Formats

The grapes for the profound Le Vigne come from Baudana in Serralunga d'Alba (for the power), Villero in Castiglione Falletto (for the precision), Vignane in Barolo (for the purity of the flavours) and Merli in Novello (for the fullness of the fruit). It opens wide with aromas of fresh red fruit and a delicate spicy note. Very intense on the palate, remarkably elegant, fine-grained tannins, extremely clear, structured and long. SUPERIORE.DE

Bussia is the beating heart of Aldo Conterno – those five hectares in Bussia Soprana from which it all began. When Aldo bought Cascina Favot in 1969 and parted company with his brother Giovanni, he did so not out of rebellion, but out of conviction: He wanted to make Barolo friendlier, more accessible, without betraying its soul. Shorter macerations, pumping over instead of submerged pomace cap – these techniques quickly threw him into the "modernist" camp. But because he never gave up the large Slavonian oak barrels, his wines lack the barrique lustre that characterises many modern Barolo. The Barolo Bussia is the classic base cuvée – a blend from various parcels of Bussia, from vines at least 20 years old. Vinification follows the Conterno philosophy: manual harvest in mid-October, temperature-controlled fermentation in stainless steel tanks with indigenous yeasts, two to three weeks of maceration depending on the vintage. The wine is then aged for 26 months in large Slavonian oak barrels of 25 to 75 hectolitres, which are replaced every 15 to 18 years. This is followed by a further year of bottle ageing – for a total of three years before the wine leaves the winery.

Altesinos Montosoli displays the famous characteristics of this particular site, which are always characterised by a pronounced mineral intensity, with hints of crushed granite and lead pencil layers. The five-hectare vineyard has a higher concentration of Galestro clay-slate rock, and the altitude contributes to the freshness of the wine.

Grattamacco is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Sangiovese, the latter grape variety certainly contributing to the fresh style of this wine. However, the overall picture is only complete when you realise that the vineyards used for this blend are among the best in the appellation. The Grattamacco Bolgheri Rosso Superiore is characterised by its typical aromas of leaves and Mediterranean forest, with subtle flavours of kiwi peel, cassis, paprika and chocolate. Velvety, youthful and firm on the attack, less light than the Alberello, but more tightly woven and of great elegance. Its length is astonishing, great potential! SUPERIORE.DE

Here is what is arguably one of Italy's finest Cabernet Francs: bluish hues blend with ruby red. The deep bouquet offers blackberries and hints of roasted coffee, followed as the wine opens up by notes of sea scrub, balsamic and minty notes. On the palate, full-bodied and silky tannins with hints of violets and mint, offering flavour and freshness. All this is underpinned by a refined elegance that carries through to a harmonious and lingering finish. SUPERIORE.DE

1997 saw the birth of Bradisismo, named after the geological event that led to the formation of the Colli Berici. It is a successful symbiosis of the intense, concentrated flavour of ripe Cabernet cherries and the lively, spicy notes of Carménère. With its bouquet of small dark berries, spices, pepper and chocolate, it is a wonderfully inexpensive alternative to the great Bordeaux blends or Supertuscans. On the palate, it has a velvety texture, with a mix of dark fruits, cherries, floral notes and fine tannins that glide seamlessly over the palate. Deep, long finish and very good ageing potential. SUPERIORE.DE

The extremely complex Barbera d'Asti La Crena comes from vines up to 90 years old in the heart of the Nizza Monferrato region and smells of ripe red fruits, hay and pastries. The full-bodied, warm taste lingers long with plenty of dark fruit, well-proportioned acidity and fine cocoa tones. SUPERIORE.DE

Boscarelli's Il Nocio, a Nobile di Montepulciano from a single vineyard, impressively demonstrates the true essence of the Sangiovese grape and has also been one of the region's quality leaders for years.

The single-varietal Cabernet Sauvignon Toren is the only red cru from Tiefenbrunner's rare Vigna line and comes from a 0.6 ha micro-location with clay and limestone gravel soils: sparkling garnet red with a slight violet tinge. Very intense and appealing nose, with aromas of cassis, blackberry, tobacco and mint. Rich, concise fruit on the palate, mountains of cassis and cranberries, juicy and dense, builds beautifully with ripe tannins, long final. The name suffix "Secundo" was chosen for this vintage as there was unfortunately only a tiny harvest in 2021 and, unlike its predecessors, the wine is characterised by more finesse and elegance than the usual unbridled power and opulence. SUPERIORE.DE

Pajana - the most modern wine in the entire Clerico range - presents itself as a closed, compact wine with great potential. Rich ruby colour with a slight garnet rim. Compact nose, with rich notes of blackberry, dark cherries and a hint of cinchona bark in the background. Literally explodes on the palate, lots of ripe, present fruit, then opens up with lots of fine-meshed tannins, savoury depth, full-bodied pressure. SUPERIORE.DE

"In 2012, I bought the small vineyard Le Gonnare and began to cultivate it. It represents the excellence of the Bolgheri terroir. The soil is clayey and rich in skeleton, which allows for very gradual ripening, a particularly important aspect for Merlot. The character of the wine is therefore Mediterranean, but balanced." Fabio Motta

Siepi has always been more than just a vineyard – it was a vision waiting to become reality. Owned by the Mazzei family since 1435, this mystical place lies amidst dense oak forests near Castellina in Chianti: ten hectares of pure magic on Alberese soils, which even the ancient Romans knew how to appreciate. Paradoxically, the story of Siepi 2023 begins with one of the most challenging vintages of recent times. A mild winter with scant rainfall, followed by a rainy spring that pushed the Mazzei winemakers to their limits. And yet, or perhaps precisely because of this, a wine emerged that impressively embodies the estate's philosophy: "Great vineyards shine in difficult vintages."

Montalcino has many faces. In the south, where the soil is deeper and warmer, Brunelli are produced with lush vigour and Mediterranean richness. In the north, in the Montosoli area, a different voice speaks: cooler, more mineral, characterised by a tension that defines classic vintages. Here lies Valdicava – in the Val di Cava, the valley of the quarries, at 350 metres, with a soil of galestro, limestone and clay that has given Sangiovese Grosso its characteristic structure for three generations. Bramante Abbruzzese bought the estate in 1953 and his grandson Vincenzo took over in the 1980s, turning Valdicava into what Robert Parker described as one of the three or four best Brunello addresses in Italy.

Here comes the third vintage of Stefano Frascolla's heart project from the Alta Maremma. Just 2,500 bottles of this 100% Syrah are bottled, aged (on the skins) for half a year in amphorae, then filtered and matured in small French oak barrels.

"Pio di lei", for the ladies. A name that pays homage to the strong women of the Pio Cesare family. When Pio Boffa planted the first Chardonnay vines in 1981, it was a revolutionary act in the Langhe. Here, in the realm of Nebbiolo, where Barolo and Barbaresco have reigned supreme for centuries, growing a French white wine bordered on heresy. But Pio had a vision: to create a white wine that possessed the body, complexity and ageing potential of the great reds. The first vintage was released in 1985. Today, almost four decades later, his daughter Federica is carrying on the legacy and proving that the women of this family are not merely the namesakes, but the architects.

Cresasso - an exquisite, pure Corvina. Intense aromas of dark fruit, rose petals and spices. Rich, concentrated fruit on the palate, silky, with a remarkable inner sweetness. Distinctive and sensual. SUPERIORE.DE

In 2007, Franz Haas planted a single vineyard at an altitude of 750 metres, which was intended to encapsulate his understanding of Pinot Nero in the Dolomites. The name "Pònkler" refers to this exceptional parcel, where French clones thrive in extreme planting density on weathered porphyry soil. South-south-west facing, very low yields of between 25 and 30 hectolitres per hectare, only 2,500 to 3,500 bottles per year – these are the sobering facts behind a wine that culminates Franz Haas' three-decade-long obsession with Pinot Nero. Franz has vinified and meticulously documented 592 (!) different Pinot Nero versions in his lifetime. Every clone, every vinification method, every ageing process has been meticulously recorded – the search for the perfect Pinot Nero, which he demanded of himself but never thought he had achieved. Pònkler represents this tirelessness: the altitude gives the wine those ripe notes that only develop in the cool alpine climate, where the grapes have time to develop phenolic ripeness and freshness at the same time.

Luce is the iconic wine of the estate of the same name and symbolises the harmonious balance between the elegant structure of Sangiovese and the richness of Merlot. The wine marries the tradition and terroir of the Montalcino region with a personal interpretation of this extraordinary land.

Between stone and altitude. The name already reveals where this wine gets its soul from: from the highest parcels of the Tenuta Costalunga in Sant'Ambrogio di Valpolicella, where the ground gives way to bare rock at 300 to 350 metres. Cresasso – a word that describes precisely this encounter in the local dialect: where earth meets stone, where the Corvina must put down its deepest roots in the barren, calcareous moraine soil with its high proportion of skeleton and chalky white inclusions. Sergio Zenato's vision was to create a wine that celebrates Corvina Veronese in its purest form – without the accompaniment of Rondinella or Corvinone, without the appassimento technique of Amarone. Instead, a slight over-ripening on the vine, hand-picked in the second half of October, when the grapes have reached their maximum concentration. Vinification follows the rhythm of the fruit: 15 days of maceration at 25-26°C, then 24 months of ageing in French tonneaux, followed by at least a further year of bottle ageing. Time as an ally, not an adversary.

Four grape varieties, one principle: uncompromising. While other winegrowers compose their cuvées according to formulas, Enzo Pontoni decides anew each year what proportions the vintage requires. Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and the autochthonous Refosco (Tazzelenghe) – are combined in varying proportions, but always with the same signature. The vinification follows the rhythm of the decades. Merlot provides the dark fruit, Cabernet Sauvignon the structure, Cabernet Franc the vegetal finesse – and Refosco the indomitable acidity that gives the wine its backbone. The components rest for twenty-four months in French barriques before Enzo marries them to create a cuvée that is more than the sum of its parts.

It was the wine journalist Francesco Arrigoni who wrested a promise from Franz Haas. He had seen the beauty of these high-altitude vineyards, surrounded by meadows and woods in the municipality of Aldein, where only wild game roams, and recognised the quality that grew from this one plot: the Pònkler. Arrigoni's request was that it should be bottled separately. A promise the estate kept – even though, at first, it was impossible to know how the wine from the grapes of such a young vineyard would develop.

Pònkler is the house's top wine and at the same time the essence of Franz Haas' decades of experience with the undemanding Pinot Nero grape. The vines, planted in 2007, grow on soils of weathered porphyry in a single vineyard at an altitude of 750 metres. The selection of French clones, which have proven to be particularly suitable for high altitudes, the high density of vines and the low yields guarantee a very high quality of grapes.