over fifty years old. The 2018 vintage is stunningly beautiful and absolutely classic with a bouquet that opens with crushed black cherries, cooling sweet herbal notes and dusty cedar. After some time in the glass, flavours of plums, cranberries and undergrowth unfold. Velvety and rich on the palate, harmonious, with ripe wild berries pouring over a core of savoury acids balanced by a hint of sour citrus. All framed by fine tannins that slowly rise towards the end. In the delightful final, rosy flowers, ferruginous mineral notes and savoury spices, great! SUPERIORE.DE

Good, full red colour. Captivating aromas and flavours of ripe red cherry, spicy herbs and blackcurrant jelly are interwoven with bright liquorice and blood orange nuances. An exceptional Rosso that combines richness and vibrancy in a remarkably harmonious way. Closes creamy yet refined. Wow, this is more than the little brother of Brunello di Montalcino! SUPERIORE.DE

The Nerello Mascalese vines of Contrada Montedolce were planted in 1975. Almost five decades of roots in volcanic lava sand, north-northeast, 730 to 750 metres. Low yield, high concentration – a depth that younger plants simply cannot reach. 2021 was a dry, concentrated year on Mount Etna – and an exceptionally good one for the Nerello Mascalese: the vines struggled for water, the grapes remained small and the flavour became compact. Davide Rosso harvests by hand in mid-October, vinifies for ten days in stainless steel with daily pumping over and a délestage at half-time. The wine is matured in French oak barrels of various sizes – a deliberately flexible decision that leaves room for the vintage and the parcel to express themselves.

Fiano Pietraincatenata is the winery's flagship white wine and takes the grape variety to a whole new level. The bouquet is a fascinating blend of grapefruit, lime zest and peach with a hint of sweet smoke as it warms up in the glass. Silky yet savoury to the core on the palate. A cornucopia of citrus fruits and minerals completes the green apple fruit. Tense and invigorating as it progresses and finishes, but still well suited to further and exciting bottle ageing. SUPERIORE.DE

It was no coincidence, but opportunity, that Roberto Voerzio embarked on a new adventure in Monferrato a few years ago. As the latest addition to his exquisite collection, he put himself to the test as a passionate Barbera lover by acquiring some plots of land near Canelli and Nizza Monferrato. These are vineyards that are around 35 years old with clay and limestone soil, which gives the wine complexity and minerality. The old planting was then greatly reduced according to his modus operandi: to 3,500 to 8,000 vines per hectare with a production of less than 1 kg (!) per plant. Fermentation and maceration take place in steel tanks using indigenous yeasts, malolactic fermentation and ageing take place in barriques (70% used) for 12 months and then in steel tanks for a few months before bottling without filtration.

The organically grown Etna Rosso Reseca is made from 100% Nerello Mascalese from a 1.5 hectare vineyard located at 800 metres above sea level on the blackened cone of the volcano. The wine offers both power and grace, the two contrasting qualities that characterise the great wines of Etna.

Deep, bright ruby red colour. Stunning aromas of floral dark berries, flint and attractive aromatic spices. Then fresh and juicy, but with a creeping concentration of blue and black fruit flavours, lifted by a zesty minerality and lively, harmonious acidity. The spicy, long finish is reminiscent of cloves, black pepper and coriander. A great wine, and we know now at the latest: The Catania family has a real knack for Cerasuolo di Vittoria. SUPERIORE.DE

While the white Oudeis captures the complexity of the Alta Langa in its purest form, its pink-coloured brother adds another dimension: the soul of Pinot Nero. Because here it is the red grape alone that expresses the terroir. Saignée, the French word for "bloodletting", describes the method: a short maceration on the skins extracts just enough colour and fruit from the must to achieve that shimmering onion skin tone that shines so seductively in the glass. The grapes come from altitudes between 300 and 550 metres in the municipalities of Bubbio, Loazzolo, Trezzo Tinella and Vesime – the grapes come from calcareous clay soils, which give the wine its mineral tension. After manual harvesting, the grapes are cooled with carbon dioxide snow and the must is left to rest for two to four hours under nitrogen before gentle pressing. This is followed by six months of bâtonnage and 36 months of yeast storage in the historic cellar vaults.

In the heart of the Colli Berici, where one of Italy's most mysterious wine landscapes stretches between Vicenza and Padua, Stefano Inama has been writing an extraordinary chapter in the European Carménère renaissance for three decades. What began in 1991 with a nameless sip from an unmarked glass – that legendary "love at first taste" –has developed into an obsessive passion that has made Inama the leading Carménère pioneer in Europe. Carminium, produced since 2015, is the younger sister of the iconic Oratorio di San Lorenzo and epitomises Inama's vision of a more accessible, yet complex expression of this almost forgotten Bordeaux variety. The history of this wine is inextricably linked to the Oratorio di San Lorenzo – the small 16th century chapel that sits enthroned in the middle of a twelve-hectare Carménère amphitheatre. Here, where monks once lived in unspoilt nature, the Carménère vines have reached a level of ripeness after fifteen years that allows Inama to vinify the neighbouring plots separately. The terroir is characterised by the red clay soils of the Colli Berici – iron-rich terra rossa on limestone subsoil, which gives the Carménère that unique balance between power and elegance that remains unattainable elsewhere.

The Viognier and Chardonnay vines grow on Caiarossa's most calcareous terroir. The grapes are fermented separately in oak barrels, matured on the lees and blended at the end, with little or no racking in order to produce the wine with as little oxygen contact as possible. The result is a precise and clean white wine that, with its beautiful volume, depth and smoothness with fragrant flavours of flowers and almonds, goes well with a delicate and fragrant pesto. SUPERIORE.DE

Originating from the historic vineyards between Sassicaia and Ornellaia, Varvara honours the BaroneVarvàra Wrangler, great-grandmother of the current owner Count Federico Zileri Dal Verme. This classic Bordeaux assemblage of predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon, supplemented by Merlot, Cabernet Franc and a touch of Petit Verdot, thrives on the chalky soils 70 metres above sea level. Twelve months of ageing in Liters barrels and large oak casks give the wine structure without over-extraction.

The name says it all – and a piece of wine history. Maggiorina refers to a training system that is older than viticulture in the Langhe: three vines grow at the four cardinal points, a pre-Roman legacy perfected in the 19th century by Alessandro Antonelli, the architect of the Mole Antonelliana, born in nearby Maggiora. What sounds like a folkloristic detail today is reality: Christoph Künzli cultivates these 80 to 100-year-old vines exclusively by hand – machines have no access here. More than ten indigenous grape varieties, both red and white, come together in the glass: Croatina and Nebbiolo form the foundation, Vespolina, Erbaluce, Malvasia and almost forgotten varieties such as Durasa, Slarina and Rastajola complete the ensemble. After spontaneous fermentation and brief maceration, the wine matures for twelve months in stainless steel.

Brilliant golden yellow colour. Complex notes of light peach, fresh pineapple and poached apricot on the nose. Rich and creamy on the palate with accents of smoke and toasted almonds. The finish is long-lasting, mineral and herb-accentuated. This very focussed and complex white paints a beautiful portrait of the refined side of the Trebbiano di Lugana grape, which is becoming increasingly popular. SUPERIORE.DE

There are grape varieties that have to wait decades for a visionary to recognise their true potential. Trebbiano d'Abruzzo was one such forgotten variety until Gianni Masciarelli started a revolution in 1981 that changed the face of Abruzzo viticulture forever. He was the first producer in the region to introduce the Guyot training system and French barriques, driven by a philosophy he called "innovazione continua" – continuous innovation in the service of tradition. Today, the vineyards surrounding the historic Castello di Semivicoli combine the fruits of this vision with the poetry of a place that has itself experienced a rebirth. Here, between Gran Sasso and Majella at an altitude of 380 metres, two very special Trebbiano vineyards take root: one with vines over forty years old that still embody the original vigour of the variety, and a younger one that Gianni planted at the end of the 1990s using the modern Guyot system – a symbiosis of grown wisdom and innovative spirit.

Pure Sangiovese from western Tuscany is not comparable with the interpretations from Montalcino or Chianti Classico due to its cultivation near the coast, but this somewhat different facet is in no way inferior to the aforementioned. Saturated, light ruby red colour. Intense and complex bouquet of cherries, lilac and broom, densely woven on the palate with black cherries, spices and grilled herbs, the whole framed by a terrificfreshness and lightness. A supple and elegant wine whose well-balanced acid wire not only provides the necessary structure, but also the framework for a wonderful further ageing phase. SUPERIORE.DE

In the rolling hills of Castelnuovo Calcea lies the Montemareto vineyard, a privileged parcel in the heart of the Nice DOCG zone, where Michele Chiarlo has relied on old, low-yielding Barbera vines for decades. The 2021 vintage benefited from a balanced vegetation cycle: a mild spring, warm, dry summer months and cool September nights resulted in perfectly ripe, concentrated berries. A deep ruby red colour with violet hues shines in the glass. The bouquet opens with juicy black cherry, ripe plums and dark berries, underpinned by violets, liquorice and fine roasted aromas. On the palate, the Barbera is powerful and supple at the same time, with rich fruit, present but well-integrated acidity and a fine-grained tannin that lends structure. The long, harmonious finish carries notes of sweet tobacco, herbs and a subtle almond flavour. A Barbera wine of remarkable depth and balance – full of character, storable and a worthy ambassador of the Nice terroir. SUPERIORE.DE

Light ruby colour. Rich bouquet of red cherry, strawberry, chocolate and violet. Generous and lively on the palate of rhubarb, strawberry cake and sour cherry, the fruit is beautifully concentrated and full. The nobly knitted tannin structure leads this multi-layered and very serious Sangiovese into a charming, mineral finish. Every year, Fuligni produces a wine that is outstanding for the appellation and, in terms of style, is an ingenious crossover between tradition and modernity. SUPERIORE.DE

As always, the Cerviolo is excellent: concentrated, with the aroma of red cherry, sweet tobacco, walnut and wild mushroom. Silky and multi-layered on the palate, with balsamic and spicy notes, dense and soft, with absolutely harmonious tannins. A marvellous wine! SUPERIORE.DE