James Suckling | 95–100 Points

"Sciara nuova" – new lava. The name reveals the special nature of this contrada at an altitude of 850 metres: the vines are rooted in a geologically young lava flow from the 17th century, which has turned into coarse, dense gravel. This tiny site in the village of Randazzo, known for its excellent vineyards and pistachio groves, covers just one hectare. Around 2,000 bottles are produced here every year, and the result is one of the most complex and fascinating wines in the Passopisciaro portfolio. Fermented in steel tanks, matured for 18 months in large neutral oak barrels – the minimalist vinification allows the terroir to speak unadulterated.

Guardiola is the heart of the estate – this is where the winery is located and Franchetti's own plot of land. An old domain between 800 and 1,000 metres above sea level, on the edge of the lava flow from the devastating 1947 eruption. The Nerello vines, which are over 100 years old, are deeply rooted in this mineral-rich soil, which was characterised by the most recent major eruption. Guardiola has only been vinified separately since 2011 – a careful selection of the oldest vines, which produce a deep, complex wine with a rich red fruit flavour. Fermented in steel tanks, 18 months in large neutral oak barrels: The minimalist vinification allows the terroir to speak for itself.

Pomegranates and vines both originate from the same Mediterranean region and often grow side by side, so the name is fitting for a Teroldego of exceptional depth. Its home is the Campo Rotaliano, a 400-hectare triangle where the Noce flows into the Adige, surrounded by rock faces that reflect the sun's heat. The soil is flat and barren, allowing water to drain away quickly. In 1984, Elisabetta Foradori ventured to produce her first vintage; the estate had been in the family since 1939, and today her children Emilio, Theo and Myrtha work alongside her. The estate has been using biodynamic preparations since 2002 and has been Demeter-certified since 2009. Granato is grown on four hectares, spread across three plots with old pergola vines growing on gravel and stones. It ferments in large open vats and matures for 15 months in tonneaux. At the estate, the 2023 harvest runs from 26 August to 2 October.

At the absolute limit of viticulture on Mount Etna, where the air becomes thin and the vines reach their biological limits, lies Rampante – the highest contrada of Passopisciaro at exactly 1,000 metres above sea level. This is no ordinary vineyard. This is a place where only the hardiest, oldest Nerello Mascalese vines can survive. Vines that now number over a century and claim the longest ripening period of all Etna vineyards every autumn. Andrea Franchetti realised as soon as he arrived in 2000 that Rampante had something special: Here, where the ancient lava has crumbled into fine sand, the most aromatic, airiest of all Passopisciaro wines is produced. The name means "climbing, ascending" - and that is exactly what this wine does: it rises up from volcanic dust, carried by the coolness of the altitude, animated by the clarity of the mountain air.

There are wines whose history is also told through their label. It used to say "Joanni" here; today it says "Ioanni" – a subtle shift that reveals more than just a preference for a particular spelling. "Merlot" used to be proudly displayed on the label; today, it simply reads "Rosso Toscana IGT". The reasons may lie in the intricacies of wine legislation or in the family's strategic considerations – yet the wine itself remains what it has always been: a rarity, an experiment, a statement – a top-class Merlot! The small Bandita vineyard is situated in the south-eastern part of Montalcino, where the tuff and clay soils provide this international grape variety with the fertile ground it needs. Low yields, late harvest at optimal ripeness – the prerequisites for concentration and depth. Paolo Vagaggini, who has shaped Fuligni's oenological signature for decades, vinifies this Merlot with the same meticulous care that characterises the great Brunellos. Yet here he allows himself more time: the grapes mature for three years in French Allier tonneaux, followed by a further year in the bottle, before the wine leaves the estate.

Beneath the village of Terlan, on the slopes of the Adige Valley, lies a geological mystery: a subvolcanic rock mass whose composition and character are unlike anything else known in the world of wine. Porphyry forms the bedrock – volcanic, millions of years old, interspersed with fine quartz inclusions. The soils that develop from this are sandy-loamy, slightly acidic, free of lime and low in nutrients. Highly permeable, they naturally limit yields. A soil that puts the vines under stress – thereby forcing them to reach deeper, to become more concentrated and more mineral. Since 1893, 143 members of the Cantina Terlan have been cultivating these slopes. What they do here is unique in the world of wine: white wines that stand the test of decades, whose longevity is reminiscent of the Grands Crus of the Cote d'Or. Cellar master Rudi Kofler named the 'Quarz' after the rock to which he owes everything. "As delicate as the fine quartz inclusions in Terlan's porphyry – that is our Sauvignon." Delicate texture. Depth. A salty finish.

Born of fire. This is how the Cantina Terlan describes the red porphyry rock, between whose slopes the vineyards have nestled like small sun terraces. The rock is of volcanic origin, millions of years old, and it gives the area its unmistakable character – the wines their minerality, the cellar its façade, the wine its name. The porphyry is Terlan's red answer to the question of what Lagrein can be if you think it through to the end. No compromises. Three selected single vineyard sites, whose vines are almost a century old. Old vines yield little – but what they do yield is the sum of a long life in the grape flesh. Manual harvesting, destemming, slow maceration in steel – and then: 18 months exclusively in barrique, a third of which is new. No large wooden barrels, no compromises. Only barrique, only concentration, only depth.

L'Alberello is a beautiful Rosso made primarily from Cabernet. The wine comes from a two-hectare plot planted entirely with long rows of Alberello vines planted at an altitude of 30 metres above sea level on predominantly clayey soils. Fermentation takes place in stainless steel and the wine matures for 18 months in barriques. Starts fresh and vehement with warm, dark fruit flavours, then opens up further with a bouquet of herbs, coffee and a pinch of pepper. Remarkably polished and juicy on the palate, everything is in balance, silky and very charismatic on the long finish. SUPERIORE.DE

Chardonnay Cuvée Bois - a white celebrated year after year with an elegant bouquet of citrus fruit, butter and vanilla. The flavour is captivating with good acidity and minerality. SUPERIORE.DE

Between 60,000 and 15,000 years before Christ, Mount Etna eroded its ancient centre – the Ellittico eruptive complex collapsed in on itself. What remains are some of the oldest surface soils on the volcano that can still be used for cultivation. Subsequent lava flows buried the older layers beneath them; only small, rare plots of Ellittico survived on the surface. On the northern flank of Mount Etna, there are three contrade with pure Ellittico terroir: Bocca d'Orzo, Calderara and San Lorenzo. Three out of hundreds. Calderara – the name evokes warmth. The stones here, fist-sized and light, a mixture of black pumice and basalt, absorb the sun's heat during the day and slowly release it back into the soil during the cold nights. Without this invisible thermal balance, the ripening process at an altitude of 600 to 650 metres would be quite different. Don pep, who tended these vineyards for seventy years, found the most precise word to describe the wines from this site: "cremosi". It's true – and it couldn't be put any better.

The name says it all – and rarely has a wine deserved its name so consistently. Quartz: a mineral that was formed in fire, has survived for millions of years and is still visible today in Terlan's soils as a fine speckle in the volcanic porphyry rock. 55 to 60 per cent quartz content, slightly acidic pH value, skeleton-rich sandy-loamy structure without carbonate – a soil that allows water to pass through, rations nutrients and puts the vine under controlled stress. This micro-stress is not a deficiency. It is intentional. It forces the plant to produce terroir-specific polyphenols, which give the wine the savoury tension for which Terlan is internationally renowned.

Enrica and Ettore learned winemaking from none other than Giancarlo Pacenti. The grapes for this vinophile masterpiece come from a small vineyard in Castelnuovo dell'Abate. Deep, full-bodied expression with warm aromatic layers adding impressive intensity to the bouquet of dark plum, blackberry, dried cherry, liquorice, tar, black truffle and leather. Then on the palate, a beguiling extract sweetness, again very complex and resonant, in quiet unison with the characteristics of the exceptional terroir. The 36 months of very slow ageing in large oak barrels provide a wonderful harmony and a very good ageing potential. SUPERIORE.DE

The grapes for one of the most elegant and ethereal Vin Santo wines in Chianti Classico are dried before being pressed, and then sealed in barrels for nine years. Paolo de Marchi calls it "lazy winemaking" and admits: "The blending process is actually the most challenging part, as every cask is different and, after tasting 10 casks, your palate starts to tire". The result is a very elegant and pure Vin Santo, displaying beguiling notes of candied fruit, honey and sweet spices. The balance between sweetness and acidity keeps the wine light, lively and refreshing, and it has a smoky edge on the finish. This is a superb Vin Santo, and although it has more than 200g/l of residual sugar, it is surprisingly light, refreshing and easy to drink. SUPERIORE.DE

A Barbaresco from our own vineyards in Treiso and San Rocco Seno d'Elvio. Each parcel is harvested separately and fermented in stainless steel; gentle remontage, selective délestage, followed by calm malolactic fermentation. For the maturation phase, the winery uses large Slavonian barrels, supplemented by a smaller proportion of French oak – not to provide flavour, but to fine-tune the texture and balance. Thanks to stable summer weather and cool nights in autumn, 2020 produced fully ripe, healthy harvestwith a well-proportioned acidity line.

Founded in 1970, Poggio Antico is one of the defining names of the last fifty years in Montalcino, having been run for over three decades by the Milanese couple Paola Gloder and Alberto Montefiori. In 2017, Paola Gloder sold the estate to Marcel Van Poecke, a Belgian energy entrepreneur and founder of Atlas Invest – a graduate in agricultural science for whom entering the wine business was less a hobby and more a return to his first love.

The grapes come from family-owned plots in Serralunga d'Alba, La Morra, Grinzane Cavour, Monforte and Mosconi. Each vineyard is harvested separately by hand and fermented in stainless steel; long maceration times with gentle remontages ensure a fine, complete extraction. For ageing, the winery predominantly uses large Slavonian oak barrels (botti), supplemented by a smaller proportion of French oak, which adds lustre to the texture without masking the origin. Thanks to a stable summer and cool nights in autumn, 2020 produced ripe, healthy harvestwith a clear acidity line and precise aromas.

Le Serre Nuove carries Ornellaia's DNA in every fibre; born of the same vineyards, shaped by the same philosophy. What Marchese Lodovico Antinori began in 1981 as a visionary experiment – planting French grape varieties on the Tuscan coast, four kilometres from the Mediterranean – has long since become a legend. Le Serre Nuove, the estate's "Second Vin" since 1997, is far more than just its younger sibling: it offers a preview and an invitation to discover that Mediterranean Bordeaux style which made Bolgheri world-famous. Following a mild winter and early budburst, the 2023 vintage saw frequent rainfall during flowering and fruit set; whilst this reduced yields, it endowed the grapes with that perfect physiological balance which characterises great wines. Cooler summer conditions and timely August rains allowed for ideal ripening. The cuvée, comprising 65% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Cabernet Franc, is vinified separately by grape variety and aged for 15 months in French oak – 25% in new barrels and 75% in one-year-old barrels.

You have to earn that nickname. They call the Montestefano the "Barolo of Barbaresco" – and anyone who's tasted a good vintage will understand why. The vineyard is situated just a few metres from Montefico; it shares its southern exposure and calcareous subsoil, but is significantly steeper. Excellent drainage, harvest late harvest, and a warmer microclimate thanks to protection from north winds: these are the conditions under which the Nebbiolo reaches maximum ripeness here – an almost smoky depth, full of power. The Produttori del Barbaresco have been vinifying Montestefano as a single-vineyard wine since 1974; the winemaking process has remained unchanged for decades: 28 days' maceration at 30 degrees, followed by at least thirty months in large Slavonian oak barrels.

As always, the grapes come from our own vineyards in Treiso and San Rocco Seno d'Elvio. Each parcel is harvested separately by hand, fermented in stainless steel and left on the skins for around four weeks; gentle remontages ensure a fine extraction. Malolactic fermentation takes place without haste. For ageing, the Boffa family primarily chooses large Slavonian barrels, supplemented by a smaller proportion of French oak – used as a textural tool, not as a flavour enhancer. 2021 was a top year in Piedmont. It was characterised by a long, cool ripening process with clear day-night amplitudes, the harvest was late and selective with excellent results.