Formats

The "Collection" line is made from late-harvested grapes from selected, sun-drenched vineyards and stands for complex, straightforward wines that emphasise the terroir. The Comrades' vineyards are located in Siebeneich and Bolzano at 300 metres above sea level and offer ideal conditions for this wonderful Merlot to thrive. Dark ruby to garnet red in colour. Exuberant aromas of blackberry and wild berries, complemented by a refined spice component. On the palate, it is elegant, delicately fruity, almost polished. This Merlot is not at all plump like so many representatives of this grape variety - it is medium-bodied, finely accentuated and leads into a respectable finish with fine-pored tannins. SUPERIORE.DE

Some wines are documents. The "26° Primo" is both – wine and document at the same time. The name commemorates the 26th year that Azienda Agricola Andreola was founded: 2009, when Nazzareno Pola handed over the winery to his son Stefano and the denomination simultaneously made the leap to DOCG. A wine as a baton – between generations, between an ancient winemaking tradition and its modern aspirations. The grapes come from the oldest core estate of the winery: around four hectares of steep slopes in Col San Martino, the place in the southernmost part of the chain of hills between Vidor and Vittorio Veneto, where Andreola has been rooted since its foundation. The vineyards lie at an altitude of 300 to 500 metres – partly on calcareous conglomerate soils, partly on calcareous marl, interspersed with centuries-old Glera vines and small proportions of indigenous varieties such as Bianchetta, Perera and Verdiso. The slopes are so steep that all the work has to be done by hand. Viticoltura eroica – heroic winemaking – is not a marketing term here, but a daily reality.

Of the 43 classified Rive sites in the Valdobbiadene area, San Pietro di Barbozza is considered one of the most demanding. The hills of morainic origin, steep, difficult to access, with calcareous soils of loam and clay – they lie in the direct neighbourhood of Cartizze, the appellation's most famous Grand Cru. Not a bad neighbour. The demanding manual harvest is carried out exclusively from the highest, sunniest plots – deliberately selected for concentration and flavour. Only the best grapes from each vintage qualify for the limited Rive bottling. Gentle whole-cluster pressing, fermentation at a controlled temperature, second fermentation using the Charmat method – with a residual sugar content of less than 6 g/l = extra brut.

In 1850, Count Augusto Giorgi di Vistarino travelled through Burgundy. He recognised what he saw: those chalky, clayey soils, those temperature fluctuations, that stillness between the hills – the same promise, just three hundred kilometres further east, south of Pavia. He brought the first Pinot Nero grape seedlings directly from France and planted them in Rocca de' Giorgi. An act of conviction that changed Oltrepò Pavese forever. Today, the Vistarino family is the fifth generation to carry on this legacy – ottavia Giorgi di Vistarino replanted with Burgundian clones, selecting for low yields and aromatic depth. The Costa del Nero is Pinot Nero from a single, dedicated ridge. Hand-picked into 20-kilogram boxes, cold storage overnight, 48 hours of cold maceration at 10°C – all designed for freshness and flavour. Fermentation in steel, partial ageing in wood: subtle, structural.

The Cotarellas dedicate a second Verdeluce to the "green heart of Italy": pure Vermentino from the hills around Montecchio near Orvieto. While the Bianco blend emphasises complexity and depth, the Vermentino plays the card of freshness and immediacy. Pale straw yellow in colour with greenish reflections. The nose is clean and delicate: camomile, kumquat, yellow peach, a hint of Mediterranean herbs. Slender and light-footed on the palate, with lively acidity and that salty undertone that characterises good Vermentino. Uncomplicated in the best sense of the word – a wine for an aperitif, for seafood, for summer evenings. SUPERIORE.DE

Dusty rose and lavender tones complement wild strawberries. On the palate, it is characterised by juicy textures and ripe wild berries, complemented by a hint of orange zest and noticeable mineral notes. The Meczan rejuvenates with a fresh, almost crisp finish. A South Tyrolean Pinot Noir could hardly be more harmonious. SUPERIORE.DE

The Eloro DOC in south-east Sicily stands for Rosati with character, structure and regional typicity. Soft salmon pink with copper reflections. The nose has a complex aroma of wild strawberries, blood orange and Mediterranean herbs. On the palate, the 2024 is precise, fresh and delicately flavoured with delicate fruit, lively acidity and salty minerality. The Rosato is made exclusively from Nero d'Avola from the San Lorenzo vineyard, fermented spontaneously in stainless steel and matured on the fine lees – in the spirit of Gulfi: natural, purist and with a clear terroir expression. An elegant, authentic wine with a Mediterranean soul and energising freshness. Ideal with antipasti, grilled fish or on its own. SUPERIORE.DE

A Chianti Classico that is created when centuries-old tradition meets contemporary winemaking: organically farmed since the 1980s, the vineyards of Monti-in-Chianti and Vitignano (located slightly below) strive for expression and balance from clay-loam and limestone soils. The vines (90% Sangiovese supplemented by some Colorino, Canaiolo and Ciliegiolo) are rooted at altitudes between 250 metres and 330 metres above sea level.

The name ennobles: Baron Carl Josef Eyrl von und zu Waldgries und Liebenaich – is the full title of the patron, whose vineyards are located in the heart of the classic Lagrein growing area of Gries. The "Collection" line of the Bolzano winery stands for wines from selected vineyards that combine complexity with straightforwardness. After controlled fermentation in stainless steel, the wine matures for twelve months in large oak barrels – an ageing process that preserves the varietal character and gives the Lagrein a gentle polish.

Clean and refined white wine (Riesling & Durella) from volcanic soils with aromas of ripe yellow grapefruit, melon and a hint of wet straw. Medium-bodied with a silky texture that becomes slightly phenolic towards the end. A note of bitter lemon on the finish is exciting. Lots of crisp flavour, good freshness and length. SUPERIORE.DE

Soligo and Col San Martino share the same geological origin – the same system of steep ridges between Vidor and Vittorio Veneto, the same limestone conglomerate rocks, the same heroic steepness of 300 to 500 metres. And yet the Más de Fer is a different wine. The difference lies in the soil. The plots on Col de Fer and San Gallo – around five hectares on a single contiguous slope, exposed to the south-east – grow exclusively on pure limestone conglomerate, without the marl inclusions that give Col San Martino its aromatic intensity. The thinnest soils, roots directly in the rock, constant light stress – but the result is not less, but different: fine elegance instead of power, verticality instead of breadth, a purity of expression that Andreola deliberately responds to with the extra dry dosage. The 14 g/l residual sugar is not a concession to the mass taste – they are the exact balance that this finesse needs.

One of the most characterful white wines in southern Italy comes from the high vineyards around Tufo – the Riserva Cutizzi version of Greco di Tufo is particularly elegant and brooding. The mineral soils of volcanic origin, the cool nights at 500 to 600 metres above sea level and the selective harvest characterise the distinctive profile of this exceptional white wine. Light golden yellow with silvery reflections in the glass. The bouquet reveals a dense yet focussed aroma: ripe yellow citrus fruit, nectarine, green fennel and a hint of wet chalk. Clear and structured on the palate, with a salty freshness and creamy texture that comes from ageing on the fine lees. Finishes with a fine almond note and a delicate, almost sparse mineral grip.

At the Ebnerhof farm in Atzwang, the Unterthiner family works on sandy marl at an altitude of 500 to 550 metres. The eastern slopes benefit from warm winds from the Bolzano valley basin, while cool downdraughts provide freshness at night – ideal conditions for a Pinot Blanc with substance. After temperature-controlled fermentation in stainless steel tanks, the wine matures on the fine lees, part of it in acacia wood barrels, which gives it additional depth.

On the south-facing slopes between 260 and 380 metres above the Adige Valley, South Tyrol's most aromatic white wine unfolds its full seductive power. The unique terroir of Andriano – reddish-loamy limestone soils interspersed with angular dolomite rock – gives Movado its characteristic mineral base. Here, where the continental climate meets Mediterranean influences, the reddish-grey berries of the famous Traminer grape ripen to aromatic perfection. Fermentation takes place at a controlled temperature in stainless steel, followed by six months of refinement on the fine lees, which gives Movado its characteristic texture and complexity.

From the heartland of Lagrein, the warm porphyry soils of Bolzano-Gries at 250 metres, comes this classic from the Bolzano winery. Formed in 2001 from the merger of the traditional Gries and St. Magdalena co-operatives, the Cantina is now one of the leading addresses for indigenous South Tyrolean grape varieties – not least thanks to the fine instinct of cellar master Stephan Filippi, who has been vinifying here for over three decades.

The name is the programme – and a promise. "Tre Filer": three rows, three grape varieties, one idea. Turbiana, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc grow on the chalky, clayey soils of Lugana di Sirmione, the southern shore of Lake Garda, which Ca' dei Frati has understood like no other winery in the region for generations. What is made from these grapes follows an old logic with modern self-confidence. The harvest takes place late – deliberately too late, one might say. What is left over goes into the fruttaio, the drying room, and rests there for at least ninety days. During this time, the berries shrink and everything concentrates: sugar, flavours, character. Then comes the surprise: no wooden barrels, no barriques – instead, twelve to fourteen months in steel on the fine lees, followed by a year of ageing in the bottle. A sweet wine that dispenses with any opulent wood flavour and instead focuses on purity.

San Pietro di Barbozza is not an unknown name in the Denominazione. Anyone who knows the hills knows that Cartizze is also located here. This legendary 107-hectare slope, the grand cru of the entire Valdobbiadene, borders directly on the municipality of San Pietro di Barbozza – the same steep limestone cliffs, the same heroic slope, the same "Biancone", the fine-grained limestone that has been erupting from the mountain for thousands of years and charges the soils of this zone with sharp minerality. Andreola only began cultivating this parcel for the 2024 harvest – just two hectares, exposed from east to west, with slopes of up to 80%. The soils become thinner with increasing altitude until the roots reach directly into the Biancone. No buffer, no reservoir – only rock and freshness.

When a princess decided to bottle wine in 1958, she didn't do it just like that, but with ambition. Eleonora Ruspoli Berlingieri, who brought the historic Lilliano estate near Castellina in Chianti into family ownership back in 1920, was the first to recognise the oenological potential of this location. At her side: Giulio Gambelli, legendary Sangiovese guru and one of the great interpreters of Tuscan wines. Today, the brothers Giulio and Pietro Ruspoli carry on the legacy – the family still resides in the historic Palazzo Ruspoli in the heart of Rome. The Chianti Classico, which is named after them, comes from around 40 hectares of vineyards on calcareous, stony Alberese soils, which delay the ripening of the grapes at an altitude of around 300 metres and thus preserve acidity and aromatic freshness. The organically farmed vineyards produce a cuvée of 90 per cent Sangiovese, supplemented by five per cent each of Colorino and Merlot – a classic blend that complies with the DOCG statute and emphasises the typicality of the zone.

In May, when the iris – tuscan "giaggiolo" – the vineyards of Lamole are bathed in violet light, the soul of this wine is revealed. The name Maggiolo was born from the fusion of flower and month: a Chianti Classico that expresses the sunny generosity of the altitudes between 420 and 655 metres in liquid form. Unlike the purist Duelame, Maggiolo is a blend of 80% Sangiovese with 10% each of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. After visual berry selection, the grapes ferment separately in stainless steel. The Sangiovese matures for 18 months in large oak barrels, the international varieties in barriques – a marriage that combines structure and suppleness.

In Col San Martino, almost every second family bears the name Merotto. To distinguish the family from Graziano Merotto, they were given a nickname – and this nickname now appears on the label of its oldest brut sparkling wine. Bareta: a gesture of belonging, from the dialect directly into the glass. 100% Glera, exclusively from vineyards in Col San Martino, on yellowish-bluish marl with grey sandstone, 200 to 400 metres, south to south-east exposure, double-bend training. Gentle pressing, single-varietal fermentation at controlled temperature, second fermentation 50 to 60 days in autoclaves at 12–13 °C. Residual sugar < 8 g/litre – the dry end of the brut spectrum. Graziano calls Bareta the brut representation of his stylistic conviction.

Vines have been known in Col San Martino for over two thousand years. The Merotto family does not say this as an advertising message – it is simply what characterises the history of this small village. Graziano Merotto has developed his parents' winery into one of the most stylistically independent addresses in Valdobbiadene: no compromise on location, no compromise on care, no compromise on style. Colbelo is Merotto's oldest and most famous wine – the same character, the same standards for decades. 100% Glera from vineyards at 300 metres, south-facing, yellowish-bluish marl and sandstone, Sylvoz training. Vines from 15 to 18 years old. Hand-picked at the end of September, gentle pressing, single-varietal fermentation at a controlled temperature, second fermentation for 40 days in autoclaves at 12–13 °C. Residual sugar 16 g/litre – extra dry, which is the most obvious (and classic) choice for this grape variety and terroir.