James Suckling

Deep ruby red, intense, fresh aroma of dark fruit underpinned with delicate toasted aromas. Complex and full-bodied on the palate, with balsamic notes, perfectly integrated tannins and a finely balanced fruity-spicy finish. An intense wine that also doesn't want to be a lightweight and that plays off its power perfectly. SUPERIORE.DE

Pianrosso comes from a south-west facing vineyard in the Castelnuovo dell'Abate subzone at an altitude of around 300 metres with mainly Galestro soils. It is dark, rich and deeply seductive, showing ripe black fruit enveloped in hints of gravel, sage and exotic spices. Although it has a velvety and almost creamy texture, it finds harmony through juicy acids and a blend of ripe black cherries and plums. Notes of liquorice and baker's chocolate balance the salty minerality and fine-grained tannins of the Pianrosso in a long and dramatic final. For a wine with such power, this is a beautiful symmetry. Definitely put it away for a few more years. SUPERIORE.DE

Il Poggio 2019 slowly unfolds its breathtaking aromas of cherry blossom, blood orange, eucalyptus and raspberry. Initially taut and straightforward, it then unfolds on the palate with ripe wild berries underpinned by slate. The chalky tannins keep it firmly under control. This wine will continue to unfold its complex nuances for at least a few decades. Fantastic depth and energy. Incidentally, Il Poggio Gran Selezione was the first Chianti Classico in the appellation to be vinified and bottled as a single-vineyard wine (Cru) in 1962 - a revolution at the time! SUPERIORE.DE

Italy's most famous Müller-Thurgau from a single vineyard at over 1,000 metres above sea level: sublimely sparkling straw yellow, very precise, clean aroma, a potpourri of tropical fruits, a little chamomile and a hint of nutmeg. Amazingly full-bodied on the palate with lots of juicy fruit. An elegant, extra-dry Müller Thurgau from the highest Müller Thurgau vineyard in Europe with an impressive complexity and length for this grape variety. SUPERIORE.DE

Since the 2016 vintage, Livio Felluga's top wine Sossò has been maturing in the bottle for an extra year before being released for sale. This Riserva is a beautiful, rich and comforting red wine that is dense on the palate, imparting pretty cherry and dark fruit flavours with plenty of spice and tobacco. The extremely articulate flavour shoulders a convincing tannin portion and yet steers into an intensely fruity final with terrificlength. The wine simply glides forward with its unique feel and a dynamism that is slow and long-lasting. SUPERIORE.DE

Ceretto's Barolo Bussia comes from one of the most famous cru sites bordering the municipalities of Monforte d'Alba and Barolo, sourcing its Nebbiolo fruit from a 7,000 square metre plot in Bussia Soprana in Monforte d'Alba. Just 3,500 1/1 bottles and 200 magnums are bottled.

Lodovico Antinori has always been the creative force behind Tenuta di Biserno in Bibbona. In 2018, however, he started a new project called Tenuta del Nicchio with his daughter Sophia Antinori. The winery has 12 hectares of vineyards near Bolgheri and two hectares near the village of Castagneto Carducci. Il Nicchio (debut vintage 2021) is by no means just Lodovico's "second wine". It is inspired by the magnificent St. Emilion Cheval Cheval Blanc and is mainly made from Cabernet Franc. This grape variety thrives on the complex soils of the region, which consist of silt and alluvial sand with a high clay content. Just a hint of estate Merlot is added to create a wine with a character all of its own.

"Vigna Rionda Riserva is for us every year the Barolo from Serralunga at the peak of its potential. It is the wine we are most proud of. Vigna Rionda, protagonist of the history of our winery, is one of the most sought-after and prestigious cru sites in the entire Barolo area. We are not just talking about microclimate and soil here: Something very special happens on this hill in Serralunga d'Alba, and this something gives the Vigna Rionda Riserva its life and makes it a truly unique wine." Franco Massolino

There are vineyards that have been carved by nature itself – and then there is Ventaglio. A plot of just one hectare whose rows of vines unfurl in a fan shape around a centuries-old holm oak with a magnificent crown, while ash, alder and field elm trees form the natural boundaries of this unique amphitheatre. Here, 120 metres above sea level, not far from the hills of Donoratico, the red sandy soils of the coast give way to calcareous clay soils with the characteristic stony skeleton of alluvial origin. Since 2015, Ventaglio has been the Tenuta's first single vineyard and represents a visionary project: exploring the full potential of Cabernet Franc in Bolgheri. Only vinified in exceptional vintages, a limited edition of 2,700 bottles of a wine is produced that forever redefines the boundaries between Bordeaux noblesse and Tuscan terroir authenticity.

Pianrosso: the red field. The name tells of iron-rich soils that give the Sangiovese that mineral depth that no cellar in the world can imitate. 11.7 hectares on the south-eastern edge of Montalcino, between 240 and 360 metres above sea level, where ancient marine material meets Galestro slate. Giuseppe Bianchini had the vineyard replanted in the 1980s, knowing that the heart of the winery lies dormant here. Pianrosso is only bottled in superior years, a strict selection of the best grapes, a whole year longer in Slavonian vats than the classic Brunello. 36 months in large wood, then further rest in the bottle. The result is not a wine for quick enjoyment, but a document of patience. In 2021, Montalcino produced one of those vintages that you never forget: bright September days, cool nights, perfect phenolic ripeness.

"Pianrosso" – the red plain. When Giuseppe Bianchini began planting this vineyard in 1985, he knew that the heart of his heritage would beat here, on the iron-rich Galestro soils above the Orcia Valley. Eleven hectares between 240 and 360 metres, supported by the slate and marl subsoil that was once seabed before the nearby Monte Amiata left behind its volcanic minerality. Today, his son Paolo and his son Alex continue this legacy – three generations of Bianchini, who face Montalcino's hottest zone with organic cultivation and prudent restraint. The 2020 vintage demanded everything: July heat, which led to 15.5 per cent alcohol, but underneath lies the elegance for which Castelnuovo dell'Abate is famous.

As always, Vietti's outrageously priced "entry-level" Barolo (formerly Castiglione) is based mainly on grapes from Ravera, with smaller portions from Ginestra, Mosconi, Bricco Ravera (in Monforte), Le Coste, Costabelle, Meriame, Briccolina and Codana. Ruby red colour of medium intensity. The nose is explosive, opulent, persuasive and immediate. Notes of plum, red and ripe black cherry, black cherry, rose petals and tobacco are perceptible. The palate is classic, rich, powerful, with notes of alpine herbs and a leathery finish. The tannin is already well integrated. Especially in the peak year 2021, this wine is an absolute insider tip in the winery's incredibly terrificBarolo line-up every year, and not just because of its price. SUPERIORE.DE

The heart of the Lageder revolution beats on the spectacular steep slope of the Römigberg, where Lake Kaltern stretches like a mirror at the foot of the vines. Here, on the plot of land that has always borne the name Herz – latin "Cor" – alois Lageder dared to do the impossible in 1986: In an unprecedented act of courage, he planted the first large vineyard in South Tyrol in dense planting on a wire frame, radically breaking with the centuries-old pergola tradition. What began as a scandal became a legend. Working with winegrowers from all over the world – the legendary Robert Mondavi from California and several chateau owners from Bordeaux – inspired Lageder to make this visionary decision. He recognised that the steep south-southeast-facing slopes between 250 and 330 metres, characterised by stony, gravelly dolomite limestone over ancient moraine deposits from the third ice age, had the potential for world-class wines. Here, where warm Mediterranean influences meet Alpine coolness and intense sunshine meets millions of years of geological history, conditions of unique complexity are created.

Concerto was born in 1981, a time of dynamic change in Italian viticulture. The hitherto untapped potential was recognised and experiments were carried out with new grape varieties and, for the first time, successfully with international grape varieties. It was Marchesa Carla Mazzei who spontaneously chose the name Concerto in 1981 after the first tasting of just fifteen barriques – a symphony had taken place in her glass. As one of the first ten Super Tuscans, this wine made history and revolutionised the Tuscan understanding of wine. From the Scassi vineyard in the western part of Fonterutoli, surrounded by oak forests at an altitude of 350 metres, the Sangiovese comes from mass selections from an experimental vineyard in the 1930s. And the small portion of Cabernet Sauvignon has developed a completely independent character here over four decades, far removed from the international character it develops elsewhere. The 18-month maturation in French barriques then gives the wine its noble structure without overshadowing its original elegance.

A monument of wine! Brilliant dark ruby colour. Fresh, silky, elegant - and majestic. Blackberry jam, violets, bittersweet chocolate, plus crushed rock and minerality. An opulent wine with fabulously polished tannins and considerable ageing potential. SUPERIORE.DE