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Troy – in the language of the South Tyrolean ancestors it means "path", the path that Cantina Tramin has travelled for decades to create one of the most extraordinary Chardonnays in Italy. A path of research, experimentation and patience. Because complex Chardonnays from Alpine altitudes are a rarity – that's where the appeal lies, that's where the challenge begins. At an altitude of 500 to 550 metres, where Mediterranean daytime heat and cold downdraughts from the mountains meet in extreme contrast, 25-year-old Chardonnay vines are rooted in calcareous gravel and clay over porphyry. South-east exposure, Guyot and pergola training, only 38 hectolitres per hectare – each berry is individually inspected during the hand harvest in October. This is followed by whole bunch pressing: the grapes are gently pressed together with stems and stalks, an archaic process that lends structure and depth. Both alcoholic and malolactic fermentation take place in French barriques. The wine rests for eleven months on the fine lees in wood before being transferred to small stainless steel tanks, where it spends a further 22 months on the lees – the wine is matured for a total of 33 months before being bottled for four months.

Now a modern classic among the white Langhe wines, which carries history and at the same time whets the appetite for the future: Rossj-Bass was created in 1988, named after Rossana (Rossj), Angelo Gaja's youngest daughter, and also refers to one of the two original parcels of land – bass, in Piedmontese for the lower vineyard. Over the years, the socialisation of Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc in historically important cru sites in Barbaresco, Treiso and Serralunga created a stylistic signature with a clear identity.

Now a modern classic among the white Langhe wines, which carries history and at the same time whets the appetite for the future: Rossj-Bass was created in 1988, named after Rossana (Rossj), Angelo Gaja's youngest daughter, and also refers to one of the two original parcels of land – bass, in Piedmontese for the lower vineyard. Over the years, the socialisation of Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc in historically important cru sites in Barbaresco, Treiso and Serralunga created a stylistic signature with a clear identity.

Brunello di Montalcino Gli Angeli Riserva 2018 is stunningly beautiful. Its seductive presentation beguiles with rich dark fruits, sweet mint, spice and a grounding hint of floral undergrowth. Its textures are seamless, gliding over a core of fresh, bright acids that flank its black cherry and redcurrant flavours. Notes of liquorice, tobacco and sweet herbs linger long over a gentle layer of fine tannin. It has a juiciness, finesse and structure that will give it a long life. SUPERIORE.DE

Davide Rosso had long since successfully written the Serralunga chapter when he rode up Etna for the first time in 2014. He was not looking for a second mainstay. He was looking for a terroir that would challenge him – as the limestone marl of Serralunga had once challenged him. He found it on the northern slope of the volcano, in the Solicchiata fraction, and bought a 14-hectare estate in Contrada Montedolce in 2016. An old palmento, lava soil, 750 metres above sea level. But he didn't stop there. In 2023, he acquired two more hectares in Contrada Pietra Marina – one of the best white vineyards in the entire Etna region, historically famous for the quality of its Carricante, directly influenced by the nearby Alcantara River. The soils here are a unique mixture: volcanic sand and ash, enriched by fluvial silt and sandstone, shaped by thousands of years of tectonic and hydraulic forces. No other piece of land on Etna offers this specific dual character – volcanic energy and mineral river coolness in one vineyard.

An exotic blend of sweet smoke and cloves gives way to dusty black cherries and a hint of sour citrus fruit as the 2019 vintage unfolds in the glass. After a while, there are hints of musk and floral undergrowth. Pure elegance on the palate, delicate and silky, but also with a core of salty minerals that adds unexpected depth to the vibrant flavours of tart wild berries and spices. Finishes with incredible persistence but also composure, structured yet primary, just as it should be at this young stage. The higher altitudes and almost minimalist winemaking at Le Potazzine have helped to produce one of the most balanced and interesting wines of the 2019 top vintage for us. SUPERIORE.DE

Albe! ... the poetic name of this Barolo refers to the sky at sunrise, as experienced by the various terroirs of the estate: Coste di Vergne, Fossati and La Volta. These high-altitude sites each produce slightly different dawns, which is symbolically reflected in the harmony of the cuvée. The grapes come from young but ripe Nebbiolo vines and combine the nuances of each parcel to create a flowing, elegant expression. The 2021 vintage is characterised by freshness and balance: Long vegetation phase at ideal temperatures, accompanied by cool nights that preserve intense fruit with lively acidity. The grapes were carefully harvested by hand, each parcel was vinified separately and only combined into a cuvée in the spring before bottling. The wine is matured for around 36 months in large Slavonian oak barrels (40–75 hl) with annual racking – a maturation that allows depth and harmony.

While the world stood still in 2020, a quiet revolution took place in the vineyards of Montalcino. On the cool north-eastern slopes where Vincenzo Abbruzzese has been cultivating his Sangiovese vines for decades, nature wrote a chapter full of paradoxes: hot summer days with temperatures of up to 40 degrees, followed by night-time cooling, which gave the grapes the crystalline freshness that makes 2020 one of the most fascinating Brunello vintages in recent history. The vintage got off to a promising start with a mild winter that replenished the water reserves – a blessing in times of climate change. The spring was dry but even, until a rainy June with 154 millimetres allowed the foliage to grow lushly. Then came the summer: 64 days without a drop of rain, a drought that Vincenzo had never experienced before in his career. But where other winegrowers despaired, the master of Valdicava proved his expertise: meticulous foliage management protected the grapes from sunburn, while the deep roots of his old vines utilised the stored water from the rainy spring. The end of August brought redemption: cooler nights and scattered rain showers gave the vines new vigour. Vincenzo waited – a decision that sets his Brunello 2020 apart from many others. While other producers harvested before the September rains, he took advantage of the cooler temperatures for a final ripening that gave his wine the balance that makes 2020 a "drink-while-you-wait" vintage.

From deep moraine soil with a high salt and limestone content, Vigna Au first opens with flint and walnut and then beguiles with a complex bouquet of yellow, exotic fruits. Intense, juicy, with just the right amount of acidity, it has a maturation potential of at least 15 years. Just 2,000 bottles of this exceptional Chardonnay are bottled each year. SUPERIORE.DE

From broodingmoraine soil with a high salt and limestone content, Vigna Au first opens with flint and walnut and then beguiles with a complex bouquet of yellow, exotic fruits. Intense, juicy, with just the right amount of acidity, it has a maturation potential of at least 15 years. Just 2,000 bottles of this exceptional Chardonnay are bottled each year. SUPERIORE.DE

The grapes for the profound Le Vigne come from Baudana in Serralunga d'Alba (for the power), Villero in Castiglione Falletto (for the precision), Vignane in Barolo (for the purity of the flavours) and Merli in Novello (for the fullness of the fruit). It opens wide with aromas of fresh red fruit and a delicate spicy note. Very intense on the palate, remarkably elegant, fine-grained tannins, extremely clear, structured and long. SUPERIORE.DE

The single-varietal Cabernet Sauvignon Toren is the only red cru from Tiefenbrunner's rare Vigna line and comes from a 0.6 ha micro-location with clay and limestone gravel soils: sparkling garnet red with a slight violet tinge. Very intense and appealing nose, with aromas of cassis, blackberry, tobacco and mint. Rich, concise fruit on the palate, mountains of cassis and cranberries, juicy and dense, builds beautifully with ripe tannins, long final. The name suffix "Secundo" was chosen for this vintage as there was unfortunately only a tiny harvest in 2021 and, unlike its predecessors, the wine is characterised by more finesse and elegance than the usual unbridled power and opulence. SUPERIORE.DE

"The house of the blackbird" – a poetic name for one of Quintarelli's most mysterious wines. While the world looks to Amarone and Recioto, Giuseppe quietly composes a wine that follows no category and yet embodies the entire philosophy of the house. An unusual blend, an "insolito assemblaggio", as the Italians say: 85 per cent classic Valpolicella grapes – corvina, Corvinone and Rondinella – meet 15 per cent Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese, Nebbiolo and Croatina. A vinological puzzle that combines Veneto with Piedmont and Bordeaux. Vinification follows the traditional Ripasso method: after three days of maceration and initial alcoholic fermentation, the wines undergo a second fermentation on the still-warm marc of the Amarone – a noble technique that gives structure, depth and complexity without achieving the power of an Amarone. This is followed by seven years of ageing in large wooden barrels, a patience that seems almost unimaginable today ...

The winery's flagship white wine is called Studio di Bianco and is a blend of 40% Friulano, 35% Sauvignon Blanc and 25% Riesling, aged for 10 months in large barrels. It is an exceptional white wine, certainly one of the best in Italy, with a unique energy and tension that is reflected in a complex bouquet. A cornucopia of floral aromas, stone fruit, peach cake, honey and vanilla cream explode in the glass. The medium-bodied texture of the wine finishes smooth and very defined, revealing a unique complexity and elegance. The total production per vintage is just 1,900 bottles and anyone who has had this wine in their glass at least once in their life should consider themselves lucky. SUPERIORE.DE

There are wines that are more than just wines – they are confessions. When Luigi Moio created his Grande Cuvée after twenty years of tireless labour in the vineyards of Irpinia, he not only created his white flagship, but also a testament to his philosophy. This exceptional blend of 40% Greco di Tufo, 40% Fiano di Avellino and 20% Falanghina unites the three great indigenous grape varieties of Campania in a composition of rare harmony and complexity. The Greco comes from the most splendid parcel of the Giallo d'Arles vineyard in Tufo, where marnoso-arenary soils with a high clay content and valuable limestone deposits create ideal conditions at an altitude of 400 metres. The Fiano is selected from the best sites of the Exultet vineyard in Lapio – here, at an altitude of 600 metres, porous lapilli layers permeate the clayey subsoil and ensure a constant water supply for the vines. Finally, the Falanghina thrives on the loose, clayey soils of the middle slopes of Mirabella Eclano, where the western exposure ensures optimal ripening conditions.

One may wonder whether Luigi Moio is a professor wearing a winemaker's hat or a winemaker wearing a professor's hat. His vintage presentations are academic in tone, his tasting room is run with the rigour of a lecture theatre, and his vineyards are planted according to criteria that only a mathematician or scholar could fully understand. Quintodecimo's winemaking philosophy, on the other hand, is relatively simple. The best vineyard sites are selected for each individual wine. Soils, sites and microclimates are researched with great care. Nothing is taken for granted.

Some wines have to fight for their recognition over years, while others are in the limelight from birth. For a long time, Barolo Le Vigne was the "second" Barolo in the Sandrone family, standing in the shadow of the iconic Cannubi Boschi – until connoisseurs and critics gradually realised that there was no hierarchy here, but rather equality. Today, after more than three decades since the first vintage in 1990, Le Vigne is no longer a complement to Aleste, but its congenial partner – a wine that perfects the ancient Piedmontese art of blending several vineyard sites and increasingly holds a candle to Aleste.

There are places in this world that seem destined by a higher power to produce the extraordinary. The Oratorio di San Lorenzo is one such place – a small valley nestled in the rolling hills of the Colli Berici, where monks have lived in silent contemplation for centuries and where Stefano Inama has now completed his life's work. Here, in the shadow of a small 16th century chapel dedicated to St Laurence, only the very best vintages produce a wine that is more than any other: Oratorio di San Lorenzo – inama's red masterpiece and perhaps the purest expression of Carménère outside Chile. The story of this wine is one of vision and passion. When Stefano Inama decided to add red wines to his white empire in the late 1990s, chance led him to a sip from a nameless glass – that legendary moment of "love at first taste" that changed his life. The wine came from Carménère grapes, the almost forgotten Bordeaux variety that had been brought to the iron-rich red soils of the Colli Berici by French emigrants in the mid-19th century. Stefano immediately recognised the potential of this grape variety on this special terroir and acquired the twelve-hectare valley around the Oratorio in two tranches – an investment in the future that proved to be brilliant.

There are places in this world that seem destined by a higher power to produce the extraordinary. The Oratorio di San Lorenzo is one such place – a small valley nestled in the rolling hills of the Colli Berici, where monks have lived in silent contemplation for centuries and where Stefano Inama has now completed his life's work. Here, in the shadow of a small 16th century chapel dedicated to St Laurence, only the very best vintages produce a wine that is more than any other: Oratorio di San Lorenzo – inama's red masterpiece and perhaps the purest expression of Carménère outside Chile. The story of this wine is one of vision and passion. When Stefano Inama decided to add red wines to his white empire in the late 1990s, chance led him to a sip from a nameless glass – that legendary moment of "love at first taste" that changed his life. The wine came from Carménère grapes, the almost forgotten Bordeaux variety that had been brought to the iron-rich red soils of the Colli Berici by French emigrants in the mid-19th century. Stefano immediately recognised the potential of this grape variety on this special terroir and acquired the twelve-hectare valley around the Oratorio in two tranches – an investment in the future that proved to be brilliant.

Valpolicella Superiore Monte Lodoletta enchants the senses with a burst of spicy citrus fruits, cherries and incense that leaps from the glass. With each swirl, further depth unfolds with complementary notes of dried roses, cocoa and cloves. The wine is elegant and silky smooth with a harmonious blend of ripe red and blue fruits, a savoury core and gorgeous florals that build towards the finish. Hard red candy and a hint of violet pastille linger long while the mouth craves more. This wine is full of energy, it is already delicious now, but it needs a few more years to fully develop. SUPERIORE.DE

Romano Dal Forno started out in 1983 with a proposition that he has proven every vintage since: a Valpolicella can compete with the greatest wines in the world. He learnt this from Giuseppe Quintarelli. He internalised it in the Val d'Illasi, where his vines grow on alluvial gravel and clay, at up to 450 metres, with a planting density that makes every yield a rarity. Valpolicella Superiore does not begin fermentation – it begins with six weeks of appassimento. Corvina, Corvinone, Croatina, Oseleta and Rondinella dry slowly in the air of the lodoletta, losing water and gaining soul. Then: controlled fermentation in steel tanks, 36 months in new French and American oak barriques, years of ageing in the bottle.

"This is probably not ONE Valpolicella, but THE Valpolicella", wrote one critic about this wine – and hit the nail on the head. Giuseppe Quintarelli has created a monument from a DOC that was often dismissed as a light everyday wine. His method is radical: half of the grapes – corvina, Rondinella and Corvinone grapes from the vineyards in Negrar – in wooden crates for two months, as with Amarone. The other half is processed fresh. After the harvest, a three-day maceration with wild yeasts takes place, then the wine rests on the fine lees and undergoes a second fermentation. What follows is a patience that seems almost forgotten today: six years of ageing in large Slavonian oak barrels. Quintarelli only releases his wines when they are truly ready – never before.

The fact that one of Italy's most fascinating white wines is produced in the kingdom of Nebbiolo is one of the most beautiful paradoxes of Piedmont. Even more paradoxical: it grows on Pira, the legendary monopoly position that is actually reserved for monumental Barolo. Luca Roagna has planted Chardonnay here, not far from the new winery – a statement of freedom in the midst of tradition. 80% Chardonnay and 20% white Nebbiolo make up the cuvée in the 2023. The vinification follows old European principles: Pre-fermentative oxidation, then spontaneous fermentation in wooden vats with the vineyard's own yeasts for ten days. Matured for two years on the fine lees in neutral oak – without any racking.

A beautiful, very sensual, feminine wine that is only vinified in the best vintages. Exquisitely flavoured with dark fruit, elegant and fine on the palate with plenty of fruit and length. It was named after the nickname once given to the young wild Clerico by his father: Aeroplan Servaj - wild aeroplane. And the labelling is just as wild and creative - there are six different labels! SUPERIORE.DE