Limited

At an altitude of 750 metres, where the boundaries of the Etna DOC end in the cold north-west of the volcano, lies a hidden geological secret that only three of the hundreds of contrade on Etna can lay claim to. In its sandy soils, San Lorenzo bears the pure legacy of the Ellittico volcano – the ancient eruption centre whose explosive activity 60,000 years ago created a terroir purity that is now one of Sicily's rarest treasures. Giuseppe Russo is aware of this peculiarity when he cultivates the precious white vines that have been sinking their roots into these elliptical volcanic sands for eighty years among the centuries-old Nerello vines of his red Contrada wines. Here, where Etna sends its coldest winds over the vineyards and time is measured in geological epochs, white wines are produced with a minerality that only this unique combination of ancient lava and extreme altitude can produce.

The single vineyard Serradenari is currently the highest in the Barolo area and is also the historic site of the appellation (MGA - Menzione Geografica Aggiuntiva). The cool and mountainous climate with its clay and marl soils gives rise to a Nebbiolo that makes few words - it is precise, clear and unambiguous.

Coming from one of the most historic vineyards in Neive, Albesani is a Barbaresco with a classic character and great precision. The south-western slope with calcareous and clayey soils gives the Nebbiolo here a powerful structure without masking its delicate flavour. Thanks to balanced temperatures and a long growing season, the 2021 vintage produced grapes with optimal phenolic ripeness.

The grapes for Testamatta are selected and sourced from the winery's 6 best vineyards: Vincigliata, Londa, Lamole, Montefili and Siena. Each vineyard, which is divided into plots, is harvested up to 8 times to ensure that all the grapes are harvested at the perfect point of ripeness. These five vineyards (up to 80 years old) are located in different areas of Tuscany: Lamole and Montefili in the heart of Chianti Classico at 600 and 400 metres above sea level, Vincigliata near Florence at 280 metres above sea level, Londa north of Florence towards the Rufina Valley and Siena, in the south of Tuscany, at 250 metres above sea level.

On warm days, a resinous, musky scent rises from the hedge edges. Helichrysum – the immortelle, the Italians also call it "Immortelle", the immortal. It grows wild among the rocks and bushes that line San Polino's highest vineyards. When Katia and Gigi were looking for a name for their best wine, they didn't have to look far. The five hectares surrounding the farmhouse lie at an altitude of 450 metres, facing south, surrounded by Mediterranean scrub and forest. The view extends to Monte Amiata – the sacred mountain of the Etruscans, seat of their highest gods, the Tuscan Olympus. The soils tell of two powerful forces: the volcanic eruption of Mount Amiata 180,000 years ago, which left behind quartz and metamorphic clay, and the retreat of the Pliocene sea, which left behind sandy loams and shell fossils. Thin, complex soil – poor in nutrients, rich in character. Up here, the scirocco blows from the Sahara. The temperature differences between day and night are enormous. The grapes ripen slowly, develop thick skins and concentrated flavours. "Ah ... 2018," Katia once said about a cooler vintage, "finally you can smell Sangiovese grapes instead of just blackcurrant and undergrowth." Helichrysum is all about precisely this clarity – terroir instead of heat, soil instead of opulence.

There are just 3 barrels, or 900 bottles, of this wine. Juicy dark cherry, plum, chocolate, spice and new leather build up as this sexy Barbera shows its super-distinguished personality. As delicious and rich as Larigi already is, it needs a few more years to show its best side. Larigi does indeed have one of the most impressive success stories in Piedmont. A very special Barbera! SUPERIORE.DE

R.S. stands for "Recentemente Sboccato" – recently disgorged. What sounds simple is the result of a decade of patience: this Edizione rested on the lees for 10 years and 4 months before it saw the light of day. Launched in 2020, the project makes the timeless elegance of the Cuvée Prestige accessible in its most mature form. The blend combines 75% of the 2014 vintage with 19% reserve from 2013 and 6% from 2012, obtained from 149 certified organic vineyards. The grape varieties: 82% Chardonnay, 11% Pinot Nero, 7% Pinot Bianco – each grape washed and dried according to the Ca' del Bosco method. The result is a Dosage Zéro of uncompromising purity.

L'amore mio – my love. Rarely does a wine carry its character so openly in its name. This rosé spumante is Benanti's declaration of love for the Nerello Mascalese – the noble red grape variety that is otherwise synonymous with elegant red wines with a Burgundian grace on Etna. As Metodo Classico, it reveals a completely different, no less enchanting side. The grapes come from the south and south-east slopes of the volcano, where the vines are rooted between 700 and 750 metres in mineral-rich volcanic sands. Hand-picked, whole bunch pressing without destemming, fermentation at 16–18 °C in stainless steel. The base wine rests on the fine lees until late spring, followed by bottle fermentation with selected yeasts. After 24 months on the lees, disgorgement and dosage take place; a further three months of rest complete the maturation.

A white wine that challenges everything you think you know about Puglia. While the region is known for powerful red wines from Primitivo and Negroamaro, this Fiano shows that great whites can also be produced here – perhaps even the best in the entire region. The organically cultivated vines are rooted in the barren limestone tufa soils of Tenuta Bocca di Lupo near Minervino Murge, at an altitude of 250-300 metres in the heart of the wild Murgia. Harsh winters, striking day-night fluctuations and the proximity to the extinct volcano Vulture characterise a terroir that produces white wines of rare minerality. The grapes are gently destemmed and pressed. The must rests for 24-48 hours at 10 °C for natural clarification before fermentation begins in stainless steel and is completed in French tonneaux. There the wine matures on the fine lees, followed by further bottle ageing.

In the house, they simply call him "A". As if he didn't need a name. As if the letter was beginning enough – the beginning of everything Schiopetto has to say. Amrità is a Sanskrit word: the immortality potion of the gods, the mythical nectar that gives eternal life to those who drink it. The fact that a Friulian winery calls its flagship wine this is not coquetry – it is a commitment. Wine is not simply made here. This is where it becomes essential what Capriva del Friuli has to say. The basis: Chardonnay from old vines, complemented by a small portion of Friulano – the variety with which Mario Schiopetto started everything in 1965. Both together, as if they had always been destined for each other. Fermentation in steel, nine months of ageing in steel and large barrels, followed by at least six months of bottle ageing. The 2022 was produced in a warm, dry year – and yet it shows no heat, but subtle maturity. Friuli has its own laws.

After "A" comes "M". This is not a weak alphabet exercise – this is strong hierarchy. If Amrità is the immortality potion, then "M" is the monument. The man himself, in bottle form. The legacy of MARIO Schiopetto, born in 1930, died in 2002, lies in every vintage of this wine – in the Ponca soils of Capriva, in the philosophy of the cellar work, in the conviction that a great white wine needs no compromises, only the courage to achieve total perfection.

Pinot Noir at high alpine altitudes – a risk that few take and even fewer master. Markus Prackwieser is one of those rare winemakers who breathe South Tyrolean mountain flavour into the Burgundian temperament of this capricious grape variety. His Renaissance Pinot Nero Riserva is more than just a wine – it is the interaction of soil, microclimate and winegrower, manifested in liquid form. And as with all Renaissance wines, it is only in special years, when the terroir reveals its greatest personality, that this wine is allowed to impress with its very own identity after long ageing in barriques. The grapes come from the highest plots of the Gump Hof, where Pinot Noir grows at 500 to 550 metres on calcareous moraines over quartz porphyry. The vinification follows Burgundian principles with alpine consistency: one week of cold maceration, followed by two weeks of fermentation and maceration in stainless steel tanks – forty per cent whole-cluster fermentation, the sophisticated technique that produces floral notes, spice and silky tannins. This is followed by eighteen months in barriques, half in new barrels, with malolactic fermentation. After blending, the wines mature for a further five months in large wooden barrels before at least one year of bottle ageing completes their development.

Serradenari is the highest Barolo vineyard, majestically situated above La Morra at around 520 metres. The limestone-rich marl sea, interspersed with tuff and clay subsoil, provides an expressiveness that is both peculiarly clear and exciting at the same time. Giulia Negri works this parcel with an almost Burgundian focus: close to nature, spontaneous fermentation and careful ageing – 30 months in generous tonneaux, leaving the structure intact with minimal intervention. The 2021 vintage, sophisticated and elegant, fascinates with its cool, precise fruit – fresh and vibrant, matured over cool nights, this Nebbiolo is clear yet deep.

Barolo Via Nuova is a blend of fruit from different vineyards in several villages of the appellation. Packed with cherry and raspberry flavours, it is both supple and firmly structured. Shows notes of earth, minerals, eucalyptus and aniseed that give it volume and structure, while the muscular tannins still have the upper hand on the finish at first. Deep and rich as it progresses, but never heavy. We find a hint of oak sweetness, but this only adds to the exotic beauty of the wine. Via Nuova 2021 is a wine of exceptional harmony, purity and finesse with an eternally long finish. SUPERIORE.DE

Feudi di San Gregorio's DUBL project was born in 2004 out of an awareness of the great richness of the indigenous vines of the Irpinia region and the desire to open up new horizons for them: as Metodo Classico Spumante or by means of the famous Méthode Champenoise. A consultant was quickly found for this - none other than Anselme Selosse, who is known for his champagnes and his flair for the specialities of the vines and vineyards.

Talentis Riserva is a barrel selection that is aged for 36 months in a combination of 25 and 20 hectolitre oak barrels and a small amount in tonneaux. Pian di Conte 2019 is a classic, stately wine with lots of dark fruits, dried blackberries, spices, tobacco and mentholated herbs. The palate is polished and elegant with sweet plums, cherries and blackberries on the attack. These sweet fruit nuances are followed by spicy cedar wood and campfire flavours, as well as fine tannins and an almost endless depth. SUPERIORE.DE

Sauvignon Bianco Rachtl comes from a small micro-location of just 0.4 hectares. It gets its fine flint and graphite nose from the porphyry soils near Unteraicha in the municipality of Völs. Very subtle on the palate with fine saline acidity, fresh fruit and a long-lasting finish. If you can call one of the 2,000 bottles of this vintage your own, you can count yourself lucky! SUPERIORE.DE

The white enigma of Bolgheri. In a region that has achieved immortality through Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot, few dare to make history with white wine. But Cinzia Merli dared to – and created the white alter ego of her legendary red Paleo line in 1991 with Paleo Bianco. What began as a modest creation for local restaurants developed into one of the most enigmatic and sought-after white wines in Italy. The name – derived from "pagliaio", the Tuscan haystack – has the same poetic soul as its red brother, but its character is completely unique. 70% Chardonnay and 30% Sauvignon Blanc merge here to create a symphony of Mediterranean intensity that translates international grape varieties into Tuscan terroir. Originally, Sauvignon Blanc dominated this blend, but over the decades Cinzia has reversed the proportions – an evolution that led the Paleo Bianco from the citrusy freshness of its youth to the structured complexity that characterises it today.

Sauvignon Bianco Rachtl comes from a small micro-location of just 0.4 hectares. It gets its fine flint and graphite nose from the porphyry soils near Unteraicha in the municipality of Völs. Very subtle on the palate with fine saline acidity, fresh fruit and a long-lasting finish. If you can call one of the 2,000 bottles of this vintage your own, you can count yourself lucky! SUPERIORE.DE

TAL 1930 commemorates the beginnings of the Santa Maddalena winery in 1930: a year of particular significance for the history of viticulture in South Tyrol and for the Bolzano winery. The contrast between mountain and valley – alpine and Mediterranean – determines the character of this exceptional cuvée. The vineyards for the white varieties Chardonnay, Sauvignon and Pinot Grigio lie between the valley floor and the sometimes gentle, sometimes steep slopes of the famous Renon near Bolzano. The vineyards are situated at an altitude of 400 to 700 metres and vary greatly in location and temperature, due to the sun from the Dolomites and the sometimes strong winds of the Isarco Valley.

Sauvignon Bianco Rachtl comes from a small micro-location of just 0.4 hectares. It gets its fine flint and graphite nose from the porphyry soils near Unteraicha in the municipality of Völs. Very subtle on the palate with fine saline acidity, fresh fruit and a long-lasting finish. If you can call one of the 2,000 bottles of this vintage your own, you can count yourself lucky! SUPERIORE.DE

Troy is no ordinary Chardonnay. Rather, it is the archetype of a Chardonnay, as Wolfgang Klotz, managing director of what is probably the most successful winegrowers' cooperative in South Tyrol, sees it. The grapes come from two selected vineyards in Söll, near Tramin. The climate there is not only Mediterranean, but the vegetation is also characterised by rather cold downdraughts at night. Both factors guarantee optimal development of the plants and fruit. The berries are hand-picked one by one, so it is clear to any wine connoisseur that this is an absolutely prestigious project for the co-operative. It is therefore not surprising that only 3,000 bottles of this grape variety are sold in selected specialist shops and top restaurants.