Formats

Christian Bellei has dedicated his life to precision. For generations, his family in Bomporto has been producing excellent sparkling wines with the meticulous care of a watchmaker – everything controlled, everything intended, everything calculated. And then: OOPS. Mi è scappata la bollicina. The bubble that crept in uninvited – and then simply stayed. 100% Pinot Nero from the alluvial soils of the Secchia. What was intended to be a still red wine – —or so the story goes –, took on a life of its own in the cellar. The perlage was not corrected. It became the defining feature of the style.

Gewürztraminer is the local variety of the South Tyrolean lowlands – and Kurtatsch is its home. Here, between Bolzano and Lake Garda, on the South Tyrolean Wine Route, the grape variety has found the Mediterranean warmth and Alpine freshness that make its distinctive bouquet possible in the first place. Tiefenbrunner has been cultivating it since 1968 – and Merus Gewürztraminer is its most accessible expression. Three sites give this wine its multi-layered character: Penon, Hofstatt and Rain at 400 to 650 metres with calcareous dolomite soils and eastern exposure – for freshness and minerality. Entiklar and the Margreider Leiten at 220 to 350 metres, on limestone gravel soils from moraine deposits – for structure and depth. Brenntal and Frauenriegel at 220 to 350 metres, on red, sandy loam soil – for warmth and fullness. Vinified in concrete vats, 5.0 g/l residual sugar – subtle, never sweet.

The grapes for Chiarlo's classic come from various vineyards in southern Asti, in particular from the Podere La Court and Montemareto vineyards in Castelnuovo Calcea, La Serra in Montaldo Scarampi and Costa delle Monache in Agliano. Le Orme is the prototype of a young, fresh red with a clean fruit flavour of plum and blackberry. On the palate, the wine is flavoured with high-toned red cherries and raspberries, framed by elegant and fine tannins with perfect acidity on the finish. A Barbera full of character that offers great drinking pleasure. SUPERIORE.DE

An elegant salmon pink. This rosé, produced from certified organic grapes, offers peppery floral notes with hints of lime zest and green melon. On the palate, it offers an impressively silky texture and a balanced blend of zesty acidity, sweet red berries and minerality. The finish is spicy and lively, with a hint of sour cherry and rose petals that linger long on the palate. It's a real delight!  SUPERIORE.DE

A Cabernet Sauvignon with a Friulian character: powerful, but never rustic. The vines are rooted in the calcareous flysch soils of the Colli Orientali, where they find ideal conditions under the influence of Alpine winds and Adriatic breezes. Dark berries, cassis, some paprika and a hint of graphite on the nose. Maturation in stainless steel tanks preserves the freshness and clarity typical of the variety. On the palate, the 2023 is juicy, structured and animating, with fine-grained tannins and good grip. The periods of summer heat were well buffered by night-time cooling, which is reflected in the balance of fruit, flavour and freshness. A Cabernet from the north-east full of character - powerful, honest and with a touch of noblesse. SUPERIORE.DE

A Friuli classic, here in an expressive interpretation à la Tunella: Refosco combines strength, fruit and regional flavour with a cool elegance. The vines are rooted in the calcareous Ponca soils of the Colli Orientali, which gives the wine structure and finesse. Ripe wild berries, sloe, a hint of violets and black pepper on the nose. Powerful on the palate, with fresh, invigorating acidity, firm tannins and juicy fruit. The vintage brings clarity and drinking pleasure without diluting the serious character of the variety. The finish is characterised by dark fruit, herbal spice and a hint of graphite. A stylistically balanced Refosco that brings origin and typicity to the glass with fine precision. SUPERIORE.DE

Mario Schiopetto was born in 1930, he grew up in the family-owned Osteria ai Pompieri and had his first professional experiences as a fireman and later as a truck driver. In 1963, guided only by his taste and love of wine, he began to devote himself to wine production in his parents' farm and produced the first pure Tocai in 1965. The historic label at the time included the drawing of his fire engine, which he also used to deliver the wine to customers. With the 2019 vintage, the winery recalled these historical roots and resumed the cute drawing on part of its wine labels.

Merlot from Friuli – this is no imitation of Bordeaux, but, like Refosco, a distinct style that balances ripe fruit, freshness and a connection to the terroir. With its single-varietal Merlot, Tunella has produced a wine that is both charming and full of character. The vines are planted on the stony Ponca soils of the Colli Orientali, which lend the wine structure and depth. On the nose: black cherry, ripe plum, subtle spice and a hint of tobacco. On the palate, it is juicy, balanced and lively, with good tannin structure and moderate alcohol. The vintage brings ripe fruit, yet ageing in stainless steel preserves the freshness and directness. A classic yet modern Merlot with authentic terroir and plenty of charm and depth. SUPERIORE.DE

In the 16th century, Ludovico Ariosto had the knights of the House of Mongrana ride through fantastical landscapes in Orlando Furioso – adventurous, freedom-loving, always ready to set off. The hippogriff, the winged hybrid creature that carries one beyond all boundaries, is the symbol of this epic. Querciabella has featured both on the label of its Maremma project: the name, the creature, the spirit. Since 1997, Querciabella has been cultivating vines in Banditella near Alberese – right on the Tuscan coast, where sea breezes, salty air and sandy soils shape the Mediterranean character of the wine. Mongrana Rosso 2024 is made from seven grape varieties, including Merlot, Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Syrah, Mourvèdre and Petit Verdot – all grown separately, harvested separately, fermented separately, then blended to best express this vintage. No set formula, no fixed pattern. Just the decision of the year. 2024 in the Maremma: a wet spring nourished the soils, a warm, dry summer brought ripeness. Optimal phenolic and aromatic ripeness, balanced, fresh fruit. Fermentation in small cement and steel tanks.

Pinot Nero is a rarity in the Colli Orientali – and a challenge that Tunella masters with sensitivity. The vines are planted on well-ventilated slopes with calcareous flysch soils, which give the delicate Pinot structure and freshness. A transparent ruby red colour in the glass. The nose is fine and complex: red cherry, wild strawberry, a hint of rose and subtle earthy tones. Elegant and silky on the palate with fine acidity, delicate tannins and a surprisingly long, spicy-mineral finish. The 2024 vintage is particularly clear and focussed – with cool fruit, good inner tension and an almost Burgundian noblesse. A Pinot Nero with a regional accent that perfectly reveals the delicate side of Friuli. SUPERIORE.DE

Giovanni Massolino sold his first wine in 1896. It was a Barbera. Since then, it has been the oldest wine of the house, the most constant link between the family and the hills of Serralunga. Four generations, one and the same variety, one and the same promise: to press the Barbera as it is. Massolino calls it "the queen of the Langa table" – and means it without irony. In the Langhe, Barbera is not the entry-level wine that you drink while waiting for Barolo. It is the wine that is opened daily, that accompanies the meal, that carries the company. On the limestone soils of Serralunga – four hectares, well exposed, low yields – it develops more character than elsewhere: more fruit, more tension, more depth. The decision to age it exclusively in steel is an attitude. No barriques, no wood notes, no cladding. 10 to 12 days of maceration at around 30 degrees, BSA, short maturation in steel, release in the spring of the following year. What is in the bottle here is Barbera in purezza.

As early as the end of August, the grapes for the Prinsìpi are harvested in Monforte d'Alba, by hand and at the peak of ripeness. Chardonnay and Manzoni Bianco – a cross between Riesling and Pinot Blanc – grow there on west- and east-facing slopes, at altitudes of between 300 and 550 metres, in organically farmed vineyards. The soil is silty, with varying proportions of sand and limestone. The altitude lends the wine its freshness, whilst the stainless-steel tank helps to preserve it: fermentation and ageing take place entirely without the use of wood. This wine has been produced since 2005, with around 15,000 bottles made each year.

Stieler Pinot Grigio is produced from hand-picked grapes grown on the slopes of the Ritten at altitudes of between 500 and 600 metres, where vines over 25 years old impart all their experience to the grapes. During the development of the TAL cuvée, cellar master Filippi recognised the exceptional potential of these Ritten vineyards and used them to create a distinct single-vineyard wine. Gentle whole-bunch pressing and six months’ ageing on the fine lees in large oak barrels lend this Pinot Grigio its characteristic complexity.

Gewürztraminer is at home all over the world – in France, Germany, Austria and overseas. Yet it owes its name to a single place: Termeno, which the Romans called Tramin, in the heart of South Tyrol’s Unterland region. Here, in the warmest, most Mediterranean part of South Tyrol, the grape variety develops the aromatic intensity that makes it so distinctive. The Leiten vineyards of Nals Margreid lie precisely in this Unterland region: on broodingclay-gravel over limestone soils, a subsoil that stores heat and enhances the natural aromatics of Gewürztraminer. The climate is Mediterranean – — warm summers, mild winters, and the daily Ora breeze from Lake Garda as an invigorating element. Hand-harvested, clarified must, three weeks’ fermentation in stainless steel, five months on the fine lees.

Pinot Noir, as the South Tyroleans call it – and once you have understood why this grape variety sounds different in the Adige Valley than elsewhere, you will never forget it. The Tramin winery sources its Pinot Nero from slopes between 350 and 450 metres above sea level, on calcareous clay and gravel soils that store Mediterranean heat during the day and cool down quickly at night. This interplay of temperatures is not a climatic coincidence, but the actual tool: it preserves the freshness of the fruit, sharpens the flavours and keeps the tannins lean. Cellar master Willi Stürz – the quality conscience of the winery since the nineties – sees his Pinot Nero as a counter-model to heaviness: light, precise, with red fruit in the foreground.

A vibrant, radiant colour, rich in green-gold hues. The rich bouquet of this Moscato d'Alessandria (Zibibbo) is floral, with notes of white roses and acacia, followed by mineral notes, peach and orange blossom, finishing with candied citrus fruits and a hint of honey. On the palate, the mineral-driven aromas are confirmed, along with a fresh, spicy and enveloping structure. SUPERIORE.DE

Val di Suga is the only winery in the whole of Montalcino that has vineyards on all three important slopes of the denomination – north-west, south-east, south-west. Three exposures, three soil types, three microclimates. The basic Rosso is the direct expression of this diversity: a cuvée from young vines from all three sites, which unites the breadth of the territory in an accessible, lively wine. Bright ruby red in the glass. The nose reveals fresh red fruit, Morello cherry and a hint of orange peel – lively and precise. Fresh and round on the palate, with bright tannins and a juicy, animating finish. A wine for everyday drinking – but with the origin you can taste. SUPERIORE.DE