James Suckling

Siebeneich is not a fantasy name. The small village to the west of Bolzano gives its name to the wine – and itself bears one of the oldest wine stories in South Tyrol. Archaeologists found vine knives from the late Iron Age here, which are considered the oldest evidence of prehistoric Weinwirtschaft in the region. Merlot on this soil: a young grape variety on ancient ground. Cellar master Rudi Kofler says that Merlot grows best in Terlan on the warm, south-facing clay slopes. This is exactly where Siebeneich is located – a terroir that gives this international variety the substance to tell the story of South Tyrol instead of imitating Bordeaux. Hand-picked, destemming, slow maceration in steel, malolactic fermentation – then 12 months of ageing: 70 per cent in large wooden barrels, 30 per cent in barriques, one third of which are new. Power with control.

Oudeis – nobody. When the cunning Odysseus outwitted the Cyclops Polyphemus, he gave it this name. Enrico Serafino's Alta Langa bears this name out of humility: no one is responsible for the complexity of this wine – only the terroir. A philosophical bow to the high altitudes of the Alta Langa, the Piedmontese plateau that Enrico Serafino has pioneered the Metodo Classico since 1991. The grapes – 85% Pinot Nero, 15% Chardonnay – come from vineyards between 300 and 550 metres above sea level in the municipalities of Mango, Trezza Tinella, Loazzolo, San Giorgio and Bubbio. After manual harvesting and gentle whole-cluster pressing, the must ferments in stainless steel, followed by six months of bâtonnage. The second fermentation and ageing on the lees takes place over 36 months in the historic underground cellars – protected from light, temperature-controlled, timeless.

Pale pink with orange reflections. Elegant, fine aroma of flowers and roses, small red berries and herbs and the typical bread and yeast flavour. Very supple on the palate, fresh and forward, the acidity is agile and the mousse is soft and fine. A mouthful of red berries and a very broad range of herb and spice flavours are wonderfully enveloped by a fresh acidity that finishes this very long wine with a fruity, tart and salty note. SUPERIORE.DE

The Pecorari family's passion for single-varietal wines is best represented by the Pinot Grigio Gris, which is matured for 11 months on the fine lees with bâtonnage. This Pinot Grigio fermented in oak offers an exciting and complex bouquet of white peach, citrus, flint, crushed oyster shells, white rose petals and notes of acacia honey. The well-proportioned acidity, the fresh flavour and the wonderful depth and tension make it easy to see that the Pinot Grigio at Lis Neris occupies an absolutely special position every year. SUPERIORE.DE"Firm, somewhat nutty, planty to herbaceous and hints of mushroomy aromas of yellow fruit with slightly smoky and vanilla wood notes and nuances reminiscent of mussel shells. Polished, firm fruit with melting and some light wood notes, fine acidity, has a grip of ripe tannin, good substance and persistence, certain depth, salty minerality, tobacco, butter and hints of crab meat in the background, very good, animating finish with bite." Wein-Plus"Bright straw yellow colour. Fine reduction on the nose, subtle flint, precious wood and stone fruit. Full-bodied and radiant on the palate, with great juiciness and salinity, powerful, savoury, lingers for a long time, great Pinot Grigio!" Falstaff"It is fresh and mineral with notes of white peaches, flowers and stones. Crisp and juicy with a medium body and a polished, mineral backbone. Tasty finish." James Suckling"The 2021 Pinot Grigio Gris tantalises the senses with an opulent blend of vanilla pods, sweet spices and whole butter complementing ripe apples and pears. It is pleasantly round and silky in flavour, with a core of juicy acidity that balances it out and ripe fruit that plays around it. The balance on the inside is fantastic. The 2021 rejuvenates with a saline mineral note and sour citrus, leaving a youthful inner tension. The oak will need to be integrated a little over the coming years, but I expect that with a little patience an absolutely stunning interpretation will develop." Vinous

A fascinating Pinot Nero with the structure of a Nebbiolo. Fine cherry flavour with well-dosed extract sweetness, plus rose petals, mint and some Asian herbal spice. The wine prances on the palate with elegant restraint, revealing its finesse and structure on the third sip at the latest and with a medium-bodied finish. This is a wine for Pinot fans as well as lovers of subtle, subtle styles - and clearly love at second sight. SUPERIORE.DE

The Donna Lisa vineyard is located in the heart of Salice Salentino. The Negroamaro vines are planted in the Pugliese Alberello – the old bush vine training style, which forces each vine to stand on its own. Around 7,000 vines per hectare, on average fifty years old. Those who have been standing in the Salento soil for so long have learnt to make a lot out of a little. Hand-picked at the end of September, maceration at a controlled temperature for at least 13 days, malolactic fermentation, then transferred to French barriques in spring – maturation for around 18 months, followed by at least six months in the bottle.

The name St. Valentin has long stood for more than just a top-quality line in South Tyrol – it is a promise. For precision, loyalty to origin and the will to get the maximum expression out of well-known grape varieties. With Pinot Grigio, this is achieved in an almost quiet way – without drama, but with depth and poise. The vines for the St. Valentin Pinot Grigio grow on selected, higher-altitude plots around Eppan, where calcareous gravel soils, alpine altitude and long hours of sunshine create an extraordinary interplay. This is a Pinot Grigio that does not aim for quick fruit or arbitrariness, but for structure, minerality and longevity. After the harvest, fermentation takes place partly in stainless steel and partly in large wooden barrels – the subsequent ageing on the fine lees gives it substance and a touch of creamy noblesse.

From the white earth of Noto, between stone walls, olive trees and orange blossom, rises Doppiozeta, a wine that doesn't illustrate south-eastern Sicily, but condenses it. It is one of the two flagships of the Mazzei family's Zisola project - a deep, finely constructed red that gives Nero d'Avola a voice that is rarely heard: concentrated, serious, supple. The vines grow on calcareous soil on a gentle slope just a few kilometres from the sea. Nero d'Avola is clearly in the foreground here, complemented by Syrah and Cabernet Franc - a precisely placed tension between fruit, flavour and structure. The grapes are harvested by hand with the utmost care, fermented in conical stainless steel tanks, after which the wine matures for around 16 months in French oak, with a small proportion in new wood.

A white rarity from the heart of Chianti Classico: Il Bianco 30 anni by Gagliole is a remarkable exception in a terroir dominated by red wine. The white grape varieties of this exceptional cuvée have thrived for over 45 years on the historic dry-stone terraces of Castellina in Chianti, which were declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2019. The blend of 60 per cent Procanico (a local Trebbiano clone), 30 per cent Viognier and 10 per cent Malvasia Bianca embodies the visionary signature of the Swiss Bär-Bettschart family. These grapes ripen particularly slowly on the Galestro-rich soils at an altitude of 420 metres, between fragrant roses and centuries-old olive trees – they are among the last to be harvested and develop exceptionally thick skins, which give the wine its intense flavour. Vinification is carried out separately for each grape variety: Procanico and Malvasia mature for seven months sur lies in French oak barrels, while the Viognier retains its fresh fruitiness in steel tanks. After blending, a further three months of ageing in the bottle follows in a climate-controlled cellar.

A wine that breaks all conventions. Tramonto d'Oca (Goose Dawn) is Poggio Bonelli's most extraordinary creation and at the same time an oenological venture of rare audacity. As one of the few single-varietal Petit Verdot wines in Italy, it embodies the courage to innovate that characterised the historic noble families of Castelnuovo Berardenga. Petit Verdot, the mysterious "little green grape variety" from the French south-west, has found a new home in the warm, sun-kissed hills of southern Tuscany. Here, at an altitude of 280 metres with perfect southern exposure, this late-ripening, capricious variety thrives under ideal conditions. The strictly limited yield of just 50 centners per hectare and meticulous hand-picking guarantee grapes of exceptional concentration and ripeness.

Essenza is a classic Valtellina Superiore that draws its fruit from the terraced high mountain vineyards in one of the northernmost corners of Italy. Ruby red with garnet-coloured inclusions. Wonderful aromas of dried strawberries, mushrooms and flowers that open up into pure fruit. It is medium-bodied on the palate with appealing depth and intensity. The fine and complex tannins are polished and flattering. Essenza magically balances power and elegance, gaining much of its straightforwardness and focus from the lingering mineral notes of crushed slate or granite that add salty notes to the finish. SUPERIORE.DE

"LUI XXI" is a rare voice from the heart of Alois Lageder's vineyard thinking. The small parcel from which it originates has been producing exceptional harvestfor years – it is one of the hottest and most labour-intensive sites in the family. The planting material is special, the cultivation demanding and the fruit quality uncompromising. In 2021, the decision was made to bottle the result separately – pure, unadorned and clear as mountain air. The grapes were harvested on 25 August: half as whole bunches, half destemmed and gently crushed. After five days of maceration, both fractions were pressed together and transferred to a single 13-hectolitre wooden barrel. Fermentation, malolactic fermentation and maturation on the lees took place there for a total of eleven months. The wine was bottled in August 2022 – unfiltered and minimally agitated, with maximum expression of origin.

Cavolo Amarone is a selection of the best grapes from all the estate's vineyards. It opens with aromas of raspberry jam, dried cherries dusted with cinnamon and cocoa, and wafting notes of cedar and tobacco. The flavours of tart plums and fresh blackberries combine with bay leaf, chia spice, liquorice root and white pepper. Elegant on the palate, with fine tannins and a lively acidity that gives the wine a good basis for ageing. SUPERIORE.DE

While the Chianti Classico Ruspoli Annata shows the accessible, fresh side of Lilliano, the Riserva reveals the depth and maturity that lie dormant in the estate's best parcels. Selected only in outstanding years and from the Tenuta's best vineyards, it represents the potential of the Sangiovese grape on the chalky Alberese soils of Castellina in Chianti. The 2020 vintage is considered exceptional in Tuscany: balanced temperatures, moderate rainfall and a long, warm autumn allowed the grapes to ripen perfectly. The cuvée of 95 per cent Sangiovese and five per cent Merlot is fermented in small stainless steel and cement tanks after selective hand-picking before the wine matures for 14 to 15 months in large French oak barrels – a conscious decision in favour of traditional ageing, which gives the Sangiovese structure without dominating it. A further six months of bottle ageing round off the development.

Cellole Gran Selezione impresses with its usual elegance and sophistication. Its masterfully balanced flavour profile of wild berry and blackberry with cassis, blueberry and candied rose is fantastic. On closer inspection, the wine reveals orange peel, rosemary and iron ore. It is a silky and elegant wine with some firm tannin, lots of bright fruit and a hint of crisp acidity. Undoubtedly a great wine with great potential! SUPERIORE.DE

A rosé full of finesse and freshness, in which the signs of tradition and modern harmony come together perfectly. A delicate peach-pink colour with a light mousse in the glass. The bouquet seduces with notes of ripe strawberry, raspberry, exotic flowers and light brioche spice. Juicy, dry and finely structured on the palate: the subtle acidity carries ripe fruit, the yeasty character lends creaminess, while the finish is clear and persistent – with fine minerality and inner tension. A rosé with personality that can be both an aperitif and an accompaniment to food – charming, vertical and stylish in expression. SUPERIORE.DE

Carmignano is Italy's best-kept secret: a DOCG of just 110 hectares – smaller than some Bordeaux châteaux. It was here, just outside Florence, that Caterina de' Medici brought Cabernet vines from France in the 16th century. While the rest of Tuscany invented the Super Tuscans centuries later, Carmignano had long since reached its goal. Il Sasso comes from the cru of the same name in Santa Cristina a Mezzana: two and a half hectares, thirty-year-old vines, clay and galestro at an altitude of 250 metres. Seventy per cent Sangiovese, plus Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and a touch of Cabernet Franc – the classic Carmignano formula in Silvia Vannucci's signature style. Fermented with natural yeasts, almost three weeks on the skins, then twelve months in used French barriques – no new wood, nothing should distract from the terroir. Bottled unfiltered and matured in the bottle for a further six months.

Syrah in Sicily - this is no longer a surprise. But Achilles, Zisola's top single-varietal wine, gives the grape variety on the chalky hills near Noto a new expressiveness: powerful, deep and at the same time controlled, with that polished precision that does not seek to imitate, but to shape independently. The grapes come from small plots with a high proportion of limestone in the soil, close to the coast. The warm climate is tempered by constant air circulation - ideal conditions for even ripening. After selective manual harvesting, spontaneous fermentation takes place in conical tanks, followed by ageing for around 16 months in French barriques.

At some point in the history of Nals Margreid, the Gambero Rosso even declared Sirmian to be the best white wine in Italy. We are not surprised. Above Nals, in the Sirmian district, the slopes lie between 500 and 700 metres above sea level. South-east facing, alpine climate: mild summers, cool autumns, a long growing season that ends in mid-October with the harvest. The soil is a geological archive: Permeable glacial moraine of limestone, gneiss, mica, slate and marble, deposited millions of years ago by glaciers in the Western Alps, resting on porphyry, the volcanic bedrock of the bedrock.

Pinot Blanc has been part of the Sanct Valentin line since 2001 – born out of the realisation that this long underestimated variety is capable of achieving extraordinary things at the high altitudes of Eppan-Berg. Between 450 and 600 metres, where limestone gravel and clay form the foundation, ten to thirty-two year old vines grow facing south-southeast. Extremely low yields from meticulously selected plots. Hand-picked at the end of September, then two different methods: one half fermented with malolactic fermentation and yeast storage in barriques and tonneaux, the other in large oak barrels. After just under a year, the wine is blended when it is clear what belongs together – then a further eight months of maturation in steel tanks to finalise the balance.

When Andrea Franchetti arrived on the northern slope of Mount Etna in 2000, he found an abandoned volcanic landscape – dilapidated vineyards, overgrown terraces, the gloom of a forgotten wine region. But he recognised the potential of these extreme altitudes. Passobianco, first vinified in 2007, is his white answer to the volcanic terroir: pure Chardonnay from the Contrada Guardiola, planted between 850 and 1,000 metres on steep terraces, where the powdery lava soil glistens black like the night. Fermented in steel tanks at cool temperatures, matured partly in concrete and partly in large wooden barrels – a vinification that preserves purity and creates complexity.

The 2022 marks a significant transition: it is the last vintage that Paolo de Marchi characterised before Emanuele Reolon took over as technical director. But the signature remains unmistakable. Since the 1980s, de Marchi was one of the first in Chianti Classico to plant high-density vineyards with low-yielding Sangiovese clones on poor Galestro soils at an altitude of 400 metres – a revolution in quality. The cuvée of 90% Sangiovese, supplemented by 10% Canaiolo, ferments for twelve days in stainless steel using the characteristic délestage method, which de Marchi has been refining since 1996. Seven months of ageing in barriques of different sizes give the wine complexity without dominance.

Until 2012, this wine bore the name of the estate itself – passopisciaro. However, when Andrea Franchetti began to vinify his best individual vineyards separately in 2008, he renamed the basic Etna Rosso: Passorosso. A blend from different altitudes and contrade – from Malpasso to Guardiola and Santo Spirito –which shows the full range of what Nerello Mascalese can achieve on Mount Etna. The higher vineyards lie on coarse-grained lava gravel, the lower ones on finer, oxidised lava powder: each layer contributes to the complexity of this wine. 80 to 110-year-old vines, fermented in steel tanks, matured for 18 months in large neutral wooden barrels and concrete tanks, bottled unfiltered.