Formats

Fuori Misura – beyond all standards. The name is not coquetry. It is a description. This rosato is not made like other rosés. It is not a by-product, not a separate decision. It is a saignée – a bloodletting – from the same mash vats in which the Chianti Classico, the Riserva Le Baròncole and the Percarlo are produced at the same time. The must is drawn off 12 to 24 hours after maceration. To this is added 10% freshly pressed grapes, which are left to macerate for up to 12 days. Sangiovese, Canaiolo – the souls of the house in a different light.

Salcheto is not just an organic winery – it is a manifesto. Since 2011, the winery has been completely self-sufficient, detached from the regional electricity grid and powered by photovoltaics, geothermal energy and biomass. Gambero Rosso named Salcheto "Sustainable Winery of the Year" in 2014, and Michele Manelli, who has managed the estate since 1997, is Vice President of Equalitas, the organisation that sets standards for sustainable wine production in Italy. The lightest bottles in the industry, certified CO₂ balances, energy-independent winery – at Salcheto, sustainability is not a claim, but a reality.

Bisci not only produces excellent Verdicchio, but also very appealing Rosso, which is now made from 100% Merlot. With the best value wine in the Marche winery's range, it has achieved a great success: Fascinating aromas of red berries, precious wood and herbs, with a subtle, smoky component in the background. Precise and taut on the palate, with a wonderful primary fruity core, framed by liquorice and a dried bouquet of Mediterranean herbs. A warm red for the unusual days of the week. SUPERIORE.DE

The Lageder winery from Magrè in southern South Tyrol has been one of the region's defining forces for six generations – and since 2024, all the cultivated areas, including around 60 partner winegrowers, have been fully certified biodynamic or organic. Not just lip service, but a conviction that is put into practice. The Pinot Grigio comes from selected vineyards between Magrè and Salorno, at an altitude of 230 to 420 metres – stony, sandy soils with a high lime content, alpine temperature fluctuations and plenty of light. The vinification is based on a small proportion of maceration, which gives the variety texture and aromatic depth; the rest matures for four months on the lees in steel tanks.

Lageder's Lagrein Rosé is a finely characterised expression of South Tyrolean origin: lively, mineral and carried by quiet precision. The grapes come from vineyards around Margreid and Salurn, where the Lagrein finds ideal conditions for aromatic depth and cool freshness on warm, gravel-rich soils.

Kretzer – this is what the rosé from Lagrein has been called in South Tyrol for centuries. The name sounds more determined than Rosato, and it is: Lagrein is one of the most independent grape varieties in the country, almost exclusively at home in South Tyrol, with an aroma that no other rosé grape displays in the same way. Wild berries, violets, a hint of dark spice – and the freshness that comes from vinification as a rosé. Martin Foradori aptly describes this wine as a character type between two worlds: "the freshness and fragrance of a white wine, the fruity juiciness and delicate spiciness of a red that can be drunk young".

Lupo is made from 100% Sangiovese from very old clones that produce a lighter style of red wine that was common in the 1960s and 1970s. Preserved cherries, orange peel, white pepper, crushed stones and chalk give this light to medium-bodied red wine an attractive upper flavour register that underlines its decidedly taut and nervous personality. Very independent and very well made. SUPERIORE.DE

The name ‘Hebo’ traces back to an ancient Etruscan settlement near Suvereto and serves as a reminder that this part of the Maremma has been a wine-growing region for thousands of years. Francesca Moretti conceived this wine as a versatile everyday companion that bears Petra’s signature without being prohibitively expensive. The blend combines Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese and Cabernet Franc – the very varieties that Elisa Bonaparte Baciocchi, Princess of Piombino, introduced to this area in the early 19th century. Following selective hand-harvesting, the grapes ferment in stainless steel at controlled temperatures. Ageing takes place in a combination of vessels: part in large Slavonian oak casks of 30 to 50 hectolitres, and part in two- to three-year-old French barriques. After around 12 months, the cuvée is blended and matures for a further few months in the bottle.

The name is a dedication. Maria Iris Bertarelli – co-founder and soul of Collemassari – is the woman who, together with her brother Claudio Tipa, acquired the abandoned castle in Montecucco in 1998 and planted it with a vision: that this forgotten hilly landscape between Montalcino and Scansano has what it takes to become its own appellation. Irisse is their wine. Vermentino with up to 25% Grechetto – more body, more substance. But what really sets Irisse apart from Melacce: short maceration on the skins, then twelve months of ageing in large oak barrels. This results in a depth that is rarely expected from Vermentino.

The oldest red wine variety in South Tyrol finds ideal conditions at the Ebnerhof in a wind-protected, warm south-east location. On the terraced vineyards, which the Unterthiner family has been cultivating for generations, Vernatsch thrives on Pergel vines that are up to 18 years old – the traditional form of cultivation that is part of the South Tyrolean landscape. After gentle processing, the wine ferments in stainless steel tanks before maturing in large wooden barrels – just the right balance between freshness and structure.

Pinot Grigio is Italy's best-selling white wine variety – and at the same time one of the most misunderstood. What becomes a pale all-purpose weapon on an industrial scale shows a completely different face in South Tyrol. The grapes for Hofstätter's version come from Mazzon and Egna in the Adige Valley, where the soils are skeleton-rich and well-drained and the vine builds up its aromas with a concentration that gives the wine real substance.

Inu – sardinian for "dog" – stands for steadfastness and character. This Riserva reveals the full potential of the indigenous Cannonau variety: clear, structured and with a typical Sardinian temperament. The grapes come exclusively from the best sites on volcanic alluvial soils in the Sinis-Tirso region, where Mediterranean warmth meets fresh breezes – a combination that creates delicate ripeness and aromatic precision. Careful hand-picking is followed by gentle maceration, then around 12 months of ageing in barriques and medium-sized oak barrels – followed by at least six months of ageing in the bottle. This gives the wine depth and tranquillity without losing its fruitiness.

Lagrein is the quintessential red wine of South Tyrol. This grape variety is grown in any significant quantity almost nowhere else in the world – it is so intrinsically linked to this region that its name still evokes the Adige Valley to this day. Kellerei Tramin sources its Lagrein from Auer, the warmest part of the growing region, where the Ora breezes from Lake Garda sweep through the valley every day and the vines reach full maturity in a climate that Lagrein clearly thrives in. The winery was founded in 1898 by the parish priest of Termeno. Since then, it has remained true to its commitment to getting the very best out of every vineyard – from the highest Gewürztraminer plots to the warm Lagrein vineyards on the valley floor in Auer.

The wines of La Badia have a clear style: clean and traditionally vinified, they are always a great pleasure. Intense ruby red, the bouquet has a burst of red-coloured fruit, pipe tobacco, cedar wood and sweet spices. The full-bodied flavour of Roberto Stucchi is wonderfully smooth, the acidity well balanced and the finish clean and long-lasting. SUPERIORE.DE

Chronicon – the name sounds like history, and that is exactly what this wine delivers: a chronicle of what Montepulciano is capable of in the hills of Bolognano. The vines grow around the estate, overlooking the Majella National Park, on clayey soils with a westerly exposure. The grapes are harvested by hand at the end of September, followed by a good two weeks of maceration at a controlled temperature – long enough to extract colour, structure and the typical varietal fruit. Ageing in oak barrels for six to nine months gives the wine a polished finish without over-moulding it.

A Vermentino that could hardly be more Gallurese: On the granite-rich soils of the northern hills of Sardinia, moulded by wind, light and salty sea air, Elibaria matures into a white wine that makes its origins tangible in the glass. The wine is matured puristically in stainless steel tanks and for several months on the fine lees – without wood, without fining, but with maximum precision.

Moscato Giallo is one of the most fragrant grape varieties in South Tyrol – and one of the most vulnerable. In the wrong hands it becomes sugary sweet and arbitrary, in the right hands it shows something rare: aromatic depth with complete dryness. Nals Margreid cultivates it in the southernmost part of its vineyard area, in Margreid – the warmest, most Mediterranean tip between Nals and Lake Garda. The vineyards lie at an altitude of 220 to 350 metres, exposed to the south-southeast, on white, broodinglimestone gravel soil with a high humus content. The climate bears the fingerprint of the Ora, the warm afternoon wind that blows daily from Lake Garda over the slopes, extending the growing season and shaping the flavour of the grapes. Hand-picked, three weeks of fermentation in steel, five months of ageing on the fine lees.

In the Arbëresh dialect of Basilicata – the language that the Albanian immigrants of the 15th century brought with them to the south of Italy – verha simply means: the wine. Elena Fucci is best known for her Titolo, one of the finest Aglianico del Vulture wines in the world. The Contrada Catavatta is right next door – the same volcanic soils of tuff, ash and pumice, the same altitude at the foot of Monte Vulture, the same manual labour. The vines here, however, were threatened with decay. Elena Fucci saved them: Not with great ambitions, but with the simple conviction that good soil should not waste good wine. 100% Sauvignon Blanc, spontaneous fermentation, steel, no touch of wood. A white wine that tells the story of the Vulture terroir in a language that is rarely heard there: fresh, direct, mineral.

In his book "Native Wine Grapes of Italy", Italy expert and wine critic Ian D'Agata writes about the grape variety: "Verdicchio is arguably Italy's greatest indigenous white grape variety. This statement may come as a surprise to those who have so far only tasted bland or watery Verdicchio wines, which have sometimes even been bottled in incredible, amphora-shaped bottles."

The name is a tongue-in-cheek reference to the Sardinian word for ladybird – and yet this wine is far more than just a charming gimmick. Mamaioa is an organically produced Cannonau in its purest form, spontaneously fermented, with short maturation in cement and stainless steel – undisguised, straightforward and characterised by the terroir of the Sinis region west of Oristano. A modern Cannonau with a natural signature, deliberately unadorned in the best sense of the word – honest, typical of the region and pleasingly versatile.

Maremma is red wine country. Morellino di Scansano, Saffredi, great Sangiovese and Cabernet – these are the images that characterise this coastal region of southern Tuscany. Elisabetta Geppetti, who has been an ambassador for this region for decades, dared to do something different in 1997: a white wine that works with Nordic varieties – sauvignon Blanc, Petit Manseng, Traminer, Semillon – and planted them in the south. The result is called Poggio Argentato, a white wine with – as Geppetti himself calls it – "French accent and Tuscan soul". The grapes come from two vineyards: Pian di Fiora near Pereta on tufaceous, alabaster-rich soil with south-east exposure and San Vittorio near Scansano on clayey silt with quartz and magmatic rock, open to the sea breezes to the north-east. 200 to 250 metres above sea level, 6,500 vines per hectare. The Sauvignon Blanc matures exclusively in steel. The other varieties spend a short time in secondary tonneau. Five months on the fine lees – for texture and depth without the impression of wood.

Tiefenbrunner and Müller-Thurgau – is more than just a grape variety and a winery. The family has taken this cross between Riesling and Madeleine Royale to the highest altitudes of their vineyards and created an icon in the process: the Vigna Feldmarschall von Fenner, one of the most famous high-altitude wines in Italy, at over 1,000 metres. And Merus is the start of this story – first vintage: 1968, the grapes come exclusively from the Graun vineyard at 750 to 900 metres above sea level – calcareous-loamy dolomite soils, south-southeast exposure, the coolest of the Merus sites. This altitude is no coincidence: Müller-Thurgau needs coolness to develop its characteristic herbal flavour. Vinified in concrete vats – like Chardonnay, but with a different result.

Tramin, the heart of South Tyrolean viticulture – and Hofstätter has been its most reliable interpreter for generations. "De Vite" is Martin Foradori-Hofstätter's entry into the world of white wines: a cuvée of Sauvignon, Pinot Blanc and Müller-Thurgau, vinified in steel, focussed on freshness and drinkability. Light yellow in colour with greenish reflections, lively in the glass. The nose reveals green apples, a hint of lemongrass and delicate elderflower – clear, inviting, alpine. Precise acidity on the palate, good balance, a light, invigorating finish. A direct and beautiful wine for the moment, without detours, without any claim to great complexity, but with the typical Hofstätter sense of care even in simplicity. SUPERIORE.DE