Formats

βιαηκΩ is an exceptionally precise white wine made from Erbaluce grapes from the Boca micro-region; it is so rare and sought-after that it is allocated each year. Aged in large oak and acacia barrels, this wonderfully fresh and distinctive white wine has reached its peak with this vintage. It is well-structured, with good length, a floral, rich bouquet and plenty of charm. The fresh acidity on the finish makes the wine lively and long-lasting. Aromas of wild Alpine herbs and pears, with a hint of exotic fruits, are framed by a creamy texture and lead into a lingering final. SUPERIORE.DE

This single-varietal Carricante comes from Tenuta Tascante, from the Contrade Feudo in Castiglione di Sicilia and Salice in Milo. The vineyards thrive at an altitude of 600 metres on the northern slopes of Mount Etna, on volcanic sedimentary soils dating from various geological periods. The majority of the grapes are grown on a terrace in the Contrada Sciaranuova. Vinified in cool stainless steel, this white wine retains the mineral clarity and sulphurous notes of the indigenous grape variety. Linear and vertical in character, it displays the characteristic acidity of Carricante, which reveals volcanic vigour with elegant purity. An authentic Etna character, aged on the lees for four months, which brings the aura of the volcano straight into the glass. SUPERIORE.DE

Where cool Dolomite winds meet Mediterranean influence, Markus Prackwieser has been writing wine history with quiet consistency at the Gump Hof since 2000. The farm, which was first mentioned in a document in 1546, is spectacularly situated on the steep slopes of the southern Eisack Valley at the foot of the Schlern massif – vineyards with a 50 to 70 per cent gradient at 400 to 500 metres, which require pure manual labour. The experimental winegrower draws his inspiration from Burgundy, the Wachau and the Loire Valley, from the legendary Didier Dagueneau. The Praesulis Gewürztraminer 2024 grows on calcareous moraine soils over quartz porphyry. After a short maceration and gentle pressing, the wine ferments and matures for ten months in steel tanks on the fine lees.

On the sand – the name already reveals the secret of this extraordinary interpretation of Gewürztraminer. A work of art of aromatic perfection springs from the sandy, calcareous soils of various locations in the lowlands between 240 and 370 metres. From Tramin to the Margreider Schuttkegel to Lake Kaltern and the Eisack Valley, Lageder combines the many facets of this traditional grape variety into a harmonious composition. The biodynamic Demeter cultivation of these selected plots follows the natural rhythms of the landscape. The secret lies in the staggered harvest: As the southern sites are all very hot, Lageder deliberately sets early accents and harvests the grapes at different stages of ripeness – sometimes even with noble rot. One part is vinified spontaneously with whole grapes, the rest matures for nine months partly in stainless steel and partly in large wooden barrels on the fine lees.

Fórra, an elegant small-batch white wine, is made purely from Manzoni Bianco and has an interesting history and an exciting development. Lageder's project with this grape variety began several years ago and resulted in the crossing of Rhine Riesling and Pinot Bianco. Traditional methods were used in the cellar to ensure freshness and vibrancy. Contact with the skins over several days sharpens the profile of the wine. After spontaneous fermentation, Fórra remains on its lees in wooden barrels for several months. Fórra exudes all this passion and love, all this experience and craftsmanship - a wonderful, great pleasure. SUPERIORE.DE

The name "Mimuèt" (to my taste) comes from Ladin. Convinced that South Tyrol offers the best conditions for the Pinot Noir grape variety, Alois Lageder paid particular attention to it at a very early stage. His goal is to produce wines with precision, lightness and filigree structure. Garnet red with ruby reflexes. Pinot Noir Mimuèt smells of ripe black cherries, flowers and spices. On the palate, elegant, almost light on its feet, with a multi-layered, soft finish. SUPERIORE.DE

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 with Moscato in 1977. Today, Giorgio Rivetti is one of the most renowned producers of Nebbiolo in Piedmont – more than 30 Tre Bicchieri awards speak for themselves. The Langhe Nebbiolo is the most accessible introduction to this world. The grapes come mainly from the Starderi vineyard in Neive, the very cru from which La Spinetta produces one of its most significant Barbaresco wines – supplemented by selected plots from Valeirano, Gallina and Campè. No other terroir, no other winemaker. Just a different age of vines and a more accessible winemaking process: 14 to 15 days' maceration in steel, malolactic fermentation in used French barriques, followed by bottle ageing.

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 1962, Egidio Corradi bought two neglected poderi in Cervognano – a broker from Genoa who had spent most of his life far from Tuscany, but had always known where he wanted to return to. In 1968, the first bottle of Boscarelli's Vino Nobile di Montepulciano was released. Since then, the composition and vinification of this flagship wine have remained virtually unchanged. This is not hesitation – it is conviction. Prugnolo Gentile and Canaiolo, from vines aged 10 years and over, grown on the red, sandy, mineral-rich soils of Cervognano, at altitudes of 280 to 350 metres, facing east, with 6,500 vines per hectare.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.