Formats

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.

Conte Vistarino's Pinot Nero Pernice, which is great every year, comes from the single vineyard of the same name and fascinates with its fine fragrance and elegance. Intense ruby red colour with garnet reflections. The bouquet is complex and rich with notes of violets and small red fruits, some roasted coffee and cocoa. Elegant, full-bodied on the palate, with present fruit, very balanced with a pleasant minerality and a long, spicy finish. The harmonious tannins make this wine elegant and give it a good backbone from start to finish. SUPERIORE.DE

The address is Castellina Marittima, twenty kilometres north of Bolgheri – just outside the DOC boundary that decides what name a wine may bear. A bureaucratic fact that changes nothing in terms of content: 14 hectares of organically cultivated vineyards on fossil-rich soils made up of minerals, iron ore, shell limestone and alluvial sand, facing the sea, with strong day-night temperature fluctuations – these are the conditions for which Bolgheri is famous. The estate is the project of two vinophiles: Austrian journalist Stephan Klasmann and Italian Oenologist Andrea di Maio, who previously vinified at Antinori's Guado al Tasso and Isola e Olena's Cepparello. Kappa is their real flagship – a Bordeaux-inspired cuvée of Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot, which is bottled after fourteen months of barrel ageing, with an annual production of around 18,000 bottles.

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.

Misco Riserva is more than just a flagship wine – it is the concentrated result of decades of experience with Verdicchio at the highest level. The grapes come from the cru of the same name near Cingoli, a parcel with ideal south-east exposure, poor limestone soil and pronounced day-night contrasts. Only the best harvestare vinified – selected for its potential to develop fully, first in stainless steel and then for years in the bottle. Intense straw yellow in the glass with golden reflections. The nose reveals yellow apple, citrus zest, lime blossom and a fine spiciness, underpinned by salty minerality and a hint of fennel. Dense, powerful and yet clearly contoured on the palate: with a juicy structure, taut acidity and a complex interplay of fruit, herbal spice and rocky notes.

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 which takes account of the microclimate of this eastern flank: twice the rainfall compared to the northern side, an eastern exposure towards the Ionian Sea, cooling sea breezes, and volcanic soils composed of ash and Ripiddu lapilli. Amidst the mists of the summer nights that Marco de Grazia describes in his writings on Milo, the Carricante grape ripens here to a level of precision it achieves nowhere else on the volcano.

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 restricted 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 barrels (70 and 30 hl), followed by partial malolactic fermentation and 12 months’ ageing on the fine lees in traditional wooden barrels.

Castello di Ama thinks in concentric circles. The Chianti Classico Ama is the first – accessible, direct and immediate. The San Lorenzo Gran Selezione is the innermost – dense, expressive, for decades. In between, with the birth of the 2018 vintage, the Montebuoni was created: a Chianti Classico Riserva that strives for the depth of the San Lorenzo and preserves the drinking pleasure of the Ama. Castello di Ama itself calls it the most honest representation of the elegance of the Sangiovese grape in this terroir – and that is a lot, from a house that has helped set the standard for this elegance. The Montebuoni comes from the valley of the same name – the most south-westerly and at the same time climatically most versatile of the four Ama vineyard sites between 420 and 508 metres above sea level. The soils vary: heavy clays at the bottom, limestone and scree at the top. Both give the Sangiovese something different – structure and fullness from below, freshness and minerality from the higher altitudes. This tension is the secret of the wine.

This Riesling is an exceptional phenomenon: it grows on the black, barren lava soils of northern Etna at an altitude of almost 900 metres – in a microclimate that is almost alpine. The grapes come from the historic Contrada Sciaranuova, a place shaped by the massive eruption of 1614. Wines of salty tension, cool precision and a depth that is unrivalled in southern Italy are produced here. Fermentation and ageing take place exclusively in stainless steel in order to preserve freshness and pure expression of origin. Brilliant straw yellow in the glass with a silver sheen. Crystal-clear citrus notes, green apple, white peach, smoke and a fine hint of petrol on the nose – subtle, not overpowering. Vibrant and slender on the palate, with focussed acidity, mineral density and a long, almost crystalline final. Great with oysters, scallops or purist Japanese cuisine. SUPERIORE.DE

The vines from which the Chardonnay grapes for the Rio delle Rose come are over 80 years old. Fine, exotic and noticeably mineral bouquet of pome fruit, apple, citrus peel, white flowers, some flint and a hint of banana and pineapple. On the palate, it is driven forward, with beautiful pressure and juicy tension, then again this fine minerality in the further course and a very delicate, never-ending melt in the long, complex finish. Very balanced and big - with its subtle restraint and great personality, Rio delle Rose is for us one of the best Chardonnays from Friuli! SUPERIORE.DE

The area around the small town of Milo is the only vineyard site on Mount Etna where an Etna Bianco may be bottled as a ‘Superiore’ – and for good reason: on this steep vineyard, consisting of dozens of small terraces, only Carricante may be planted. The vines are trained like small saplings on chestnut wood stakes. The east-facing aspect and the proximity of the sea allow the grapes to ripen late, resulting in very consistent acidity levels and, ultimately, a white wine of aromatic finesse and freshness that is unrivalled even on Mount Etna. More floral and citrusy on the nose than the standard Carricante, the Superiore also exhibits slightly more body, acidity, depth and finesse. Its elegant acidity makes it vibrantly fresh and long-lasting, ensuring an exciting drinking experience and excellent ageing potential. SUPERIORE.DE

The name alone reveals the poetry of this vintage sparkling wine. For decades, Perlé has been considered the essence of Ferrari's art, born from a meticulous selection of the best Chardonnay grapes from the Trentino mountains. The grapes for this Millesimato come from altitudes between 300 and 600 metres. Here, where the vines are bathed in mountain sunshine throughout the day but rest at night in the cool mountain air, the Chardonnay develops the mineral depth and aromatic complexity that makes Perlé so unmistakable. The Lunelli family only selects the very best batches – the grapes that most purely reflect the terroir. Perlé matures for almost five years on the fine yeasts – an exceptionally patient maturation period that gives the sparkling wine its characteristic creaminess and delicate yeast notes that harmonise perfectly with the fruity elegance of the Chardonnay.

Ronc di Vico's Refosco dal Peduncolo is a wine with rough edges - which is precisely why it is so fascinating. The autochthonous grape variety naturally brings depth, structure and an unmistakable flavour. The grapes come from old plots in the Colli Orientali, whose Ponca soils of marl and sandstone provide clarity and tension. The 2022 vintage offered ideal conditions for fully ripe, healthy harvest. After strict manual harvesting and a long maceration period, the wine matured for around 20 months in French barriques.

Here is a big, rich Rosso that is harmonious and impressive in all its components. The bouquet alternates between dried cherries and a fine tobacco note. The palate is taut and precise, in the style of the house, its body is supported by powerful tannins that make it an ideal and refined accompaniment to Tuscan cuisine. SUPERIORE.DE

In the hallowed halls of Casòn Hirschprunn, where history and innovation meet in the vaults of the 13th century, a red wine is created that epitomises the future of South Tyrolean viticulture. Here, in the middle of the 30 hectares of biodynamic vineyards between 230 and 360 metres above sea level, Alois Lageder ventured a visionary experiment in the 1980s: the cultivation of Tannat, an exotic grape variety from south-west France that proved to be exceptionally suitable for the Alpine future in the face of climate change. "Negli ultimi anni, ci siamo appassionati sempre di più al Tannat" – the Lageder family confesses their growing passion for this exceptional variety, which is immediately recognisable in the vineyard thanks to its characteristic red leaf stalks. What began as an experimental curiosity developed into a philosophy: not to celebrate the typicality of individual grape varieties, but to let the unique terroir of a vineyard speak for itself – a guiding principle based on the great châteaux of the Bordelais.

The grapes for the Cortazo grow in the hot Brenntal vineyard in Kurtatsch, which favours the necessary ripeness of the Cabernet Sauvignon. Rich ruby red colour. Harmonious bouquet of violets and wild berries. Powerful and complex on the palate with a beautiful fruit centre and subtle extract sweetness, velvety tannins and a long finish. Very good Storage potential. SUPERIORE.DE

These are the rare moments when a wine combines everything: origin, character and that depth that is difficult to explain. "Titut Ros" is just such a wine - a single-varietal Merlot that is only made in very small quantities and exclusively from the oldest vines on the steep plots of Ronc di Vico. The deep roots of the vines, anchored in the barren Ponca soil of the Colli Orientali, characterise a fruit of rare intensity and clarity. Thanks to stable weather conditions, the 2022 vintage offered perfect ripeness with impeccable health - the grapes were hand-picked, meticulously selected and vinified with a long maceration period. The wine then matured for 18 months in new and used French barriques before finding its inner balance in the bottle.

It was 2007 when Marc de Grazia tasted a 42-year-old Carricante for the first time – and that moment changed everything. Three different occasions, three different bottles, but always the same revelation: a wine of such impeccable beauty and youthful vigour despite its venerable age that the Etna pioneer knew immediately: he wanted to create a wine like this himself. This vision gave rise to Le Vigne Niche Santo Spirito, a homage to the past and at the same time a manifesto for the future. In the Contrada Santo Spirito, at an altitude of 700 to 800 metres in Castiglione di Sicilia, the Carricante vines thrive on deep black volcanic soil, rich in ash from past eruptions. Here, where for centuries only red grapes were cultivated, Marc dared to do the seemingly impossible: world-class, single-varietal white crus.

Between stone and altitude. The name already reveals where this wine gets its soul from: from the highest parcels of the Tenuta Costalunga in Sant'Ambrogio di Valpolicella, where the ground gives way to bare rock at 300 to 350 metres. Cresasso – a word that describes precisely this encounter in the local dialect: where earth meets stone, where the Corvina must put down its deepest roots in the barren, calcareous moraine soil with its high proportion of skeleton and chalky white inclusions. Sergio Zenato's vision was to create a wine that celebrates Corvina Veronese in its purest form – without the accompaniment of Rondinella or Corvinone, without the appassimento technique of Amarone. Instead, a slight over-ripening on the vine, hand-picked in the second half of October, when the grapes have reached their maximum concentration. Vinification follows the rhythm of the fruit: 15 days of maceration at 25-26°C, then 24 months of ageing in French tonneaux, followed by at least a further year of bottle ageing. Time as an ally, not an adversary.

Traditionally vinified Barolo from the estate's best vineyards. Brilliant ruby red colour. Complex, spicy bouquet of liquorice, tobacco, dried flowers, violets and damp leaves. Very emphatic, firm and full-bodied on the palate. Its racy and forward style is flanked by tangible, robust tannins. Finishes with a fine sweetness, elegant and long. The already undisputed high level will continue to develop in full beauty over the next few years. SUPERIORE.DE

Guardiola is a name with weight on Etna. One of the highest and steepest cru sites in Sicily, between 800 and 1,000 metres above sea level, exposed to the harsh sun, cool winds and the contrasts of a volcanic climate, which shapes not only the landscape but also the character of the wine. The vines – predominantly Nerello Mascalese – are deeply rooted in lava rock and volcanic ash, the soil is lean, black and mineralised, a barren terroir that combines strength and elegance rather than playing them off against each other. The vintage brought ideal conditions for a wine with a firm but accessible structure: after a cool spring, the grapes ripened under consistently warm summer sunshine, accompanied by pronounced day-night differences. The grapes were harvest late, by hand, in small crates – a decisive moment for precision and balance. After spontaneous fermentation, the wine was matured in French oak barrels – not to dominate the wine, but to give it contour.

A summer that Europe remembers as hot – and Montalcino as surprising. The vines of Col d'Orcia, deeply rooted in the calcareous, clay-poor soils of the Orcia hill, showed in 2020 what biodynamic cultivation means in years of stress: resilience. Early bud burst after a mild winter, followed by a balanced spring with well-distributed rainfall. The summer remained warm, but without extreme heat phases – sporadic downpours at the end of August cooled the soil at the last moment and allowed the grapes to develop aromatic compounds instead of simply ripening. In addition, there were pronounced day-night temperature differences in September. Harvest from mid-September, clean and structured. The result has a character that Montalcino connoisseurs describe as "captivante": simultaneously accessible and enigmatic. Maceration for 18 to 20 days, shallow 150-hl steel tanks, gentle extraction. Three years in large barrels, twelve months in the bottle: Col d'Orcia's traditional vinification process – unchanged for decades because it works.

Keir Ansonica is the white answer to Keir Syrah, which is also aged in amphorae. A wine produced in small quantities of 2,000 bottles, which is neither clarified nor filtered and is an expression of both innovation and tradition.