Formats

A Pinot Gris that finds its finest expression in the South Tyrolean Unterland. For this wine, Peter Zemmer selects the finest grapes from vineyards in the valley floor and on the steep slopes around Kurtinig. The unique microclimate, the calcareous gravel soils formed from moraine sediments and the sandy alluvial soils create ideal conditions for this noble Burgundy variety. The ‘Ora’, that warm southerly wind from Lake Garda, ensures perfect aeration of the grapes and guarantees harvesthealthy, fully ripe harvest. Maturation on the fine lees for several months lends the wine complexity and a creamy mouthfeel.

As an entry into the world of Vino Nobile, Federico Carletti's Rosso reveals all its directness without false modesty. Eighty per cent Sangiovese – here honourably called "Prugnolo Gentile" – are combined with twenty per cent Merlot to create a cuvée that expresses the character of the galestro-rich clay soils unfiltered. This organically produced composition matures only briefly in historic barriques, emphasising the youthful freshness of the Sangiovese grape. Intense ruby-coloured tones reveal the power of the Tuscan sun, while a seductive interplay of sour cherries and dark forest fruits with herbal and floral nuances unfolds on the nose. On the palate, this Rosso presents itself with the typical Poliziano balance: velvety, elegantly structured, with a subtle tannin structure that never dominates, but harmoniously envelops the fruity core. An authentic ambassador of its terroir. SUPERIORE.DE

A Cannonau that harmonises origin and structure – that's how Costera feels in the glass. The grapes come from the old sand and limestone hills of the south-east facing vineyard of the same name, where the intense sun and cool sea breeze combine to ensure aromatic ripeness and multi-faceted minerality. After controlled fermentation, the wine matures for around five months in barriques and cement tanks.

In 1900, Cleto Chiarli travelled to Paris. In his luggage: bottles of his Lambrusco, fermented using the traditional method – fermentation in the bottle, no intervention, no dosage. The jury at the World Exhibition awarded him the "Mention Honorable". A century later, *Wine Spectator* selected the Fondatore for its Top 100 Wines of the World. The secret lies in the method. Whilst the market favours the Charmat method, Chiarli 1860 continues to use the *Metodo Ancestrale* for the Fondatore, with the second fermentation taking place in the bottle. This is followed by six months' ageing on the lees. No dosage. The result is a Lambrusco whose vintages can be traced back – and which reveals what this wine tasted like long before anyone had the idea of making it sweet.

Full-bodied yet refreshing – this is how Peter Zemmers’ Chardonnay from the finest vineyards around Kurtinig in South Tyrol’s Unterland region presents itself. The vines, grafted onto low-growth rootstocks and trained using the Guyot system, benefit from their favourable location in the valley floor, ideal sunlight and good air circulation around the grapes. The hand-picked grapes are left to macerate on their skins for a few hours in a cool place before pressing – a step that transfers the fruity aromas from the skins into the must and intensifies the bouquet. Following gentle pressing and natural sedimentation, fermentation takes place at a controlled temperature of 19 °C in stainless steel tanks.

South Tyrol's soul in a glass. The Vernatsch – italian Schiava – is the most widely cultivated red wine variety in the region and is currently experiencing a renaissance in quality. Peter Zemmer grows this autochthonous grape variety on the calcareous clay and gravel soils of the sun-drenched slopes around Kurtatsch, traditionally cultivated on the pergola – the typical pergola shape that has characterised the South Tyrolean landscape for centuries.

Appiano is the largest wine-growing community in South Tyrol – and the St. Michael-Eppan winery is its centrepiece. Together, 330 member companies cultivate 385 hectares on sunny slopes between 250 and 900 metres above sea level. What unites them is not just the geography, but the conviction that quality is created in the vineyard – and that Eppan offers the right conditions for this. The Chardonnay grows at around 400 metres above sea level along the famous South Tyrolean Wine Route, on moraine soils from the Ice Age – calcareous, well-aerated, with a natural ability to ripen slowly. Hand-picked, processed in stainless steel: fresh and typical of the variety.

Pinot Bianco is the most cultivated white wine variety at the St. Michael-Eppan winery – and there is a reason for this. At altitudes of 480 to 650 metres in the municipality of Appiano, the grape variety finds exactly what it needs: calcareous gravel soils with a light clay content, south-east exposure and the cool night winds that blow down from the Mendel Mountains. These winds are the invisible tool of the terroir – they slow down the ripening process and maintain the freshness that distinguishes Pinot Bianco at this altitude from all others. Hand-picked, vinification in steel. Typical of the variety, clean, easy to drink.

Founded in 1889 by Pastor Christian Schrott, the Tramin Winery is today one of the most renowned co-operative wineries in Italy – supported by around 270 winegrowing families who cultivate their vineyards around Termeno, Neumarkt, Montan and Auer. Oenologist Willi Stürz, who has been at work since the 1990s, has turned this collective strength into a portfolio that has won many international awards. His credo: purity and terroir character – not a word too much in the cellar. The Pinot Bianco grows on chalky and clayey soils with gravel and crushed stone, between 250 and 500 metres above sea level.

Pinot Grigio is the most widely cultivated white wine variety in South Tyrol – and at the same time the most misunderstood. Anyone who thinks it only knows one note has not yet drunk one from the vineyards around Termeno. The Tramin winery gets the best out of this grape variety: calcareous clay and gravel soils, altitudes between 200 and 400 metres and the temperature fluctuations between day and night that are typical of the valley. This is what gives the Pinot Grigio its tension. Vinified in steel tanks, with careful temperature control – no wood, no distractions. What ends up in the glass is the location.

For a long time, Nero di Troia was Northern Apulia's well-kept secret – used in blends, but rarely as a single variety. Torrevento changed that in 1993: the Vigna Pedale was the world's first single-varietal Nero di Troia. Since then, it has been the estate's flagship wine – and, right up to the current 2019 vintage, has left Gambero Rosso with no choice but to award it the highest rating eight times in a row.

The country dance (controdanza) is a typical dance in which man and woman face each other and unite in graceful movements - depending on their gender, the dancers interpret the music in their own way. This wine is exactly the same: Nero d'Aola and Merlot - opposites attract and, with the right sensitivity, can harmonise and contrast wonderfully.

A white wine with history and a mineral signature. Lacryma Christi Bianco comes from old vines on the fertile ash soils around Mount Vesuvius. Pale straw yellow in the glass with greenish reflections. The nose reveals white flowers, yellow apple, a hint of lemon and delicate herbal flavours. Fresh, clear and delicately salty on the palate, with lively acidity and a finely tart, cool mineral finish. The single-varietal Coda di Volpe was matured in stainless steel tanks to preserve its freshness and varietal character. A true southern Italian with a cool head and volcanic character – ideal with seafood, pasta alle vongole or fried antipasti. SUPERIORE.DE

A wine with a legendary name and volcanic character: according to legend, God wept when he saw Lucifer steal a corner of the sky. And where his tears touched the earth, the vine Lacryma Christi grew. Mastroberardino vinifies this historical origin as a single-varietal Coda di Volpe from the mineral-rich slopes of Mount Vesuvius. Clear, bright straw yellow in colour. Ripe pear, honeydew melon and candied citrus fruit on the nose, complemented by fine notes of incense, herbs and exotic spices. Harmonious on the palate, juicy and carried by salty minerality, with a fine mellowness and floral freshness on the finish. An authentic white wine with an ancient soul and fascinating energy – between myth and terroir. SUPERIORE.DE

After a break of thirty years, Federico Carletti has ventured a renaissance in recent years: Ambrae marks Poliziano's return to white grape varieties. This elegant cuvée made from ninety per cent Chardonnay and ten per cent Roussanne thrives on the clay-rich slopes around Montepulciano – a name that, like the winery itself, pays homage to the great Renaissance humanist Angelo Ambrogini. This composition matures exclusively in stainless steel without the influence of wood, allowing the mineral depth of the Pliocene soils to express itself unfiltered.

After a break of thirty years, Federico Carletti has ventured a renaissance in recent years: Ambrae marks Poliziano's return to white grape varieties. This elegant cuvée made from ninety per cent Chardonnay and ten per cent Roussanne thrives on the clay-rich slopes around Montepulciano – a name that, like the winery itself, pays homage to the great Renaissance humanist Angelo Ambrogini. This composition matures exclusively in stainless steel without the influence of wood, allowing the mineral depth of the Pliocene soils to express itself unfiltered.

A Vermentino with a name that evokes the sea – and that is precisely what it promises: Cala Silente comes from selected vineyards swept by the Mistral near the south-west coast of Sardinia. The grapes are harvested early in the morning and vinified in temperature-controlled stainless-steel tanks to preserve freshness and aromatic clarity. Pale straw yellow. The nose is distinctive yet delicate: white peach, lime and salty minerality, complemented by a hint of Mediterranean herbs and wet stone. Lively and taut on the palate, with fresh acidity, a delicate creaminess and a long, cool finish – coastal and full of character. Cala Silente is an authentic example of Sardinian white wine-making: unpretentious, aromatically precise and with a salty undertone that inevitably evokes the sea. If the glass sounds like a fresh breeze sweeping across the macchia, then it must be Cala Silente ... SUPERIORE.DE

The Tramin winery, founded in 1898 and today one of the most renowned cooperatives in South Tyrol with over 300 members, vinifies this Chardonnay from vineyards between 240 and 500 metres above sea level in the municipalities of Ora, Tramin and Egna. The calcareous, loamy, gravelly soils and the marked day-night temperature fluctuations of the Alpine region give the grapes their characteristic intensity of flavour.

Morisfarms is located seven kilometres from the Tyrrhenian Sea. And you can taste it. The Vermentino from the Poggetti estate carries the coast in the glass: salty, mineral, fresh, with that characteristic crispness that distinguishes Vermentino from the Tuscan coast from its more opulent relatives from Sardinia or Piedmont. The wine is not a pure Vermentino, but a harmonious blend: 90 per cent Vermentino, 10 per cent Viognier – the indigenous coastal variety and an aromatic northern player. The Viognier is harvested at the end of August, the Vermentino in mid-September. Both are cold clarified separately and fermented together in steel at 18 degrees. Matured lean, short fine lees, fresh in the bottle.

"Il Preliminare" - "The Preliminary Remarks". The names of Gerardo Giuratrabocchetti's wines are reminiscent of his father's world as a notary.

A hint of morning freshness: Al Qasar is the lighter side of Zibibbo, dry, elegant and designed for subtlety. Yellow in colour with a delicate golden shimmer in the glass. The nose opens with charming aromas of orange blossom, peach skin and a hint of elderflower. On the palate, it is clear and fragrant, with lively acidity, a creamy fruit centre and a floral finish that ends in svelteharmony. Al Qasar is an uncomplicated, yet characterful Zibibbo – ideal as an aperitif, with light antipasti or a fine fritto di mare. Elegant, dry and extremely charming. SUPERIORE.DE

Terraced vineyards at an altitude of 600 metres surround the traditional Liebrain farm in the Isarco Valley, where Silvaner has found its home for over two centuries. Weathered porphyry soils and extreme day-night temperature fluctuations give this crystal-clear white wine its purist character. The late harvest between the end of September and the beginning of October allows for optimal ripeness while maintaining the typical freshness.