Formats

It was very courageous when Michele Satta vinified the first Vermentino in Bolgheri in 1984 – at a time when the appellation had only just been created and white wine still seemed unthinkable in an area dominated by red wine. Costa di Giulia, named after a vineyard at the foot of Castagneto Carducci, was created as a single-varietal treasure from Vermentino until Satta made a far-reaching decision in 1997: the addition of 40 per cent Sauvignon Blanc was to give the wine more character and a more extracted, sweeter, broader finesse.

"My research into the world of white wines led to the creation of this unconventional wine. I have always realised that the most interesting aspect of Vermentino is in the skin. It is a delicious grape to eat, rich in aromatic notes. That's why I wanted to vinify Vermentino from the Le Gonnare vineyard, a small plot planted in 1987, and leave the skins to macerate with the must for 6 days during alcoholic fermentation. This has led to more aroma and the characteristic golden colour without making it heavy. A full-bodied and at the same time very cheerful wine." Fabio Motta

Lagrein is one of the autochthonous grape varieties of South Tyrol and finds its ideal conditions at Franz Haas in sunny locations between 220 and 250 metres above sea level. Here, significantly lower than the white wine sites, the late-ripening variety benefits from warm, broodingalluvial soils with a high gravel content. The south-south-west exposure guarantees optimal sunlight until the late harvest – this is crucial for the full phenolic ripeness of this demanding grape variety. After careful manual harvesting, the grapes are carefully destemmed and fermented in open stainless steel tanks. The grape skins are gently and not too frequently submerged so as not to risk excessive tannin extraction. After alcoholic fermentation, the wine matures for 10 to 12 months in tonneau, where malolactic fermentation also takes place. A few months of bottle ageing round off the development before the Lagrein is released onto the market.

The farmers of Menfi call it "Burdisi". This is no nod to France – it is dialect. Burdese is the Sicilian pronunciation of “Bordolese”, and it reveals just how naturally Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc have become part of this landscape in south-west Sicily. Not as imported goods, but as part of the local vocabulary. Planeta has adopted the name – and turned it into one of the island’s most distinctive red wines. The vines are planted at the Dispensa estate near Menfi, at altitudes of up to 430 metres, in brooding, calcareous soils of medium texture. A site that provides the Cabernets with the necessary coolness to retain their aromatic precision. Limited quantity, selected plots, harvested in mid-to-late September. Aged in wood for a wine made for long ageing.

In 1881, Anton Jermann left the Austrian Burgenland, travelled through the then Slovenian Collio and finally planted his vines in Villanova di Farra in Friuli. One family, three languages, one Ponca – the characteristic flysch soil of marl and sandstone that gives this region its unmistakable character. On the label of Vinnae, a double-headed eagle bears the legacy of this history: found on an old barrel from great-grandfather Anton, a symbol of the Danube monarchy that once ruled here. Silvio Jermann created the name Vinnae in 1983 – as a tribute to the family's hundred years of winegrowing and the birth of his son Michele. From "Vinnaioli", the winegrowers, to Vinnae: the Ribolla Gialla, the variety that the family has been cultivating in this borderland since the 18th century. Today a blend of 90% Ribolla Gialla, 5% each Friulano and Riesling Renano – three indigenous varieties for three territorial souls. Fermentation in steel, six months maturation partly in large Slavonian oak barrels.

Delicate, elegant Nerello Mascalese with fine aromas of red fruits and raspberries, enveloped in a pleasant citrus freshness. As the wine progresses, it develops a smoky note associated with the strong lava rock component that characterises the volcanic soil of Etna. Lively, harmonious and full of flavour on the palate – a resolutely versatile wine that goes perfectly with a variety of fish dishes, shellfish and white meat. SUPERIORE.DE

A Pinot Grigio with character that can only come from the Collio and neighbouring areas of Friuli. The grapes come from high-altitude plots with poor marl and sandstone soil, which reduces the yield and intensifies the flavour. Pale straw yellow in the glass with silvery reflections. On the nose, the wine is complex and elegant: green pear, fresh apple skin, some white melon and a fine hint of lemon balm. The palate is precise and animating with lively acidity, cool minerality and a dry, juicy finish. Not an opulent charmer, but a straightforward, stylish Pinot Grigio with a regional character and subtle depth – in the spirit of Silvio Jermann's quality philosophy. SUPERIORE.DE

Palazzotto is the name of the two hectares of vineyard where only Cabernet Sauvignon is grown. Fausto Maculan vinifies a fine wine from these grapes. A spicy start in the glass: cedar wood and ground ginger give way to dusty roses and redcurrants. It's elegant yet refined, with creamy textures lifted by vibrant acidity, while a wave of mineral-tinged wild berries lightly wash over the palate. Leaves a tart note of citrus and raspberry and subtle, grippy tannins that frame the wine without slowing its momentum. Although already showing very well now, this beautifully balanced version of Palazzotto should improve even more with medium-term cellaring. SUPERIORE.DE

The grapes come from the historic centrepiece of the Planeta estate in Ulmo near Sambuca di Sicilia – a vineyard that was planted back in the mid-1980s. The vines are rooted at an altitude of around 250 metres in loamy-sandy soils with a high lime content, not far from Lake Arancio. Deep ruby red in the glass with a purple rim. The nose opens powerfully and invitingly: black cherry, plum, cassis and blueberry, accompanied by cocoa, tobacco, fresh leather and a subtle herbal spice. On the palate, Sito dell'Ulmo is both full-bodied and elegant: dense, with polished tannins, fresh acidity and a long, silky finish. The integration of the wood is finely balanced and the fruit always remains in the foreground. A Sicilian Merlot with format, origin and depth. SUPERIORE.DE

A small marvel, perfectly harmonised with multi-layered aromas of tropical fruits, apples and honey. A highly interesting white natural wine that is far more than just a casual pleasure, as it offers an extremely full, well-structured flavour. Fermented with the skins using the red wine method. Strong yellow colour with golden reflections. Intense aroma of dried herbs, incense, candied lemon peel and a hint of bitter orange. Fresh citrus notes on the palate, an exciting acidity and a powerful structure lead into a very long finish, crowned by a hint of bitter almonds. Very complex and a wonderful accompaniment to food – be sure to aerate! SUPERIORE.DE

Over 150 years ago, Conte Vistarino was the first Italian winemaker to produce sparkling wines using the classic Champagne method (bottle fermentation on the lees). Cépage is an elegant Metodo Classico made from Pinot Noir and Chardonnay - a wine that reflects the Vistarino family's French heritage in terms of grape variety, architecture and style. The grapes are harvested by hand, cooled and gently pressed (only 45% yield). The base wine ferments in stainless steel and matures on the fine lees until spring before being bottled for fermentation.

Riserva does not simply mean more time in Gracciano. It means different soil. The Maramai and Podere Rovisci crus provide the grape material for this wine – and Rovisci is the core of the whole: heavy clay content, brooding, water-retaining, with a ripening dynamic that elicits the densest, most concentrated side of the Prugnolo Gentile. Vines, some of which have been planted since 1970. 300 to 350 metres, south to south-east exposure, 30 hectolitres per hectare – consistently limited yields. Only in the best vintages does the della Seta Ferrari Corbelli Greco family decide to bottle a Riserva. 2021 was such a year. Prugnolo Gentile 90%, Merlot 10%. Fermentation with indigenous yeasts, 20 to 25 days of maceration in steel. Then aged for 24 months: the first twelve in French tonneaux of 3.5 and 5 hectolitres, the second twelve in large Slavonian oak barrels. Subsequent maturation in the bottle for at least six months.

"Place of the snakes". The name Serpara sounds menacing, but is actually a tribute: snakes seek warmth, sunshine and mild temperatures, even in the coldest months. And this is exactly what describes the single vineyard Serpara in the municipality of Maschito – a vineyard with a sunny exposure that never really knows winter, even in winter. At 550 metres above sea level, on a volcanic hillside, lie 6 hectares, half of which are planted with Aglianico vines over 40 years old. The black imperial eagle of the Swabians adorns the label – a legacy of the imperial claim that once shaped this land.

Riesling has been at home in the Vinschgau Valley since around 1840 – , having been introduced from German-speaking regions, where it was tolerated amongst fruit trees and Pinot Blanc. Yet its potential in these extreme terroirs went largely unrecognised for over a century and a half. It is only since the 1990s that the valley has shown what it is truly capable of. Franz Pratzner is one of those who realised this early on. His Riesling vines are planted on the Sonnenberg in the Vinschgau Valley, on the steepest south-facing slopes between 600 and 900 metres – of dry, ancient porphyry bedrock, with barren conditions, maximum sunshine and cool nights. Riesling is a late-ripening variety that takes time: harvest only takes place in early to mid-October, when the aromas have fully developed at this altitude. Then comes the winery’s signature style: fermentation in large acacia wood barrels, ten months on the coarse lees, and around twelve months’ bottle ageing.

This red classic from Montepulciano already bears its claim in its name: nobile. No other wine in Italy has this adjective written into its specifications – and hardly any other producer has honoured it as consistently in recent decades as Federico Carletti and his Poliziano winery. Founded in 1961 by father Dino, today under Federico's leadership and long since anchored in the next generation – with Francesco and Maria Stella, who have been helping to shape the future since 2019 and 2021. Poliziano has been certified organic since the 2021 harvest – not a marketing decision, but the logical conclusion of decades of work without chemical weedkillers and insecticides. Prugnolo Gentile, the local variety of Sangiovese, grows on clay and limestone soils between 300 and 450 metres above sea level. Hand-picked, careful selection in the vineyard and in the cellar, fermentation with indigenous yeasts in conical concrete vats – minimum intervention, maximum expression. Maturation in large barrels and tonneaux: the wood frames, it does not dominate.

Tasting the Riserva from Fattoria del Cerro takes you stylistically to those higher vineyard sites where fossil-rich soils full of pebbles and ancient shell remains lend the Prugnolo Gentile a special mineral depth. The crowning glory of the Montepulciano hierarchy is created from these favoured plots – a wine that requires time and patience to reveal its multi-layered nature. After careful selection, the wine undergoes 18 months of refinement, combining tradition and innovation: Eight months in French barriques and tonneaux, followed by a further twelve to sixteen months in large wooden barrels. This combination creates a character of remarkable elegance and the wood integrates seamlessly without overshadowing the varietal fruit. A final twelve months of maturation in the bottle completes the harmonious development.