Italian red wine

Like a precious legacy, this wine rests in the history of the patrician Serristori family, who acquired the land of Donoratico in 1512 and built the magnificent villa in 1660. Today, from the shadow of these historic walls springs a wine that bears the soul of the Tuscan Maremma – where the salty whisper of the Tyrrhenian Sea meets the warm hills of Bolgheri. In the vineyards of Argentiera, the DOC Bolgheri estate closest to the coast and at the same time the highest, the grapes ripen between the Mediterranean scrub and the endless blue of the archipelago. Here, on just twelve hectares of the Villa Donoratico site, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot take root in sandy and rocky soils, while the subsoil is criss-crossed by marine flysch rock, a geological memory of seas long past.

Selvarossa is a tribute to the autochthonous grape varieties of Salento: the Negroamaro – "niuru maru" in the dialect, "black bitter" – has been rooted in this soil for three thousand years and provides the dark, almost black depth of colour, the solid tannins and the bitter spiciness that justify its name. The Malvasia Nera provides a counterpoint of elegance and soft, velvety fruit. Both grape varieties are cultivated using the traditional Alberello system, the archaic bush training method without wire frames, which offers the vines protection from the scorching heat and naturally limits the yield. The grapes for the Selvarossa come from the oldest, most select plots and are harvested by hand in small crates when perfectly ripe, some even slightly overripe – some even slightly overripe to maximise concentration and sugar content.

Dark ruby red in colour. The bouquet is a furious indication of what this opulent long-distance runner is capable of: full-flavoured heart cherry fruit, blue flowers, damp forest soil, elegant spice and a well-dosed use of wood alternate impressively. The attack is just as complex and multi-layered, followed by beguiling wild berries, precisely polished tannins and an extraordinarily elegant long final. Wow, this is pure fruit! SUPERIORE.DE

Laura Brunelli's Rosso is a blend of Sangiovese grapes from Podernovone – 500 metres above sea level on the south-eastern slope of Montalcino with south-western exposure – and Canalicchio on the north side of the village. The vines for the first vineyard were planted in 1998, those for the second in 1989. "Our Rosso is made from the same grapes as the Brunello," says Laura Brunelli. The wine is traditionally aged for a year in large oak barrels. It is extremely fresh every year and not without complexity. The aromas of redcurrants, wild strawberries, black pepper and juniper are followed by a bright bouquet of red fruits on the medium-bodied palate. It has velvety tannins and a refreshing, integrated acidity. A really great interpretation of the terroir and, as every year, a little Brunello. SUPERIORE.DE

Feudo di Mezzo is one of the most prestigious contrade on the northern slope of Mount Etna, a place where viticulture and volcanic rock have had a symbiotic relationship for centuries. At an altitude of around 600 metres, old Nerello Mascalese vines take root here in porous, ferrous ash, interspersed with lava boulders and basalt veins – a soil that gives the wine finesse, tension and depth. Alta Mora is Cusumano's ambitious project on Etna, and Feudo di Mezzo epitomises this vision: single-varietal, rigorously selected, with maximum focus on origin and character. The 2019 vintage on Mount Etna was characterised by elegance: a cool spring followed by a long, dry summer with cool nights. The grapes ripened slowly and harmoniously, with fine phenolic ripeness and a balanced acidity structure. After manual harvesting, fermentation took place with gentle maceration, followed by 12 months of maturation in French tonneaux and a long period of rest in the bottle.

Intense garnet red colour with black-violet hues. Open, very complex aroma of blackcurrant, raspberry, blackberry, cherry and plum, accompanied by a hint of pepper and cinnamon. On the palate, it is an elegant, dry wine that leads into the remarkable Riserva-level finish with its extract sweetness, tannins and a fine liquorice note. SUPERIORE.DE

In the hallowed halls of Casòn Hirschprunn, where history and innovation meet in the vaults of the 13th century, a red wine is created that epitomises the future of South Tyrolean viticulture. Here, in the middle of the 30 hectares of biodynamic vineyards between 230 and 360 metres above sea level, Alois Lageder ventured a visionary experiment in the 1980s: the cultivation of Tannat, an exotic grape variety from south-west France that proved to be exceptionally suitable for the Alpine future in the face of climate change. "Negli ultimi anni, ci siamo appassionati sempre di più al Tannat" – the Lageder family confesses their growing passion for this exceptional variety, which is immediately recognisable in the vineyard thanks to its characteristic red leaf stalks. What began as an experimental curiosity developed into a philosophy: not to celebrate the typicality of individual grape varieties, but to let the unique terroir of a vineyard speak for itself – a guiding principle based on the great châteaux of the Bordelais.

The grapes for the Cortazo grow in the hot Brenntal vineyard in Kurtatsch, which favours the necessary ripeness of the Cabernet Sauvignon. Rich ruby red colour. Harmonious bouquet of violets and wild berries. Powerful and complex on the palate with a beautiful fruit centre and subtle extract sweetness, velvety tannins and a long finish. Very good Storage potential. SUPERIORE.DE

Ronc di Vico's Refosco dal Peduncolo is a wine with rough edges - which is precisely why it is so fascinating. The autochthonous grape variety naturally brings depth, structure and an unmistakable flavour. The grapes come from old plots in the Colli Orientali, whose Ponca soils of marl and sandstone provide clarity and tension. The 2022 vintage offered ideal conditions for fully ripe, healthy harvest. After strict manual harvesting and a long maceration period, the wine matured for around 20 months in French barriques.

Here is a big, rich Rosso that is harmonious and impressive in all its components. The bouquet alternates between dried cherries and a fine tobacco note. The palate is taut and precise, in the style of the house, its body is supported by powerful tannins that make it an ideal and refined accompaniment to Tuscan cuisine. SUPERIORE.DE

These are the rare moments when a wine combines everything: origin, character and that depth that is difficult to explain. "Titut Ros" is just such a wine - a single-varietal Merlot that is only made in very small quantities and exclusively from the oldest vines on the steep plots of Ronc di Vico. The deep roots of the vines, anchored in the barren Ponca soil of the Colli Orientali, characterise a fruit of rare intensity and clarity. Thanks to stable weather conditions, the 2022 vintage offered perfect ripeness with impeccable health - the grapes were hand-picked, meticulously selected and vinified with a long maceration period. The wine then matured for 18 months in new and used French barriques before finding its inner balance in the bottle.

Guardiola is a name with weight on Etna. One of the highest and steepest cru sites in Sicily, between 800 and 1,000 metres above sea level, exposed to the harsh sun, cool winds and the contrasts of a volcanic climate, which shapes not only the landscape but also the character of the wine. The vines – predominantly Nerello Mascalese – are deeply rooted in lava rock and volcanic ash, the soil is lean, black and mineralised, a barren terroir that combines strength and elegance rather than playing them off against each other. The vintage brought ideal conditions for a wine with a firm but accessible structure: after a cool spring, the grapes ripened under consistently warm summer sunshine, accompanied by pronounced day-night differences. The grapes were harvest late, by hand, in small crates – a decisive moment for precision and balance. After spontaneous fermentation, the wine was matured in French oak barrels – not to dominate the wine, but to give it contour.

A summer that Europe remembers as hot – and Montalcino as surprising. The vines of Col d'Orcia, deeply rooted in the calcareous, clay-poor soils of the Orcia hill, showed in 2020 what biodynamic cultivation means in years of stress: resilience. Early bud burst after a mild winter, followed by a balanced spring with well-distributed rainfall. The summer remained warm, but without extreme heat phases – sporadic downpours at the end of August cooled the soil at the last moment and allowed the grapes to develop aromatic compounds instead of simply ripening. In addition, there were pronounced day-night temperature differences in September. Harvest from mid-September, clean and structured. The result has a character that Montalcino connoisseurs describe as "captivante": simultaneously accessible and enigmatic. Maceration for 18 to 20 days, shallow 150-hl steel tanks, gentle extraction. Three years in large barrels, twelve months in the bottle: Col d'Orcia's traditional vinification process – unchanged for decades because it works.

In the amphitheatre of the Tuscan hills of Castellina lies a single vineyard site called Il Poggiale, whose history dates back to 1968, when Paolo Panerai united four historic Poderi into a visionary project. Here, on the limestone soils between 350 and 400 metres above sea level, only Sangioveto thrives – the noblest local variety of Sangiovese – supplemented by only a few per cent of the autochthonous Canaiolo and Colorino varieties.

Between stone and altitude. The name already reveals where this wine gets its soul from: from the highest parcels of the Tenuta Costalunga in Sant'Ambrogio di Valpolicella, where the ground gives way to bare rock at 300 to 350 metres. Cresasso – a word that describes precisely this encounter in the local dialect: where earth meets stone, where the Corvina must put down its deepest roots in the barren, calcareous moraine soil with its high proportion of skeleton and chalky white inclusions. Sergio Zenato's vision was to create a wine that celebrates Corvina Veronese in its purest form – without the accompaniment of Rondinella or Corvinone, without the appassimento technique of Amarone. Instead, a slight over-ripening on the vine, hand-picked in the second half of October, when the grapes have reached their maximum concentration. Vinification follows the rhythm of the fruit: 15 days of maceration at 25-26°C, then 24 months of ageing in French tonneaux, followed by at least a further year of bottle ageing. Time as an ally, not an adversary.

Traditionally vinified Barolo from the estate's best vineyards. Brilliant ruby red colour. Complex, spicy bouquet of liquorice, tobacco, dried flowers, violets and damp leaves. Very emphatic, firm and full-bodied on the palate. Its racy and forward style is flanked by tangible, robust tannins. Finishes with a fine sweetness, elegant and long. The already undisputed high level will continue to develop in full beauty over the next few years. SUPERIORE.DE

Piaggia Riserva is pure elegance in a bottle: clear ruby red colour, almost impenetrable, very consistent. Raspberry compote, dried orange peel, roses, exotic spices and a hint of cocoa on the broodingbouquet. Silky and refined on the palate, with notes of violets, ripe red and black fruits in rapid succession. Its lively acidity retains exceptional finesse, although the primary fruit slowly asserts itself. Finishes long with a layer of sweet tannins and balsamic cherry flavours. Its finesse and balance are already astonishing at a young age, and the best will only come in a few years. SUPERIORE.DE

A wine that embraces place and grape variety with excellence: Barrile represents the essence of the ancient Sardinian Nieddera grape – precise, darkly fruity and with structured substance. Grown in the Tirso valley and on the wild Sinis peninsula, the grapes ripen on sandy, clayey soil, blown by the salty south-westerly wind. A powerful statement follows the manual harvest: 12 months of ageing in new and used barriques form a monumental Riserva that, despite all its concentration, always remains down to earth.

The grapes for Prunotto's highly attractive Barbaresco come from long-standing contract plots in Treiso and Neive. The grapes are harvested selectively by hand, the lots are destemmed separately and fermented in stainless steel; the maceration time is around eight days at controlled temperatures. Malolactic fermentation is completed before winter. The wine matures for around a year in large oak barrels of various sizes – deliberately designed for balance, texture and expression of origin.

Gigliola Giannetti learnt the trade from Franco Biondi Santi – a school could hardly be more rigorous. Later, when she ran a wine shop in Montalcino, she became friends with Giulio Gambelli, the legendary Sangiovese whisperer who accompanied the best Brunelli in the region for decades. It was he who encouraged her to make wine herself. She bought her first plot of land in 1993. What sets Le Potazzine apart from others: All five hectares are registered for Brunello. The Rosso is therefore not a little brother from the second row, but a declassified Brunello – the same vineyard, the same care, just matured for a shorter time. Vinification follows the Gambelli credo: spontaneous fermentation with indigenous yeasts, long maceration of 30 to 45 days, no temperature control. Then twelve months in large Slavonian oak barrels, as is the tradition.

The "Ca' Guicciardi" vineyard takes its name from the farmhouse that lies at its centre. The single vineyard is characterised by small, very steep valleys. Impressive rock faces alternate with terraces supported by some of the highest dry stone walls in Valtellina. The special colour of the rock, which tends towards a quartz-like white, considerably enhances the power of the sun and leads to higher temperatures and more light here than in other parts of the valley.

Sometimes a great vintage needs a little scare first. In April 2021, the thermometer dropped to minus seven degrees in parts of Montalcino – late frost, which hit the more sensitive sites and reduced the harvest to around 15 per cent below the previous year. What was a loss for some farms proved to be a gift for quality. Fewer grapes, more concentration. The surviving vines seemed to know what was at stake. The rest of the year followed the textbook pattern of classic Brunello meteorology: regular spring, hot and dry summer – then two decisive rain events in the second half of August, which gave the vineyards water and the grapes their final aromatic complexity. The September nights cooled the Sant'Angelo vineyard in Colle to temperatures that distinguish phenolic ripeness from genuine elegance. Harvest did not start until mid to late September – patiently waited, fully redeemed.

Before individual vineyards became a currency, Barolo was an idea. An idea that combined different soils, different slopes, different communities into one whole – and created a complexity that no single vineyard could achieve on its own. Davide Rosso sticks to this idea. His Barolo DOCG combines grapes from three municipalities in equal parts: Serralunga d'Alba with its hard limestone marls and uncompromising tannin structure, Castiglione Falletto with somewhat lighter, sandy soils and a natural aromatic suppleness, and the commune of Barolo itself, whose Tortonian soils lend the Nebbiolo a floral, accessible side.

Anyone looking for the hardest terroir in the Barolo zone will inevitably end up in Serralunga d'Alba. The whitish limestone marl soils of the Helvetian formation – compacted, rich in minerals, barren – give the Nebbiolo here a rigour that is not found elsewhere in the Langhe. No flattery, no quick opening. Instead: structure, depth, staying power. The Rosso family has been cultivating these soils for over a century. For the Barolo del Comune, Davide Rosso draws from four parcels that cover the entire breadth of the municipality: Costa Bella in the northern part, south-facing; Broglio, sandy and east-facing in the heart of Serralunga; Sorano, clay-rich, also east-facing; and Meriame, limestone-rich, a more recent acquisition. No single site dominates, the goal is a wine that represents Serralunga as a whole, not just one facet. Hand-picked in mid-October, spontaneous fermentation in concrete tanks for 25 days with daily pumping over and a délestage at half-time. Maturation in 50-hectolitre French oak barrels for 18 to 36 months, depending on the origin of the grapes. Bottled without filtration.