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The Oberkofler family has been running the ancient Bachmannhof farm since 1853 and Pinot Nero has found its second home in South Tyrol for over a century – nowhere is this rootedness more evident than at the Bachmann from the steep vineyards around Bolzano. Between 600 and 700 metres above sea level, the vines thrive on mineral-rich soils, where cool nights and sunny days create the finesse that combines Burgundian elegance with Alpine clarity.

Gewürztraminer is one of the aromatic icons of South Tyrol, and Franz Haas interprets this demanding grape variety with the precision of a perfectionist. The vines thrive on Guyot vines between 350 and 650 metres above sea level, where skeletal clay soils facing south-west create ideal conditions. These medium altitudes preserve the balance between aromatic opulence and fresh structure – this is crucial for a Gewürztraminer that does not suffocate in overripe heaviness. After a short maceration period, the must ferments at low, controlled temperatures in stainless steel. Six months of ageing on the fine lees follow, with the yeast being stirred weekly – an effort that gives the wine a creamy texture and additional complexity. This patient yeast work clearly distinguishes Franz Haas' interpretation from simpler Gewürztraminer wines, which are bottled after just a few months.

The grapes for Vignota come from five selected vineyards in Monforte d'Alba, whose calcareous marl soils with loamy and sandy inclusions give the Barbera grapes expression and depth. Bright ruby red colour with a purple hue. Aromas of ripe cherry, blackberry and plum, underpinned by violets, herbs and a hint of liquorice. Juicy and balanced on the palate, with present, well-integrated acidity and soft, fine-grained tannins. After fermentation, the wine matures for several months in used French barriques, which gives it additional harmony and fine spicy notes. An exciting and very serious Barbera with a regional profile and good structure. SUPERIORE.DE

A multi-faceted introduction to the world of Benanti wines – this Etna Rosso reflects the polyphony of the volcano. The grapes come from altitudes between 450 and 900 metres, distributed on all sides of Mount Etna. The soil is barren and volcanic-sandy, rich in minerals and perfectly aerated – conditions that enable finesse, freshness and crystalline structure. 80% Nerello Mascalese/20% Nerello Cappuccio. The Nerello Mascalese matures predominantly in stainless steel, with only around 20% in used oak barrels, while the Nerello Cappuccio remains entirely in stainless steel tanks. Both varieties ferment with Benanti's experimental, indigenous yeasts for several weeks at a controlled temperature, followed by blending and further ageing in the bottle.

Luigi Veronelli affectionately called him "Il Contadino". And in doing so, he captured the essence of Livio Felluga better than any label ever could. A man from Istria who survived two world wars, saw borders shift, lost his homeland and settled on the rolling hills of Rosazzo in the late 1930s to give Friulian viticulture a new future. What this winegrower has built up is now one of the leading names in the north-east. The Rosato is, in the estate’s own words, “a new way of expressing the most characteristic thing we have: the character of our terroir.” 85% Merlot, 15% Pinot Nero, from flysch soils of Eocene origin – that characteristic alternation of marl and sandstone which distinguishes the Collio and Rosazzo from the rest of Italy. Pinot Nero is harvested at the end of August – earlier than Merlot, which follows in mid-September. The grapes are placed in small crates, gently destemmed, cold-pressed, and the must clarified by decanting. Fermentation takes place in steel and terracotta, with ageing on the lees.

"The grapes come from the highest vineyard on our estate, in Monforte d'Alba, at an altitude of about 530 metres above sea level. Here, the climatic conditions ensure the freshness and acidity that make Riesling one of the most famous grape varieties in the world and one of our great passions." Franco Massolino

2023 in Friuli was characterised by a cooler, changeable spring and a summer that was warm but not extremely dry. These conditions favoured the late-ripening Ribolla Gialla: the grapes developed a balanced sugar-acid ratio and retained their animating freshness despite being well ripe. As in the previous year, the wine comes from the single vineyard ColdeBliss, whose limestone-rich soil and hillside location allow for a particularly clear, mineral profile.

A finely conceived rosé sparkling wine with a regional identity and elegant craftsmanship. The harmonious blend of autochthonous grape varieties – groppello, Marzemino, Barbera and Sangiovese grapes – defines clarity and origin, while the 24-month yeast ageing gives the wine expression, creaminess and depth. In the glass, it shines in a delicate salmon pink colour with a lively, fine-pored perlage. The nose seduces with floral nuances of rose petals, red berries and tangerine peel, subtly accompanied by yeast tones and a hint of almond biscuits. Fresh and harmonious on the palate, with clear acidity, a juicy, fruity centre and elegant salty minerality. The perlage is silky, the structure finely balanced, the final long, dry and characterised by a delicate bitter almond note. A rosé sparkling wine full of character that combines the regionality of Valtènesi with a modern sparkling wine style – refined depth with a high drinking flow and clear origin. SUPERIORE.DE

How could it be otherwise: Tenuta Meraviglia's Bolgheri Rosso is vinified from 100% (!) Cabernet Franc. Bright, deep ruby red colour with violet reflections. Intense and pronounced aroma of blackcurrant, wild blackberry, cherry and raspberry, enriched by notes of tobacco, liquorice, undergrowth and roasted aromas. Warm and persistent on the palate, with a fine texture and sweet, spicy tannins. SUPERIORE.DE

For two decades, the white indigenous cuvée Biancosesto has stood for one of the most original and stylistically distinctive interpretations of the Friulian white wine tradition – a poetic blend of Friulano and Ribolla Gialla from old vineyards around the historic settlement of Sesto al Reghena. The calcareous marl soils (Ponca) and the cool microclimate of the Colli Orientali provide this classic white wine with complexity and finesse every year.

Schiopetto has been producing Pinot Grigio since 1968 – long before it became (unfortunately, in some other regions) Italy's best-selling mass-market white wine – and the Rotolo family has never forgotten what it truly excels at: depth, juiciness and mineral vigour. On the Ponca hills of Capriva del Friuli, in marly soils of Eocene origin, the variety finds a terroir that leaves no room for mediocrity. Gentle pressing, brief sulphur-free decanting, fermentation in stainless steel at a controlled temperature – followed by eight months' ageing on the lees. No oak, no detours, everything focused on the Ponca.

When you say Braida, you mean Barbera. Ever since Giacomo Bologna proved in the 1980s that this underestimated grape variety can reach barrique maturity and world class, the name has been synonymous with the Piedmontese red wine revolution. Connoisseurs know that the family also produces white wines – but La Regina, Re di Fiori and the Asso di Fiori are deliberately labelled differently: Serra dei Fiori. This is the name of the vineyard near Trezzo Tinella in the Langhe, which the Bolognas acquired together with the Giacosa brothers in 1988. A separate terroir, a joint venture, a separate project. This makes what Giuseppe and Raffaella Bologna now dare to do all the more significant: the first white wine to bear the name Braida. Vinified not in the Langhe, but in the historic cellar of Rocchetta Tanaro – the heart of the estate. The grapes come from the Colli Tortonesi, the hills east of Alessandria, where the Timorasso has been rooted since the Middle Ages and was saved from extinction thanks to pioneers like Walter Massa.

Pinot Bianco reveals its aristocratic side at the high altitude of the "Zuc di Volpe". The privileged single vineyard site near Togliano offers ideal conditions for this elegant grape variety: cool nights, calcareous soils and excellent aeration, which allows for slow, balanced ripening. The 2021 vintage was characterised by moderate temperatures and a stable late summer, which led to perfect physiological ripeness and excellent freshness. The ageing in stainless steel tanks with extended maturation on the fine lees preserves the clear fruit while adding depth and structure. The nose reveals aromas of white peach, pear and a hint of camomile, underpinned by a fine nutty note. Finely crafted and precise on the palate, with a creamy texture, firm minerality and a long, balanced finish.

Roberto Giannelli was a real estate agent. A Florentine who had little to do with Brunello – until someone offered him an estate for sale in the east of Montalcino in 2003. He drove there, saw the vineyards, the old walls, the view over the hills. And bought it. This is how the best wine stories sometimes begin: not with a plan, but with a feeling. Today, San Filippo is one of the most reliable houses in the entire Brunello region – organic since 2013, with the Le Lucère-Brunello, which James Suckling once gave a full 100 points.

The grapes are harvested at the end of August when they are ripe and then dried in the fruit cellar in 5kg crates at 23⁰C. After around 40 days, when half their weight has been lost, the grapes are pressed and the resulting must, which is particularly rich in sugar, ferments slowly at 18°C for over a month in stainless steel containers, where it remains until bottling. Light golden yellow in colour, with a fine bouquet of orange blossom, some quince, apricot and peach. Sparkling on the palate with surprisingly lively acidity, spreads out beautifully, with orange peel and some grapefruit on the long final. SUPERIORE.DE

Biancolella epitomises the heart of Ischian wine culture – an indigenous grape variety with a millennia-old tradition that grows almost exclusively on Ischia. Its existence documents the inseparable link between the island and the vine since the times of the ancient Greeks, when the first amphorae carried the precious wine as far as France. The four hectares of vineyards grow on the mineral-rich volcanic soil of Monte Epomeo at an altitude of 300 metres overlooking the sea. The green tuff stores the Mediterranean warmth and passes it on to the vines, while the salty sea breezes provide natural freshness and elegance. This unique combination of volcanic power and maritime mildness characterises its unmistakable character.

Pithos Bianco is a great orange wine from the amphora made from 100 per cent Grecanico, fermented entirely on the skins. Complex bouquet of apple, pear, honey, mint and a hint of rosemary. Even young with lots of ripe fruit and spice, a little salt, with beautiful depth and purity in the interesting, persistent flavour. Very good ageing and maturation potential. Be sure to aerate sufficiently before drinking! SUPERIORE.DE

In addition to his Friulano vineyards, Dario Raccaro has been cultivating a small vineyard planted with 100% Guyot Pinot Gris vines for many years. Since the 2022 vintage, he has been selling just 2,000 bottles of this fine wine and we are delighted to have received an allocation. Pale straw yellow in colour, with a fine, floral bouquet with traces of flint and white smoke. Well-structured on the fresh palate, soft and flowing, very velvety and deep at the same time, a masterful interpretation of Pinot Gris! SUPERIORE.DE

Bernardina is a wine with an interesting history. The Bernardina vineyard was once part of a 600-hectare estate belonging to a noble family who did not care much for wine. When the appellation boundaries for Barolo were established, this family never lobbied to become part of the area now registered for the production of Barolo DOCG. Today, the vineyard is managed by the Ceretto family, who have instead focussed on the production of Nebbiolo d'Alba. Nebbiolo d'Alba is an appellation in which the grapes from the Barolo and Barbaresco wine regions have been declassified and which is becoming increasingly popular.

Orion here does not mean the constellation, but a border. The Greek "oros" means edge, dividing line – and that is exactly what this path once was: the ancient road that separated Byzantine lands from Lombard lands, today a quiet country lane right next to the Primitivo vineyards of Masseria Li Veli in Cellino San Marco. History you can feel under your feet. 100% Primitivo, harvested at the end of August, limestone-clay soils, 10 to 20 year old vines – partly Alberello, the ancient Apulian bush vine cultivation style. Fermentation in steel, six months in barrique. Roberto Cotarella holds the line.