Formats

1983 was the first year. Luca Martini di Cigala, who was at the time in the process of taking over an estate that was still selling its wine in bulk to Antinori and Ruffino, decided to do the opposite of what many of his contemporaries were doing: no international grape varieties, no modernisation of the label, no barriques full of vanilla. A single wine, from a single vineyard, made from a single grape variety. Sangiovese. San Giusto a Rentennano. – Percarlo made its debut with the 1983 vintage – and immediately began to rewrite the history of Chianti Classico. The wine's philosophy is that of its maker: the vineyard comes before the cellar. The grapes for Percarlo are not selected by plot; instead, every bunch of grapes is examined, every vine, every site. The yield is one kilogram per vine. This has been the approach since 2001, because Martini di Cigala recognised how inconsistent Sangiovese can be from vine to vine, even within the same plot. The soils that give Percarlo its character date predominantly from the Pliocene – layers of sand and stones, two to five metres deep, resting on a bed of clay. Mineral-rich, well-drained, with the ability to influence the Sangiovese over the years.

Sangiovese in purezza. Wonderfully spicy aroma, dark forest berries and cherries, some graphite and cedar wood. Silky elegance on the palate, juicy, dark berries, paired with an animating interplay of fruit and acidity that really lets the wine dance across the tongue. Percarlo has depth and length as well as potential for many years in the cellar. One of the great single-varietal Sangiovese wines of central Tuscany. SUPERIORE.DE

This is the crowning glory. The Riserva is only produced in historically exceptional years – and even then only from the very best barrels, those that Giuseppe "Bepi" Quintarelli personally selected and that his family continues in his tradition today. The 2015 marks such a moment of perfection. While the regular Amarone is released after seven years of barrel ageing, this Riserva spent over eight years in large Slavonian oak barrels before being bottled at the end of 2023. An additional year of patience for the absolute peak. The cuvée of 55% Corvina and Corvinone, 30% Rondinella and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, Nebbiolo, Croatina and Sangiovese undergoes the legendary ritual: five months of appassimento until the end of January, deliberate promotion of botrytis, twenty days of maceration, 45 days of slow fermentation with wild yeasts. What follows is a maturity that combines monumentality with elegance. The 2015 presents itself as a warm, sunny vintage with 16.5 percent alcohol and three to four grams of residual sugar per Liters, which lends additional volume and depth to the final.

In the year 994, the son of the Lombard king Berengario presented what is now Gagliole to his bride – a token of love whose legacy lives on in the vineyards to this day. The Pecchia, named after the Old Tuscan word for "bee", embodies the essence of this legendary terroir from Panzano's Conca d'Oro. Here, at an altitude of 500 metres on the north-western edge of the golden valley, the purest Sangiovese thrives on that rare Pietraforte limestone which lends Gagliole's wines their unmistakable minerality. "Vinificazione integrale" – a process developed in 2002 by Baron, France's oldest cooperage – is what makes this wine so special. Whole bunches of grapes ferment in specially designed barriques with enlarged openings, allowing every hint of aroma from the hand-picked berries to infuse the wine. Eighteen months in French oak, followed by a further eight months in concrete tanks and at least one year's bottle ageing, create a depth and complexity that is only possible in the very best vintages.

530 metres. This is the highest point in the entire Barolo region. Here, at the summit of Serradenari, where the Alps are visible to the north and the "Nebbia" of the Tanaro Valley lies below like a sea, grows the Nebbiolo that Giulia Negri calls her greatest surprise. When she vinified the parcel for the first time, she expected little – too high, too barren, too cold. What she found changed her idea of Barolo. The soil is silty-loamy, interspersed with strong limestone layers, sub-alkaline pH – the opposite of the sandy acidity of Serradenari, the opposite of the alkaline softness of Tartufaia. Limestone at this altitude, exposed to the west, with extreme daily temperature fluctuations: This results in grapes of extraordinary concentration and at the same time extraordinary freshness. 45 days of maceration in conical wooden vats, 30 months in Austrian oak.

The fruit for this top-class Barolo, which is exceptional not only because of its six different labels, comes from the MGA Baudana in Serralunga d'Alba, whose vines were planted in 1994. Aeroplan Servaj (little aeroplane) is the affectionate nickname that Domenico Clerico's father gave his young, free-spirited son. Exciting bouquet of wild cherry, candied orange peel, ploughed earth and rusty nails. There is a subtle sweetness in the primary fruit, but the wine is mainly defined by its very refined, rich and savoury side. As it progresses into an impressive finish, it offers impeccable balance and straightforwardness. SUPERIORE.DE

Superb - the Cerretalto 2012, a plant from a historical top location in the west of Montalcino. In the bouquet, spicy accents and aromas of soft sour cherries and blackberries give the scent. The impeccable taste impresses with its dynamic and weighty character, the dense tannin with good supporting effect, the respectable acidity and a first class finish. SUPERIORE.DE

Barolo Ornato is a great wine every year. With its wild herbs, minerals and ferrous notes, it captures the true character of Serralunga. Its bouquet shows small berry fruits and cassis, framed by gravel, forest floor, blue flowers and candied orange peel. The wine also has a dusty, mineral note and is very intense both on the nose and on the palate. Ornato starts with finely integrated tannins and an acidity that sustains all these fruit flavours. A wine that is consistently vertical, straightforward and frontal. SUPERIORE.DE

The 2020 Barbaresco Bernadot comes from one of the coolest and highest cru sites in the municipality of Treiso, whose sandy, chalky soils and exposed south-east exposure give the Nebbiolo particular precision and aromatic clarity. The year was characterised by a warm spring, followed by a stable summer with cool nights, which ensured slow, even ripening and preserved the freshness of the wine.

Vigna Loreto from the sun-drenched single vineyard of the same name right next to the winery is only vinified in the best vintages and delivers an even more intense interpretation of the Sangiovese grape every year. If you are looking for a soft and contemporary expression of Sangiovese, this is the wine for you. It offers a deep richness and texture infused with black fruits, spice and tobacco. This wine goes a step beyond the normal boundaries of Brunello in terms of richness and extraction. For all its undoubtedly beguiling opulence, it is nevertheless a straightforward and altogether superb wine that will gain in finesse and elegance with age. SUPERIORE.DE

Of all his wines, the flagship Tenuta di Trinoro offers the deepest insight into Andrea Franchetti's viticulture. Andrea changes the proprietary blend of Cabernet Franc and Merlot from limestone and clay soils every year depending on the quality and quantity of the harvest. The grapes are always the best of the vintage. Franchetti's own style is recognisable in each of his wines and with each vintage. The 2020 vintage was the first to be given an additional year of bottle ageing before being released for sale.

Ornato 2021 comes from the single vineyard of the same name in Serralunga d'Alba, exposed to the south – a cru with a distinctive altitude and calcareous soils that captures the depth and power of the Barolo region like no other. The 2021 vintage was characterised by a cool spring, a stable summer without extreme heat and a long, dry autumn. These conditions allowed the Nebbiolo to ripen slowly and evenly, giving the grapes aromatic complexity with full phenolic maturity. The wine was fermented traditionally after a long maceration period and then matured for around 30 months in French oak – partly in tonneau and partly in barrique.

Palafreno 2019 is wonderfully polished and lively. Firm but well-integrated tannins form the backbone for a Merlot that is endowed with considerable energy. Spicy herbs, tobacco and wild flowers add complexity. Very nuanced on the palate, opulent to expressive, then at second glance supple, downright elegant. Almost unbeatable in complexity, depth and richness of finesse, it will reveal more and more of its first-class repertoire in the coming years. SUPERIORE.DE

This coveted Riserva is only vinified in top vintages and comes from the highest vineyards of the winery. On the nose, the essence of dark cherries, blackberries, flowers, violets, liquorice and spices, which are then carried away on the palate by firm, structured tannins. The Brunello Riserva 2016 impresses with its remarkable fruit and a big, explosive finish. It presents itself fresh and surprisingly lively, yet very focused and balanced. A great wine that is already a real joy to drink. SUPERIORE.DE

Barolo Ravera Vigna Elena Riserva DOCG 2018 is a monument to precision craftsmanship and at the same time a rare one-off: it comes from a pure planting of the historic Nebbiolo variety Nebbiolo Rosé – an independent, genetically distinct variety that almost disappeared from the Barolo vineyards over the course of the 20th century. Elvio Cogno and his family have consciously preserved this rare grape variety in the Vigna Elena monopoly position. The parcel is located in the upper Ravera zone near Novello, on poor, calcareous and clayey soils with optimal south-west exposure. The result is low yields, late-ripening grapes and a distinctive style: lighter colour, beguiling floral depth, fine, almost silky tannins and enormous aromatic precision.

"This is our flagship wine, a Barolo recognised the world over, which we have always nourished and cared for with greatest respect. Nothing will change. This is why I will dedicate this special wine to my grandchildren Alessia and Stefano. From now on, it will carry their names." Luciano Sandrone on his intention to rename his world-famous Barolo Cannubi Boschis "Aleste" with the 2013 vintage. This Barolo is a masterpiece from Luciano Sandrone in every respect. Not only a historic product but also the only cru of the house from the renowned Cannubi area in Barolo. Rich ruby colour, balsamic bouquet, ripe and sweet. Great suppleness on the palate, lots of fruit, dense tannins, very persistent final with Burgundian elegance. SUPERIORE.DE

Terlano I (pronounced Primo) Grande Cuvée is the name of the white flagship of Cantina Terlano. In recent years, the winery has made a name for itself worldwide with its long-lasting, mineral white wines. Even years later, the wines still present themselves with top freshness and great complexity. With this long history of white wines, since the 2011 vintage there is now a wine in which the essence of Terlan is expressed in an even more focussed way. Terlaner I Grande Cuvée combines the Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay and Sauvignon grape varieties from the Winkl, Kreuth and Vorberg vineyards to create a masterpiece which, due to its limited and exclusive nature, will only be available from hand-picked retailers and in selected top restaurants.

In 1994, Rita Tua and Virgilio Bisti set aside two barrels of Merlot without realising that they were creating a cult wine that would catapult the winery onto the world stage. The name comes from a small stream that flows close to the vineyards, as inconspicuous as the beginnings of the project itself. Then in 2000 came the sensation: Robert Parker awarded one hundred points, the first ever for an Italian red wine. The Redigaffi became a legend, the epitome of Tuscan Merlot mastery, compared to Pétrus and Masseto – and yet independent, characterised by the metal-rich hills of the Maremma, by loam and clay, by its proximity to the sea ... The vines grow in the centre of the vineyard, where the clay content is highest – where Merlot finds its greatest density. Hand-selected in three passes, only fully ripe grapes. Vinification with long maceration, then eighteen to twenty months in new French barriques, followed by months in the bottle before the wine leaves the estate.

Of all its wines, the flagship Tenuta di Trinoro offers the deepest insight into the Franchetti family's viticulture. The proprietary blend of Cabernet Franc and Merlot from limestone and clay soils is adjusted each year depending on the quality and quantity of the harvest. The grapes are always the best of the vintage and come from the very best plots. The unique style of this Tuscan wine icon is recognisable with every vintage.

The grapes for Roberto's "entry-level Barolo" come from four of his best vineyards, which are harvested a few weeks earlier than those reserved for his Grand Crus. It is also the most balanced of his Barolo wines, even if the fruit and acidity are anything but restrained, but the proportions are just right here. The structure is great, its length and elegance inspiring - the refined layered components such as raspberry, cherry and its subtle salty vein make it without doubt one of the most serious wines of the entire appellation - a real Voerzio for comparatively little money. SUPERIORE.DE

The winery, founded in Cerè di Negrar in the 1920s, developed its legendary style under Giuseppe "Bepi" Quintarelli from the 1950s onwards. To this day, there are hardly any directions to the estate, nor does it have its own website – as if the family wished to preserve an intimate, almost mystical atmosphere. "Tre Terre" was once a name that Giuseppe Quintarelli used in the 1980s for small batches of Recioto. With this Amarone, the name takes on a new meaning: a deliberate stylistic project by the family, an Amarone entirely different from what one would expect from this estate. Only 1,381 numbered bottles were produced – one of the rarest releases ever to come from Negrar.