Formats

The quality of Italian white wines has improved significantly over the last 20 years, and this also applies to Verdicchio. There are still quite a few poor, old-fashioned wines out there, but the good ones can be a real revelation. The region around Matelica in particular has made Verdicchio famous, as it is here – and mostly from the higher-altitude vineyards – that the finest examples of this wine are produced: complex, mineral, fresh and long-lasting.

The evening downdrafts from the Mendel Mountains give the entire terroir of the St. Michael-Eppan Winery its distinctive character. They ensure cool nights and endow the grapes with those exceptional qualities that define the wines' aromas, their unmistakable freshness and their longevity. The downwind is the natural force that sweeps across the vineyard every day, positively influencing the climate and supporting the valuable work of the winegrowers at the cooperative winery.

As La Mia, the Marzadros offer traditional grappas of the region. The decorative label, as typed on a typewriter, and the imitation seal are reminiscent of the official quality controls of bygone times.

La Spinetta began in 1977 with Moscato. Today, Giorgio Rivetti is one of the most renowned Nebbiolo interpreters of Piedmont wine – more than 30 Tre Bicchieri awards speak for themselves. The Langhe Nebbiolo is the most accessible entry into this universe. The grapes come mainly from the Starderi vineyard in Neive, the cru from which La Spinetta produces one of its most important Barbareschi wines – complemented by selected parcels from Valeirano, Gallina and Campè. No other terroir, no other winemaker. Just a different age of the vines and a more accessible vinification: 14 to 15 days of maceration in steel, malolactic fermentation in used French barriques, then bottle ageing. Certified organic.

A wine that bears its creator in its name: "Birba" – little cheeky bastard – is what they called Sergio Rossi, the visionary founder of La Gerla. What began as an experiment became a homage: a Brunello that follows all the rules except those of the wooden barrel. Instead of maturing in the large Slavonian vats like its noble siblings, the Birba spends up to fourteen months in French barriques from Allier and the Vosges, a third of which are new – a third of them new. The thirty-year-old vines on the slopes of Canalicchio, between 270 and 320 metres above sea level, produce tiny yields of just 50 quintals per hectare. Fifteen days of maceration extract substance and depth before the wood leaves its spicy signature.

In Liguria, the question of whether Pigato and Vermentino are the same grape variety is answered with a Ligurian shoulder movement. Bruna cultivates both, appreciates both and gives each its own space. Vermentino grows in Valle Arroscia on loose, stony soil made from weathered sedimentary rock – lighter and more permeable than the Pigato plots, aromatic earlier, with a characteristic saltiness. 100% Vermentino, hand-picked, gentle pressing, fermentation in steel at a controlled temperature, short bottle ageing.

"This wine comes from my family's historic vineyard. It is a wine that is the result of lengthy deliberation, research and experimentation, in which nothing was left to chance: Monte Grande is intended to be my great Soave wine." Graziano Prà

What distinguishes a Riserva from an Annata? Time. Time to select the best Sangiovese grapes from the estate's twelve plots. Time for a 25-day vinification process that is conducted with the utmost respect for tradition. And time for at least 21 months in French oak barrels, followed by further bottle ageing before the wine leaves the estate.

In 1962, Egidio Corradi bought two neglected poderi in Cervognano – a Genovese broker who had spent most of his life away from Tuscany, but had always known where he wanted to return. Boscarelli's first bottle of Vino Nobile di Montepulciano appeared in 1968. Since then, this main line has hardly changed in terms of composition and ageing. This is not hesitation – it is conviction. Prugnolo Gentile and Canaiolo, from vines over 10 years old on the red, sandy, mineral-rich soils of Cervognano, 280 to 350 metres, east-facing, 6,500 vines per hectare.

This visionary wine comes from the legendary Conca d'Oro in Panzano and epitomises Giampaolo Motta's radical break with the traditions of Chianti Classico. The Neapolitan, who lost his heart to the Tuscan soil, took the courageous step of declassifying in 2002 – out of a burning desire for absolute oenological freedom. The cuvée combines Sangiovese, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon to create a Burgundian-Bordelaise dialogue that captures the mineral power of the Galestro and Alberese soils on a south-westerly slope. The wine is carefully vinified in French barriques for ten months "sur lie" with regular bâtonnage, giving the wine a wonderfully silky structure.

The Tenuta Capofaro of Tasca is located on the Aeolian Islands off the north-eastern tip of Sicily. The name of this fresh and aromatic Malvasia is dedicated to the former owner Paola Lantieri, who cultivated the 4.5-hectare vineyard with great dedication. The vines grow on mineral soils of ash, fine brown sand, pumice and silicate.

The name means "motherland" – and the Tedeschi family has indeed found a special spot of land with the 84-hectare vineyard between Tregnago and Mezzane di Sotto, which they acquired in 2006. Extensive soil mapping identified real crus here, including the Impervio vineyard – named after its impassable steep slope at an altitude of 400 metres. White and yellow limestone marl of moraine origin characterise the terroir and give the wine its characteristic freshness. Corvina (40%), Corvinone (30%) and Rondinella (30%) are harvested overripe in mid to late October and fermented as whole bunches – a conscious decision for structure and depth of flavour. After 20 days of maceration, the wine matures for 18 months in Slavonian oak and a further six months in the bottle.

Luigi Veronelli affectionately called him "Il Contadino". And in doing so, he captured the essence of Livio Felluga better than any label ever could. A man from Istria who survived two world wars, saw borders shift, lost his homeland and settled on the rolling hills of Rosazzo in the late 1930s to give Friulian viticulture a new future. What this winegrower has built up is now one of the leading names in the north-east. The Rosato is, in the estate’s own words, “a new way of expressing the most characteristic thing we have: the character of our terroir.” 85% Merlot, 15% Pinot Nero, from flysch soils of Eocene origin – that characteristic alternation of marl and sandstone which distinguishes the Collio and Rosazzo from the rest of Italy. Pinot Nero is harvested at the end of August – earlier than Merlot, which follows in mid-September. The grapes are placed in small crates, gently destemmed, cold-pressed, and the must clarified by decanting. Fermentation takes place in steel and terracotta, with ageing on the lees.

A finely conceived rosé sparkling wine with a regional identity and elegant craftsmanship. The harmonious blend of autochthonous grape varieties – groppello, Marzemino, Barbera and Sangiovese grapes – defines clarity and origin, while the 24-month yeast ageing gives the wine expression, creaminess and depth. In the glass, it shines in a delicate salmon pink colour with a lively, fine-pored perlage. The nose seduces with floral nuances of rose petals, red berries and tangerine peel, subtly accompanied by yeast tones and a hint of almond biscuits. Fresh and harmonious on the palate, with clear acidity, a juicy, fruity centre and elegant salty minerality. The perlage is silky, the structure finely balanced, the final long, dry and characterised by a delicate bitter almond note.

As La Mia, the Marzadros offer traditional grappas of the region. The decorative label, as typed on a typewriter, and the imitation seal are reminiscent of the official quality controls of bygone times.

The first year of production of the single-varietal Merlot Clos Roareti dates back to 2004. The grapes are harvested from the 2 hectare historic Rovereti vineyard in Negrar. In this 100-year-old vineyard, which is surrounded by equally old walls, Merlot has been cultivated since the 1990s and is perfectly adapted to the climate and the red clay soil. The palate is rich and full-bodied with complex and very aromatic notes. Maturation in oak barrels gives this wine its special flavour and certain opulence. SUPERIORE.DE

A wine of origin and rarity value – ferentano is a pure white wine made from the old Roscetto vine, cultivated around Montefiascone on Lake Bolsena. The very thick berry skins store intense flavours, while the controlled ageing (including barrique) combines purity and depth. Medium straw yellow in the glass with golden reflections. Exotic notes of banana, pineapple and ripe peach on the nose, combined with vegetal accents and a hint of vanilla. Rich and soft on the palate, with plenty of substance, balancing acidity and a long, red fruit finish – perfectly animating and without sweetness. An inimitable white wine with a surprising fullness and elegant structure – a Roscetto that is authentic through and through! SUPERIORE.DE

On the Costa degli Etruschi, where the Maestrale blows in from the Tyrrhenian Sea and the waves crash just ten kilometres away, Massimo Piccin has been realising his dream of the perfect Bordeaux blend since 1999. Under his visionary hand and the advice of the renowned OenologistCarlo Ferrini, the modest farm in Castagneto Carducci has grown into a 40-hectare vineyard that is now one of Bolgheri's most respected addresses. Volpolo embodies the pure essence of this exceptional location between the municipalities of Castagneto Carducci and Bibbona; the name is a tribute to the ancient Tuscan grape variety Volpola and at the same time an expression of the deep roots in the Bolgheri terroir. This organically certified cuvée of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot thrives on the estate's 27 different soil types – a mosaic of sand, clay, limestone and sea pebbles, which owes its mineral richness to the former marshlands. The proximity to the sea provides the vines with the constant ventilation and intense light that allow Bordeaux varieties to mature to unimagined complexity.

In the early 2000s, Marco de Grazia, an American wine merchant with Tuscan roots, began systematically buying land on Mount Etna. Not because the volcano was the talk of the town at the time – it wasn't. But because de Grazia, who had been importing Sicilian wines into the US since the 1990s, recognised something that many locals had not yet seen: that these soils, these Alberello vines, these altitudes between 600 and 900 metres possessed something that could not be found anywhere else on the island.

The Sul Vulcano range marked the start of Donnafugata's impressive declaration of love for Etna, currently the hottest wine destination. Carricante is one of southern Italy's most exciting grape varieties, capable of developing complexity and terroir-driven character when grown on the right soils. The vines for Donnafugata's only white wine from Etna grow on mineral-rich volcanic soils at an altitude of 700–750 metres. The wine is fermented in stainless steel tanks before ageing for 10 months – partly in concrete tanks and partly in second- and third-use barriques – followed by a further nine months in the bottle.

This wine owes its name to the evening downdrafts of the Mendel Mountains – that natural force which sweeps across the vineyards of Eppan, Kaltern and Pinzon every evening, lending the entire terroir its unmistakable character. These cool breezes create marked temperature fluctuations between day and night, shaping the grapes' aromas and lending the wines that exceptional freshness and longevity which make them true ambassadors of their origin. At altitudes of between 350 and 550 metres, on moraine deposits and calcareous gravel, the Pinot Nero thrives under these special conditions to produce a Riserva of Burgundian elegance. Following fermentation in stainless-steel tanks, the wine undergoes malolactic fermentation during a twelve-month ageing period in barriques and tonneaux. This is followed by blending, before further ageing takes place in concrete tanks. The Riserva classification requires a minimum of two years' total ageing.

Vermentino can get burnt. Too much direct sunlight before the harvest and the berry loses its aromatic precursors – the bouquet flattens out, the palate becomes broader, oilier, with an almond-accentuated finish that conceals terroir instead of revealing it. This is a well-known pitfall on the Tuscan coast. In Montebamboli, it is deliberately avoided. The training is programme: Guyot on both sides, foliage kept dense so that the fruit zone remains in the shade. Only the shadiest grapes are harvested, where diffuse light protects the flavour. End of August, beginning of September, by hand, with careful selection. Cooled to 3°C overnight, then whole bunch pressing, static clarification. Fermentation 70% in steel at 18–20°C, 30% in new barriques. Six months on the fine lees with regular bâtonnage, six months in the bottle.