Luca Maroni

Intense ruby red with a sparkling centre. Suculé immediately shows that it wants to be more than a classic Barbera. The fragrance caresses the senses with ripe sour cherry, blackberry, rose petals and a fine hint of vanilla – a complex, inviting bouquet. Velvety and dense on the palate and perfectly balanced: juicy red fruit meets a harmonious structure, a supporting sweetness and a subtle hint of minerality on the finish. Maturation for 18 months in barriques ensures velvety depth and length. A powerful but elegantly interwoven Barbera with format and accessibility. SUPERIORE.DE

Dark, almost impenetrable ruby red colour with violet reflections. The aroma combines ripe black cherry, blackberry and cassis with fine notes of liquorice, dark chocolate and a spicy hint of pepper. A gentle smokiness from the ageing in barriques frames the multi-layered bouquet. Full-bodied on the palate, with juicy fruit fullness and velvety embedded tannins. The cuvée of Barbera, Merlot, Nebbiolo and Cabernet Sauvignon combines power and elegance, while the fresh acidity ensures balance. The long, spicy finish makes you want to savour the next sip. A modern Langhe Rosso full of character that skilfully combines international grape varieties with a Piedmontese heart. SUPERIORE.DE

A Nero d'Avola with charm and esprit: Sherazade is a modern interpretation of Sicily's most famous red grape variety. The name is reminiscent of the storyteller from 1001 Nights – and indeed, this wine tells of the fertile warmth of the south with appealing lightness and seductiveness. The colour in the glass is a bright ruby red with a violet rim. The bouquet exudes juicy cherries, ripe wild berries and floral notes, accompanied by a hint of sweet spices. Soft, round and harmonious on the palate, with a moderate structure, fine fruit and an animating drinking flow. Uncomplicated, charming and full of Sicilian joie de vivre. SUPERIORE.DE

Silìneo – a neologism born from the fusion of "sinuoso" (supple) and "lineo" (linear). The name epitomises what this wine is all about: elegance, suppleness, balance and harmony. It is the most classic wine from Fattoria del Cerro and has been the most successful for years. Silìneo is made from 90 per cent Sangiovese (locally called Prugnolo Gentile) and ten per cent Merlot and Colorino, from vineyards in Acquaviva di Montepulciano on soils of marine Pliocene origin with clay and silt between 250 and 400 metres above sea level. After manual harvesting, fermentation takes place with maceration at 24 to 28°C with daily overflow and délestage. The wine then matures for seven months in tonneaux, followed by eleven months in large Slavonian oak barrels.

A top-class Valpolicella, fine and haunting spicy flavour with a full and fleshy fruit development of blackberries and cherries. Medium to full-bodied with good intensity and a firm tannin structure, with a wonderfully pleasant bitter note on the long finish. The delicious harmony between aroma and flavour is a delight. SUPERIORE.DE

Prugnolo Gentile – is the name given to Sangiovese in Montepulciano. And mammolo simply means violet in Italian. Anyone who knows the aromas of this wine will understand why the Corradi-De Ferrari family uses both: 85% Prugnolo Gentile for freshness and fruit, 15% Mammolo for the floral perfume that makes this Rosso unmistakable. Boscarelli has been producing Prugnolo as Rosso di Montepulciano since 1989 – from the youngest, most fragrant vines in the Cervognano cru vineyard at 280 to 350 metres, on calcareous alluvial soil with sand, silt and clay. Organic cultivation. Hand-picked in crates, selection at the sorting table, natural yeast fermentation in steel, 6 months maturation in glazed cement tanks.

Triusco comes from the estate's oldest plots in the classic DOC zone around Manduria. The Primitivo vines are deeply rooted in red sand/clay soil on a limestone base – ideal conditions for density and aromatic ripeness. After temperature-controlled fermentation, the wine matures for six months in barriques and a further four months in stainless steel. Dark ruby red in the glass with a violet tinge. Aromas of ripe blackberry, black cherry, some plum, cinnamon and tobacco. Soft, dense and spicy on the palate, with rich fruit, supple tannins and a warm, lingering final. An expressive Primitivo with structure, elegance and depth. SUPERIORE.DE

Serrocielo is the elegant cru version of Falanghina – vinified from selected parcels around Benevento, whose altitude and limestone-clay soils give the grape variety expression and finesse. Pale straw yellow in colour with silvery reflections. Precise aromas of lime zest, white peach, herbs and a hint of wet chalk on the nose. Straightforward and delicately flavoured on the palate, with mineral tension, well-integrated acidity and a delicate melting finish. Maturation in stainless steel tanks preserves the purity, while the selective hand-picking ensures depth. A Falanghina full of character with cool elegance – interpreted in a modern way without denying its southern Italian soul. SUPERIORE.DE

The name is a reference: the Brenta, the river that runs through the Veneto region from the Alps to the lagoon – sometimes gently, sometimes with vigour. The wine is very similar. 55% Merlot, 45% Cabernet Sauvignon from the best vineyards of the Breganze DOC, on volcanic-tuff soil. Hand-picked, maceration for several days, fermentation in steel tanks. During ageing, the wine is divided: one half remains in steel, the other matures for twelve months in French barriques – one third of which is new.

Only one wine ever bears the name of the estate – and there is a reason for this. The Montecucco Rosso Riserva is the centrepiece of production: the wine that most directly expresses the philosophy of the estate. Italian passion meets Swiss precision – is how the Tipa Bertarelli family itself describes its approach. In the glass, this is convincing every year anew. 80% Sangiovese, 10% Ciliegiolo, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon – grapes from vineyards on sandstone, marl and clay at 300 metres. Spontaneous fermentation on natural yeast in temperature-controlled steel tanks, followed by 16 months of ageing: the Sangiovese in 40-hectolitre oak barrels, Ciliegiolo and Cabernet in 500-litre French oak Liters.

Barbaspinosa comes from the hills around Poggio la Mozza – characterised by ferruginous clay soils that give the Sangiovese backbone and depth. The wine is aged for twelve months, partly in barriques and partly in large wooden barrels. Ruby red in colour with a slightly lighter rim. The bouquet smells of black cherry, plum, Maremma herbs, some tobacco and a hint of leather. Powerful but well-balanced on the palate, with ripe fruit, grippy tannins and fine spice. The vintage gives fullness, but remains surprisingly fresh thanks to the cool nights. A Sangiovese full of character with a Tuscan soul – down-to-earth, honest and with a distinctive expression of the Maremma. SUPERIORE.DE

A red wine with character – irresistible in its depth and yet with supple elegance. Noras comes from 90% Cannonau (Grenache) and 10% Carignano and is harvested from old vines rooted in sandy-granitic soils deep in the Sulcis terroir. After late manual harvesting, the must ferments at a controlled 22-24 °C for 12 days in stainless steel tanks, accompanied by regular pumping over to optimise extraction. Malolactic fermentation takes place early and spontaneously, followed by around six months of maturation in used French barriques. Before it is released for sale, Noras matures for a further six months in the bottle – a maturation and ageing process that gives it depth and elegance.

A Pinot Grigio with substance and origin: the grapes for this classic white wine come from the chalky flysch soils of the Colli Orientali, where cooler nights and good aeration ensure aromatic clarity and freshness. Pale straw yellow in the glass with a greenish tinge. The aroma is typical of the variety and delicate: yellow apple, pear, white flowers and a hint of lemon zest. Dry, lively and straightforward on the palate, with fine fruit, subtle minerality and balanced acidity. An elegant representative of its grape variety, not focussing on superficial fruit, but on balance and drinking flow. SUPERIORE.DE

Tunella's Friulano is an archetype straight out of a picture book – authentic, balanced and with fine depth. The vines grow on the typical Ponca soils of the Colli Orientali, whose limestone-marl structure lends the wine mineral tension. White-fleshed fruit, almond blossom, ripe apple and a delicate hint of hay on the nose. Fresh yet gentle on the palate, with a soft texture, moderate acidity and a slightly almondy final typical of the variety. The 2025 vintage brings clarity, harmony and freshness to the glass – a characterful all-rounder with a strong regional identity. SUPERIORE.DE

Mozart knew what he was doing. In the second act of Don Giovanni, his hero calls for wine – and it is the Marzemino that he desires: "Eccellente Marzemino!" It was to be his last indulgence before his just punishment. The variety, which is related to Refosco and Teroldego, has lost little of its seductive power since then. Maculan cultivates it in Fara Vicentino, on a vineyard called Cornorotto – volcanic tuff hills, mineral-rich soil. The grapes are lightly dried for a week before being placed in steel tanks – a quiet trick that brings concentration and depth without heaviness.

"We want this land to say: Barbera. We've always thought that, ever since the first vineyards that grandfather Giuseppe left to his father Giacomo, where grapes were grown for La Monella. Then the ones between Rocchetta and Belveglio (the vineyards of Bricco dell'Uccellone), which mother Anna brought as a dowry, and the vineyards of Montebruna, which we bought and merged - and which we still look at with great pride." Familie Bologna

The grapes for the Galea Vernatsch come from old vines that grow on gravel and porphyry soils. Bright ruby colour, vinous aromas and an appetisingly fresh scent of red cherries. Juicy and fruity on the palate, with velvety tannins, harmonious with fine minerality and good length. SUPERIORE.DE

In the gently rolling hills of Contessa Entellina in western Sicily, where Mediterranean winds meet calcareous clay soils, a Chardonnay with an unmistakable island character is produced year after year: La Fuga. The vines grow at medium altitudes of between 200 and 600 metres, benefiting from significant temperature differences between day and night, and develop an expressive range of aromas – a far cry from the opulent style of many international examples of the variety.

Soente – a name that comes from the abbreviation of "sovente" (often), open and bright in sound. This pure Viognier comes from the Tenuta Montiano in the heart of Lazio, where the Cotarella family has been experimenting for years with international grape varieties that have adapted perfectly to the climate and soils of this area. Five hectares at an altitude of three hundred metres, loose, skeleton-rich soils – ideal conditions for a Viognier with freshness and aromatic depth.

For over three decades, this Salice Salentino Riserva has been the undisputed flagship of Cantine Due Palme – and a wine that proves year after year that greatness and a co-operative structure need not be a contradiction in terms. The Tre Bicchieri of the Gambero Rosso? For Selvarossa, this has long been a subscription. No other Apulian red wine has won this top award so consistently, and at a price-pleasure ratio that even cuvées four times more expensive regularly fail to achieve. The story of Selvarossa begins shortly after the turn of the millennium, when Angelo Maci – fourth generation of an old winemaking family and founder of Due Palme – realised his vision of uncompromising quality production. What began in 1989 with fifteen members now unites over a thousand winegrowers who together cultivate 2,500 hectares of vineyards in the provinces of Brindisi, Lecce and Taranto. The name Selvarossa – "red forest" – refers to the characteristic red-coloured, clayey soils around Cellino San Marco, rich in minerals, graphite and iron oxides, which give the terroir its unmistakable character.

Tenuta Missoj is a small winery in Mizzole with just 3.5 hectares of vineyards and is owned by the Campagnola family. The vineyards are situated at an altitude of 200 metres on a well-ventilated and exposed hill, where the grapes can reach perfect and complete ripeness. The new prestige wine Valpolicella Ripasso "Tenuta di Missoj" comes from these soils, which already impressively showcased the typical characteristics of the appellation in the 2019 debut vintage.