"Tre Bicchieri" Gambero Rosso 2026

The name Rifugio – refuge – tells of underground hiding places where the inhabitants of Salento once protected themselves from danger. Today, an entire area near Veglie bears this name, where particularly high-quality Primitivo grapes thrive on alluvial, clayey soils with limestone deposits. The traditional Conti Zecca winery, owned by the noble family since the 16th century and one of the icons of Apulia with 320 hectares of vineyards, vinifies this single-varietal Primitivo using tried and tested methods: manual harvesting with selection at the sorting table, gentle destemming and pressing, twelve-day maceration at 25 degrees, alcoholic and malolactic fermentation in stainless steel tanks. Maturation takes place over twelve months in large oak barrels of 30 hectolitres and in resin-sealed concrete tanks, followed by a short period of maturation in the bottle.

Ramitello is unjustly overshadowed by Contado. Yet it is a potential favourite red wine that perfectly embodies the intensity of southern Molise. Made from 80% Montepulciano and 20% Aglianico, Ramitello matures for around 18 months, partly in barriques and partly in stainless steel tanks, followed by around six months of bottle ageing. In the glass, it has a deep ruby colour with violet reflections. The bouquet is brooding and complex: ripe plum and blackberry combine with spicy notes of leather, liquorice, eucalyptus and a hint of coffee. The palate shows excellent balance: dense fruit, structured, grippy tannins and a long, fruit-accentuated finish that is characterised by tension and naturalness. This wine epitomises the authentic power of Molise – unaffected, terroir-precise and at the same time impressively harmonious. SUPERIORE.DE

Only 1.5 kilometres separate the vineyards of Capitel Croce and Foscarino – but geologically they are worlds apart. While Foscarino is rooted in volcanic rock, Croce is enthroned on the pure limestone of the Zoppega hill. "Croce like Calcareo", Roberto likes to say as a mnemonic. Here, in the highest areas of his estate, perhaps his most uncompromising wine has been growing since 1982: 100 per cent Garganega, matured for eight months in old Allier barriques. What makes this wine so exceptional is not just its origin, but Roberto's radical approach: only 45 hectolitres per hectare, late selective harvest with up to twelve passes until only the most perfect berries remain. Fermentation takes place directly in barriques, allowing fruit and wood to merge right from the start.

A Sangiovese cru that demonstrates the philosophy of single-vineyard viticulture to perfection. Sergio Zingarelli and his team recognised early on the extraordinary potential of the clay-dominated soils of Sant'Alfonso – plots with minimal skeleton content, which create the ideal conditions for concentrated, aromatically complex wines. Sangiovese clones were specifically cultivated here, which harmonise with the clay-rich structures and develop the highest phenol concentrations.

At some point in the past, a small metal plate on the roof of the Castagnedi farmstead in the Monti Garbi moved in the wind – like a flag, a "bandina". A landmark for all those who knew these hills. Today, it is the name of the single vineyard that lies at the heart of the Tenuta. Colognola ai Colli, eastern Valpolicella: calcareous sandy soils at around 300 metres. This is the terroir that has belonged to the four Castagnedi brothers since 1995 and which characterises their wines with a characteristic balsamic: liquorice, white mint, graphite, China. Corvina and Corvinone form the backbone with 70%, Rondinella brings freshness, Croatina and Oseleta the flavour. Hand-picked in October, fermentation at a controlled temperature with certified organic yeasts, natural malo. Then aged for 24 months in 25-hectolitre French oak tonneaux – medium roasted, integrated, never dominant.

Greenish straw yellow in the glass. Peach and apricot dominate the nose when young, with an interesting minerality and depth added as the wine matures. On the palate, the wine correlates beautifully with the aroma, with an invigorating acidity and freshness that makes it dance with vigour. Ideal with starters, savoury first courses, spicy fish and delicate white meat. SUPERIORE.DE

70% Nero d'Avola and 30% Frappato from organic cultivation around the historic Dorilli estate between Vittoria and Acate. The vines are rooted in red sandy soils over limestone and the microclimate is characterised by a maritime climate. After careful manual harvesting and maceration, the wine matures for 12 months in large wooden barrels – a deliberately traditional interpretation of Sicily's only DOCG wine.

The name Mare Antico (ancient sea) is a tribute to the marine fossils and shells found in the soils of Orvieto. It is a beautiful blend of 55% Grechetto, 20% Vermentino, 20% Chardonnay and 5% Procanico and is the house's flagship wine every year.

Monte Carbonare comes from red volcanic iron soils with plenty of black basalt in the centre. Six hectares of 60-70 year old vines in cooler sites, which continue to rise to the crème de la crème of the top sites as the climate warms. A richer wine than the younger Classico, but without the same cheeky vitality. While the Classico is an unbeatable everyday wine, the Monte Carbonare is a complex wine that demands food and a little more contemplation. Mirabelle plum, apricot pit, a hint of dried mango and plenty of smoky, sharp mineral grip, with dutiful freshness that brings wonderful length. SUPERIORE.DE

"Fruit that bears richly" ... the meaning of the name. Sciala evokes images of golden grapes in the warm light of the Gallura autumn. Here, millennia-old memories and modern precision come together to create a Vermentino that is considered the style-defining work (not only) of Surrau. The 2024 vintage in Gallura was strong in character and balanced at the same time – characterised by plenty of warmth from the sun, yet plenty of cooling sea air and the exposed altitude ensured concentrated fruit and aromatic elegance. In combination with a late, selective harvest, this beautiful vintage marks a highly lively expression between strength and finesse.

A wine that made history. When the first vintage of La Selvanella Riserva was presented in 1969, it was a revolution in Chianti Classico – the very first cru from a single vineyard in the entire region. Today, over 50 years later, this Sangiovese classic is still regarded as a benchmark for the elegance and purity of the Radda terroirs. The 50 hectares of the La Selvanella vineyard sit at an altitude of 350 to 550 metres above Radda in Chianti in one of the most privileged positions in the entire region. Wines of exceptional structure and lively acidity are produced here. The perfect south-west exposure and the temperate continental climate create ideal conditions for the capricious Sangiovese to develop its full aromatic complexity.

Castello della Sala, located not far from Orvieto at an altitude of 500 metres, produces excellent wines without exception, as the inexpensive "entry-level wine" San Giovanni della Sala proves. The wine is produced in the vineyards of the ancient castle of Castello della Sala from the combination of the indigenous grape varieties Grechetto and Procanico with Pinot Bianco and Viognier and interprets the Orvieto Classico in a new style. Its freshness, richness and balance are remarkable, with notes of yellow flowers, green apple, sage and ginger. On the palate, an incredibly silky texture and juicy acidity guide this juicy white wine into a beautiful, mineral finish. SUPERIORE.DE

On the Costa degli Etruschi, where the Maestrale blows in from the Tyrrhenian Sea and the waves crash just ten kilometres away, Massimo Piccin has been realising his dream of the perfect Bordeaux blend since 1999. Under his visionary hand and the advice of the renowned OenologistCarlo Ferrini, the modest farm in Castagneto Carducci has grown into a 40-hectare vineyard that is now one of Bolgheri's most respected addresses. Volpolo embodies the pure essence of this exceptional location between the municipalities of Castagneto Carducci and Bibbona; the name is a tribute to the ancient Tuscan grape variety Volpola and at the same time an expression of the deep roots in the Bolgheri terroir. This organically certified cuvée of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot thrives on the estate's 27 different soil types – a mosaic of sand, clay, limestone and sea pebbles, which owes its mineral richness to the former marshlands. The proximity to the sea provides the vines with the constant ventilation and intense light that allow Bordeaux varieties to mature to unimagined complexity.

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.

At some point in the history of Nals Margreid, the Gambero Rosso even declared Sirmian to be the best white wine in Italy. We are not surprised. Above Nals, in the Sirmian district, the slopes lie between 500 and 700 metres above sea level. South-east facing, alpine climate: mild summers, cool autumns, a long growing season that ends in mid-October with the harvest. The soil is a geological archive: Permeable glacial moraine of limestone, gneiss, mica, slate and marble, deposited millions of years ago by glaciers in the Western Alps, resting on porphyry, the volcanic bedrock of the bedrock.

The 2022 marks a significant transition: it is the last vintage that Paolo de Marchi characterised before Emanuele Reolon took over as technical director. But the signature remains unmistakable. Since the 1980s, de Marchi was one of the first in Chianti Classico to plant high-density vineyards with low-yielding Sangiovese clones on poor Galestro soils at an altitude of 400 metres – a revolution in quality. The cuvée of 90% Sangiovese, supplemented by 10% Canaiolo, ferments for twelve days in stainless steel using the characteristic délestage method, which de Marchi has been refining since 1996. Seven months of ageing in barriques of different sizes give the wine complexity without dominance.

The Andreola family winery in Col San Martino was founded in 1984 by Nazzareno Pola in the heart of the Valdobbiadene wine-growing region. In his honour, a wonderful Prosecco Superiore is produced here every year in small batches, which once again received the highest award in the Gambero Rosso for the 2024 vintage. For Stefano Pola, the Etichetta del Fondatore represents the highest expression of finesse and olfactory elegance that the Glera grape can give in the core zone of Prosecco Superiore – combined with the verticality and juiciness that the soils give it, without ever losing its lightness and drinkability.

Stylistically balanced, very finesse-rich Chianti Classico Gran Selezione from a small single vineyard (vineyard no. 7) in the Castelnuovo-Berardenga area, where the temperatures are always somewhat higher than in the rest of Chianti Classico. Dark, bright ruby colour. Elegant bouquet of pure Sangiovese of red berries with a very delicate hint of tobacco. Salty on the palate, shows a lot of pressure, very clear, compact fruit, builds up racy with tightly woven tannins; very intense and long finish. SUPERIORE.DE

La Grola is the eponymous, historic vineyard where Corvina, the indigenous grape of Valpolicella, is believed to have originated. The replanting of the vineyard by Giovanni Allegrini triggered an agronomic revolution and laid the foundations for the success of this wine-growing region, which today stands for convincing, great red wines from north-east Italy. With the 2022 vintage, La Grola returns to its origins: declared Valpolicella Classico Superiore DOC for the first time, it marks a new phase for this iconic wine from Allegrini. The cuvée of Corvina, Corvinone and Rondinella comes from the limestone terraces of the La Grola hill, exposed to the south-east and consistently selectively harvested. After fermentation in stainless steel, the wine is matured in barriques, some new, some used.

In 2000, buyers were at the door. The Fucci family had almost given up on the six hectares of vineyards that their grandfather Generoso had acquired at the foot of Monte Vulture in the 1960s – the parents teachers, the children on their way into the world. At the last moment, daughter Elena decided otherwise. Not out of calculation, but out of a feeling that she herself later described as "a stab in the heart": she could not accept that a foreign name would do something great with the oldest vines of the Vulture while she watched.

There are wines that define an appellation. And there are wines that show where an appellation can go. The Gran Selezione from Lilliano belongs to the second category. When the Chianti Classico producers created the new top of the quality pyramid in 2010, there was a great deal of scepticism: is there really a need for another category above the Riserva? Lilliano answered this question with deeds rather than words. While other estates defined their Gran Selezione with an international use of wood and concentrated opulence, Lilliano remained true to its line: tradition, terroir, typicity. The Gran Selezione comes exclusively from the two best single vineyards of the Tenuta – piagge and Casina, both situated at an altitude of around 300 metres, both characterised by the calcareous Alberese soils that make Castellina in Chianti one of the most mineral terroirs in the entire appellation. Piagge is south-facing, fully exposed to the sun, and produces Sangiovese of concentration and vigour. Casina, on the other hand, exposed to the east-south-east, produces Colorino and Sangiovese of elegance and aromatic finesse. Together they produce a cuvée of 90% Sangiovese and 5% each of Colorino and Merlot – an assemblage that seeks perfection within the rules rather than innovation.

Conte Vistarino's Pinot Nero Pernice, which is great every year, comes from the single vineyard of the same name and fascinates with its fine fragrance and elegance. Intense ruby red colour with garnet reflections. The bouquet is complex and rich with notes of violets and small red fruits, some roasted coffee and cocoa. Elegant, full-bodied on the palate, with present fruit, very balanced with a pleasant minerality and a long, spicy finish. The harmonious tannins make this wine elegant and give it a good backbone from start to finish. SUPERIORE.DE