0.75 liter

Stefano Conterno is the more experimental of the three brothers – the one who likes to break new ground, while Franco and Giacomo would rather have a few more bottles of their legendary Baroli. But there is a method to Stefano's "playfulness": since its premiere in 1997, the Quartetto has been a bold answer to the question of whether international grape varieties can also be cultivated in the sacred hills of Bussia. The answer is yes, if you do it right. The name already reveals the concept: four grape varieties in a harmonious composition. 40 per cent Nebbiolo forms the Piedmontese backbone, plus 20 per cent each of Pinot Noir, Merlot and Syrah. All the grapes come from the Bussia zone, are harvested by hand in mid-October, vinified separately and matured in French barriques before Franco carries out the blending with a masterful hand. The result is a wine that combines race, elegance and impressive fullness without being overly flavoured.

Vigneto Gallina is a parcel with iconic status and is located in the core area of the famous Barbaresco Gallina vineyard, north of Neive. Vines with an average age of around 55 years are rooted on south-facing slopes with calcareous marl and sandy inclusions – an expression of terroir, history and origin, carried in every drop.

The Popoli vineyard bears witness to the fact that the Valle Reale plateau has been a wine-growing area since time immemorial. Several rows of this vineyard stretch out in front of the ruins of a cave cellar dating back to 1300. This is where the Benedictine monks from the monastery of San Benedetto in Perillis produced and stored their wine. The larger part of this very old site, where Montepulciano d'Abruzzo is cultivated, extends southwards towards the entrance to the valley.

A wine with origin and signature: The grapes come from the renowned Scarrone vineyard directly below Castiglione Falletto – a warm south-east exposure with calcareous marl soils. Vietti cultivates the vineyard organically and vinifies the Vigna Scarrone with respect for the grape variety and terroir. Temperature-controlled maceration is followed by ageing in large barrels and used barriques – an approach that promotes both structure and elegance.

The story begins with a drunk and Shakespeare. When a staggering reveller once pestered Sting – "How beautiful is the moon?" –the musician replied with a verse from sonnet 130: "My mistress's eyes are nothing like the sun." The man was satisfied and disappeared into the darkness. This nocturnal encounter gave rise to a song dedicated to all moon addicts in 1987 – "for the lunatics everywhere, for all those whose sanity is dependent on the phases of the moon." It seems only logical that this title of all things should become Il Palagio's flagship: the winery's first great Supertuscan also unfolds its magic in the twilight between day and night. Sangiovese, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon merge in equal parts – tuscan tradition meets international elegance without one side dominating. The biodynamically cultivated vines on the hills of Figline Valdarno provide the foundation; fifteen to eighteen months in new French barriques lend depth and polish.

In April 2021, temperatures in Montalcino dropped below zero. The vines, which had already begun to bud, were hit by the frost. What followed was a season of recovery: a rainy spring gave the vines the strength they needed to withstand a long, hot summer. Significant temperature fluctuations between day and night preserved freshness and aromatic precision. The harvest: concentrated, fragrant, healthy. In Montalcino, 2021 is regarded as a classic, elegant vintage. Not the opulence of 2019, nor the concentration of 2020, but balance. 100% Sangiovese, organically grown, spontaneous fermentation, 38 months in large French oak barrels (30 and 54 hectolitres), at least 6 months in bottle.

Michele Satta is one of Italy's greatest ambassadors for the Viognier grape, which he has almost single-handedly brought to this part of the Tuscan coast. His Viognier is sophisticated and seductive, making it the object of desire for wine lovers all over the world. Its inimitable bouquet of apricot and peach exudes an almost cheerful floweriness. Maturation in a combination of cement, oak and amphorae gives this expressive, flavoursome white wine a beautiful note. A dense white wine that spreads softly across the palate with a lovely salty freshness and a long, delicious finish. From the 2024 vintage, it is a 100% Bianco from the Bolgheri DOC. SUPERIORE.DE

The top-quality Vigneto Erchi Riserva comes from the small vineyard of the same name, which has belonged to Fattoria Selvapiana since 1998. The owners spent a long time searching for a vineyard whose terroir impressively demonstrates the complexity of Sangiovese in the Rufina region, making this wine a high-calibre addition to the famous Selvapiana collection.

In 1991, Alois Lageder succeeded in acquiring Casòn Hirschprunn, a historic estate that was mentioned in documents as early as the 13th century and today forms the spiritual heart of Lageder's biodynamic philosophy. Here, in the Renaissance palazzo in the middle of Magreid, where over 30 hectares of vineyards between 230 and 360 metres adorn the gentle slopes of the Margreider Schuttkegel, a revolution began in 1995: the first biodynamic experiments on Italian soil, which made the winery one of the pioneers of this holistic form of cultivation. "Tasting the unpredictable" – is how Alois Lageder himself defines the nature of this extraordinary white wine, which epitomises the joy of experimentation and innovative strength of the estate like no other.

A tribute to Luigi, Valeria's father, without whose support the life project of Valeria Viganò and Luca Orsini in Panzano would never have been realised. Aluigi embodies the highest level of the art of Sangiovese from Le Cinciole – only 4,000 bottles are produced annually from the single vineyard "Campo ai Peri". This Gran Selezione comes from organically cultivated vineyards at an altitude of 440 metres, where south-west-facing vines are rooted in the characteristic Galestro soil over sandstone. The traditionally dense planting of 9,000 vines per hectare and the cool, high-altitude climate give the wine its characteristic elegance and complexity. Vinification follows the original principles of the estate: hand-picking and careful selection of the grapes, spontaneous fermentation with wild yeasts in cement tanks for four weeks. After malolactic fermentation, the wine matures for 24 months in French oak barrels of 25 hectolitres, followed by a further year in concrete and twelve months of bottle ageing.

This genuine Aglianico speciality from 70-year-old vines is aged in terracotta amphorae for 18 months, giving it greater juiciness, freshness and depth. Intense ruby red in colour with garnet hues. Spicy hints of pepper and fruit jam, blackcurrant and tobacco on the cautiously reductive nose. Great structure, complexity and a certain originality on the palate, which, together with a fine minerality, makes it an exceptionally drinkyred. SUPERIORE.DE

The road to Sant'Angelo in Colle leads to the south-west side of the Montalcino hill. Here lies the Tenuta Il Poggione – one of the oldest and most reliable houses in the appellation. Lavinio Franceschi, a Florentine landowner, bought the estate at the end of the 19th century after, it is said, hearing about the beauty of these hills from a shepherd. He was one of the first to market Brunello under this name and one of the founders of the consortium. Today, the fourth generation – leopoldo and Livia Franceschi – run the estate with 140 hectares of vines, the oldest vines up to 60 years old and a philosophy that has not fundamentally changed in a century.

In 1980, a quiet revolution began in the granite hills of Gallura. What began as the bold vision of two young brothers was to change the Sardinian wine world forever: The first Vermentino in the world to undergo partial ageing in French barriques. Fabrizio and Mario Ragnedda dared to do the unthinkable – they believed that their beloved Vermentino could be on a par with the great international white wines. The name Capichera itself tells of ancient greatness: Caput erat – "it was the capital" – the Latin reminder of the historical importance of these lands belonging to the Ragnedda family. Here, where granite soils write Sardinian history and the sea breezes aerate the vines, the white flagship of a winery that made history has been produced for over four decades. The Vermentino ferments for four weeks in cool stainless steel before finding its way into new and used barriques.

Fine Franciacorta brut in light yellow gold with a delicate mousse. Very complex and intense on the nose, characterised by fine ripe yeast notes, brioche, delicately spicy, juicy yellow fruit, some peach and citrus. Complex and powerful on the palate, juicy fruit, with a fresh structure, a seductive, minimal extract sweetness on the finish and fine red berry nuances on the taut final. SUPERIORE.DE

Since the 2018 vintage, a small amount of Merlot has been vinified separately at Rampolla, named after the mother Donna Liù. The unfiltered wine was matured for 12 months in terracotta amphorae and fermented to almost 0 g/l residual sugar. Very elegant, fresh nose of sour cherry, laurel and cassis. Fresh on the palate and without the sometimes exuberant opulence of some other Tuscan Merlots, with a precise cherry fruit and salty-minty component. A finely chiselled Merlot that is hard to beat in terms of freshness, clarity and personality. It bridges the gap wonderfully between the Chianti Classico and the two flagships of the house, Sammarco and d'Alceo. Needs a few more years in the bottle. SUPERIORE.DE

The often underrated Madre is an elegant yet juicy cuvée of Sangiovese and barrel-aged Cabernet Sauvignon. Dark and luscious on the palate, it captures many of the best qualities of the house's established style. Black cherries, raspberry jam, plums, graphite, smoke, lavender, liquorice and dark spices envelop the palate in an effortless, juicy red wine that is a real insider's tip after some aeration. SUPERIORE.DE

Petit Verdot is a grape variety that the world is wary of. In Bordeaux, it is used to add flavour – a few per cent, hardly more. As a stand-alone, pure variety, taking centre stage: hardly anyone dares to do that. Tua Rita took the plunge for the first time in 2017. 60% Petit Verdot from young vineyards on heavily clay-rich soils of the Colline Metallifere, 40% Merlot from 35-year-old vines. "Esuberante e maturo", as the winery itself puts it. A duet of exuberance and maturity. The Petit Verdot comes from vineyards planted in 2011 – young, but in a location that needs no introduction: iron-rich clay, mineral depth, sea breezes from the Piombino Channel. The Merlot comes from the old plots that have defined the estate's reputation for decades. Hand-harvested, fermented in wooden tanks, then aged for 18 months in French and American oak barriques – the wood acting as a dialogue, not a monologue.

The Wolf's Gate – a name that commands respect. Andrian's flagship wine was one of South Tyrol's very first premium Lagrein wines. A true veteran of South Tyrolean quality winegrowing, one might say. Since its early days, the winery has been producing this Riserva from grapes grown in Gries near Bolzano, the traditional home of Lagrein. Gries is different. Here in the Bolzano region, the vines grow on warm porphyry alluvial soils. The microclimate is warmer than elsewhere, the soils more well-drained, with more gravel and less clay. Perfect for Lagrein, which needs warmth and sunshine. The old vines yield concentrated grapes: low yields, maximum extraction. Vinification follows traditional methods. Fermentation takes place in stainless steel, followed by eighteen months in French barriques. Malolactic fermentation occurs entirely in the wood, which makes the tannins silky and rounded.

Following its acclaimed comeback in 2022, the next vintage confirms it: the Linticlarus Chardonnay is back – and is here to stay. The selective harvest from the finest Chardonnay plots in Entiklar, at an altitude of 300 to 340 metres in the immediate vicinity of the legendary Vigna AU, produces a wine of remarkable elegance. The glacial moraine soils, with their high limestone content and natural salts, shape the wine’s character. Twelve months’ ageing in barriques and tonneaux lend structure and finesse without overpowering the fruit.

In the 12th century, a man named Ugolforte led the rebellion of the citizens of Montalcino against the superior power of Siena. A bandit for some, a freedom fighter for others – his name has survived the centuries in the stories told in the hills. Today it is on the label of a Brunello that carries this indomitable spirit. Tenuta San Giorgio is located in Castelnuovo dell'Abate, in the south-east of Montalcino, just a few kilometres from the thousand-year-old Abbey of Sant'Antimo. Founded in 1982 – in the same year that Grattamacco bottled its first vintage – the winery joined the ColleMassari group of the Tipa-Bertarelli family in 2016. Since then, it has shared the terroir with the legendary Poggio di Sotto: the same slopes, the same winds, the same philosophy. 28 hectares of Sangiovese on south-eastern slopes between 300 and 450 metres, embedded in 110 hectares of forest, which protects biodiversity and shapes the microclimate. The soils read like a geological poem: clay, galestro, tuff, red earth, white biancane, the proud Calanchi – and Monte Amiata, the extinct volcano, watches over everything.

Strong dark ruby colour. Pepper and spice accents, aromas of ripe red and dark fruit and a slightly animal note characterise the precise aroma. The perfect balance between tannin, silky elements and acidity guarantee a full-bodied flavour full of character. SUPERIORE.DE

One of the really great Chardonnays from South Tyrol: bright, intense light golden yellow in colour. In the powerful yet harmonious Chardonnay Baron Salvadori, the aromas of fine vanilla cream and ripe fruit change in quick succession. Fresh and round on the palate, the accentuated fruit is accompanied by balanced acidity, a fine salty vein and well-integrated wood spice. SUPERIORE.DE