Organic

Copper-coloured with light brown reflections. The bouquet is floral, sweet and complex. On the palate, its typical Moscato flavours are carried by honey, dried fruit, caramel and a hint of musk. Creamy and dense on the palate with a well-balanced acidity that gives it plenty of freshness. Overall, Aestas Passito is a dessert wine for us that is hard to beat in terms of excitement and speciality and where you can feel the dedication and certain wine craziness with every sip. SUPERIORE.DE

Maldafrica describes an "inner longing for a distant land" and is not love at first sight, but it is one of Sicily's most interesting wines. It is initially very subtle and nuanced and it opens up gradually on its own timetable, but then: spontaneously fermented in amphorae, Maldafrica overwhelms the senses with dark fruits, spices, chopped herbs, savoury notes, sulphur, leather and damp tobacco. Its mouthfeel is over a minute long and its acidity provides the perfect amount of astringency to refresh the senses for all its opulence. A quiet monument that sets the standard for the entire wine region and leaves a lasting impression for all its longing. SUPERIORE.DE

Ceretto's Langhe Rosso Monsordo is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah with fruit from 11 hectares in the Langa region. It penetrates into areas that Ceretto's master grape, Nebbiolo, never addresses. Monsordo attempts to provide answers to questions that are rarely asked in the Langa, and he answers them with fine extract sweetness and fullness.

The grapes come mainly from the historic Russeghine vineyard above the town of Ranzo Borgo. The character of the Pigato here is of particular depth and minerality, which is due to the exceptional terroir and the long maturation on the fine lees. Bright straw yellow in colour with light green reflections. Fragrant nose of herbs, yellow fruit and traces of pine resin. Full and long-lasting flavour with beautiful spiciness and aromas of citrus and almond, then again this beguiling, deep minerality at the end. SUPERIORE.DE

Bernardina is a wine with an interesting history. The Bernardina vineyard was once part of a 600-hectare estate belonging to a noble family who did not care much for wine. When the appellation boundaries for Barolo were established, this family never lobbied to become part of the area now registered for the production of Barolo DOCG. Today, the vineyard is managed by the Ceretto family, who have instead focussed on the production of Nebbiolo d'Alba. Nebbiolo d'Alba is an appellation in which the grapes from the Barolo and Barbaresco wine regions have been declassified and which is becoming increasingly popular.

The grapes are harvested at the end of August when they are ripe and then dried in the fruit cellar in 5kg crates at 23⁰C. After around 40 days, when half their weight has been lost, the grapes are pressed and the resulting must, which is particularly rich in sugar, ferments slowly at 18°C for over a month in stainless steel containers, where it remains until bottling. Light golden yellow in colour, with a fine bouquet of orange blossom, some quince, apricot and peach. Sparkling on the palate with surprisingly lively acidity, spreads out beautifully, with orange peel and some grapefruit on the long final. SUPERIORE.DE

Multi-layered aroma, lots of dark cherry fruit, delicate herbal spice and cedar flavours. Juicy dark wild cherries on the palate, ripe, perfectly integrated tannins, elegant and delicate, fine mineral spice, surprisingly full-bodied and animating. A representative of the appellation that opens up beautifully and hits the right notes, like something out of a picture book! SUPERIORE.DE

A name that tells stories: Grign is Cavallatto's affectionate abbreviation for Grignolino – the enigmatic grape variety whose name is derived from the Piedmontese "grignole" and means "many seeds". This thin-skinned grape actually has four to seven seeds per berry instead of the usual two, which gives the wine its characteristic tannin structure. Native to the Monferrato hills since the 13th century, Grignolino was once considered as precious as Barolo – until the fashion for heavier wines pushed it into the shadows. This 2024 comes from a parcel in the middle of the Bricco Boschis, which matures for twelve months in stainless steel tanks after a five-day skin maceration with indigenous yeasts. This careful treatment preserves Grignolino's fragile elegance and tames its wild nature to aristocratic finesse.

Bolgheri Rosso 2023 conveys a powerful image with Mediterranean gravitas. The grapes come from the windy slopes between Castagneto Carducci and Bolgheri – an ancient region that Grattamacco characterised in 1977 as one of the first important addresses alongside Sassicaia. Brilliant ruby colour with a sparkling rim in the glass. The nose opens with dark fruits such as sour cherry and plum, along with delicately bitter-sweet spices, leather notes and a hint of Mediterranean herbs. Velvety and full-bodied on the palate, with juicy fruit, subtle tobacco notes and a lively, fresh acidity. Fine-grained tannins provide tension and respectable length. The mineral-influenced, gripping finish bears the unmistakable signature of the Bolgheri coast. A cleverly crafted, very inviting red wine with beautiful fidelity to its origins. SUPERIORE.DE

Exciting, balsamic, white cuvée from Vermentino, Trebbiano and Malvasia - with a handful of Traminer and Riesling. Initially reductive on the nose, then dark yellow fruit, some smoke. Very direct, straightforward and grippingly mineral on the palate, with crisp acidity, citrus zest and fine juicy yellow fruit. Lingers on the palate for a long time and, with its race and alpine freshness, makes you briefly forget that this linear and very concise white wine comes from Tuscany. SUPERIORE.DE

Famous, single-varietal Fiano from calcareous, clayey-sandy soils in the Contrada Dispensa near Menfi. Bright straw yellow in colour with a greenish tinge. The bouquet is complex and full of finesse: white flowers, Williams pear, ripe citrus fruit and a hint of exotic notes such as passion fruit and guava, underpinned by a salty, almost chalky nuance. Silky and broad on the palate, with polished fruit, lively acidity and a cool minerality. The texture appears creamy, but remains clearly contoured and convincingly expresses its origin. Cometa impressively demonstrates that Fiano can shine not only in Campania: Planeta moulds it into one of the most distinctive white wines in Sicily – confident, independent and stylistically unmistakable. An elegant soloist with depth and potential. SUPERIORE.DE

Le Rive: the steep slope. In Venetian dialect, this term describes those rugged, 45-degree south-facing slopes where only the bravest winegrowers cultivate their most precious grapes. Since 1992, the Tessari family has been harvesting their most overripe Garganega grapes from ancient vines on a single hectare in the UGA Fittà – only at the end of October, when the first mists of autumn drift over the hills. What happens in these steep rows is natural alchemy: Garganega "surmatura", overripe and concentrated by months of sunshine, develops a golden complexity that few wines in the world can match. 20 days of fermentation in large French oak barrels, 15 months on the lees without a single racking, then a further 12 months of bottle ageing. Patience as a craft.

Ginestrino comes from younger Nebbiolo vines in Barolo vineyards around Monforte d'Alba, whose calcareous marl soils with clayey and sandy veins give the wine a precise structure and fine minerality. Bright garnet red with ruby-coloured reflections. Red cherry, raspberry and rosehip on the nose, accompanied by hints of violets, dried herbs and a delicate spiciness. Fresh and straightforward on the palate, with clear fruit, well-integrated acidity and fine-grained tannins that give the young Nebbiolo contour and length. After fermentation, it matures for around nine months in used French barriques, which rounds off its structure and gives it fine, harmonious wood notes. An authentic expression of great Barolo terroirs in youthful form. SUPERIORE.DE

The same hills, the same family, the same philosophy – what applies to the wine also applies to the oil. Around a thousand olive trees grow on the slopes of Monti in Chianti, mainly Correggiolo with some Moraiolo in between, in mixed cultivation with fruit trees according to old tradition. Marco Ricasoli Firidolfi harvests by hand before the olives are fully ripe – lower yields, but acidity levels below 0.2% and a wealth of polyphenols. The olives are pressed on the day of harvest, under nitrogen, to prevent any oxidation.

Santa Cecilia is Planeta's Nero d'Avola icon – born in the barren, sun-baked cultural landscape of Noto, on white limestone soils that give the variety depth, elegance and saltiness. A dense ruby red colour with a purple core in the glass. The bouquet opens with ripe black cherry, plum and mulberry, flanked by balsamic herbs, black tea, some liquorice and a fine graphite note. Powerful on the palate, but never overpowering: dense, ripe fruit meets a firm tannin structure that is well integrated and lends length. The acidity is precisely set, the finish is long and carried by a salty nuance that reflects the terroir of Contrada Buonivini. An expressive, high-class Nero d'Avola with a profile of origin, character and an ageing process that enhances rather than masks the variety. For Planeta, it has been a reference and expression of a new, confident Sicily for years. SUPERIORE.DE

Giovanni Manetti's white exotic wine from the legendary Conca d'Oro in Panzano: "È per divertirmi", something for your own pleasure, as the patron of Fontodi likes to say with a grin. While his Sangiovese wines enjoy worldwide fame, one of the most beautiful Tuscan white wine rarities is made from 100% Sauvignon Blanc from the La Rota vineyards. The north-west facing plot has been strategically chosen: Here, the vegetation grows more slowly and the grapes are spared the intense summer heat of Tuscany. This organically certified rarity is produced in only 8,000 bottles per year. After manual harvesting, temperature-controlled fermentation takes place in stainless steel tanks, with part of the wine being vinified in amphorae and untoasted barrels. The six-month maturation on the lees in steel tanks preserves the wine's characteristic purity and freshness.

Lamole. Giovanni Manetti has long regarded this zone as one of the most distinctive in Chianti Classico. At an altitude of 620 metres, far from the heart of the region, a few plots of old Sangiovese vines survived the wave of deforestation in the 1970s. Giovanni took cuttings from these Alberello vines from the 1920s to grow his own vines in Panzano: the foundation for Fontodi's quality. This wine is made from seven hectares of Macigno sandstone, whose loose, permeable structure ensures elegance and finesse. Cool nights, long growing season, south-south-west exposure. The sandy soils give the Sangiovese a lightness that is clearly different from the powerful wines from Panzano. Vinification in concrete, certified organic.

Villa di Capezzana has been the Tenuta's flagship since 1925 and is a living testimony to Tuscan wine culture. This Carmignano DOCG epitomises the vision of the Contini Bonacossi family, who for five generations have been cultivating the heritage of a wine estate whose first documented mention dates back to 804. In 1975, Carmignano was the first Tuscan DOC zone ever to officially include Cabernet Sauvignon in the assemblage – centuries before the Super Tuscans discovered this idea for themselves. The tradition goes back to the 16th century, when Caterina de' Medici had Cabernet cuttings brought to Carmignano from Bordeaux.

A captivating Pinot Nero with a poetic expression of the Langhe terroir: strictly selected grapes from organically farmed vineyards are vinified with the utmost care. After manual harvesting and fermentation, the wine matures for 18 months in tonneaux, which give it structure without masking its freshness. The ageing process combines depth with elegant finesse – an art that Vajra has mastered for many years.

Animalucente consists mainly of Carricante from 70-100 year old vines, some of which are still ungrafted. Shiny, ethereal and extravagant in the glass, the bright colour is reminiscent of a lava flow in a wild and romantic setting. The palate is extremely flavoursome, vertical, with a tangy acidity and creaminess that makes you want to drink the next glass. Animalucente is a strong, forward and very authentic Etna wine and the perfect fusion of heaven and earth. SUPERIORE.DE

The grapes for Poggio Anticos Rosso have always come from 100% Brunello vineyards and the wine is a real insider tip for Montalcino lovers. Several of the vineyards have been certified organic since 2022. After some aeration, it beguiles the nose with an overwhelming bouquet of spices, ripe red cherries and fine leather notes. Full, firm and fleshy on the palate, the structure is very polished and balanced. A Rosso that could easily be a Brunello with a little patience and further bottle ageing: precise, delicious and with a beautiful, long final full of depth and a delightful aftertaste. SUPERIORE.DE