James Suckling

The grapes for this Supertuscan come from the San Giovanni vineyard near San Giovanni a Cerreto. In the church next to the vineyard there is a painting by Rutilo Manetti depicting St John the Baptist (San Giovanni). Deep ruby red, youthful, rich, dark fruit, berry and cassis flavours meld with French oak. On the palate with deep, subtle fruit flavours and an excellent balance of fruit and tannin, plus some smoke, liquorice and tar. A rich but not too heavy red with excellent structure and great ageing potential. SUPERIORE.DE

In 1886, Carlo Campagnola founded his winery in the Marano Valley, in the heart of Valpolicella Classico. In 1907, he won the first gold medal for the best Recioto at the Verona Wine Fair – since then, the family, now in its fifth generation, has continued what began as a small farm. The vineyards for this Amarone are located on calcareous slopes between 200 and 350 metres above sea level, where Corvina, Corvinone and Rondinella are harvested by hand at the end of September. The traditional appassimento drying process takes around 100 days until the grapes have lost 35–40% of their weight. Gentle pressing in December, 30 days of maceration, then ageing: 60% matures for 24 months in large Slavonian oak barrels, 40% for 18 months in new Allier oak barriques.

The year is 1773 and a storm drives the English merchant ship "Elizabeth" into the harbour of Marsala. John Woodhouse, a merchant from Liverpool, seeks shelter – and finds a wine in an osteria that won't let him go. To stabilise it for the long journey home, he fortifies it with Acquavite. A makeshift solution that establishes the history of an entire wine. Pellegrino, the centrepiece of the Marsala tradition since 1880, has dedicated its own cuvée to this far-sighted Englishman. "Old John" – respect in two words. Grillo, Catarratto and Inzolia, harvested in the hinterland between Marsala and Mazara del Vallo, are fortified with neutral alcohol after fermentation has stopped and topped with mosto cotto – grape must – flavoured and slightly sweetened. Then comes the time: at least 48 months in large oak barrels and a further six months in barriques. The 1998 is a true Riserva – not a vintage for the impatient.

San Filippo is located in the east of Montalcino – the part of the region known for its particular elegance and longevity. Roberto Giannelli, who acquired the winery in 2003 and has consistently favoured organic cultivation and minimal wood intervention ever since, has developed a style with Oenologist Paolo Caciorgna that shows Sangiovese Grosso in its purest form. Lo Scorno is the opening to the first movement – accessible, direct and full of character.

Sparkling yellow-green colour. The elegant, floral-scented Sauvignon Bianco Mantele is irresistible, with beautiful varietal typicity and a pleasingly slender waistline. Fine mineral notes on the palate add playfulness and vibrancy, overall very juicy and fresh. SUPERIORE.DE

Gioia del Colle is an Italian municipality near Bari and probably the most famous DOC for Primitivo wines. The wines from this appellation embody a straightforward, fresh style and are far removed from the usual jammy suspects. The vines here grow at altitudes of up to 450 metres above sea level, the nights are cooler here than elsewhere in Apulia and the wines have a racier, tighter style and more structure than their namesakes.

This mature Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso comes from the single vineyard "Zuc di Volpe" – a prime example of the ripening potential and aristocratic depth of this autochthonous variety. 2013 was a classic vintage: a cool spring, a moderate summer and a dry autumn allowed a late harvest of perfectly ripe grapes with a distinctive tannic structure and lively freshness. The wine was matured in large wooden barrels and barriques and then allowed to rest in the bottle for many years. Today it displays a multi-layered bouquet of dark cherry, blackberry, graphite, undergrowth and liquorice. Powerful and focused on the palate, with ripe tannins, savoury spice and a characteristic balsamic freshness that characterises the long finish. A hint of dark chocolate and a touch of iron add depth.

Uccelliera's Rosso di Montalcino slowly comes to life with a beguiling blend of mentholated herbs, pine shavings and dried strawberries. It glides over the palate with a texture of pure silk, caressing everything it touches with ripe red fruits and rosy flowers accompanied by a lively acidity. Structured, powerful and long on the final – as always, it far exceeds its weight class and is a top-class Rosso di Montalcino. SUPERIORE.DE

Barolo Paesi Tuoi is more than just a designation of origin. The name – borrowed from the novel "Among Peasants" by Cesare Pavese – evokes Piedmont not just as a landscape, but as a cultural space: rural, archaic, full of inner tensions. And so this Barolo is not an expression of a single cru, but a synthesis of the villages, hills and soils that together form the essence of this appellation. The grapes come from different, characterful vineyards around Barolo, Monforte and Serralunga, carefully selected and vinified separately. Long maceration periods, followed by around two years of ageing in traditional, large oak barrels – the result is a classic style with depth.

Grave di Stecca is Nino Franco's exposed single vineyard on the slopes of the Prealpi. The south-facing vineyard is planted exclusively with the Prosecco grape Glera. Brilliantly shining white gold, gently developing perlage, a bouquet of sage with fresh fruit flavours. Very pleasantly dry flavour, silky and long – the indisputably great top-quality wine from the renowned Prosecco producer. SUPERIORE.DE

The first 1,850 Pinot Noir vines were brought to Italy from Burgundy by Count Vistarino back in 1865. Since then, the vinification of this demanding grape variety has been continuously refined over the generations. Today, the Pinot Noirs from the winegrowing dynasty can even outshine much more expensive Pinot Noirs from Burgundy at international tastings.

This successful blend of Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc opens with dark concentration and great density. Fornace offers impressive juiciness and rich flavours of red cherries, blackberries, spices and grilled herbs. Its full body, restrained acidity and silky tannins are perfectly balanced, with balsamic hints accompanying this attractive Supertuscan into a supple and long finish. SUPERIORE.DE

Exciting, balsamic, white cuvée from Vermentino, Trebbiano and Malvasia - with a handful of Traminer and Riesling. Initially reductive on the nose, then dark yellow fruit, some smoke. Very direct, straightforward and grippingly mineral on the palate, with crisp acidity, citrus zest and fine juicy yellow fruit. Lingers on the palate for a long time and, with its race and alpine freshness, makes you briefly forget that this linear and very concise white wine comes from Tuscany. SUPERIORE.DE

A rare Riesling from Friuli that does not seek grand gestures, but impresses with its precision and subtle tension. The grapes come from higher-lying plots with calcareous flysch soil, which promotes the mineral expression. The 2022 vintage brought ripe, healthy harvestwith a vital acidity structure - ideal conditions for a dry, trenchant Riesling.

Famous, single-varietal Fiano from calcareous, clayey-sandy soils in the Contrada Dispensa near Menfi. Bright straw yellow in colour with a greenish tinge. The bouquet is complex and full of finesse: white flowers, Williams pear, ripe citrus fruit and a hint of exotic notes such as passion fruit and guava, underpinned by a salty, almost chalky nuance. Silky and broad on the palate, with polished fruit, lively acidity and a cool minerality. The texture appears creamy, but remains clearly contoured and convincingly expresses its origin. Cometa impressively demonstrates that Fiano can shine not only in Campania: Planeta moulds it into one of the most distinctive white wines in Sicily – confident, independent and stylistically unmistakable. An elegant soloist with depth and potential. SUPERIORE.DE

This exceptional Cabernet is dedicated to one of the Mazzei family's most illustrious ancestors: Philip Mazzei (1730-1816), a visionary thinker, American patriot and viticultural pioneer who, together with Thomas Jefferson, founded viticulture in Virginia. As a close friend of Jefferson, Mazzei inspired the famous doctrine "All men are created equal" in the American Declaration of Independence. Philip combines the quintessence of Tuscany from two renowned estates: Cabernet Sauvignon from Castello di Fonterutoli in Chianti Classico and from Tenuta Belguardo in Maremma. This unique fusion of different terroirs creates aromatic complexity and depth – the limestone soils of Fonterutoli lend minerality and elegance, while the sandstone soils of the Maremma contribute structure and vigour.

Six kilometres southwest of Montalcino, on calcareous clay soil at an altitude of around 130 metres, lies the Tenuta Pian delle Vigne – has been owned by the Marchesi Antinori since 1995 and has been their personal interpretation of one of Tuscany's biggest names ever since. The 2023 vintage came with a wet spring and a warm, dry summer – a season that demanded patience and rewarded fruit. Harvested from 11 September, by hand, healthy and aromatic. Pure Sangiovese, fermented in stainless steel, matured for twelve months in large wooden barrels: this is intentional, not a compromise. The wine should remain fresh, mineral and easy to drink. And it succeeds very well.

A Syrah from 750 metres above sea level - only a few can achieve this. In the cool mountain air of the upper Aosta Valley, La Tour matures in south-east exposure on sandy moraine soils. Hand-picking, meticulous selection and ageing in barriques give the wine finesse and depth. Dense ruby colour with a purple core in the glass. Black olive, blueberry, dark pepper, a hint of violet and toasted wood on the nose. Cool and structured on the palate, with firm tannins, noble spice and a fine mineral length. Not an overloaded power wine, but a precise, Alpine Syrah with fresh character and tension - a real statement from Italy's highest wine region. SUPERIORE.DE

When Luciano Sandrone bought his first vineyard in Cannubi Boschis in 1977 – financed with all his savings – and vinified the first bottle in his parents' garage a year later, nobody could have guessed that this humble beginning would grow into one of Barolo's most iconic wineries. After his death in 2024, daughter Barbara, brother Luca as Oenologist and wife Mariuccia continue the legacy today: 27 hectares between Langa and Roero, six wines of uncompromising quality that combine tradition and modernity in equal measure. The Barbera d'Alba, vinified from grapes from various plots in Monforte d'Alba and Novello, is more than just an accompanying wine – it is a statement that Sandrone devotes the same attention to each grape variety as he does to his legendary Barolo.

From the legendary San Guido estate, the cradle of Sassicaia, comes Le Difese, a wine that combines the essence of two worlds: the international class of Cabernet Sauvignon with the Tuscan soul of Sangiovese. Named after the golden boar tusks on the label – a symbol of the wild Maremma –this blend, first created in 2002, embodies the accessible side of an icon. After gentle hand-picking and temperature-controlled fermentation in stainless steel tanks, Le Difese matures for twelve months in French and American barriques, followed by three months in the bottle.

In 2016, a vision was realised: San Felice, the historic winery in the heart of Chianti Classico, added a precious mosaic piece to its Tuscan wine interpretation – bell'Aja in Bolgheri. Under the guidance of Professor Attilio Scienza, the father of Bolgheri zoning, 15 hectares were created in the privileged Le Sondraie zone, just five kilometres from the Tyrrhenian Sea, where sandy-clay soils with an east-west orientation form a unique amphitheatre facing the sea. The Bell'Aja Bianco 2023 epitomises the Mediterranean soul of this young but already prestigious Tenuta. 90% Vermentino is combined with 10% other grape varieties to create a wine that carries the salty whisper of the nearby coast, yet retains the elegant signature of the San Felice style. Carlo De Biasi, General Manager at San Felice since 2022, is continuing the group's philosophy: three territories, three terroir interpretations – from Chianti Classico to Montalcino to this radiant jewel on the Etruscan Coast.

Lamole. Giovanni Manetti has long regarded this zone as one of the most distinctive in Chianti Classico. At an altitude of 620 metres, far from the heart of the region, a few plots of old Sangiovese vines survived the wave of deforestation in the 1970s. Giovanni took cuttings from these Alberello vines from the 1920s to grow his own vines in Panzano: the foundation for Fontodi's quality. This wine is made from seven hectares of Macigno sandstone, whose loose, permeable structure ensures elegance and finesse. Cool nights, long growing season, south-south-west exposure. The sandy soils give the Sangiovese a lightness that is clearly different from the powerful wines from Panzano. Vinification in concrete, certified organic.