Formats

In the Val di Noto, where the lime-white bagli of Tenuta Zisola are enthroned between almond trees and olive groves, one of the most extraordinary tributes to the history of the Mazzei family is being created. Effe Emme – two letters sewn into a customised wine like precious initials, bear the name of one of the most fascinating pioneers of modern times: Filippo Mazzei. On the limestone-rich soils of Noto, at an altitude of 130 metres in a south-easterly exposure, the unique characteristics of the terroir meet a rare grape variety: Petit Verdot in absolute purity. This French variety, which has found a new home here in the south of Sicily, is hand-picked at the end of September and fermented at 28-30°C, followed by a 14-day maceration. The Effe Emme is matured for around 16 months in 225 Liters French oak barrels.

Ca' dei Frati, known as "il luogo dei Frati" since 1782 – the place of the monks – in Lugana near Sirmione on Lake Garda, is now owned by the fourth generation of the Dal Cero family. The traditional winery vinifies each vineyard plot separately in order to precisely express the respective terroir. The Cuvée dei Frati dosaggio zero is made from the indigenous Turbiana grape variety, the famous Trebbiano di Lugana, supplemented by a small dose of Chardonnay to maintain the acidity structure typical of Metodo Classico wines. The grapes grow on calcareous, clayey soils on the moraine hills south of Lake Garda, whose minerality gives the wines a special freshness and sapidity. The first fermentation takes place partly in stainless steel and partly in barriques, the second fermentation strictly according to the Metodo Classico in the bottle. After at least 36 months on the lees – significantly longer than for Brut – followed by a further four months of bottle ageing after disgorgement.

Named after Giuseppe Massolino, the charismatic uncle and long-time ambassador of the winery, Gisep is the majestic interpretation of a grape variety that matures to unimagined depth here. The grapes come from high-altitude, old vineyards in Serralunga d'Alba, whose calcareous and clayey soils give the Barbera natural vigour and firm structure. The 2022 vintage, characterised by a warm summer with cooling September nights, produced grapes of exceptional physiological ripeness. The ageing in large oak barrels ensures harmonious tannins and a deep, persistent flavour.

Malvasia Istriana is the most fragrant variety in Friuli – and the least known outside its borders. Gianfranco Gallo cultivated it when hardly anyone believed in it, on one and a half hectares in Mariano del Friuli, which give it everything it needs in terms of yield and ripeness. Dis Cumieris – named after a local topographical term – is Gallo's homage to the variety in its purest form. 100% Malvasia Istriana, on glacial gravel with sand, eight months on the lees, no malolactic. The result is a fragrance that is almost unrivalled in intensity by any other grape variety.

Sicilian Metodo Classico, which approaches the style of the great sparkling wines of Europe – and yet never denies its Mediterranean identity - that was the plan. Donnafugata's Millesimato is made from Pinot Nero and Chardonnay, which grow at an altitude of around 470 metres in the hills of Contessa Entellina. Calcareous, well-aerated soils and strong day-night fluctuations ensure aromatic depth, freshness and ripening potential. The grapes are harvested early and selectively in order to preserve the necessary acidity structure. After gentle pressing, the first fermentation takes place in steel tanks, followed by the second in the bottle for 36 months on the lees – a phase that gives it complexity, density and structure.

When Giulio Ferrari dreamt up his vision of an Italian sparkling wine to rival the French Grands Crus in 1902, he probably had just such a rosé in mind: 70% Pinot Nero and 30% Chardonnay, with the elegance that has become the hallmark of Casa Ferrari. Maximum Rosé has embodied this philosophy for over a century – a sparkling wine between tradition and alpine modernity. The vineyards stretch across the valleys of Trentino, where the Dolomites meet Mediterranean influences. Here, Pinot Nero and Chardonnay develop the finesse that only cool mountain slopes can give. The vinification follows the company's own philosophy: the traditional bottle fermentation process matures the spumante on the fine yeasts for over 30 months – a considerable ageing period that gives the rosé its characteristic creaminess and complexity.

Kyè – Piedmontese for "chi è?", who is that? The question says it all. Freisa was once one of Piedmont's most important grape varieties, but then it fell into obscurity, supplanted by Nebbiolo, Barbera and Dolcetto. It is no coincidence that Aldo Vajra, of all people, took it seriously again in 1980: in 2004, genetic research confirmed what the old winegrowers had long suspected – Freisa is Nebbiolo's closest relative, and is thought to be one of its parent varieties. The Vajras have been bottling a dry Freisa since 1989, thereby sparking a renaissance that is now setting a precedent. The grapes for the Kyè come from Aldo's own selezione massal dating from 1980, planted in San Ponzio at the lower edge of the legendary Bricco delle Viole – the vineyard closest to the estate. Fermentation takes place in stainless steel, after which the wine matures for 26 months in large Slavonian oak barrels.

Picolit is not only one of the rarest, but also one of the finest grape varieties in Italy - a diva in the vineyard and a treasure in the glass. Due to its natural trickling, it naturally produces only a few, but highly concentrated berries. Tunella dedicates itself to this delicate, traditional plant with the utmost respect: hand-picking in several passes, natural drying of the berries on the plant until deep into autumn, ageing in small French oak barrels and a lot of patience. 2021 was a year with an ideal late summer that offered perfect conditions for Picolit. The noble rot grapes from the hills of the Colli Orientali yielded a dense, golden must that was fermented slowly and carefully. Maturation in small wooden barrels on the lees lends depth and texture without masking the delicate elegance of the variety.

Pelago is a tribute to the harmonious combination of classic Marche flavours with international influences. The cuvée of Montepulciano, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot brings together the best of the region in a finely structured red wine. The grapes are harvested by hand and placed in stainless steel tanks for controlled fermentation before the wine matures for 14 months in Liters barriques and then develops for a further twelve months in the bottle.

This intense and long-lasting Marsala matures for 5 years according to the soleras method in barrels of 50-100 hl. These lie on top of each other, as in sherry production, and the contents of the different barrels and vintages sorted by tiers are regularly blended together. In this way, the older Marsala gives the younger one its softness and maturity, while the younger portion adds freshness and fruitiness.

Bright ruby red with garnet red reflections. Wild bouquet of red fruits, delicate spice flavours and a hint of tobacco and leather. Taut and elegant at the same time, the tannins are velvety soft, with a well-proportioned fruit centre and harmonious spiciness. A skilfully balanced red with a lingering final and good ageing potential. SUPERIORE.DE

In Montalcino, the name Ginestreto stands for something special: a Rosso di Montalcino that is more than just the "little brother" of Brunello. Fuligni has been producing this wine for years with a care that has long since earned him a reputation of his own. The Sangiovese Grosso comes partly from younger vines and partly from classified Brunello vineyards – a deliberate selection that gives the Ginestreto the balance between youthful freshness and structured depth that characterises it. The vinification follows the Fuligni philosophy: hand-picking, careful selection, separate vinification of the different parcels. Part of the wine matures for around six months in French Allier tonneaux, the rest in stainless steel – a combination that harmonises fruit and structure.

Friulano was the wine of Friuli long before anyone planted Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio or Chardonnay in these soils. The autochthonous variety – long called Tocai until a European court judgement took the name away from it – has a distinctiveness that no other grape variety in this region can replicate: almond-bitter on the finish, floral on the attack, with a velvety texture and an unagitated stillness. Dolée comes from the vineyard of the same name in Mariano del Friuli – two hectares of sandy gravel with reddish silt, exposed to the east-west. Short cold maceration, fermentation at 16–19 °C, nine months on the lees in steel, natural clarification.

Essenze is no coincidence of a name. This Barolo from the appellation's historic heartland does not seek to make a splash, but rather to capture the essence: provenance, typicity and inner depth. The grapes come from selected plots around the village of Barolo itself – including the renowned Cannubi, Liste and Fossati vineyards, whose limestone-rich marl soils and varying altitudes lend the wine a multi-layered character. Following fermentation on the skins, the wine matures for two years in large and small barrels made of Slavonian and French oak – vinified separately according to the character of each plot before the final cuvée is blended.

Flors di Uis means "flowers of the grape" in Friulian – and the name is as precise as a promise. Gianfranco Gallo conceived this wine as a tribute to the diversity of flavours of the Isonzo Valley: not a portrait of a single variety, but an ensemble of three equal voices. 58% Malvasia Istriana, 27% Rhine Riesling, 15% Friulano – all varieties fermented separately, then assembled over eight months on the yeasts in steel. The Malvasia provides the floral fragrance and tropical richness, the Riesling the cutting minerality and freshness, the Friulano the binding character and the delicately almond-bitter finish. No wood to come between the varieties.

Bright silver-grey with a persistent, finesse-rich perlage. A wonderful nose of white flowers and light-coloured fruit. Full, broad and creamy elegance on the palate, supported by a delicate interplay of sweetness and acidity. A very expressive and sensual Prosecco Superiore from the top Cartizze vineyard. SUPERIORE.DE

Tramin gave Gewürztraminer its name – and the world has since associated it with lush rose flavours, lychee and a body that likes to be heavy. Martin Foradori-Hofstätter thinks differently. With Vigna Castel Rechtenthal, he shows what this variety can do when the location is right and the winemaker does not stand in its way. The vineyard plot is located on a gravelly hill above Rechtenthal Castle, at the foot of Monte Roen – the highest peak in Tramin at 2,116 metres. The soil is an alluvial cone of dolomite gravel: permeable, cool and mineralised. The Höllentalbach stream intensifies the already fresh downdraughts that blow down from the mountain and significantly lower the temperatures at night. No other Gewürztraminer Tramin grows under such conditions.

La Fabriseria comes across as an elegant, medium-bodied Amarone. Its intensity, tannin structure and density are hard to beat in this price range. Very juicy on the palate, full-bodied and soft, with notes of cherries, cardamom and cloves. And always with the elegant seriousness of the Tedeschi family's great flagship of the same name. SUPERIORE.DE

From old vines in the best Lagrein vineyards in Gries near Bolzano comes this Riserva, which is strictly limited every year and has a seductively chocolaty, fruity bouquet. Rich, dark purple in colour with a slightly lighter rim. On the palate, it is velvety and elegant with a soft fullness and lively freshness, with further fruity accents on the finish. SUPERIORE.DE

The world-famous Nussbaumer Gewürztraminer has been a true benchmark for years and is also a wine that impresses with its ageing potential. A bright yellow colour with greenish highlights. Perfectly typical of the variety – complex and deep, yet also lively and fresh with lovely nuances. The bouquet offers a wide range of aromas, from rose blossom to smoke and oriental spices. On the palate, it flows with silky smoothness, velvety and spicy, with a long finish – magnificent! SUPERIORE.DE

The Ghezzi family has been cultivating the extensive estate on the south-western slope of Montalcino since 1957 – 530 hectares in total, 50 of which are planted with Sangiovese Grosso alone, on clayey-limestone soils with silt and fossil inclusions. A Brunello that combines the power of the south with the elegance of careful clonal selection comes from this sunny, warm location on the Ombrone. 20 to 30 days of maceration, fermentation at 26–28 °C, followed by 24 months in oak barrels and a full year of ageing in the bottle. The 2021 vintage is considered a classic great Annata: late frost in April noticeably reduced the yields, a warm but never overheated summer and two saving August rains brought the grapes to full, slow phenolic ripeness.

For over 60 years, the Produttori del Barbaresco have stood for an uncompromising commitment to quality, supported by over 50 winegrowers who contribute their finest grapes from Barbaresco, Neive and Treiso to the cooperative. The Barbaresco 2022 is a prime example of collective precision and classic style: the Nebbiolo grapes come from selected municipal vineyards, some of which border the crus, on limestone and clay-rich soils. Vinification was carried out using traditional methods: extended maceration, ageing for 24 months in large Slavonian oak barrels, followed by a further period of rest in the bottle.