Italian red wine

Syrah and Petit Verdot form the basis for an exciting cuvée with which the Chia family once again demonstrates its great talent for Tuscan wines. Deep dark garnet red colour. An unexpected cornucopia of dark, smoky fruit on the nose, with spicy herbs, complex and deep. Impressive texture and elegance on the palate, with spicy notes of raspberry, a salty vein and invigorating acidity. SUPERIORE.DE

The Ponca stretches from the north-east of Udine to the south of Istria in Croatia. The part closest to the winery, which formed in the northernmost bays of the lagoon, lies on the current border between Italy and Slovenia. More precisely, it is divided between two countries, three provincial governments and four protected designations of origin from the Collio, the Colli Orientali del Friuli, the Brda and the Vipava. Initially, with the help of a few Slovenian friends and colleagues, they only experimented with Merlot grapes, but now the grapes are vinified in their own cellar. SUPERIORE.DE

The vineyards in Gaiole and Greve form the core of the blend, with a hint of fruit from Radda. On the nose, floral aromas and red fruits in the super-classic, medium-bodied style that is so typical of the Querciabella style today. Rose petals, lavender, mint and sweet raspberry fruit take centre stage. Brilliant medium ruby red colour. Enormous density on the palate, firm fruit body, with great youthful, fresh temperament, paired with a certain finesse and elegance. Finishes long with notes of juicy red berries, great! SUPERIORE.DE

A Nero d'Avola with juice and vigour: Nerojbleo comes from the high altitudes of the Iblei mountains around Chiaramonte Gulfi. The vines are rooted there in calcareous clay soils at an altitude of around 450 metres. The temperate microclimate and careful organic cultivation characterise a wine with structure, freshness and a distinct identity. The wine is matured for around 12 months in used barriques and tonneaux. Dark ruby colour with a purple core in the glass. Black cherry, ripe plum, liquorice and a hint of Mediterranean scrub on the nose. On the palate, the Nerojbleo is juicy and harmonious, with well-integrated acidity, fine-grained tannins and supple fruit. The subtle hint of wood adds depth without masking the varietal character. A multi-layered and complex Nero d'Avola with both power and elegance – ideal with grilled meat, savoury pasta dishes or mature cheese. SUPERIORE.DE

The Counts Bracci left their name and coat of arms to this estate: an armoured arm raising a sword. La Braccesca – the word alludes to braccia, the arm. When the Marchesi Antinori took over the estate in 1990, they brought it into the present without alienating it from its history. The first Vino Nobile from this estate was released in the same year – since then, La Braccesca has been one of the reliable addresses in the appellation. The Nobile di Montepulciano is made from Prugnolo Gentile – the local Sangiovese clone of Montepulciano – complemented by a small proportion of Merlot, which rounds off the wine without dominating it.

Here the name becomes the programme: Michael Graf Goëss-Enzenberg gave this wine its title because it tastes like Manincor itself. The essence of the hills that surround the estate, the view over Lake Kaltern, the strength and warmth of the warmest vineyards in South Tyrol – all come together in this glass. Grapes from Manincor and Panholzerhof, both at 250 metres, south-eastern slopes with sandy clay soils full of limestone gravel and glacial deposits. Lagrein, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon – three grape varieties, one home. Each batch is vinified separately, partly spontaneously with wild yeasts in wooden, concrete and stainless steel vats. Ten days of gentle maceration, only dipped once a day for fine-grained tannins. Matured for twelve months in used wooden barrels of various sizes.

Tripudium is a single-varietal Nero d'Avola from classic vineyards around Trapani, from broodinglimestone and clay soils with a light sea breeze – a terroir that gives this wine balance, tension and minerality. The name, inspired by an intoxicating celebration, is a reference to the untamed vitality of Nero d'Avola, which presents itself here as a powerful yet highly charming greatness. The summer of 2020 in Sicily was an interesting balancing act between summer heat and evening freshness, with the grapes ripening with clear depth and lively structure.

Bright garnet red colour. Delicate, dark bouquet of raspberry and violet, with fine notes of rose petals and damp forest soil after further aeration. Full and rich on the palate, good harmony of power and elegance, paired with fresh acidity and length. Good ageing potential. Goes wonderfully with savoury sausage and meat dishes – you simply have to love it! SUPERIORE.DE

Watch out, or even better - don't be afraid of the wolf: Attenti al Lupo is the exciting result of a new project by Podere le Ripi, which is specifically exploring new possibilities in the vineyard and cellar to find solutions to climate change, which is now putting all farmers and winegrowers to the test.

The grapes come from the family's own plots in the Barolo and Barbaresco zone (including La Morra and Serralunga). Il Nebbio is deliberately vinified as a young, elegant interpretation of Langhe: predominantly Nebbiolo with a small proportion of Pinot Nero (authorised as part of the Langhe DOC). Cool, parcel-by-parcel harvest, temperature-controlled fermentation in stainless steel with short maceration, followed by malolactic fermentation and ageing in steel tanks until early bottling – for maximum freshness and finely polished tannins.

Owner Leonardo Pinzolo cultivates 52 hectares of biodynamically certified vineyards on his family farms in Popoli and Capestrano. The soils here differ from those in the rest of Abruzzo. Combined with the higher altitude of the vineyards and the proximity to the Gran Sasso mountains, these wines have a decidedly cooler expression than is usually found in Abruzzo. In the winery, fermentations are spontaneous and without temperature control. With the exception of a few single-vineyard wines, most of the wines are matured in stainless steel.

Deeply rooted in the Molise terroir since time immemorial, the Tintilia grape variety was long threatened with disappearance – until dedicated winegrowers revived it as an autochthonous treasure. This red wine in Riserva quality today represents the prestige of this once almost forgotten grape variety: 100% Tintilia, finely selected and with very low yields at high altitudes, where calcareous clay soils and fresh mountain air characterise its distinctive profile.

Il Randagio (the stray) is wonderfully complex and nuanced. Initially quite closed, the delicately spicy nose creeps up with increasing aeration and opens up further into a wonderfully complex bouquet of dark red to black berries. Rising floral, savoury and spicy accents point to a wine that says more about the style of the house than anything else. The palate is wide-ranging with delicate wild berry flavours, perfectly polished tannins and a fresh, very invigorating acid wire that uninhibitedly enhances the drinkability of this once again typically different red. The best days of this wine still lie in the future. SUPERIORE.DE

Gentle in flavour, powerful in body. La Casa in Collina is Vite Colte's charming statement on Barbaresco. Created from traditional grape variety assemblages from old terroirs in a light southern exposure, this wine combines nuance with poise: around 20 days of slow fermentation and a year in large oak barrels create a balance that allows depth without sacrificing elegance. In the glass, the colour is a rich ruby red that thickens to a fine garnet at the edges. The nose opens with a refined profile: ripe plum, red berry and violet, accompanied by coffee powder, tobacco leaf and a hint of fine woody spices, subtly intense but never overwhelming. Lively and carefully structured on the palate, with well-embedded tannins, fresh acidity and dense fruit. The big wood is noticeable, but nuanced. The finish is long, savoury and pleasantly round, with a hint of subtle vanilla and juicy cherry. This Barbaresco is confident and expressive, yet approachable enough to enjoy today. Optimal value for money – good potential available. SUPERIORE.DE

High above the Tyrrhenian coast, where the dawn of the Mediterranean awakens and the scent of the Mediterranean scrub permeates the salty breeze, lies one of the most mysterious hills of the Alta Maremma: Poggio ai Ginepri – the hill of junipers. Here, where the red aeolian sands of Donoratico mingle with the ancient flysch sediments of the Lower Cretaceous period, one of Bolgheri's most legendary wines has been produced since 2002. It was the very first wine to see the light of day at Tenuta Argentiera – born from the vision of revealing the unspoilt beauty of this privileged terroir. A name that has since become one of the most recognised brands in the entire denomination. The juniper bushes that give this magical hill its name stand like silent sentinels between the rows of Cabernet Sauvignon (40%), Merlot (30%), Cabernet Franc (20%) and Petit Verdot (10%) vines. At an altitude of 80-100 metres, between the remains of prehistoric sediments and the sandy deposits of millennia of sea influence, these international varieties develop an authentic Tuscan character.

The Ricasoli family has been shaping the history of Chianti Classico since 1141 – longer than any other winery in Italy. Baron Bettino Ricasoli defined the legendary Chianti formula in 1872, which is still valid today. Rocca Guicciarda was once one of the Barone ' most important feudal estates and today embodies the classic interpretation of this traditional appellation. The grapes for this Riserva come from vineyards on the five most representative soil types in Brolio between 280 and 480 metres above sea level: Macigno del Chianti (sandstone), Scaglia Toscana (Galestro), Monte Morello (Alberese) as well as marine and fluvial deposits create a complex terroir mosaic. 90% Sangiovese forms the backbone, supplemented by 5% each of Merlot and Canaiolo. After controlled fermentation in stainless steel tanks with 14 to 16 days of maceration, the wine matures for 21 months in tonneaux and large barrels. The result is a Chianti Classico of an intense ruby red colour with light garnet reflections, whose bouquet combines ripe red fruit, raspberry, pomegranate and fine spicy notes. The palate reveals the traditional character: juicy, red berry flavours with fresh acidity and silky tannins – a versatile food companion with balanced drinkability. SUPERIORE.DE

In Montepulciano, they have called it that for centuries – the "noble plum". Prugnolo Gentile, an old Sangiovese biotype that does not develop this finesse anywhere else. When the Rivetti family came to Tuscany from Piedmont, they recognised immediately that this grape variety deserves to be called a pure variety. Thirty-year-old vines are rooted at an altitude of 250 metres in sandy soils whose marine sediments tell of the former ocean. What ends up in the glass surprises even connoisseurs: the tannin structure is reminiscent of Nebbiolo – a bridge between the two worlds of the Rivettis. 24 months in French oak give the wine time to explore this relationship. Plum and violets on the nose, then that silky delicacy on the palate that explains the name. Not a loud wine, but one that whispers – and therefore makes itself heard. Only 6,000 bottles, each one a document of Tuscan vineyard history. SUPERIORE.DE

Michele Chiarlos Principe is a red wine made from Nebbiolo grapes from two highly symbolic growing regions, Roero and Barbaresco. Subtle and intense at the same time, it has a character that tends towards a more drinkable profile, while retaining the elegance and structure typical of the grape variety. Bright ruby red colour. Enchanting nose of sour cherries, plums, but also gingerbread spice and some dried meat as well as cold smoke and mocha. On the palate, notes of violets and red fruit with a delicate spice vein. Well-integrated tannins, juicy finish. SUPERIORE.DE

Cortona is only thirty kilometres from Montepulciano – and yet it is a different world. Here, on the high plateau with its dense Pliocene clays and iron oxide soils, around 300 metres above sea level, Merlot grows as if it had never been at home anywhere else. Federico Carletti recognised the potential early on – and In Violas was created in 2006. This was catalysed by his friendship with the Aliotti Tommasi family, owners of the same land. A Merlot that Carletti himself calls "con un'anima toscana". With a Tuscan soul. 100% Merlot, certified organic, 5,600 vines per hectare. Hand-picked, careful selection in the vineyard and in the cellar, fermentation and maceration in conical vats for 18 to 22 days, ageing in large oak barrels.

Marjun presents itself in a ruby to garnet red colour and develops a harmonious aroma of wild berries, plums and cherries in the glass, underpinned by a spicy herbal note. This fruity and juicy Pinot Noir, which impresses with its delicate structure and soft tannins, is cool and firm on the palate. The profile of the Marjun is rounded off by a refreshing acidity, which is indicative of the high altitudes of its vineyards. On the finish, this elegant Pinot Noir impresses with its juicy fruitiness and lingering flavour. SUPERIORE.DE

The 2024 vintage marks a turning point: Piancornello's Rosso bears the organic label for the first time. Not that much has changed in the vineyard – claudio Monaci and Silvia Batazzi have been farming organically for years, and now it's official. A silent confirmation of what has long been common practice here in the southern tip of Montalcino. The location near Sant'Angelo in Colle is one of the warmest in the appellation. The Orcia Valley channels the sea breeze from the Tyrrhenian Sea into the vineyards and enables an early harvest before the autumn rains. Twenty-eight days of maceration on the skins, spontaneous fermentation with the vineyard's own yeasts, followed by ten months of ageing – partly in tonneaux, partly in concrete.