James Suckling

Pinot Grigio is sometimes mass-produced in northern Italy. Millions of bottles, pale style, interchangeable. And then there is the Cantina Terlan, alongside a few other serious winegrowers. At 270 to 350 metres, on the gently sloping porphyry slopes around Terlan, the Ruländer – as its old, more appropriate name – tells a different story. Hand-picked, gentle pressing, slow fermentation in steel, 5–7 months on the fine lees: a vinification that gives the grape variety room to show itself.

Pian di Nova embodies a sophisticated blend of 75% Syrah and 25% Sangiovese, which combines the international vigour of the Syrah grape with the lively fruitiness of Tuscan Sangiovese. It represents a new generation of Tuscan red wines that harmoniously balance tradition and innovation. The hand-picked grapes come from organically cultivated vineyards at the foot of Monte Pratomagno, where loamy-sandy soils at an altitude of 200 metres offer optimal drainage. After cooling to 5°C at night, the grape varieties are vinified separately: two days of cold maceration, ten days of controlled fermentation at 25-28°C, followed by a further 20 days of skin maceration. Six months of ageing in Allier oak barriques, one month in steel tanks and a further six months of bottle ageing complete this elegant blend.

Giardino Pantesco is a liquid short holiday on Pantelleria – as golden as a last ray of sunshine at sunset, carried by the history and terroir of this magical island. The name refers to the "Giardini Panteschi", the centuries-old dry stone walls built in a round shape that intercept the wind and stabilise the microclimate for crops such as the gnarled Zibibbo vine. Those who savour this passito will feel the reverence for this landscape and tradition with every sip.

A circular forest sits enthroned on the highest point of the vineyard, and inside it rests an Etruscan tomb – over 2,500 years old. Al Passo, "at the passage", is what they call this place, from where the view extends as far as the Torre del Mangia in Siena. Here, where past and present meet, the estate's most popular cuvée is created: equal parts Sangiovese, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, grown on the silty-clayey limestone soils of Castelnuovo Berardenga. Double selection, 20 days on the skins, then 14 months in French oak – six of which on the fine lees, which gives the wine its silky texture.

A photo from 1955 adorns the bottle: Elliott Erwitt's "California Kiss", two lovers in the mirror of a car. When Trudie Styler tasted the first sip of this Vermentino, she spontaneously found the name – "like a kiss on the lips". The fact that the wine was released in March 2021, when the world was hungry for closeness, lends it additional poetry. Incidentally, it is the first white wine that Riccardo Cotarella vinified for Il Palagio – a tribute to Trudie's love of elegant Bianchi. The hand-picked Vermentino grapes ferment at a controlled temperature in stainless steel, and a short maturation period preserves the vibrant freshness.

Next to the Villa della Torre in Fumane, this elegant testimony to the Italian Renaissance, lies a vineyard that awoke from its slumber in 1960. Giovanni Allegrini recognised the potential of the neglected terrain and began to recultivate it. In 1978, it became a wine in its own right and the name became the programme: Palazzo della Torre, a cru that brought Allegrini international fame. Six times in the Wine Spectator Top 100, the secret? In 1990, Franco Allegrini introduced an innovation that changed Valpolicella: double fermentation. Some of the grapes, Corvina, Rondinella and Sangiovese, undergo a short appassimento. The freshly fermented wine is then added to this dried marc, where a second fermentation begins. More elegant than Ripasso, more complex than classic Valpolicella.

Ten days before the main harvest for Redigaffi and Giusto di Notri, the pre-harvest begins at Tua Rita – a selection in the younger vineyards, whose grapes should not achieve the extreme concentration of the great crus, but rather freshness and accessibility. This conscious decision gives rise to the Rosso dei Notri, the house's calling card since 2000. Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon form the foundation in equal parts, while Syrah and Cabernet Franc add spice and structure. The vineyards are located on the metalliferous hills near Suvereto, where loamy soils with a high proportion of skeleton give the wines the mineral precision that characterises Tua Rita. Vinification in stainless steel tanks at a controlled temperature, ageing in cement – no wood flavour should mask the clear fruit.

Vigna di Gabri is a classic white wine with high standards that realises the idea of an elegant, autochthonous Sicilian wine in a refined form. Ansonica (Inzolia) forms the basis, supplemented by smaller proportions of Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier and Catarratto – a finely balanced cuvée with origin and style. The grapes come from the hills of Contessa Entellina, where limestone-rich soils and high altitudes ensure freshness and aromatic complexity. Bright straw yellow in colour with golden reflections. The bouquet smells of white peach, candied lemon, herbs and some broom, underpinned by fine mineral notes. Structured and smooth on the palate, with clear fruit, fine flavour and well-integrated acidity. A well-balanced, pleasantly dry white wine with fine complexity – ideal with fish, white meat or Sicilian cuisine with a fresh herbal flavour. For us, Vigna di Gabri is and remains one of the discreet and high-quality classics in Donnafugata's portfolio. SUPERIORE.DE

Castello di Semivicoli is a great Rosso from the Chieti area and Masciarelli's first red wine cuvée. The vines in the vineyards of the province of L'Aquila were planted by Gianni Masciarelli in 2003. Medium-bodied purple red. On the nose black berries and nice peppery notes with some tobacco, violets and vanilla. Powerful and silky on the palate, polished tannin and a wonderfully fruity finish. SUPERIORE.DE

Barbara Widmer's Chianti Classico emphasises clarity and origin: 100% Sangiovese from plots in Castellina and Radda (230–400 metres), on limestone and clay soils with south to south-west exposure. Fermented in stainless steel tanks, followed by around twelve months in stainless steel and cement on the fine lees – deliberately without the use of wood to allow the grape variety to speak purely and precisely. Bright ruby red in colour with a cherry-red core. Juicy cherry, redcurrant and violet on the nose, with a hint of herbs and wet stone. Straightforward and animating on the palate: fresh, finely chiselled acidity, taut, young tannins and a salty, minerally finish that gives length. A classic, straightforward Chianti Classico with elegant tension, clear fruit, cool contours and a very nice drinking flow. SUPERIORE.DE

Goldmuskateller is one of the oldest grape varieties in South Tyrol, which until a few years ago was still considered moody and demanding. Manincor shows what this diva can become when given the right sites: Mareit Leiten at 350 metres, extremely steeply exposed to the south with warm gravel soils and moraine deposits. In addition, Vogelleiten and Panholzer with loamy limestone gravel soil – sites where the exuberant growth of the Muscat is tamed and reaches perfect ripeness. The destemmed berries macerate in the press for twelve hours to extract flavour and structure from the skins. Fermentation takes place in wooden barrels and steel tanks, mostly spontaneously with wild yeasts. During the five-month maturation on the fine lees, the aroma and flavour are refined – the wine develops the balance between fruit and minerality that characterises dry Muscat.

Novaserra Greco di Tufo is the most famous white wine icon from Mastroberardino – a prime example of the depth and elegance that this grape variety can achieve. The grapes come from the best vineyards around Tufo, where calcareous and sulphurous soils give the wine its distinctive mineral signature. Brilliant straw yellow in the glass with golden reflections. The nose seduces with yellow plum, candied lemon, ripe pear, lime blossom and a hint of flint. Dense and harmonious on the palate, with ripe fruit, fine herbal spice and a salty vein. A Greco di Tufo of calibre every year – powerful, elegant and clear in its terroir expression. SUPERIORE.DE

Ornello is an open wine with beautiful, inviting aromas of ripe, dark fruit, cedar wood, dried herbs, tobacco and incense. All of this has a pleasant depth. Medium to full-bodied with supple tannins and a juicy, ripe finish. Very good value. SUPERIORE.DE

Floramundi combines the sensual power of Nero d'Avola with the elegance of Frappato – a classic Cerasuolo di Vittoria that charmingly harmonises the DOCG origin, freshness and finesse. The vines grow in south-east Sicily on red sand and limestone soils around Vittoria. Maturation in stainless steel tanks followed by ageing in the bottle preserves the freshness and aromatic expressiveness of this traditional appellation.

Fruity, floral and delicately spicy nuances on the nose. Fresh texture on the palate, pleasant red berry flavour with notes of grapefruit and blood orange. A drinking pleasure full of character. SUPERIORE.DE

For decades, Radici has been synonymous with Mastroberardino's uncompromising work on the great indigenous grape varieties of Campania. The grapes for this Fiano icon come from high-altitude plots near Lapio, whose volcanic soils and cool continental microclimate give the grape variety exceptional tension, aromatic depth and longevity.

The name Glarea is of Rhaeto-Romanic origin and means gravel. The grapes for this mineral and very harmonious Chardonnay grow at an altitude of around 250 metres on the lower part of the Höllenbach debris cone in soils rich in limestone and gravel. Thanks to the low hillside location and the proximity to the valley floor, a unique microclimate is created here, characterised by considerable temperature fluctuations. During the day, the Glarea vineyards enjoy very warm temperatures, which are replaced by cool air masses in the late hours of the night and early morning, giving it a lovely tautness and freshness.

Rocca Rubia is an archetypal Carignano del Sulcis – powerful, Mediterranean and at the same time of astonishing elegance. The grapes come from old, partly ungrafted vines in the sandy, coastal vineyards of the lower Sulcis region in south-west Sardinia. Fermentation took place at a controlled temperature in stainless steel tanks and the wine was matured for around 10 months in French oak barriques with a successful balance of wood character and fruit expression.

Back in the 1980s, Antonio Mastroberardino was one of the first to experiment with something that was almost considered a provocation at the time: he vinified Aglianico, the large, tannin-rich red wine variety from southern Italy, as a white wine. He called the result "Plinius". The experiment lay dormant until the family revived it under a new name: Neroametà – "half black" – a tribute to the grape's origins and the courage to think differently. 100% Aglianico, grown in Mirabella Eclano at 400 metres, in deep, sandy-loamy soils with a volcanic matrix and clay at depth – the same terroir that produces the Taurasi DOCG. Hand-picked in mid-October. Then the decisive step: Vinification without any contact with the skins, in steel tanks at a controlled temperature, followed by ten months on the lees and at least 18 months of ageing in the bottle. The colour stays outside – elegance and minerality are allowed inside.

Made from 100% Sangiovese grapes sourced from various vineyards in the south-east/south-west of the municipality of Montalcino, from altitudes between 250 and 400 metres above sea level. The soils are south-east facing and have a sandy texture with limestone slabs and abundant skeleton. Aged for several months in French and Slavonian oak, followed by bottle ageing. Intense ruby red colour with violet reflections. Intense, fresh and fruity aroma, with characteristic notes of cherry, plum and sour cherry. The flavour is soft and mineral, with a good structure, well-balanced tannins and impressive length. SUPERIORE.DE

Delicate golden yellow colour, with clear notes of pear, banana, white pepper, herbs and paprika on the nose. Brilliant, dazzling and crisp on the palate with flavours of fresh citrus fruits, especially mandarin, plus mango and star fruit on the mineral final. SUPERIORE.DE