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Maurizio Castelli does not like fanciful names. That is why, when naming the estate and its flagship wine, he opted for a simple yet original approach: 414 – the plot's number in the region's land registry. His Morellino has now become a true Italian classic with a modern twist. The grapes come from biodynamically farmed hills around Scansano, where the Sangiovese vines have deep roots.

Felsina's single-varietal Sangiovese wines have been produced on the south-eastern edge of the Chianti Classico region since 1967. The vineyards, facing south-west, stretch across well-ventilated slopes at altitudes of between 320 and 420 metres on geologically diverse soils comprising quartz-rich sandstone, calcareous Alberese and clay. Following hand-picking in the first three weeks of October, temperature-controlled fermentation takes place at 28–30°C with intensive maceration in stainless steel tanks for 12–15 days. Ageing lasts twelve months, predominantly in traditional medium-sized Slavonian oak barrels, supplemented by a small proportion of used barriques. 

Illuminati's Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Riparosso has a sweet aroma of violets and lavender, followed by crushed blackberries and chalk dust. It coats the palate with soft textures and ripe wild berries, which are contrasted by tart citrus fruits towards the finish. It finishes with a perfumed character and admirable length, leaving behind a layer of dusty tannins that tug at the cheeks. Very Italian – very well made. SUPERIORE.DE

Exultet – the Latin imperative that has resounded in the churches of Campania for centuries: "Rejoice!" This name encapsulates the entire philosophy of Luigi Moio, who, as one of Italy's most renowned Oenologist, has recognised that great wines require not only technical perfection, but above all a soul that inspires jubilation. When the professor transforms his science into poetry, Exultet is the most shining example of this alchemy. In the volcanic hills of Mirabella Eclano, where the Via Appia once led Roman legions through the heart of Irpinia, the Fiano grape thrives on soils that owe their formation to the eruptions of Vesuvius. This ancient connection between fire and earth shapes every drop of this extraordinary white wine.

Macrina shines in the glass in a clear straw yellow colour with a subtle green hue. The bouquet exudes enchanting notes of fresh white flowers and green apple, carried by an elegant, persistent freshness. On the palate, the wine displays lively acidity, a juicy fruit structure and a distinctive mineral note that stylishly accompanies the floral and fruity accents. The transparent, clear ageing in stainless steel emphasises the pure varietal and origin presence. A juicy Verdicchio with elegant finesse and a drinkable balance. SUPERIORE.DE

Marc de Grazia made Etna history when he rediscovered the forgotten volcanic slopes over two decades ago. His Etna Rosso – the estate's 'calling card' – now blends grapes from various vineyards at altitudes between 600 and 900 metres, where Nerello Mascalese grows on ancient volcanic soils. The vines are situated on the cool northern slopes of Mount Etna, surrounded by black pumice and lava rock – a terroir that lends every sip its unmistakable mineral character.

Primofiore means "first blossom" – and that is exactly what it is: the youngest red wine that Quintarelli releases each year. For a producer whose great wines are aged for seven years before leaving the estate, this is a deliberate exception. Nothing is rushed at Quintarelli; the wines are given the time they need in the quiet cellars above Negrar, along the Via del Cerè, right in the heart of Valpolicella. Primofiore is a blend of Corvina, Corvinone, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. However, only the Cabernet component undergoes partial drying; the Corvina and Corvinone are pressed fresh immediately after harvest, without appassimento. It is this combination – part dried, part processed immediately – that sets Primofiore apart from the estate's other wines. The wine is aged in large Slavonian oak barrels.

Whilst Santo Spirito unfolds its floral elegance at an airy altitude of 700 to 800 metres, Calderara Sottana is rooted in a completely different world. Just a few kilometres away, yet geologically distinct, this Contrada lies at an altitude of 620 to 670 metres directly adjacent to the vineyard – and it is here that the extraordinary complexity of the Etna terroir reveals itself. In Calderara Sottana, Marc de Grazia discovered one of Sicily's rarest treasures: a pure, elliptical terroir, formed 60,000 years ago by volcanic eruptions. Of the hundreds of contrade on Mount Etna, only three possess this unadulterated geological fingerprint, and Calderara is one of them. Whilst the Santo Spirito captivates with its crystalline minerality and maritime freshness, the Calderara Sottana is more opulent, creamier and warmer.

A name steeped in history, which could stand on its own: in 1987, Silvio Jermann produced this Chardonnay for the first time and dedicated it to the U2 album "The Joshua Tree", specifically the song "Where the Streets Have No Name". Originally, the wine was called "Where the Dreams Have No End..." – but over the years the name changed several times until it settled on its current, abbreviated form: "W... Dreams...".

The Krafuss Farm dates back to the Renaissance and has remained unchanged to this day. It belongs to Roland Riz, Alois Lageder's father-in-law, and is nestled amongst vineyards and orchards above St. Michael-Eppan – a historic building that bears witness to the economic importance of viticulture in this area as far back as the Middle Ages. The Lageder family has been making wine here for six generations. In 1991, the vineyard was completely recultivated and replanted exclusively with Pinot Nero, using a close-spaced spalliera training system. A decision made without compromise: no other grape varieties, no mixed cultivation, just this one variety on this one hill. In 2013, the vineyard switched to biodynamic cultivation – and since then, sheep have once again been grazing on the outskirts of Eppan, as was customary centuries ago.

For two decades, the white indigenous cuvée Biancosesto has been synonymous with one of the most original and stylistically distinctive interpretations of the Friulian white wine tradition – a poetic blend of Friulano and Ribolla Gialla, sourced from old vineyards around the historic village of Sesto al Reghena. The calcareous marl soils (Ponca) and the cool microclimate of the Colli Orientali ensure that this classic white wine displays complexity and finesse year after year.

Luigi Maffini's Kràtos is an organic wine produced in the foothills of the ancient ruins of Paestum. It spends only a short time in stainless steel tanks and is smoky yet fruit-forward, with musky notes of dried apricots, lime zest, crushed stones and sea spray forming its captivating bouquet. On the palate, it is energetic, soft in texture and packed with zesty citrus and mineral notes, balanced by a core of lively, ripe yellow apples. It finishes fresh and vigorous with notes of lemon oil and peach. For an 'entry-level Fiano', this is absolutely brilliant! SUPERIORE.DE

The Vinschgau is the driest valley in the Alps – less than 500 millimetres of rainfall per year, intense sunshine, dramatic temperature fluctuations between day and night. Not an obvious place for great wine. And yet: Franz Pratzner has believed in it since 1989 – when he gradually transformed the family fruit-growing business above Hochnaturn Castle into a vineyard. Today, Falkenstein is regarded as one of South Tyrol’s most distinctive estates. The Pinot Blanc grows on dry, ancient porphyry soil, on steep south-facing slopes between 550 and 900 metres – austere, mineral, uncompromising. Hand-harvested in mid- to late September. Then comes the estate’s hallmark: fermentation in large acacia wood casks, ten months on the coarse lees. No stainless steel neutrality, no barrique influence – acacia gives the wine a delicate, creamy texture without detracting from its freshness. This is followed by around twelve months’ bottle ageing.

Gaia Gaja overheard two farmers in the vineyard. "Idda's in a bad mood today," said one. "Yes, I don't like it when I don't know what Idda's up to," replied the other. When Gaia asked who this Idda was, Alberto Graci explained: "That's what we call the mountain. Mount Etna. Feminine, capricious and maternal all at once – a force you live with and rely on every day." Angelo Gaja had known Mount Etna long before it became a project. In the 1990s, his friend Giacomo Tachis tried to persuade him to buy vineyards here. The sight of the black volcano with its snow-capped peak, seen from the air, remained etched in his memory. Decades later, he founded Idda together with Alberto Graci – making a conscious decision to focus on Carricante and to rediscover the south-western slope, that side of Etna often described as a 'counter-current', away from the more famous northern flank.

The alluvial plains along the Adige provide the foundation for this Pinot Grigio. Gently vinified and matured in concrete tanks to preserve its purity and nuance, rather than masking them with oak – a distinctive style that earned the Merus Pinot Grigio, in the earlier 2023 vintage, the "Berebene" award from the Gambero Rosso wine guide for outstanding value. 

There is a moment in the history of Lambrusco that changed everything. In 1984, the Medici family decided to press their best wine not from an average vineyard, but from a single vineyard: Tenuta La Rampata, near Gaida in Reggio Emilia. This was a provocation – for a grape variety that was considered a mass product at the time. The Concerto became the first single-vineyard Lambrusco in the world. And it proved that this idea was not hubris. 100% Lambrusco Salamino, organically grown on clay soils, Cordone speronato, yields far below the maximum permitted quantities. Spontaneous fermentation in steel, stopping at the desired alcohol content, second fermentation using the Charmat method at the lowest temperatures – to preserve every hint of fruit. Officially certified organic since the 2020 harvest.

"Atheist" is a provocative name for a wine that was first produced in 1989 – at a time when international grape varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot had no official place in the Tuscan wine hierarchy. Anyone who planted and marketed them was challenging the established rules. Ateo was Ciacci Piccolomini's response: a small rebellion that went on to become one of the estate's classics. The wine blends two international varieties with the native Sangiovese: Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot from vineyards first harvested in 1989, complemented by the Tuscan soul. The soils are medium-grained, rich in Eocene marl, at altitudes of 240 to 360 metres. Fermentation takes place in steel and glazed concrete tanks at a controlled temperature.

107 hectares. That's all. Across the entire Valdobbiadene Denominazione, which stretches across 15 municipalities and thousands of hectares of steep slopes, there is exactly one hill that has been demarcated by its own regulations since 1969 – a golden pentagon, as the locals call it, whose plots measure on average barely two tenths of a hectare. Cartizze is the grand cru of Veneto. Andreola sources his grapes from the "Cartizze Alto" sub-region – the limestone-rich ridge of the hill, where marl and sandstone alternate, the soils are flat and rich in minerals, and the perfect south-facing aspect balances the "Alta Collina" climate. Temperatures remain mild and stable – cooler than in the valley floor, warmer than the exposed steep slopes surrounding it. It is precisely this balance that produces a Glera of exceptional ripeness and aromatic complexity. The grapes come from long-standing contract growers who have been supplying Andreola for generations – because Cartizze is not a vineyard you can simply buy. If you’re lucky, you might cultivate a fraction of it.

This is the sunny elegance of Sicily at its best: Terebinto is a single-varietal Grillo from the sustainably farmed Monte Cirami and Gurra vineyards near Menfi. The colour in the glass is a brilliant canary yellow, clear, lively and inviting. The aroma is typical, but loaded with precision and freshness: Pineapple, white melon rind, Granny Smith apple, chunky rice grains and prickly pear. Fresh, energetic and finely structured on the palate – vibrant acidity meets lush but clear fruit. The minerality remains present, balanced and deep, especially due to the altitude and the cool influence of the nearby sea. Ideal with fine seafood dishes, green antipasti or simply on its own, Terebinto is a modern classic from Menfi. SUPERIORE.DE

Elisabetta Geppetti is more than just a winemaker – she is the "Signora del Morellino", that dynamic woman who, at the age of just 20, took the reins of the family-owned winery and helped the Maremma gain international renown. When she pressed the first Morellino in 1985, she laid the foundations for a success story that continues to this day. This wine is Le Pupille's calling card, both in terms of quantity and quality – a consistent, authentic expression of the terroir between Pereta and Magliano in Toscana.

If only it were true. This Italian idiom, full of longing and hope, lends its name to Angelo Gaja's Tuscan masterpiece, *Magari*, and tells the story of a dream that became reality. When the Piedmontese patriarch first explored the Maremma coast in the 1990s, he saw the potential for something extraordinary in the rolling hills of Bolgheri. It took eighteen rounds of negotiations to acquire the Ca' Marcanda estate – "the house of endless negotiations", as it has been known ever since.

The name says it all: '61 commemorates the birth year of the very first Franciacorta and the first rosé Metodo Classico in Italy, which also came from Berlucchi. This line embodies the legacy of the pioneers Guido Berlucchi and Franco Ziliani in its purist form: Millesimato, Dosaggio Zero, without any compromise. The 2018 rosé comes from 100% Pinot Nero from the company's own vineyards Ragnoli, Quindicipiò and Gaspa in Corte Franca – all with a high planting density of 10,000 vines per hectare. The strict selection results in only 6,000 kg of grapes per hectare with a must yield of only 33%, which corresponds to 2,640 bottles. To achieve the characteristic rosé colour, some of the grapes are cold macerated for around 24 hours, while the rest is vinified as Blanc de Noirs. After fermentation in stainless steel, the base wines mature for six months on the lees, partly in barriques. This is followed by a second fermentation in the bottle and maturation on the lees for at least 60 months – five years, during which the wine develops its remarkable depth.

It was 1959 when Count Giuseppe Tasca d'Almerita set his sights on a hill on his Regaleali estate, which the farmers simply called San Lucio – after the small chapel that stood at the top. He planted Perricone and Nero d'Avola on this hill, in the heart of Sicily, far from any seashore, on clayey soil at an altitude of around 500 metres. Both ripened late, both deeply rooted in the island. What followed was no ordinary wine, but an assertion: that Sicily needs no apology. The first Rosso del Conte was produced from the 1970 harvest and was the island's first single-vineyard cru – at a time when Sicily was primarily known for mass-produced wines and the rest of Italy hardly looked at it. Count Giuseppe wanted to create a red wine that could compete with the world's great reds – without Cabernet, without Merlot, without a foreign language. Only the island itself.

Termeno gave the Gewürztraminer its name. Whether the grape variety actually originates from this village in southern South Tyrol is a matter of scientific debate. What is not in dispute, however, is that nowhere else in the world does the Gewürztraminer feel quite so at home as on the slopes around Termeno. Hofstätter, one of the historic estates of the Unterland region, has been rooted here for generations. Joseph is at the heart of this conviction. Fermentation takes place after just a few hours' skin contact, exclusively in steel at a maximum of 16 to 20°C – no oak to overpower the aromatics. The result is intended to be the Gewürztraminer in its purest form: precise and well-defined. The soils around Termeno are marly, light, well-aerated and warm up quickly – a terroir that promotes ripening whilst preserving the aromatics.