Italian red wine

"Mature wines can be compared to a person who impresses not through strength, but through the wisdom of age. These wines have a tremendous personality, a very special charisma." (Alois Lageder)

Pinot Noir, which originates from France, has been cultivated in South Tyrol since 1850. The best sites, low yields, meticulous care and perfectionism in the cellar guarantee a fine, extremely sensual Pinot Noir with considerable ageing potential. In his constant search for perfection, cellar master Hans Terzer presents the fourth edition of the Pinot Noir Riserva "The Wine Collection" this year.

Ceretto's single-vineyard Barbaresco Bernadot plays up its elegance and graceful personality. From the fruit of a 4.8-hectare, organically and biodynamically farmed site in Treiso, planted at an altitude of 400 metres above sea level, this pretty Barbaresco unfolds very specific aromas of wild berries, spices, liquorice and iron rust. These aromas are also essential components of its classic Nebbiolo game on the palate, as is its light and silky texture. Barbaresco Bernadot is very straightforward, finely spiced and with a supple personality. SUPERIORE.DE

Five hectares at around 200 metres above sea level. Tortonian soils of limestone, marl and sand, rich in magnesium and manganese. A south-west to south-east exposure that gives the Bric Turot its amphitheatrical shape – and the Nebbiolo all directions at the same time. 2019 was not a favourable vintage. A mild winter caused the vegetation to awaken early – then damp, cold weather from April to the end of May slowed down flowering, reduced fruit set and limited yields from the outset. The summer brought warmth and drought, interrupted by rainfall from mid-July. August with cool nights, September rains, then clarity and slow, patient ripening until well into October. Harvest from 12 to 19 October. A year that Nebbiolo has worked hard for.

Full, enveloping and with great persistence, Montestefano is sometimes referred to as the "Barolo of Barbaresco".

A fruity and graceful Barbaresco. The loamy soils give it a firm backbone and strong tannins.

The legendary single vineyard Mosconi in Monforte d'Alba: steep, windy slopes on calcareous and ferruginous marl, predominantly south/south-west facing. The story behind it: Pio Boffa, who died far too young, acquired the Mosconi parcel a few years before his death as a strategic addition to the family estate – a late legacy that adds the powerful mineral voice of Mosconi/Monforte to the Barolo identity of the estate. Hand-picked from parcels, fermentation in stainless steel with prolonged maceration and gentle extraction. Maturation predominantly in large Slavonian barrels, finely dosed and flanked by French oak – always for texture, not opulence. The 2019 vintage: Long, balanced growing season, large day-night amplitude and late, highly selective harvest – aromatic precision, taut acidity, fine-grained tannin.

A prime example of perfect balance: elegance and structure harmonise perfectly.

Pònkler is the house's top wine and at the same time the essence of Franz Haas' decades of experience with the undemanding Pinot Nero grape. The vines, planted in 2007, grow on soils of weathered porphyry in a single vineyard at an altitude of 750 metres. The selection of French clones, which have proven to be particularly suitable for high altitudes, the high density of vines and the low yields guarantee a very high quality of grapes.

A farewell and a new beginning at the same time. Cepparello 2021 marks Paolo De Marchi's final vintage as master of his life's work before the winery was transferred to the French EPI Group. After more than four decades of tireless work, the maestro from Piedmont completed his testament with this wine – a Sangiovese of paradoxical brilliance that retains an astonishing freshness and elegance despite its powerful fifteen per cent alcohol. The name Cepparello, which originates from the small stream at the highest point of the vineyards, has carried the revolutionary vision of one hundred per cent Sangiovese since 1980. What began as a rebellion against the Chianti Classico regulations – the absurd rule of adding white grapes – developed into an icon of pure Sangiovese expression.

It is reported that the hermit Alemanno chose the hill of Rosazzo as his spiritual retreat in the year 800. Around 200 years later, the Augustinians taught the local population the principles of agriculture here. The Pignolo grape variety can also be traced back to this place until the end of the 18th century. Sensitive and low-yielding, it had almost disappeared by the end of the 19th century and was rediscovered and re-cultivated in Rosazzo.

Bricco di Treiso 2021 comes from the single vineyard of the same name, one of the highest parcels in the appellation, where the vines are rooted on calcareous marl soils in a cool microclimate. The 2021 vintage brought ideal conditions: a cool spring, followed by a balanced summer and a long, dry autumn – perfect for the slow ripening of the Nebbiolo. After a long maceration period, the wine matured in large oak barrels and a small proportion of barriques. In the glass, it is garnet-red in colour with delicate orange reflections and notes of rose, sour cherry, liquorice and light spice on the nose. On the palate, it is powerful yet finely characterised, with precise acidity, cool fruit and saline depth. The tannins are present but silky and interwoven – a Barbaresco of austere beauty, great transparency and with long ageing potential. SUPERIORE.DE

Its multi-layered bouquet of spices, black olive, rosemary, plum and cherry opens slowly. On the palate, firm, compact and initially introverted, then mint, spices, dark red fruit, plus cassis and graphite. The taste experiences come to light in small slices; with this outstanding red wine, it is worth waiting as hardly anywhere else to be able to fully discover the depth and complexity of this Tuscan jewel. SUPERIORE.DE

The grapes for Roberto's "entry-level Barolo" come from four of his best vineyards, which are harvested a few weeks earlier than those reserved for his Grand Crus. It is also the most balanced of his Barolo wines, even if the fruit and acidity are anything but restrained, but the proportions are just right here. The structure is great, its length and elegance inspiring - the refined layered components such as raspberry, cherry and its subtle salty vein make it without doubt one of the most serious wines of the entire appellation - a real Voerzio for comparatively little money. SUPERIORE.DE

Roberto Voerzio is one of those winemaking personalities who have had a lasting influence on the modern understanding of Barolo. Since 1986, he has been vinifying wines of uncompromising clarity in La Morra – radical in the vineyard, traditional in the cellar. This Barolo combines Nebbiolo from four cru sites in the municipality of La Morra: Fossati, La Serra, Case Nere and Boiolo. Each parcel brings its own nuances, but together they create an ensemble of remarkable coherence. The vinification follows Voerzio's minimalist philosophy: spontaneous fermentation with wild yeasts in stainless steel tanks, followed by 24 months of ageing in used barriques and large 15-hectolitre barrels. The wine then rests in steel for a further eight months before being released after at least eight months of ageing in the bottle. The result is a Barolo with a bright garnet colour and aromas of red berries, dried roses and subtle spicy notes. The typical La Morra elegance is evident on the palate: silky tannins, fresh acidity, subtle power. A wine that captures the essence of this legendary parish – without fuss, without compromise. SUPERIORE.DE

In the autumn of 1988, the owners of two Tuscan wineries sat together over a convivial dinner and began to compare their wines. What began as a friendly gesture led to a discovery: the blending of Capannelle's Sangiovese from Gaiole in Chianti with Avignonesi's Merlot from Montepulciano resulted in an extraordinary harmony. This is how the 50 & 50 – a legend that has endured for over three decades. The two grape varieties are vinified separately: The Merlot undergoes a 20-day maceration at a controlled temperature, while the Sangiovese macerates on the skins for ten days. Both then mature for 18 months each in French barriques before being blended into a perfect unit.

Sangiovese in purezza. Wonderfully spicy aroma, dark forest berries and cherries, some graphite and cedar wood. Silky elegance on the palate, juicy, dark berries, paired with an animating interplay of fruit and acidity that really lets the wine dance across the tongue. Percarlo has depth and length as well as potential for many years in the cellar. One of the great single-varietal Sangiovese wines of central Tuscany. SUPERIORE.DE

Chiara Boschi's Cannubi 2020 beguiles on the nose with layers of fragrant fruit. A sensual Barolo and yet quite typical in its vineyard character. Soft, silky tannins frame the long finish. A wonderful wine, characterised by its balance and above all by the sweetness of its tannins. Very full-bodied, focussed and with great length. SUPERIORE.DE

After a year's break, the new edition of the long-awaited Brunello Annata comes onto the market with the outstanding 2019 vintage. Initially restrained on the nose, with a little coaxing in the glass it reveals a beautiful blend of fragrant black cherries, mentholated spices, wild herbs, white smoke and a hint of leather. On the palate, silky, enveloping textures, contrasted by cool red and black fruits, plus lively acids that emphasise the spicier and sweeter side of the wine and glide endlessly on the final with fine tannins and minerals. We can already recognise a harmony here that makes us eagerly anticipate the further development of this wonderful wine. SUPERIORE.DE

There are wines that you like to drink. And there are wines that make you fall silent. Two vineyards engage in a silent dialogue here: Buri in Buttrio and Filip in Rosazzo – vineyards that are bottled separately in great years but combine their voices here in the 2022 vintage. Buri brings structure and those smoky, creamy notes of cocoa and coffee reduction that Antonio Galloni once praised as "one of the most profound expressions of Merlot on the planet". Filip responds with immediacy and flinty-fresh elegance, with violets and delicate finesse. The result is more than just addition: it is synthesis. The vinification follows Enzo's credo of consistent restraint. Spontaneous fermentation without temperature control, ageing in French barriques – only a quarter of them new so as not to mask the fruit. No filtration. The wine decides for itself when it is ready.

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As always, the stunning Vigneti del Versante offers a spicy and seductive fruit of black cherries and plums, along with flowers, tobacco, minerals and undergrowth. The wine shows great fibre and density, with much of this power coming from the heavier soils of the selected vineyard sites. The overall impression is captivating with its intensity, yet luxurious and mysteriously dark. SUPERIORE.DE

Eucalyptus and red berries on the nose. Energetic, deep and elegant Barbaresco with a cornucopia of fruit, plus some rose petals and spices. Wonderfully polished style, one of Pelissero's great wines. SUPERIORE.DE

The Piero selection was created as a tribute to the work of Pierluigi Talenti, who has selected and worked the Sangiovese with passion over the years. A 1.95 hectare vineyard near the centre of the winery, with unique pedoclimatic characteristics, stands out from all other vineyards for its consistent quality. The gently sloping terrain is surrounded by woods rich in marl, with a south-easterly exposure at an altitude of 410 metres above sea level, where Pierluigi pursued and cultivated his personal clonal selection in the 1970s. It is a wine with an intense and persistent character, ruby red colour, fine and elegant tannins. After maturing in tonneaux for at least 24 months, it is bottled until it is released onto the market. SUPERIORE.DE