Formats

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 southern Italy’s most distinctive white wines comes from the high-altitude vineyards around Tufo – in the Cutizzi Riserva version, the Greco di Tufo reveals itself as particularly elegant and brooding. The mineral-rich volcanic soils, the cool nights at an altitude of 500 to 600 metres above sea level and the selective harvest shape the distinctive profile of this exceptional white wine. In the glass, it is a pale golden-yellow with silvery highlights. The bouquet reveals a dense yet focused array of aromas: ripe yellow citrus, nectarine, green fennel and a hint of wet chalk. On the palate, it is crisp and well-structured, with a salty freshness and a creamy texture imparted by ageing on the fine lees. The finish features a subtle almond note and a delicate, almost austere mineral edge.

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

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

Biancospino shines in the glass with a light straw yellow colour and a subtle greenish tinge. The nose already reveals delicate aromas of mandarin, lime and geranium blossom, livened up by salty minerality and white flowers. On the palate, a finely sparkling mousse, lively freshness, a delicate spicy note and aromatic support form a finish full of character. The ageing in stainless steel emphasises the clarity of the fruit and the typical Moscato notes – a finesse-rich, natural aperitif with plenty of vigour and elegance. SUPERIORE.DE

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.

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 no unknown name within the appellation. Anyone familiar with the hills knows that this is also where Cartizze is found. This legendary 107-hectare slope, the grand cru of the entire Valdobbiadene region, borders directly on the municipality of San Pietro di Barbozza – the same steep limestone cliffs, the same heroic hillside, the same ‘Biancone’ – that fine-grained limestone which has been breaking out of the mountain for millennia, imbuing the soils of this area with a sharp minerality. Andreola only began cultivating this plot for harvest 2024 harvest – just two hectares, facing east to west, with slopes of up to 80%. The soils become thinner with increasing altitude, until the roots reach directly into the limestone. No buffer, no storage – just 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.

Refrontolo lies on the eastern edge of the Denominazione – quieter, warmer and a half-tone lower than the steep slopes of the core zone. The Col del Forno vineyard is a natural amphitheatre covering around four hectares at an altitude of 250 metres, nestled between woods and terraced slopes. Andreola acquired the plot in 2016 – and the wine has been one of the most compelling in the entire Rive range right from the start. What distinguishes Refrontolo from Col San Martino is not quality, but character. The clay-marl soils, with karst formations dating from before the last Ice Age, reliably retain moisture – a stable water supply for the vines, even in dry years. Temperatures are slightly higher than in the west of the appellation, and ripening begins earlier. The result is not intensely floral wines, but Glera with a rich, ripe fruitiness: hawthorn, wisteria, apple, peach and yellow citrus fruits – a warmer, more complex spectrum of aromas.

Rive di Rolle lies in the shelter of the Trevigian Prealps – warmer than the more open sites of the Denominazione, with higher average annual temperatures and deep, fine-grained clay-marl soils that retain moisture and ensure a consistent water balance for the vines even in dry years. The result is a Glera that matures differently than elsewhere: more opulent, more fruit-driven, with an aromatic spectrum that goes far beyond the floral notes of the limestone vineyards. The Vigna Ochera is the most perfect representative of this terroir logic in the Andreola portfolio.