Formats

Marco de Grazia has been firmly established on the northern slope of Mount Etna for decades. But he did not stop there: over many years, he also explored the volcano's other slopes, bought grapes, produced wine for colleagues, measured altitudes, studied geological features and examined historical boundaries. At extreme altitudes on the southern flank, he was convinced he had found an area where Carricante thrives exceptionally well. For six years, he experimentally vinified grapes from there, convinced of their exceptional elegance, before he was fortunate enough to be offered a tiny, very old vineyard – precisely the one from which his favourite white grapes came. The constant fresh winds at 950 metres perfectly balance out the full south-facing aspect, says de Grazia himself. The first vintage was 2019, a gem, as he calls it.

Vigna Crivelli is one of the most renowned white wine vineyards in the South Tyrolean Unterland. Named after Count Crivelli, a leading member of an ancient noble family from Margreid, the Chardonnay thrives here on alluvial soils of fine sand with silt and clay deposits under ideal conditions. The unique microclimate of this single vineyard is characterised by strong downdrafts from the Fennberg and the daily southerly wind, the ‘Ora’, which ensures perfect aeration of the grapes. The marked day-night temperature fluctuations allow for a long ripening period with optimal aroma development. The vines are planted on low-growth rootstocks and trained using the Guyot system.

Serralunga d'Alba stands for powerful Barolo with depth, structure and astonishing ageing potential. Giovanni Rosso draws the best from this origin: south-east to south-west facing vines on calcareous, clayey-maceous soils at high altitudes (300-350 metres), combined with rigorous natural cultivation. The 2020 vintage recorded optimal ripeness, favoured by warm days, cool nights and a flawless autumn. After careful manual harvesting, each parcel underwent separate 25-day maceration, after which the wine matured for between 24 and 60 months in large oak barrels.

Essence Noir is the prestigious top of the Essence line – an Extra Brut made from 100% Pinot Nero, carefully vinified in white using the classic method with perfect dosage. Around 48 months on the lees give it depth, texture and savoury sophistication. On the nose, aromas of yellow citrus fruit, grapefruit, brioche, toasted almond and a hint of dried herbs. On the palate, it is complex and focussed – an ultra-fine perlage carries a dense, yet linear texture. The acidity is precise, the body powerful, yet compact and with terrificinterplay of fruit, flavour and minerality. The long, salty-mineral final is clear and persistent – with a moderate dosage that never overwhelms but leaves an original tension. Essence Noir is a masterpiece of balance. SUPERIORE.DE

The "Sassorosso" vineyard is located on a rocky promontory that is separated from the rest of the mountain and has been almost completely eroded by the glacier over the centuries. It is visually characterised by the unmistakable red colour of the ferrous inclusions in the rock. The overlying shallow soil layer consists of clay and sand and lies on friable, metamorphic rock into which the roots can penetrate. The unmistakably elegant and mineral character of the terroir is therefore particularly evident in this Nebbiolo.

This Riserva is only made available each year in very small quantities to hand-picked specialist retailers and top restaurants. Brilliant ruby red colour. Fine raspberry and floral notes dominate the spicy nose. Very juicy on the palate, tannins and acidity are well integrated. Riecines Riserva has length and suppleness right through to the long fruity finish. The elegance and fine melting texture are impressive. Once again, this is Sangiovese at the top level that Riecine is known for! SUPERIORE.DE

Falanghina is experiencing a true renaissance under Luigi Moio. What was long regarded as a "simple" regional grape variety is developing into a white wine of surprising complexity and finesse in the hands of the oenology professor. Via del Campo – named after the characteristic country lanes of Irpinia – represents Moio's vision of a modern interpretation of this indigenous variety. In the vineyards of Lapio, the Falanghina vines grow on calcareous soils with volcanic inclusions, which give the region its mineral character. The vines, which are over forty years old, have adapted perfectly to the terroir and produce concentrated grapes with a pronounced aromatic intensity. The altitude of 450 metres provides the necessary temperature fluctuations that give Falanghina its characteristic balance between strength and elegance.

Piano di Montevergine is not solely a vineyard. Hazelnut and olive trees have always stood amongst the rows of vines – a traditional Irpinian mixed-crop system, as was customary in this region before monocultures became the norm. It is precisely from this iconic vineyard belonging to Feudi di San Gregorio that the Taurasi Riserva is produced. Taurasi is regarded as Campania's most demanding red wine appellation, holding DOCG status since 1993, and is grown on volcanic soils in the shadow of the Montevergine massif. The Aglianico, used here in its entirety, demands patience: 24 months in barriques, followed by at least a further 30 months in the bottle before the wine leaves the estate – more than four years from vineyard to release.

Lagrein is South Tyrol's great indigenous red wine variety – and in the Linticlarus version it shows its full potential. The name honours the Roman Castrum Linticlar, the ancient fortress above the winery, whose history dates back to the Stone Age. The Linticlarus selection is only produced in outstanding vintages. The grapes come from the Breitbach, Gruben and Milla vineyards near Entiklar, at an altitude of 230 to 300 metres. The calcareous, sandy alluvial soils give the wine mineral depth and structure. Mash fermentation in stainless steel is followed by 12 months in barrique – more than a third of which is new – then 6 months in large wooden barrels and a further year of ageing in the bottle.

Giallo d'Arles tells one of the most fascinating stories of Campania's wine culture. The "yellow of Arles" refers to the golden colour that Greco di Tufo takes on when it is fully ripe, but behind this lies Luigi Moio's deep connection to classical education and his vision of a wine that translates the ancient greatness of Greco into modern perfection. Here, where the Greeks recognised two and a half millennia ago that this grape variety finds its highest perfection on the tufa soils of Campania, Moio is writing a new chapter in an ancient success story. The vineyards of Lapio, located in the heart of the Greco di Tufo zone, offer ideal conditions for this demanding grape variety. Here, at an altitude of 400 to 500 metres, the roots of the old Greco vines penetrate the characteristic tufa layers – the volcanic deposits that gave the appellation its name and give the wine its unmistakable mineral character. The extreme temperature fluctuations between day and night, intensified by the altitude, create a beautiful tension between strength and elegance.

Poggio Landi comprises 75 hectares of vineyards, stretching from the historic vineyards in the north of Montalcino to the distinctive southern terraces. This expanse encompasses variations in soil, aspect and altitude – from 300 to 500 metres – providing the winemaker with a wealth of biodiversity that he utilises as if it were an instrument. The soils consist of Pliocene clays with marl, a geological composition that lends the Sangiovese structure and depth. 2019 played its part. A regular climate with no adverse conditions, a bountiful harvest of healthy, ripe grapes: what sounds so simple here is rare in Montalcino. Two weeks of spontaneous fermentation with indigenous yeasts, followed by 38 months in large French oak barrels of 30 and 54 hectolitres, and at least 6 months' bottle ageing.

A wine that takes its name from the estate's last noble family – and thus from a man who left his mark far beyond the world of wine. Count Guido Chigi Saracini, born in Siena in 1880, was not only the lord of Poggio Bonelli, but also a passionate patron of the arts. In 1932, he founded the Accademia Musicale Chigiana, which remains one of the world's most renowned centres for musical education to this day. He spent the milder seasons at his estate in Castelnuovo Berardenga – where the grapes for this Gran Selezione ripen today. It represents the pinnacle of the Chianti Classico hierarchy: exclusively Sangiovese from the finest south-facing slopes at altitudes of between 280 and 360 metres, where sun and wind ensure consistent ripening and aromatic complexity. Strictly limited yields of 50 quintals per hectare, twelve days of temperature-controlled fermentation, followed by a further ten days of maceration on the skins. Then patience: at least 24 months in French oak, followed by ageing in the bottle.

Dark ruby red in colour. The bouquet is a furious indication of what this opulent long-distance runner is capable of: full-flavoured heart cherry fruit, blue flowers, damp forest soil, elegant spice and a well-dosed use of wood alternate impressively. The attack is just as complex and multi-layered, followed by beguiling wild berries, precisely polished tannins and an extraordinarily elegant long final. Wow, this is pure fruit! SUPERIORE.DE

Feudo di Mezzo is one of the most prestigious contrade on the northern slope of Mount Etna, a place where viticulture and volcanic rock have had a symbiotic relationship for centuries. At an altitude of around 600 metres, old Nerello Mascalese vines take root here in porous, ferrous ash, interspersed with lava boulders and basalt veins – a soil that gives the wine finesse, tension and depth. Alta Mora is Cusumano's ambitious project on Etna, and Feudo di Mezzo epitomises this vision: single-varietal, rigorously selected, with maximum focus on origin and character. The 2019 vintage on Mount Etna was characterised by elegance: a cool spring followed by a long, dry summer with cool nights. The grapes ripened slowly and harmoniously, with fine phenolic ripeness and a balanced acidity structure. After manual harvesting, fermentation took place with gentle maceration, followed by 12 months of maturation in French tonneaux and a long period of rest in the bottle.

The Ca' Guicciardi vineyard takes its name from the farmhouse situated at its centre. This single-vineyard plot is characterised by small, very steep valleys. Impressive rock faces alternate with terraces supported by some of the highest dry stone walls in the Valtellina. The distinctive colour of the rock, which tends towards a quartz-like white, significantly intensifies the sun's heat, resulting in higher temperatures and more light here than in other parts of the valley.

Milo is the only municipality on the entire slopes of Mount Etna whose white wines are permitted to bear the suffix "superiore". This distinction was enshrined in the DOC regulations in 1968 – and reflects the microclimate of this eastern flank: twice the rainfall compared to the north-facing slopes, an easterly aspect towards the Ionian Sea, cooling sea breezes, and volcanic soils composed of ash and Ripiddu lapilli. In the mists of the summer nights that Marco de Grazia describes in his writings on Milo, the Carricante ripens here to a level of precision it achieves nowhere else on the volcano.

Verdeca is a grape variety that hardly anyone knows – and that is no coincidence. For centuries, it was used as the base material for vermouth, was rarely vinified as a single variety and was considered too unspectacular for its own bottle. Yet its history is an ancient one: Greek in origin, it probably arrived in Apulia with the first settlers and became native to the sandy limestone soils of Salento. Masseria Li Veli has given it a stage with the Askos project – and the wine critics have responded. Askos Verdeca is the only Apulian white wine ever to be honoured by Gambero Rosso with its Tre Bicchieri.

Rosso del Conte was Sicily's first answer to the question of whether the island could produce wines of international standing and longevity. Conte Giuseppe posed this question in 1970 – and the answer has been contained in every bottle produced on the high hills of Tenuta Regaleali ever since. The grapes – Nero d'Avola, Perricone and a small proportion of other varieties grown on the estate – ripen at an altitude of 480 metres, facing south-southeast, on loamy-sandy, slightly calcareous soil, trained using the Alberello system. Hand-harvested, traditionally fermented in stainless steel at a controlled temperature, 20 days on the skins, 18 months in new French barriques.

The Sanct Valentin line is the centrepiece of the St. Michael-Eppan winery and the Cabernet-Merlot is its only red cuvée. It has been part of this prestigious line since 2013, and the decision was a conscious one: not an experiment, but a red wine with the same claim to minerality, complexity and longevity that the white Sanct Valentin wines have embodied for decades. The vineyards are located in the warmest areas of the municipalities of Appiano, Caldaro and Cortaccia – at 250 to 400 metres, exposed to the south-west, on gravel moraine soils that drain exceptionally well and demand the concentration from both Cabernet and Merlot that makes extreme yield reduction possible in the first place. Merlot from the beginning of October, Cabernet in mid-October – hand-picked, individual selection, separate vinification. 20 days of maceration, 12 months in barriques and tonneaux. After blending, a further 10 months in steel to round off.

Vorberg – the name gives away its location: on the steep southern slopes of the Tschöggelberg, at altitudes between 450 and 650 metres, a Pinot Blanc thrives that reveals the full potential of this famous South Tyrolean grape variety. The stony, sandy-loam soils, formed from weathered porphyry, with their high quartz content and slightly acidic pH levels, characterise a terroir of extremes: high water permeability, limited nutrient availability and naturally low yields. This microstress elicits unique, terroir-specific polyphenols from the vines. Hand-harvested, gently pressed as whole bunches, followed by natural sedimentation. Slow fermentation takes place at a controlled temperature in large oak casks (70 and 30 hl), followed by partial malolactic fermentation and 12 months' ageing on the fine lees in traditional wooden casks.

Castello di Ama thinks in concentric circles. The Chianti Classico Ama is the outermost – approachable, direct, meant to be enjoyed straight away. The San Lorenzo Gran Selezione is the innermost – dense, expressive, meant to be laid down for decades. In between, with the release of the 2018 vintage, came the Montebuoni: a Chianti Classico Riserva that aspires to the depth of the San Lorenzo whilst retaining the drinking pleasure of the Ama. Castello di Ama itself calls it the most honest expression of the Sangiovese grape's elegance in this terroir – and that is saying a lot, coming from a winery that has helped set the benchmark for this elegance. Montebuoni comes from the valley of the same name – the south-westernmost and, at the same time, climatically most diverse of the four Ama vineyard sites, situated between 420 and 508 metres above sea level. The soils vary: heavy clay at the bottom, limestone and scree at the top. Both give the Sangiovese something different – structure and body from below, freshness and minerality from the higher elevations. This interplay is the secret of the wine.

Laura Brunelli's Rosso is a blend of Sangiovese grapes from Podernovone – 500 metres above sea level on the south-eastern slope of Montalcino with south-western exposure – and Canalicchio on the north side of the village. The vines for the first vineyard were planted in 1998, those for the second in 1989. "Our Rosso is made from the same grapes as the Brunello," says Laura Brunelli. The wine is traditionally aged for a year in large oak barrels. It is extremely fresh every year and not without complexity. The aromas of redcurrants, wild strawberries, black pepper and juniper are followed by a bright bouquet of red fruits on the medium-bodied palate. It has velvety tannins and a refreshing, integrated acidity. A really great interpretation of the terroir and, as every year, a little Brunello. SUPERIORE.DE