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Pas Dosé - here the normally added dosage is omitted, which after disgorgement determines not only the sugar content but also the style of the sparkling wine fermented in the bottle. Instead, the volume naturally lost during the years of bottle ageing is replaced by other wines of the house, which, however, do not further influence the sugar content. Thus we have here an extremely dry sparkling wine, which, however, in no way lacks volume, character and finely modelled taste nuances. Straw yellow in the glass, bright fruits, herbs, citrus and wild flowers on the nose. In the drink, then, an impressively fine perlage and texture that reveals layers of spices, dried fruits and slightly salty components. Its creaminess and elegance is flanked by a well-proportioned, well-integrated and fresh acidity and delights into the full-bodied, lingering finish. SUPERIORE.DE

Sparkling ruby red colour, fine aroma of honey, pickled cherries, gingerbread spices and plums. Full-bodied and dense on the palate, with lots of ripe fruit, a rich flavour, noticeable tannin on the finish - and great potential. SUPERIORE.DE

Since the 2018 vintage, a small amount of Merlot has been vinified separately at Rampolla, named after the mother Donna Liù. The unfiltered wine was matured for 12 months in terracotta amphorae and fermented to almost 0 g/l residual sugar. Very elegant, fresh nose of sour cherry, laurel and cassis. Fresh on the palate and without the sometimes exuberant opulence of some other Tuscan Merlots, with a precise cherry fruit and salty-minty component. A finely chiselled Merlot that is hard to beat in terms of freshness, clarity and personality. It bridges the gap wonderfully between the Chianti Classico and the two flagships of the house, Sammarco and d'Alceo. Needs a few more years in the bottle. SUPERIORE.DE

Bright ruby red with incipient garnet-red reflections. Ripe red cherry, rosehip, delicate violets and a hint of white pepper on the nose. Smooth and harmonious on the palate, with clear fruit, fine spice and well-integrated acidity. The warm weather of the 2022 vintage gives it a round, ripe profile that nevertheless retains its elegant, taut contours. A balanced, varietal Nebbiolo that is accessible when young, but will also benefit from a few years of ageing. SUPERIORE.DE

Now available again in small quantities after a break of many years: Dario Raccaro's Merlot is a deep, expressive wine that presents opulent tones of blackberry jam and blackcurrants. In other circumstances, such a fruit-driven wine would taste heavy and one-dimensional. However, thanks to the unique buffer of cool Collio air and the heavier clay soils, the wine shows a fascinating personality and, despite its concentration, a great elegance that increases with further aeration. A dense vein of minerals and spices is woven into the long finish. A true showpiece for this grape variety, which is also rarely found in the Collio. SUPERIORE.DE

Not the Classico, not Novare: Valpantena is the real cradle of Bertani. It was here, in Grezzana at the foot of the Lessini, that Giovan Battista and Gaetano Bertani founded their winery in 1857. What Gaetano brought with him from his exile in France – he had learnt from Jules Guyot, the pioneer of modern viticulture –revolutionised viticulture throughout Valpolicella. Today, Valpantena is the only sub-zone in the entire region to be officially recognised as a cru: a pre-alpine valley with ferruginous marl and clay-limestone marl soils which, thanks to its direct connection to the Lessini chain, ensures marked temperature fluctuations between day and night. Corvina Veronese and Rondinella are hand-picked and left to dry for 120 days in single-layer boxes in the historic Fruttai. Fermentation begins at just 4–5°C and slowly rises to 22°C – a gentle process that preserves fruit and builds depth.

The wine comes from impressive altitudes (approx. 1,000 metres above sea level) at the Koflhof in Aldein. Perfect south-facing exposure, ideal sunshine and the daily "Ora" wind ensure optimum ripening of the grapes. Intense, sparkling ruby red colour. Refined bouquet of wild berries and sour cherries. Warm and enveloping on the palate, with a compact structure, present berry fruit and well-integrated tannins. Long and supple final. SUPERIORE.DE

The name "retus" comes from "Rhaetia" or "Raetia", the name of the Roman province. In Celtic, "reit" refers to a mountain village.

The name "retus" comes from "Rhaetia" or "Raetia", the name of the Roman province. In Celtic, "reit" refers to a mountain village.

In 1980, a quiet revolution began in the granite hills of Gallura. What began as the bold vision of two young brothers was to change the Sardinian wine world forever: The first Vermentino in the world to undergo partial ageing in French barriques. Fabrizio and Mario Ragnedda dared to do the unthinkable – they believed that their beloved Vermentino could be on a par with the great international white wines. The name Capichera itself tells of ancient greatness: Caput erat – "it was the capital" – the Latin reminder of the historical importance of these lands belonging to the Ragnedda family. Here, where granite soils write Sardinian history and the sea breezes aerate the vines, the white flagship of a winery that made history has been produced for over four decades. The Vermentino ferments for four weeks in cool stainless steel before finding its way into new and used barriques.

This elegant and very harmonious red comes 100% from the small vineyard (Contrada) Cavaliere on the south-west slope of Mount Etna. The vineyards in the municipality of Santa Maria di Licodìa develop at a considerable altitude (approx. 900 metres above sea level) with favourable conditions for all indigenous varieties, both red and white grapes, which are cultivated here with Guyot pruning. Here, both the Nerello and the Carricante grape varieties produce wines with a well-defined structure and typical varietal flavours.

Just like its equally famous neighbour Fattoria Petrolo (with its Boggina A), Il Borro can also convince us with a red wine aged in amphorae. Petruna is a single-varietal Sangiovese that is fermented with 12 months of skin contact in hermetically sealed amphorae. The result is surprising, not in the sense of an "interesting" experimental wine, but because the typical character of Sangiovese is fully expressed in freshness, fruit and energy. The bouquet is dominated by cherry and small red berries, plus some orange zest. Its body is of medium weight, which makes it an excellent food companion. Its fresh acidity and a tangle of fine tannins increase the drinking pleasure enormously. We can say that the experiment was successful in an elegant way. SUPERIORE.DE

Autumn 2018 began with bad press. After the glowing vintages of 2015, 2016 and the tough 2017 came a cool, rainy year – and the experts shrugged their shoulders. But if you listened carefully, you could hear something subtle: elegance. The quiet kind. The kind you don't immediately recognise. San Filippo lies east of Montalcino, at 260 to 280 metres above sea level, in a gently north-east facing hollow. Here, the vines grow in red clay over limestone and slate – soils that absorb heat and retain freshness. 2018 was not a year for muscles. But for nerves. Fermentation in steel and concrete, ageing in large wooden barrels – paolo Caciorgna keeps his hand steady. No wood that drowns out. No intervention to correct. The wine should speak.

The Sangiovese, Canaiolo and Ciliegiolo grapes for Montecalvi's flagship Vigne Vecchie come from one of the oldest vineyards in Tuscany. And since each of the old vines only produces a handful of grapes, only a limited number of bottles are produced per vintage. Bright, luminous ruby red with a brick-red rim, the bouquet is beguilingly deep and fruity of raspberry, crisp cherry and juicy strawberry. With all the fullness and concentration that the old vines produce, it is nevertheless elegant and fine, velvety and well-proportioned in its impression. SUPERIORE.DE

The grapes for the Chardonnay Corrado di Manzano come from a small parcel of the Manzano vineyard. This delicious white is rich, atmospheric and full of character. It blossoms with baked apple, floral notes, hints of brown spices and vanilla pods. A sense of opulence sets in as its seamless, velvety texture slowly reveals ripe fruit trees and hints of custard. However, the vibrant acids keep the balance and slowly build up a tension that continues through to the final, framing everything beautifully. A hint of citrus and minerals lingers for a long time. SUPERIORE.DE

Benanti's latest white wine comes 100% from the small vineyard (Contrada) Cavaliere. The vineyards in the municipality of Santa Maria di Licodìa develop at a considerable altitude (approx. 900 metres above sea level) with favourable conditions for all indigenous varieties, both red and white berries, which are cultivated here with Guyot pruning. Here, both the Nerello and the Carricante produce wines with a well-defined structure and typical varietal flavours. The vines are around 50 years old and grow on sandy, volcanic soil that is rich in minerals. The climate is alpine, with little rainfall and provides the vines with a high degree of ventilation and very large temperature differences between day and night.Straw yellow in colour with bright green reflections. The bouquet is intense, rich, generous and delicately fruity with hints of orange blossom and ripe apple. The palate is dry, mineral, harmonious with a pleasant acidity, aromatic pressure and an interesting aftertaste of aniseed and almonds. SUPERIORE.DE

The A in the name of the Boggina stands for the natural wine aged for about 6 months in terracotta amphorae of 400-600 Liters each, which is bottled in an edition of just 5,000 bottles without further addition of sulphites. Bright, luminous garnet red. The bouquet is ethereal, very delicate and nuanced, with a very precise fragrance interpretation of the Sangiovese grape. Medium-bodied, with a beautiful structure and authentic Sangiovese fruit with a salty vein. The finish is highly drinkable, with silky tannins and a beguiling length. A masterpiece of beauty and elegance. SUPERIORE.DE

A comeback after 35 years. The last Linticlarus Chardonnay was vinified in 1987 – now it is back, and how. The name honours the Roman Castrum Linticlar, the ancient fortress above the winery, whose traces date back to the Stone Age. History you can taste. The grapes come from an excellent location in Entiklar, just a stone's throw from the famous Vigna AU, at an altitude of 300 to 340 metres. The deep moraine soils – rich in limestone, clay and natural salts – give the wine its characteristic mineral signature. Ageing: 11 months in small oak barrels on the fine lees.

Sauvignon Salici is radiantly bright, crisp and extremely nuanced. Traces of crushed rock and mint are beautifully concentrated in the glass. This energetic Sauvignon displays a highly independent and appealing personality. Salici is the essence of Sauvignon Bianco with a Friulian fingerprint from vines over 35 years old. SUPERIORE.DE

The single-vineyard Sauvignon Bianco Lozeta is the result of the avant-garde planting system, which, in contrast to the cultivation method previously practised in Friuli, not only means a higher planting density, but also the intelligent use of clones and biotypes that have been married with French offshoots. It is a further uncompromising and consistent step towards complexity and personality, with optimal utilisation and expression of the existing terroir and microclimate.

The name honours the Roman Castrum Linticlar, the ancient fortress above the winery in Entiklar – a place that was already inhabited in the Stone Age. This historic soil produces a wine that combines power and finesse. The cuvée of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon and 50% Merlot comes from south-southeast-facing slopes in Entiklar at 260 to 300 metres. The very brooding, loose moraine soils with their high limestone and sand content give the wine structure and mineral precision. Vinification: Mash fermentation in concrete tanks, then malolactic fermentation, 12 months in small oak barrels, a further 6 months in large wooden barrels – followed by one year of ageing in the bottle.