Formats

Dry Zibibbo (Muscat from Alexandria) from the island of Pantelleria, grown at an altitude of around 300 metres in ferrous soils of volcanic origin. Isesi is delicately floral and smells of honeysuckle and perfumed star jasmine, which is appropriately called Sicilian jasmine in Italy. The flavour is dry and balanced, with just the right softness, freshness and lightness to make this high-quality white wine so incredibly charming and delicate. SUPERIORE.DE

Intense ruby red, persistent, fruity bouquet with notes of wild berries, violets, cloves and cinnamon as well as sweet tobacco flavours. Rich and velvety on the palate, with an abundance of ripe red fruit and tactile mineral tones, complemented by a hint of sage. The lively acidity provides balance. On the finish, the spicy tones merge with a pleasant fruity flavour. An unbeatable wine every year at a very attractive price! SUPERIORE.DE

450 metres above sea level, on stony limestone soils around Tramin and Montan: this is where Sauvignon Blanc finds those striking day-night fluctuations that make its aromatic intensity possible in the first place. The mild, sunny climate of Bassa Atesina ensures optimum ripeness, while cool nights preserve the flavours. In the cellar, the grapes undergo an 8–10-hour cold maceration – longer than the other white wines from the estate –to release the full flavour potential from the skins. After gentle pressing and natural sedimentation, the must ferments at 19 °C in stainless steel.

The Negroamaro grapes for the extremely delicate Calafuria come from vineyards that stretch along the Adriatic coast in Salento. The region boasts a long tradition of producing rosé wines from Negroamaro, a grape variety that best expresses its potential near the sea. Pale pink in colour, the bouquet has fruity citrus notes of grapefruit and orange blossom with hints of jasmine. Pleasantly fresh on the palate with excellent aromatic persistence and a delicate flavour. SUPERIORE.DE

A wine that was voluntarily relegated. Munus was the flagship among the Bardolino red wines from Guerrieri Rizzardi – a Bardolino Superiore DOCG, Italy's highest classification level. Since 2021, it has borne the seemingly more modest title of Rosso Veronese IGT. Not out of negligence, but out of conviction: The DOCG required at least twelve months of wood in each vintage, and Giuseppe Rizzardi decided that the wine should dictate the ageing process – not the regulations.

Grignolino is one of the most underrated grape varieties in Piedmont – and Braida firmly believes in it. The name reveals where the structure comes from: "Limo" means silt, and the soil on the hills of Rocchetta Tanaro contains plenty of it. 40% silt, 30% sand and 30% clay give the wine its unmistakable backbone. The vines planted in 2010 are densely planted – 5,500 per hectare – and face south and east. Vinified exclusively in steel, four months of tank ageing and two months of bottle ageing preserve freshness and varietal character.

In the 1820s, wine merchants knew three Bardolino crus that existed in Switzerland's grand hotels alongside Burgundy and Beaujolais. In 1968, they were lost in the DOC regulations. They have been back since 2021 – and Montebaldo, the northernmost and highest subzone on the foothills of Monte Baldo, is perhaps the most exciting. Guerrieri Rizzardi's response to this rediscovery: 95 per cent Corvina – the highest percentage the winery has ever bottled –complemented by a touch of Rondinella, vinified completely without wood. This is not a concession to light summer enjoyment. It is a statement about transparency: the grape speaks exclusively here, and the moraine soil of Cavaion gives it a resonance chamber.

Behind the Castello di Soave, invisible to the tourists enjoying the view of the plain, lies a vineyard that epitomises the opposite of what Soave has been for decades. No mass product, no compromise. Ferra is single-varietal Garganega from volcanic gravel – of a hilltop that has belonged to the Rizzardi family since 1977 and has been bottled as a single vineyard since 2014. What makes this Soave stand out from the standard, pleasing wines: Garganega gets the full stage here. Fermentation in glazed cement tanks preserves the mineral precision, while six months in large foudres give the wine texture, depth and richness that go far beyond what is expected from the appellation.

The 2023 vintage brought a balanced climate with warm days and cool nights, which harmoniously combined freshness and ripeness. Martin Foradori's Merlot is characterised by cool noblesse and a clear structure. Dark berries, fine herbs and a hint of graphite characterise the bouquet. The ageing partly in large wooden barrels and partly in cement eggs gives the wine depth without excess weight. The palate is juicy, precise and supported by silky tannins - a South Tyrolean Merlot of quiet sovereignty and terroir-related elegance. SUPERIORE.DE

In the hills of Parteòlla, where a salty inland lake shimmers between centuries-old olive trees and the Romanesque church of Santa Maria di Sibiola sends its silent prayers to heaven, lies the enchanting Tenuta Iselis. Here, the Argiolas family is realising a very special project: the rediscovery of Nasco, an almost forgotten indigenous grape variety that was once brought to Sardinia by Phoenician seafarers. The name Nasco is probably derived from the Latin "muscus" – musk – a tribute to the extraordinary fragrance of this rare grape. While Nasco is traditionally vinified into sweet wines, Argiolas has chosen the innovative method of dry vinification: the grapes are harvest a month earlier, resulting in a modern white wine of particular elegance.