Formats

700 metres. That is the altitude at which one of Pojer e Sandri’s two Pinot Noir vineyards is situated – in Palai, south-facing, on local limestone soil, swept by the Ora del Garda. For Pinot Nero in Trentino, this is exceptionally high. Long, cool nights, marked temperature fluctuations, and a slow ripening process that gives the grape variety exactly the time it needs to develop elegance and freshness. The second vineyard is in Faedo itself, in Località Rocol, at 300 metres – lower, warmer, and more full-bodied. Together, these two sites produce a Pinot Nero that fully embodies Faedo. Since 2002, the winery has been using a proprietary, patented process: Iperriduzione – the entire processing of the grapes takes place without oxygen, exclusively in stainless steel tanks. No external intervention – the grape’s natural protective compounds do the work. Fresh, clear, consistent.

Pliny the Elder wrote about it. Virgil, Martial and Horace raised it in verse. The Falernian was the wine of ancient Rome – produced in the Ager Falernum, that fertile triangle between Monte Massico, the river Savone and the slopes of the extinct Roccamonfina volcano. No other wine-growing region in Italy can look back on such a clearly documented wine-growing history. Lawyer Francesco Paolo Avallone – fascinated by the old texts – searched for the original grape varieties in the 1960s. He found them: a few Falanghina biotipo Falerna vines, survivors of the phylloxera devastation of the 19th century, direct descendants of the ancient cultivated vines. What he started, his children and grandchildren continue. The winery has carried the Ager Falernum in its name ever since.

The great Bordeaux estates have shown the way: a so-called "second wine" is not simply a wine that didn't make the grade. It offers a different perspective. Younger vines, different plots, shorter ageing – resulting in a wine that is meant to be drunk sooner, has a fresher character and reveals a different facet of the same terroir. Tenuta San Leonardo introduced this concept to the Dolomites in 2005.

Contini's premium range, I Giganti, embodies a modern fusion of tradition and terroir, with expression, character and a subtle hint of Sardinian grandeur. Available as white, rosé and red wines, they pay homage to the great statues discovered in the 1970s at the archaeological site of Mont'e Prama, just 2 km from the Cabras pond. It was farmers, tilling the fields with their ploughs, who brought these precious treasures of the past to light. These sandstone figures were called "giants" due to their considerable size. They depict brave warriors, symbols of strength and courage.

Here is one of the finest expressions of the white Carricante grape variety, aged on its fine lees for six months. Alta Mora Bianco comes from vineyards on the northern slopes of Mount Etna, where Carricante vines thrive at altitudes of 600 to 900 metres – directly on volcanic rock rich in minerals and ash. The cool, high altitude, combined with intense sunshine and significant day-night temperature variations, imbues this wine with an unmistakable freshness, structure and a briny edge. The wine is aged exclusively in stainless steel to ensure that the purity of the grape variety and the terroir is conveyed unadulterated in the glass.

Since 1977, every Castellare label has featured a different bird – a tribute to the biodiversity of the Tuscan vineyards and a symbol of Paolo Panerai's vision to preserve authentic Chianti Classico. The estate consistently avoids international grape varieties and relies exclusively on Tuscan tradition: 95% Sangioveto, the fine local Sangiovese clone, and 5% Canaiolo form the classic blend of Italy's most famous red wine. The grapes grow on limestone soils at an altitude of between 350 and 400 metres in Castellina in Chianti, where they develop their characteristic elegance. Following vinification, the wine is aged for seven months in French barriques.

In the heart of Chianti Classico, where the hills of Castellina in Chianti, Castelnuovo Berardenga and Radda in Chianti meet, lies the historic Castello di Fonterutoli estate. Owned by the Marchesi Mazzei family since 1435, this Chianti Classico epitomises a centuries-old winemaking tradition. The grapes come from 114 individually managed plots at altitudes ranging from 220 to 570 metres, each with its own microclimate and terroir. Composed mainly of Sangiovese, complemented by small proportions of Malvasia Nera and Colorino, each plot is vinified and aged separately to preserve the exceptional diversity of aromas and complexity.

There are no fixed rules at Zýmē, only the pursuit of experimentation to offer a unique and honest experience that also conveys the character of each individual vintage. Il Bianco From Black to White (sealed with a glass cork) opens with a golden colour and a whitish sheen typical of grapes that have no skin contact. The predominant grape variety is Rondinella Bianca, a mutation that was only discovered by chance in the vineyards of Zýmē and is unique in Italy.

Monsanto's Chianti Classico Annata is made from the estate's youngest vines and combines immediate drinkability with the depth that the soil at Monsanto imparts to all its wines. 90% Sangiovese, complemented by 5% each of Canaiolo and Colorino, comes from those plots that have proved particularly suitable for ageing in large casks. Fermentation takes place in temperature-controlled, truncated-cone-shaped steel tanks, accompanied by délestage and pumping over for 18 to 20 days. This is followed by around one year's ageing in large 50-hectolitre oak barrels, rounded off by three months' bottle ageing.

Vietti has given the Colli Tortonesi its own distinctive voice with no fewer than three interpretations of Timorasso: the classic Derthona, the single-vineyard Boscogrosso from Monleale – and, as the freshest and most immediate expression in the trio, this Piccolo Derthona. The name is a nod to Derthona, the ancient Roman name for Tortona, whilst the addition of "Piccolo" signifies its role as the most accessible expression of the grape variety in the range.

At the heart of the prestigious Le Sondraie vineyard, just a few kilometres from the Tyrrhenian Sea, Marilisa Allegrini's very own favourite wine thrives. Solosole embodies the intimate connection between the Mediterranean grape variety Vermentino and the unique Bolgheri terroir – a wine that is, as its name suggests, the "fruit of sunlight". This 100% Vermentino is made from specially selected Corsican clones that benefit from the exceptional abundance of sunlight on the Tuscan coast. The extended period of ripening in the sun intensifies the aromas and flavours, whilst harvest at night ensures stress-free grapes with intact aromatic precursors.

While the whole world was talking about the extinction of Trebbiano di Soave, the three Tessari sisters set out on a mission: to save an almost forgotten grape variety. In collaboration with Professor Attilio Scienza from the University of Milan, they selected the best clones of old Trebbiano vines and planted the Massifitti vineyard in 2006 – named after the "dense rocks", the large, compact basalt boulders that characterise the south-facing slope. Only two hectares at an altitude of 300 metres, where the volcanic minerality shows itself in its purest form. What is produced here is unique: probably the only single-varietal Trebbiano di Soave in the world. It matures for 15 months in stainless steel on the fine lees, then a further 12 months in the bottle before the sisters release it.

In the hills between Macerata and Ancona, Bisci's red wines are made from the modest 1.5 hectares of Sangiovese and Merlot that have complemented the portfolio of the legendary Verdicchio specialists since the very beginning. The Villa Castiglioni 2019 combines 80% Sangiovese with 20% Merlot in a sophisticated cuvée that expresses the warm terroir of the Marche region. After manual harvesting, the wine is macerated for 15 days in stainless steel tanks at a controlled temperature with daily pumping over, followed by twelve months of ageing partly in oak barrels and partly in steel.

This characterful Greco di Tufo comes from high-altitude plots around Lapio, where Clelia Romano works meticulously and skilfully on volcanic-calcareous soils. Alèxandros is matured in stainless steel tanks in order to bring the varietal typicity and mineral character of the terroir unadulterated into the glass. The typical salinity of Greco is elegantly emphasised here. A purist, serious white wine with depth of origin and a clear signature – typical Colli di Lapio, typical Lapio.

According to tradition, the River Dirillo, near the Dorilli estate, is said to be the legendary landing place of Aeneas on his odyssey from Troy. Whether this is true cannot be proven. What can be proven, however, is that this area, situated between the southern coast and the Iblean Mountains, has an extraordinary history of wine-growing. Dorilli is the quintessence of Cerasuolo di Vittoria Classico – the highest tier of this unique Sicilian DOCG. Planeta produces it from carefully selected vines at the estate of the same name in Acate: 70% Nero d'Avola, 30% Frappato di Vittoria, grown on the characteristic loose red sand with a layer of tuff that defines the terroir of Vittoria from within. Organically farmed according to the SOStain protocol.

In 1975, Mario Pojer and Fiorentino Sandri purchased two hectares of vineyards in Faedo, a hill situated between the Adige Valley and the Val di Cembra. Many were sceptical: Faedo was considered unsuitable for quality winegrowing. The pair remained undeterred. Today, Faedo is one of Trentino’s most sought-after wine-growing sites – and Pojer e Sandri is one of Italy’s most innovative wineries. The Traminer is grown on two sites: Faedo, Località Coveli, at 300 metres, south-west facing, on porphyritic-volcanic soil with sandy layers of dark, gravel-rich rock. And Cembra, Località Valbona, at 450 metres – cooler, providing structure. The Ora del Garda, the daily wind from Lake Garda, ventilates the vineyards and keeps the aromas fresh. Gewürztraminer from Alsatian clones, Pergoletta Trentina Aperta and Guyot, 6,000 to 6,500 vines per hectare. Vinification follows a principle developed in-house: grape washing and pressing in a controlled atmosphere – without any exogenous antioxidants. The grape variety speaks for itself; nothing masks it.

Efeso is probably the most elegant white wine produced by Librandi – a single-varietal Mantonico, an old Calabrian grape variety with a long history and great potential. The grapes come from high-altitude, well-ventilated vineyards around Strongoli, where the warmth of the south meets the freshness of the night and ripening is slow and controlled. The wine is matured in barriques with regular bâtonnage – a deliberately Burgundian approach for an indigenous wine.

Valgiano should be experienced if you want to know your way around the world of biodynamic viticulture. Now Mazzapink has been added! Already the design distinguishes it from the other wines of the estate: the Piazza dell'Anfiteatro in Lucca's centre can be found on the label as well as the Valgian-(h)orn, a work of art at the entrance of the winery. The artist Sara Di Giovanni translated the specifications into the form of a comic strip, as Lucca is considered one of the centres of European comic art.

"Il Repertorio" - "The Register". The names of Gerardo Giuratrabocchetti's wines are reminiscent of his father's world as a notary.

"Kleos" is a Greek word denoting the kind of fame that heroes acquire through great deeds – a term taken directly from the Homeric narrative tradition. The name suits this stretch of coastline like no other: Cilento was part of Magna Graecia, and the temples of Paestum and ancient Elea – home to the Eleatic school of philosophy – lie very close by. Luigi Maffini chose this name for his Aglianico as a tribute to this Greek heritage. Four hectares, facing west-south-west, trained using the Guyot method with 4,800 vines per hectare, and a deliberately low yield of 1.5 kilograms per vine. harvest takes place late, in the third ten-day period of September, when the Aglianico has reached full phenolic ripeness. After destemming and crushing, the grapes macerate for six days in stainless steel tanks at 25°C. The wine is aged in second- and third-use barriques – no new oak, which would overpower the fruit.