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At the very top of the Serradenari parcel, the fruit grows for an exceptional Barolo, with which the young winemaker Giulia Negri has truly created a monument to herself. Marassio clearly benefits from the cool climate of Piedmont's high altitudes and will therefore hardly change its character even if the climate continues to change.

Tasting the different lots of Il Marroneto from the barrel is a fascinating task. The vines are all similarly situated at high altitude, on coarse sand of marine origin, and predominantly north-facing. While they have subtle differences, the distinct character of Madonna delle Grazie often merits a separate bottling - as the 2018 proves. The aromas take on the darkest, most heady purple florals, tangled in allspice and smoky incense. The wine is muscular with firm tannins that grip it tightly and don't let go, though it is never beefy, heavy or angular. At the moment it is still developing, but the finish already reveals a refined balsamic core and a spicy, salted plum. SUPERIORE.DE

This is not a wine – this is a legend. Giuseppe "Bepi" Quintarelli, the "Maestro del Veneto", is considered the father of Amarone, the man who redefined an entire appellation over six decades and inspired generations of winemakers. His Amarone is only produced in exceptional years; in normal vintages, the "Rosso del Bepi" is produced, in weak years nothing at all. The 2018 marks one of these rare moments. The cuvée of 55% Corvina and Corvinone, 30% Rondinella and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, Nebbiolo, Croatina and Sangiovese follows a ritual that extends over many years: half of the grapes are processed fresh, while the other half dries for five months in ventilated chambers until the end of January, losing up to 30% of its water content and concentrating sugar, flavours and structure. Botrytis – noble rot – is deliberately encouraged, a risky endeavour that only masters can master. Pressing is followed by 20 days of maceration, then 45 days of slow fermentation with wild yeasts. What follows is a patience that seems almost forgotten today: seven years of ageing in large Slavonian oak barrels.

A masterpiece of depth, tradition and elegance! This Amarone matures for around six years in the barrel before it sees the light of day in the bottle. The archetype of the Venetian royal wine presents itself as multi-layered and dense and of a masterly complexity. On the nose, dried fruit, dates, nuts, earthy notes and the fine flavours of dried sultanas. On the palate, this infinite depth is paired with an elegance and finesse that only the Quintarelli family can master. A red wine from a better world, where you want to linger longer! SUPERIORE.DE

In 2022, the Nonino family presented the ÙE Cru Schioppettino "18 anni" Monovitigno Riserva, matured for 18 years under customs seal in Nevers oak barrel no. 405. There are 460 numbered 0.70 litre bottles.

Sibi et paucis – for the few who understand that great wines are not in a hurry. Sandrone retains around 10 per cent of the production from each Aleste vintage and allows these bottles to mature for a full decade longer in his own cellar. What could have been released in September 2019 remains dormant until today – and is becoming something that goes beyond regular Barolo.

Just a few years after his highly acclaimed Cuvée Luigi Moio, the quiet quality leader from the up-and-coming Campania wine region is following up with a red counterpart to his white blueprint for the entire region. Luigi states: "A great wine is a project that must first arise in the mind and then gradually become a reality through knowledge, creativity, care and patience." SUPERIORE.DE

The Brunello di Montalcino Riserva 2019 is a fully impressive creation with a unique and interesting interpretation of this classic vintage. The wine is bold and bright, with great intensity that accompanies it from start to finish. Dark cherry and blackberry flavours stand in balanced contrast to layers of spice, cumin and cardamom. Despite its intensity and richness, this Riserva is very balanced and never oversteps its bounds. The same applies to the mouthfeel. On the palate, it offers a dense, rich texture with complex fruit flavours and bright acidity. The 2019 vintage is once again an exceptional wine from this incredibly ambitious winery! SUPERIORE.DE

Nibbio is a truly outstanding Chardonnay, hand-picked from a vineyard of just over one hectare on Monte Nibbio in Umbria, which is situated at a lofty height of 520 metres above sea level and belongs to the Castello della Sala estate. The site has cool north-eastern exposures and dense forests at lower altitudes that insulate the temperature. It is the second vintage of the latest passion project of Piero Antinori and his famous OenologistRenzo Cotarella. Nibbio combines Antinori's winemaking traditions with the unique characteristics of the terroir and follows on seamlessly from the path taken 35 years ago with Cervaro della Sala.

High above the Umbrian hills, where the shadows of Monte Nibbio cast their shadow over the ancient walls of the Castello della Sala, a bird of prey circles over a dream that has been decades in the making. Nibbio – the red kite – gave this mountain its name, and today the most ambitious white wine in the entire Antinori empire bears the same name as the majestic bird of prey that has watched over this spectacular landscape for centuries. It is the story of a man and his vision: Renzo Cotarella, winemaker and CEO of Antinori, was born here in Umbria and for decades cherished a dream that bordered on obsession. While the world celebrated Antinori's Tuscan red wine legends, Renzo saw something else – a terroir on Monte Nibbio that could produce the best white wine in Italy. A bold claim for a region that stands in the shadow of famous Tuscany, but Renzo had to prove it. Not only to himself, but also to Piero Antinori, who remained sceptical for years until he finally capitulated and even gave Nibbio his personal signature as the only wine of the entire Antinori dynasty.

Nibbio is a truly outstanding Chardonnay, hand-picked from a vineyard of just over one hectare on Monte Nibbio in Umbria, which is situated at a lofty height of 520 metres above sea level and belongs to the Castello della Sala estate. The site has cool north-eastern exposures and dense forests at lower altitudes that insulate the temperature. It is the second vintage of the latest passion project of Piero Antinori and his famous OenologistRenzo Cotarella. Nibbio combines Antinori's winemaking traditions with the unique characteristics of the terroir and follows on seamlessly from the path taken 35 years ago with Cervaro della Sala.

San Walfredo – a Merlot that breathes history. Named after the Antinori family saint, this Bolgheri Superiore not only stands for excellence, but also for a conscious pause in the flow of modernity. The grapes come from a single plot, from an old, gravel-rich strip of alluvial soil near the sea. The combination of intense sunshine, good aeration and broodingsoils produces grapes of rare concentration and balance. The 2019 vintage got off to a cool start with late budding and an ideal growing season. September brought warm days and cool nights – perfect conditions for a balance of ripeness and freshness. The grapes were harvested exclusively by hand, plot by plot. Fermentation took place in conical stainless steel tanks, with a long maceration period, followed by 18 months of maturation in new French barriques and subsequent rest in the bottle.

Appius is the winery's flagship wine. The elegant, very aromatic cuvée from the white varieties Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Pinot Gris matures for one year in wood and three years on the fine lees in stainless steel. The nose has a complex aroma of tropical fruit and floral notes, flint, white chocolate and mint. Powerful, expansive and long on the palate. A marvellous white wine. SUPERIORE.DE

Decanted, tested and re-corked at the winery | Ruby red colour with violet reflections and a black core. Dark forest berries such as blackberries and mulberries on the nose, underpinned by warm undergrowth notes. Then ripe blood oranges and subtle cedar notes. On the palate, it is defined by flavours of liquorice, the tannins are close-knit and low-pore, reminiscent of the finest dark chocolate and control the generously juicy fruit with their delicate play. Armed for many years of bottle ageing, we recommend reaching for a carafe in its youthful stage. Then it reveals itself with stimulatingly tart flavours of dark tobacco and enormous pressure, dark, dense and rich with an orchestral finish. 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

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.

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.

A wine like a contemporary document: the Selezione Vecchie Vigne 2000 by Emidio pepstands for a unique quality standard - biodynamically produced, matured for decades, then uncorked by hand, checked by Emidio, re-corked and only then released for sale. The result is a rarity that not only bottles history, but brings it back to life. The grapes come from the estate's oldest vines, some of which are ungrafted, cultivated according to biodynamic principles and harvested in a peak vintage with a mild spring, hot summer and small, concentrated harvest. Fermentation took place spontaneously, without temperature control, in glass fibre vats - ageing without wood, without filtration.

The 2001 was also held back at the winery for decades, only to be opened by hand, tested, re-corked and only released when fully ripe, according to Emidio peptried and tested ritual. It is this unique combination of artisanal care, patient maturation and uncompromising authenticity that makes Vecchie Vigne a vinological event. The year 2001 was somewhat more balanced in Abruzzo than 2000: a cooler spring followed by a warm, well-ventilated summer - perfect conditions for structured, finely differentiated wines with staying power. The grapes come from ancient Montepulciano vines, fermented spontaneously in glass fibre vats, without temperature control, matured in glass fibre and cement vats and in the bottle.

"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.

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

A monument of wine! Brilliant dark ruby. 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

Dal Forno's Amarone della Valpolicella 2018 is, as always, convincing across the board. With a little air, the tannins soften and release a variety of intense dark aromas and flavours. Dark chocolate, cloves, violets, plums and blackberry jam coat every inch of the palate in a stunning Amarone that captures all the best qualities of the vintage. When Romano Dal Forno's wines are on a roll, there's nothing quite like it, and that's certainly the case here. Needs a lot of air when young, experienced connoisseurs will practise patience. SUPERIORE.DE

There is no announcement calendar for this wine. No planned release date, no market strategy. Marco Dal Forno has opened his treasure trove – and pulled out the 2011. That's all you need to know. Romano Dal Forno makes his decisions in the vineyard, not in the cellar. Only vines over ten years old provide grapes for the Amarone – only the best sites on Monte Lodoletta. After the harvest, three months of appassimento in the drying rooms of the well-ventilated Lodoletta: the berries lose up to 40 per cent of their weight, what remains is concentration in its purest form. Fermentation in steel tanks with computer-controlled pump-overs, at least 24 months in new barriques, then years – many years – in the bottle. The vintage itself was full of surprises: started cool, exploded in August, cooled down for the harvest.