Formats

Verdeluce – green light – is the name of this wine that the Famiglia Cotarella dedicates to the hills around Orvieto, the area on the border between Lazio and Umbria that has always been synonymous with quality white wines. Riccardo and Renzo Cotarella, two of Italy's most influential Oenologist, founded Falesco in 1979 with the aim of revitalising forgotten grape varieties. Today, cousins Dominga, Marta and Enrica continue the legacy – with a modern style and an international outlook, without losing their roots in the territory.

Wonderful, deep aroma of dark wild cherries, crushed raspberries, pomegranate, roses and peppery herbs. Dense but not heavy on the palate, long and pure with multi-layered subtle fruit flavours. Salty minerals and violet blossom emerge on the finish, along with nuanced tannins that create a classically dry feel on the elegant finish. This wine is already an absolute pleasure to drink, and although it tastes great now, it will continue to refine in the bottle for several years. A sensual and enjoyable wine, 60 per cent Nero d'Avola from oak barrels and 40 per cent Frappato matured in a vitrified cement vat. SUPERIORE.DE

Italy's smallest wine region doesn't do things by halves. The Aosta Valley lies wedged between the highest peaks of the Alps, crossed by the Dora Baltea, characterised by moraine soils left behind by glaciers and a climate that demands everything from the vines: short summers, long winters, extreme temperature differences between day and night. Viticulture here is not a decision for the faint-hearted.

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.

Bucine, Valdarno di Sopra – where the Arno meanders through gentle hills between Arezzo and Florence, Fattoria Petrolo lies between 250 and 500 metres above sea level. In 1988, Lucia Bazzocchi Sanjust wanted a wine that told the true identity of this terroir: the "Château" of Petrolo, a tribute to the centuries-old Tuscan tradition of combining French varieties with Sangiovese. As early as 1834, Giorgio Perrin, agronomist of Swiss origin and owner of Petrolo, reported in the "Giornale Agrario Toscano" that it was customary in Chianti to blend "uve francese" with Sangiovese, not to change the quality, but because the terroir won out over the grape varieties.

A Collio classic with a signature: Schiopetto's single-varietal Sauvignon Bianco comes from old vines around Capriva del Friuli - on marl and sandstone soils that are perfect for aromatic varieties. Hand-picking, a short maceration period and ageing in stainless steel tanks preserve freshness and precision. Pale yellow in colour with greenish reflections. The bouquet is intense but never loud: whitecurrant, salted lemon, elderflower, a hint of lemon balm and wet stone. Clear, straightforward and elegant on the palate, with lively acidity, salty minerality and a fine citrus flavour on the long finish. An exemplary Sauvignon from the Collio - full of tension, multi-layered and with noble restraint. A wine that emphasises its origins rather than superficial fruit. SUPERIORE.DE

Classic Etna Rosso from Nerello Mascalese with a small proportion of Nerello Cappuccio – grown at an altitude of over 700 metres in various contrade on the northern flank of the volcano, where ash, lava rock and the alpine microclimate form an unmistakable style. Medium ruby red in colour with a garnet-red rim. On the nose, fragrant sour cherry, redcurrant, humming berry, a metallic hint, floral notes and subtle spice. Precise on the palate, with cool fruit, lively acidity and fine-grained tannins. The ageing in used wooden barrels and cement tanks maintains the balance and expression of origin. An authentic, elegant Etna Rosso with good drinkability. SUPERIORE.DE

Pithos – the ancient Greek word for the terracotta vessels in which wine and oil were stored in antiquity. When Giusto Occhipinti travelled to Georgia in 1999 and discovered the local qvevri tradition, he ordered the first amphorae in 2000. COS thus became one of the first pioneers of amphora vinification in the whole of Italy. Grecanico – the grape variety of the Greeks, brought to Sicily more than 2,500 years ago – grows on red limestone gravel soils near Vittoria, at 250 metres, cultivated biodynamically. Spontaneous fermentation with the skins inLiters, six to seven months, natural yeasts, no added sulphur.

"La Stipula" - "The signing of the contract". The names of Gerardo Giuratrabocchetti's wines are reminiscent of his father's world as a notary. White vinified vintage sparkling wine from the Aglianico grape – a real rarity! The elegant Metodo Classico Millesimato pas dosé exudes delicate aromas of fresh spring flowers, magnificent almond blossom, pink grapefruit and ripe lemon. On the palate, you get a sense of the tannin structure and the power of the Aglianico grape, the perlage is firm and excellently defined, the flavour is broad, delicate and bone-dry. SUPERIORE.DE

Mirum (the miracle) is a statement of limestone, altitude and time. It is no ordinary Verdicchio, but one of the most charismatic Riserva bottlings in central Italy. Vinified since 1990, it comes from a particularly barren, limestone-rich south-western slope above Matelica, where the vines grow at over 400 metres. The wine is matured exclusively in stainless steel, but with long lees ageing – a decision that combines clarity, texture and ageing potential.

Anyone who underestimates Pinot Bianco simply hasn't drunk a good one. The variety loves windy locations, poor marl soils and cool nights – all characteristics that the Collio Goriziano offers in abundance. Schiopetto cultivates it on the Ponca slopes of Capriva, where small, compact grapes ripen with golden-coloured berries that need no support in the cellar. A special feature of the vinification process: the wine is fermented with Pied de Cuve – a proprietary yeast from our own vineyards. This keeps the fermentation authentic and the flavour close to the origin. Steel, eight months on the fine lees, no intervention.

Pergolaia consists mainly of Sangiovese with smaller proportions of Merlot and Cabernet Franc. The wine opens with a medium-bodied attack and a bright bouquet characterised by notes of cherry, wild plum, ploughed earth and pressed blue flowers. This very Mediterranean-style red with a strong personality envelops the palate with a delicate, silky intensity. SUPERIORE.DE

The Pratzner family keeps a few hundred bottles of each good vintage, which are then matured in the cellar for a further 6 years. These refined wines are then sold in small quantities as "Private Reserves" to selected retailers and restaurants, demonstrating the impressive ageing potential of their wines, which are matured for 10 months on the fine lees. Strong straw yellow colour. Intense bouquet of gooseberry with a restrained hint of paprika. Full and juicy on the palate with grapefruit and citrus flavours and an interesting, stimulating spiciness. With an almost youthful freshness and juiciness, this multi-layered Riserva also glides into a wonderfully long, mineral finish. SUPERIORE.DE

Fiumana di Predappio – sangiovese has had its home here since the Middle Ages. The estate's lowest vineyards between 80 and 150 metres provide the grapes for the Federico, named after the family's long-time employee. Fermentation and nine months of ageing take place 70% in stainless steel and 30% in oak wood – enough structure without masking the fruit. Bright ruby red colour. The nose literally leaps out of the glass: fresh cherries, raspberries, a hint of herbs and violets. Lean and juicy on the palate, with fine tannins that invite you to take another sip. A charming Sangiovese that does not make you ponder, but is a pleasure to drink – uncomplicated in the best sense of the word, certified organic and exactly what an everyday wine should be. SUPERIORE.DE

Marc de Grazia made history on Mount Etna when he rediscovered the forgotten volcanic slopes over two decades ago. His Etna Rosso – is the estate’s ‘calling card’ – now blends grapes from various plots at altitudes between 600 and 900 metres, where Nerello Mascalese grows on ancient volcanic soils. The vines are situated on the cool northern slopes of Mount Etna, surrounded by black pumice and lava rock – — a terroir that lends every sip its unmistakable mineral character.

Giulia Negri is known as the "Barolo Girl" – and rightly so. After leaving Olivetti in the 1970s, her grandfather began planting the slopes of Serradenari, one of the highest crus in the Barolo appellation. Today, Giulia runs the estate with a style that combines Burgundian sensibility with Piedmontese consistency – spontaneous fermentation, traditional vats, no additions, minimal filtration. Their Barbera grapes grow on north-facing plots in La Morra – serradenari, at 400 metres, on tortonian, sandy-loamy soil. A northern exposure at this altitude means: cool, slow ripening, natural acidity. Spontaneous fermentation in steel, then 16 months of ageing between steel and Liters French tonneaux – a maturity that gives the Barbera far more depth than one would expect.

Luigi Veronelli was regarded as Italy’s most influential wine critic of the 20th century. In the 1970s, he named the Müller-Thurgau from Pojer e Sandri’s Località Palai vineyard his absolute benchmark wine for the variety. Mario Pojer recalls: “Today, 50 years on, we pay tribute to the variety that has found its ideal habitat.” Fifty years later – the character remains the same. The conviction remains. Palai lies at 700 metres. This is the estate’s highest vineyard – the very same that gives Pinot Noir its alpine coolness and Riesling its precision! For Müller-Thurgau, it is the ideal terroir: a long growing season, cool nights, pronounced temperature variation, chalky soils, and the breeze of the Ora del Garda.

Malvasia Istriana is not Malvasia. At least not what most people know by that name. While other varieties of this ancient Greek grape family are often lush and sweetly aromatic, the Istrian variety shows a completely different face: richer, more complex, more mineral and capable of true greatness in Collio Goriziano – and capable of its true greatness in the Collio Goriziano. Schiopetto has been vinifying it as a single variety since 1974: hand-picked at the beginning of September, fermented in steel at 16 degrees for ten to twelve days, matured on the fine lees for nine months. The result needs no explanation, just a large glass.

Vermentino is generally regarded as an everyday wine at a good level. Fresh, aromatic, made for summer. Vigne Surrau challenges this assumption with its "Life Edition". The same Vermentino, the same granite weathered soils of Arzachena in Gallura – but a radically different idea behind it: What happens if you give Vermentino time? Real time, that is. Hand-picking from mid-September, cooling immediately after destemming, short maceration at low temperatures, fermentation in stainless steel tanks at 16 to 18 °C with bâtonnage. Up to this point, the Life Edition corresponds to the famous Sciala. Then comes the difference: 12 months of ageing in equal parts in 225-litre Liters containers and Liters concrete vats – two neutral, low-oxygen vessels that mould the wine without overlaying it. Then at least 9 months in the bottle.

GROSSO is a Blanc de Noirs produced using the traditional Champagne method and aged on its fine lees for 24 months. A delicate pink colour and a fine, persistent effervescence. A crisp bouquet of violets, citrus zest, nectarine and wild strawberry. On the palate, it has lovely momentum, with very straightforward notes of red berries. Very well-balanced, it dances its way to a respectable finish with subtle spice and impressive freshness. SUPERIORE.DE