Formats

Montefico lies between Montestefano and Ovello – long regarded by connoisseurs as the most precise and sophisticated wine in the Produttori range. The vineyard faces south to south-east, sharing its limestone-rich soil with its imposing neighbour, Montestefano, whilst at the same time being exposed to occasional northerly winds that blow through the narrow valley between Barbaresco and Neive, bringing a refreshing coolness to the early morning hours even in hot summers. This lends the Nebbiolo here a characteristic coolness, which it bears with dignity. The Produttori del Barbaresco vinify Montefico using the same approach as for all their other nine crus: 28 days' maceration, followed by thirty months or more in large Slavonian oak barrels – without haste, without compromise. The April frost of 2021 reduced the harvest to the bare essentials; the grapes ripened slowly and fully, and the harvest did not take place until after 8 October – under almost perfect conditions.

Deep, dark yellow colour. Rich, almost opulent impressions of candied apricots, orange zest and traces of fine yellow flowers on the nose. Fabulously viscous texture on the palate, multi-layered, very concentrated flavour of candied fruit with a wonderfully polished sweetness. One of Italy's greatest Vin Santo with a long, persistent finish and made to last. SUPERIORE.DE

Borgo del Tiglio's Collio Rosso Riserva is a northern Italian Merlot (with the addition of 5% Cabernet Franc) and is only vinified in the best vintages. A beautiful red with a delicate personality and a resting intensity that emphasises a kind of elegance that is particularly rare for this grape variety. On the nose, redcurrant, sour cherry, blue flowers and hints of caraway and crushed linseed. A great, exceptional red wine, of which only 1,200 bottles were produced. SUPERIORE.DE

For the production of Badia a Coltibuono Grappa Riserva, our own Sangiovese marcs are distilled by hand at low temperature with indirect steam after a gentle pressing. This process preserves the aromas of the fresh marcs in the grappa. The grappa is produced at the Nannoni distillery in Paganico, where many of Italy's best wine producers have their grappa distilled.

The world-famous Nussbaumer Gewürztraminer has been a true benchmark for years and is also a wine that impresses with its ageing potential. A bright yellow colour with greenish highlights. Perfectly typical of the variety – complex and deep, yet also lively and fresh with lovely nuances. The bouquet offers a wide range of aromas, from rose blossom to smoke and oriental spices. On the palate, it flows with silky smoothness, velvety and spicy, with a long finish – magnificent! SUPERIORE.DE

Only 2,000 numbered bottles of the 2018 debut vintage of the "Vigna del Bersagliere" Morellino di Scansano Riserva were filled. The grapes for the new top Sangiovese from Podere 414 come from a small, organically cultivated vineyard of just 1.3 hectares above the winery. It is aged for 36 months in 500 Liters and then refined for 24 months in the bottle. Bright ruby red in colour. Primary aromas of ripe, dark fruit with spicy notes in the glass. Firmly structured on the palate, again dark fruit, plus plums and earthy tones. It is still young and somewhat angular in the glass, but its exceptional style and good acidity/tannin structure already suggest very good ageing potential. SUPERIORE.DE

The name Il Bruciato, literally "the fire", commemorates a historic and devastating forest fire on the Guado al Tasso estate: in the early 20th century, a vast area of woodland on the estate was completely destroyed by fire. Ever since, the wine has told the story of this event in a poetic way – and of the reconstruction, which is also a symbol of perseverance, identity and the connection between landscape and wine. Since its debut vintage in 2002, Guado al Tasso has used this wine to pursue the idea of an accessible Bolgheri red that remains true to its origins and terroir. The vines grow in the immediate vicinity of Bolgheri Superiore, and the wine is vinified with precision and an eye for balance.

When Luciano and Luca Sandrone first laid eyes on the concave hillside of Valmaggiore in the 1990s, it was love at first sight. It was not just the history that captivated them – in the 19th century, the Nebbiolo grapes from this vineyard dictated the price for the entire region – but above all the unique combination of sandy soils and the microclimate of this natural amphitheatre. In Vezza d'Alba, on the left bank of the Tanaro in the Roero, lies this south-facing single vineyard with extremely steep slopes, where soft sandy soils lend the Nebbiolo that finesse and elegance for which the Roero region is famous.

Intense ruby red Vino Nobile Riserva with a spicy bouquet of aromas of dried fruit, cinnamon, cloves and liquorice. Smooth on the palate with a variety of nuances, beautiful fullness, structure and intensity, supple tannins. Very elegant pleasure at an excellent price. SUPERIORE.DE

Caparzos Riserva 2019 is a big, powerful wine that needs at least a few years to mature. Dark and brooding, this Riserva shows the more masculine side of Sangiovese. Black cherry, plum, leather, spices and tobacco lie on a firm beam of acidity and tannin. This red has the explosive energy and finesse of the dream 2019 vintage and will need some time to mature before all the facets of this highly personalised wine come together – but as always with top wines: patience is rewarded! SUPERIORE.DE

When Elio Altare returned from Burgundy in the 1970s, he brought with him a conviction that nobody in Piedmont shared at the time: that Nebbiolo need not achieve greatness through age and ‘tannic mass’, but rather through elegance and precision. He shortened the maceration periods, introduced used barriques and pursued the ideal of a Barolo that is accessible without losing its soul. His dispute with his father over this has become legendary. That conviction has endured. Altareentry-level Barolo is the most complete expression of this conviction: no single cru, no selection from a single vineyard, but a blend from the appellation’s four major municipalities. La Morra brings aromatics and silkiness. Castiglione Falletto brings body. Serralunga d’Alba brings mineral rigour. The municipality of Barolo itself brings balance. 10,000 bottles from vines aged between 20 and 30 years, predominantly facing south to south-east.

Carmignano is Italy's best-kept secret: a DOCG of just 110 hectares – smaller than some Bordeaux châteaux. It was here, just outside Florence, that Caterina de' Medici brought Cabernet vines from France in the 16th century. While the rest of Tuscany invented the Super Tuscans centuries later, Carmignano had long since reached its goal. Il Sasso comes from the cru of the same name in Santa Cristina a Mezzana: two and a half hectares, thirty-year-old vines, clay and galestro at an altitude of 250 metres. Seventy per cent Sangiovese, plus Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and a touch of Cabernet Franc – the classic Carmignano formula in the signature style of Silvia Vannucci. Fermented with natural yeasts, almost three weeks on the skins, then twelve months in used French barriques – no new wood, nothing should distract from the terroir. Bottled unfiltered and matured in the bottle for a further six months.

Anyone looking for the truth in Sangiovese will find it here: Laura Brunelli's Montalcino has been a stunning wine full of vitality, life and energy for years. It displays an almost outrageous degree of clarity and openness. It unfolds brightly and radiantly with lasting purity, elegance and length. This Brunello shows extreme precision and focus, both on the nose and in the mouthfeel. Wild berries, blue flowers and liquorice come together in perfection, and it is impossible to surpass this quality at this price. SUPERIORE.DE

When Rita Tua and Virgilio Bisti bought a farmstead in the village of Notri, south of the medieval town of Suvereto in the Colline Metallifere, in 1984, they had no wine plan. They wanted nature, peace and quiet, a piece of land. The passion for wine changed that – slowly, inevitably, as it always does. The first vintage of Giusto di Notri was produced in 1992, named after San Giusto, the patron saint of Suvereto, and after the location of the estate itself. Eight years later, her Redigaffi was the first Italian wine ever to receive 100 points from Robert Parker. Tua Rita had redrawn the wine map of the Maremma.

2019 was a strong year in Montalcino and this vintage shows balance and proud character. Opens with bright cherry fruit, menthol, balsamic herbs, minerals and soft earthy tones. On the palate, mint and sage form the backdrop to bright cherry with a hint of sweet spice. It's feminine and remarkably pretty, showing red fruits with savoury minerals and inner flowers that accumulate towards the finish. The tannins are round and nuanced, classically dry but in no way fatiguing or austere. This symmetry and great length are simply fascinating. SUPERIORE.DE

Pinot Blanc has been part of the Sanct Valentin line since 2001 – born out of the realisation that this long underestimated variety is capable of achieving extraordinary things at the high altitudes of Eppan-Berg. Between 450 and 600 metres, where limestone gravel and clay form the foundation, ten to thirty-two year old vines grow facing south-southeast. Extremely low yields from meticulously selected plots. Hand-picked at the end of September, then two different methods: one half fermented with malolactic fermentation and yeast storage in barriques and tonneaux, the other in large oak barrels. After just under a year, the wine is blended when it is clear what belongs together – then a further eight months of maturation in steel tanks to finalise the balance.

A Negroamaro with a grand gesture and deep expression: Gianfranco Fino's Jo comes from over 50-year-old Alberello vines, rooted in calcareous and clayey soils not far from the Ionian coast. The 2022 vintage was characterised by heat and drought, but the deep roots of the old vines ensured balance and ripeness. The meticulously selected grapes are fermented spontaneously and matured in French barriques – with the aim of achieving maximum origin and texture.

For over 60 years, the Produttori del Barbaresco have stood for an uncompromising commitment to quality, supported by over 50 winegrowers who contribute their finest grapes from Barbaresco, Neive and Treiso to the cooperative. The Barbaresco 2022 is a prime example of collective precision and classic style: the Nebbiolo grapes come from selected municipal vineyards, some of which border the crus, on limestone and clay-rich soils. Vinification was carried out using traditional methods: extended maceration, ageing for 24 months in large Slavonian oak barrels, followed by a further period of rest in the bottle.

When Zefiro Pieri saw the old farmhouse in the hamlet of Sesta in 1950, between centuries-old olive groves and the rolling hills south of Montalcino, he knew that this was where he would stay. He planted the first Brunello vines, initially selling the grapes to others – until his grandson bottled his first own wine in 1991. Today, Claudio Monaci and Silvia Batazzi are the fourth generation to run the estate, while their daughters Caterina and Emma are already waiting in the wings. Sant'Angelo in Colle, just a stone's throw away, is considered one of the finest Brunello locations: volcanic, stony soils, permeable and warm, while the Orcia Valley carries the sea breeze from the Tyrrhenian Sea 45 kilometres away to the vineyards. Claudio and Silvia select the best Sangiovese grapes of the vintage for their Riserva. Spontaneous fermentation in concrete with the vineyard's own yeasts, followed by 40 months of ageing in large vats – time enough to gain depth without losing the fruit. The 2019 epitomises a classic vintage in the best sense of the word: concentrated yet lively, with that balance that only comes about when cool nights and Mediterranean warmth play in harmony.

The Sottimano winery has five vineyard sites, with the Pajorè site near Treiso having the poorest soils of all. These wines are therefore more elegant and ripe. The current 2018 vintage is a super-classic, explosive wine, with tremendous depth and character. Although it has a lot of breadth and texture, it remains light on its feet. Lavender, mint, liquorice and purple berry fruit are beguiling and wonderfully vibrant in the glass. Pajorè is a spicy, elegant and sweet Nebbiolo that is fine yet covers the mouth well - and we are always impressed by its lovely salty mouthfeel. SUPERIORE.DE

Intense statement wine from the south-west coast of Sardinia: Barrua combines 85% Carignano with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot - a powerful composition from old vines on calcareous sandy-clay soils close to the sea. The grapes are carefully harvested by hand, vinified separately and then matured for 18 months in French barriques. After a resting period in cement tanks and several months in the bottle, the wine is now impressively balanced. Deep dark in the glass, almost impenetrable. The aroma is reminiscent of black cherries, wild berries, Mediterranean herbs, clove, pepper, liquorice and a hint of tobacco. The ageing brings notes of vanilla and cedar wood into play, but always remains at the service of the fruit. Full and concentrated on the palate, yet cool-structured and harmonious. Fine-grained tannins, lively acidity and salty minerality provide depth and elegance. The long finish is spicy and precise. Barrua has long been more than just an insider tip: a modern, Mediterranean classic with a clear signature and plenty of potential - authentic, full of character and confident. SUPERIORE.DE

Lagrein and Gries belong together like Nebbiolo and Barolo. The Bolzano district of Gries is the ancestral home of this indigenous South Tyrolean grape variety – first mentioned in writing in 1379, since then hardly anywhere else as convincing as here. Rudi Kofler puts it in a nutshell: "The alluvial soils of Gries are ideal for Lagrein. Because the Gries terroir is unlike anything else in Terlan. No steep slopes, no porphyry rock – but flat, post-glacial alluvial soil in the sunny Bolzano valley basin, where the Adige, Eisack and Talfer rivers meet and summer temperatures of up to 40 degrees are not uncommon. Loamy-sandy soils, lime-free, brooding. A terroir that gives Lagrein warmth and ripeness without taking away its tension. Hand-picked, destemming, slow maceration in steel, malolactic fermentation – then 12 months of ageing: half in large wooden barrels and half in barriques, one third of which is new. Precision meets depth.

The Nero d'Avola grapes for the very rare Sultana come from a steeply sloping, bush-shaped vineyard facing north-west. The soil here is white with a limestone matrix, rich in minerals and drainage capacity. The pronounced slope and very poor soil reinforce the pedoclimatic characteristics in which the Nero d'Avola plants find a natural habitat. It is an extreme terroir, a combination of environmental and human factors, that distinguishes the Sultana vineyard from other vineyards. The light reflected by the white soils enhances the characteristics and ultimately the quality of the grapes from the vineyard. SUPERIORE.DE

Vanotu is the great single-vineyard Barbaresco of the house – a wine with origin at its core and concentration in its expression. The grapes come from the historic Basarin vineyard in Neive, a cru parcel with south-west exposure and steep limestone marl soils, which not only give the Nebbiolo depth, but also structure and vertical tension. The name "Vanotu" is a dedication to Giovanni (Vanotu) Pelissero, grandfather of the current winemaker – a family foundation to which this wine owes its independence. The wine is matured with sensitivity: around 20 months in barriques, some of which are new, precisely matched to the character of the vintage. No dominant wood notes, but a framework that gives the grape variety space and direction.